blackfrido
Hall of Fame
The Reds are back !!!
Kneissl Red Star CLUB
- Thread starter blackfrido
- Start date
blackfrido
Hall of Fame
I just bought one couple of months ago, playing and enjoying the red baby again !!
TinTin 1
Professional
Kneissl UK has them.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Those are the most recent results reds. Not the same as the ones before.
blackfrido
Hall of Fame
yes, they are very difficult to find around. You have to shop overseas
michael valek
Hall of Fame
those are 2007 black stars, not the most recent. i sold most of them!
blackfrido
Hall of Fame
who plays that grip these days? Karlovic only
TinTin 1
Professional
I do. I would use a 4 3/4 If they still made themwho plays that grip these days? Karlovic only
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Thread resurrection!!! After months and months of trying everything, Pacifics, babolats, angells (very good), heads, I hit last night with my old reach more frames. A revelation! Everything I was missing. Am now on the hunt for more of these, or 2007 /2008 etc reds, whites, Tom machines. Extended frames. Not the most recent kneissls, the solid, flexy, fantastic older ones. If anyone has any they would like to part with, please email me mvalek@live.co.uk Here's hoping!! Cheers.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Anyone any red star love any more?
sofahead1108
New User
Thanks to blackfrido I will be able to join this club on Friday! A beautiful 2006 RedStar (yellow stripe) will be at my door. Can't wait to experience the unique experience. Never played with an extended length racquet so I'm curious to see how I like it.
ced
Professional
Lucky You !!!
ced
Professional
EASY TO DO...... ADD LEATHER GRIPS AND A LITTLE LEAD IN THE HOOP....... THAT'S ALL ANY OF THE RED STARS , BLACK STARS OR WHITE STARS EVER NEEDED.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
If anyone has some reds that are too light or they don't like please let me know!! I will take them. Mvalek@live.co.uk
Thanks
Thanks
michael valek
Hall of Fame
just picked up a couple of sportastic alpha 18. they are identical to the red stars. and for sale new from sportastic!
michael valek
Hall of Fame
I think they bought the moulds from kneissl. They made (or at least painted) frames for melzer. It's not a new company. I actually have a white star from 2005 branded kneissl which says "by sportastic " on it Haven't hit with the alpha 18 yet (will on Thursday) but aside from paint it's exactly the same frame.
Kneissl makes such nice quality racquets. I had the Red Star, Tom's Machine ( green version), Black Star, All In One. I would have liked to have tried the White Star Pro. Kneissl racquets not easily available around here in the USA sort of a bummer since they were such nice racquets. Not sure why there was not more dealers available here but they just seem to be European driven.
So Kneissl stopped to produce racquets completely?
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Ridges are there. It's 49 euros each. It's from the same mould.
What about the material and the quality of production? You know, the original is always better than copy. But for 49 euros you will not risk.
I am like you, for 49 euros is still expensive for a useless racquet once you buy it. You can't resell it for anything either. Just 49 euros wasted IMO.
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Glad I saw this thread. I'm also a Kneissl fiend from way back. I had forgotten all about Sportastic and didn't know they were still making frames. If you liked those early to mid 2000's Kneissl frames, these are basically the same thing for a great price. Here's one thread from way way back and if you search 'Sportastic', you'll find more:
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/melzer-s-stick.2277/
Tom Martinez doesn't post anymore but was a traveling pro stringer and a treasure trove of racquet/string info. I owned a Sportastic Supreme ~10 years ago and it's basically a Kneissl Tom's Machine in different paint. Kneissl went out of the racquet biz in the early 2000's and Sportastic not only picked up the moulds but also 3 of their top pros, including Melzer and Schett. When Kneissl came back in '05 or '06 (can't remember when exactly), they used the same moulds Sportastic was using. I honestly don't know if Sportastic stopped making frames at this point. They were/are both Austrian companies at the time, so maybe were working together? These days, Kneissl is basically controlled by a holding company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia. A long way from its Austrian roots.
Having said all that, if the shipping is reasonable and you loved Kneissl frames, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Sportastic racquet. If the quality is the same as 10 years ago, it's up to snuff with the Kneissl we knew and loved.
Correct, it's a big difference in price compare to original Kneissl, more than 3 times. The only explanation can be if it will be the clearance, but as I understand it is not. Let's wait for reply from Michael Valek, but I almost sure that Kneissl is better.
OTE="Kevin T, post: 10740706, member: 430"]Glad I saw this thread. I'm also a Kneissl fiend from way back. I had forgotten all about Sportastic and didn't know they were still making frames. If you liked those early to mid 2000's Kneissl frames, these are basically the same thing for a great price. Here's one thread from way way back and if you search 'Sportastic', you'll find more:
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/melzer-s-stick.2277/
Tom Martinez doesn't post anymore but was a traveling pro stringer and a treasure trove of racquet/string info. I owned a Sportastic Supreme ~10 years ago and it's basically a Kneissl Tom's Machine in different paint. Kneissl went out of the racquet biz in the early 2000's and Sportastic not only picked up the moulds but also 3 of their top pros, including Melzer and Schett. When Kneissl came back in '05 or '06 (can't remember when exactly), they used the same moulds Sportastic was using. I honestly don't know if Sportastic stopped making frames at this point. They were/are both Austrian companies at the time, so maybe were working together? These days, Kneissl is basically controlled by a holding company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia. A long way from its Austrian roots.
Having said all that, if the shipping is reasonable and you loved Kneissl frames, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Sportastic racquet. If the quality is the same as 10 years ago, it's up to snuff with the Kneissl we knew and loved.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for information. But why there is so big difference in price?
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/melzer-s-stick.2277/
Tom Martinez doesn't post anymore but was a traveling pro stringer and a treasure trove of racquet/string info. I owned a Sportastic Supreme ~10 years ago and it's basically a Kneissl Tom's Machine in different paint. Kneissl went out of the racquet biz in the early 2000's and Sportastic not only picked up the moulds but also 3 of their top pros, including Melzer and Schett. When Kneissl came back in '05 or '06 (can't remember when exactly), they used the same moulds Sportastic was using. I honestly don't know if Sportastic stopped making frames at this point. They were/are both Austrian companies at the time, so maybe were working together? These days, Kneissl is basically controlled by a holding company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia. A long way from its Austrian roots.
Having said all that, if the shipping is reasonable and you loved Kneissl frames, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Sportastic racquet. If the quality is the same as 10 years ago, it's up to snuff with the Kneissl we knew and loved.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for information. But why there is so big difference in price?
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
OTE="Kevin T, post: 10740706, member: 430"]Glad I saw this thread. I'm also a Kneissl fiend from way back. I had forgotten all about Sportastic and didn't know they were still making frames. If you liked those early to mid 2000's Kneissl frames, these are basically the same thing for a great price. Here's one thread from way way back and if you search 'Sportastic', you'll find more:
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/melzer-s-stick.2277/
Tom Martinez doesn't post anymore but was a traveling pro stringer and a treasure trove of racquet/string info. I owned a Sportastic Supreme ~10 years ago and it's basically a Kneissl Tom's Machine in different paint. Kneissl went out of the racquet biz in the early 2000's and Sportastic not only picked up the moulds but also 3 of their top pros, including Melzer and Schett. When Kneissl came back in '05 or '06 (can't remember when exactly), they used the same moulds Sportastic was using. I honestly don't know if Sportastic stopped making frames at this point. They were/are both Austrian companies at the time, so maybe were working together? These days, Kneissl is basically controlled by a holding company of Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia. A long way from its Austrian roots.
Having said all that, if the shipping is reasonable and you loved Kneissl frames, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Sportastic racquet. If the quality is the same as 10 years ago, it's up to snuff with the Kneissl we knew and loved.
Thank you for information. But why there is so big difference in price?[/QUOTE]
I've no idea. I do know that when the Sportastic frames first came out in 2004 or so, the price was in line with current racquets (I believe they were going for ~199 euros at the time). Maybe Sportastic is a bargain brand now or maybe they are old stock? No clue but I do know that my frame 10 years ago was as good as the Kneissls and I can tell visually that the current models use the same mould.
sofahead1108
New User
Wow this is actually really cool. I'm definitely willing to take a chance on them to get an alpha 18 and an alpha Supreme. The Supreme definitely looks identical to the Tom's machine mold. I live in the states though... Anyone know of a way I can get them to ship it here?
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Kevin T
Hall of Fame
They shipped mine to sunny California 11 years ago. I'd shoot them an email to see if they still ship to the states.
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Can they be contacted by english? I probably will try to get one for that price (if the quality still the same but you never know).
michael valek
Hall of Fame
let me check with my contact there what the best contact details are for them, and i will let you all know. hitting with the frames in a couple of hours so will let you know how they are..
michael valek
Hall of Fame
ok so i hit with it. its exactly the same. factory strings are rubbish and grip is also rubbish but the feel of the frame is the same I weighed it and a g4 is 315g strung. the red stars i have are 320 g strung. so 5g has gone somewhere but thats hardly anything. it plays the same, or rather it will with good strings and 5g extra under the grip.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
It's definitely a 98.says 98 on the frame. Will have a look at if there is anything like a black star.
1990's Graphite
Hall of Fame
The website does seem to have wrong info for the racquets.. they also have them as 27.5 inches is that correct?
michael valek
Hall of Fame
It's identical in length to the red stars.
