My Manufacturers List

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by Virginia

A couple of people expressed surprise at the number of different manufacturers, that are represented in my racquet collection, so I thought I'd post a list.

I thought it was around 85, but it turns out to be 93! Should I aim for a nice round hundred? Does anyone have one not in this list?


1 Abercrombie & Fitch
2 Acro
3 Adidas
4 All American Sports Co
5 Aldila
6 Bancroft
7 Bard
8 Bentley-Wilson
9 Besta
10 Black Knight
11 Blackburne
12 Boris Becker
13 Bridgestone
14 Browning
15 Caldon
16 Chemold
17 Chris
18 Cortland
19 Davis
20 Donnay
21 Dunlop
22 Dura-Fiber
23 Durbin
24 Emrik
25 Estusa
26 Fila
27 Fin
28 Fischer
29 Fox
30 Frank Sedgeman
31 Fred Perry
32 Futabaya
33 Gamma
34 Garcia
35 Hanil
36 Hart
37 Head
38 Kawasaki
39 Kennedy
40 Kneissl
41 Kuebler
42 Lacoste
43 Le Coq Sportif
44 Lee Cooper
45 Lobster
46 Lotto
47 MacGregor
48 Mad Raq
49 Madison
50 Matchmate
51 Maxima
52 Mercedes Benz
53 Mizuno
54 Oliver
55 PDP
56 Penn
57 Pinguin
58 Prince
59 Pro Kennex
60 Pro Supex
61 Prohand
62 Protagon
63 Puma
64 Rawlings
65 Regent
66 Rossignol
67 Roxpro
68 Seamco
69 Seamless
70 Sentra
71 Sergio Tacchini
72 Slazenger
73 Snauwaert
74 Spalding
75 Stellar
76 Stolle & Emerson
77 Taisport
78 Tecno Pro
79 Tenex-Sports
80 Tensor
81 Toalson
82 Tony Trabert
83 Tremont
84 Tretorn
85 Volkl
86 VW
87 Weed
88 Wilson
89 Wimbledon
90 Wright & Ditson
91 Yakin
92 Yamaha
93 Yonex

Nice variety. Im not sure what your collection era of interest starts at, possible like 1950 ? Ofcourse if you want to add lots of other manufactures, you can go older and start amassing some antique woodies like Victors and Horsman.

[vsbabolat]

Originally Posted by gavna

MAJOR

French brand that Leconte, Forget and quite a few pro's were using - racquets were rebranded as Technifibre when the two companies merged in the 90's

They were not two companies that merged. Major has always owned Tecnifibre. In fact today the compnay is still called Major Sports. It was in the early 2000's that Major decided to re-brand the racquets as Tecnifibre.

[Bunky]

Rucanor.....made in Holland. I picked up a Rucanor "Endeavor" in a thrift store. Midplus, over 12 oz., very solid.

[onehandbh]

I have a wood French racquet called Larcade (Larcaide?). If I have time I'll take
a photo. It is very heavy. Probably close to 15 oz.

[coachrick]

Holy macanoli !!! Is BABOLAT missing from the list? Horrors!!!

[Virginia]

Yes, Banolat is missing and deliberately so. Put it down to feminine foibles if you like.

By the way, if anyone has a Sheffield "Wilding", please let me know.

Likewise, an F.H. Ayres "Wilding".

This year, it's 100 years since Anthony Wilding of New Zealand won his first Wimbledon.

[Dino Lagaffe]

About racquet brands: I don't think anybody has mentioned Elf?

[High Roller]

Originally Posted by vsbabolat

They were not two companies that merged. Major has always owned Tecnifibre. In fact today the compnay is still called Major Sports. It was in the early 2000's that Major decided to re-brand the racquets as Tecnifibre.

You seem to have a firm grasp on this type of information. Is Tecnifibre/Cousin Freres a result of acquisition? Or has Major always owned Cousin Freres? Few people seem to be aware of the company being a major player in aeronautics, fibre optics and more mundane cordage products.

[Captain Haddock]

Lafourcade, Gauthier, Elf (all French brands).
Pro's Pro.

[schu47]

This is a great thread, Virginia. You always come up with interesting ideas. And I'd bet no one else on this board can match that number of manufacturers.

But as we both know, there are always more. Here are a few of mine which haven't been mentioned yet. Alas, no Ayres or Sheffield Wildings in this bunch.


Bottom to top: Topspin, Phanton, G-Starr, Benes and Super-X.



Bottom to top: Gary Head, Desporte, Dayton and Ada.

[vsbabolat]

Originally Posted by High Roller

You seem to have a firm grasp on this type of information. Is Tecnifibre/Cousin Freres a result of acquisition? Or has Major always owned Cousin Freres? Few people seem to be aware of the company being a major player in aeronautics, fibre optics and more mundane cordage products.

It is my understanding that Cousin Freres manufactures the Tecnifibre String for Major Sport. Cousin Freres is a separate company that is in partnership with Major Sports.

In 1980 Major Sports developed the Tecnifibre string. This was a landmark event in the development of stringing technology.
Mr. Robin, a chemical engineer, developed the concept with Cousin Freres, the industrial partner, and Major Sports.
This was the beginning of the successful partnership between Major Sports and Cousin Freres that continues to this day.

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by Virginia

Yes, Banolat is missing and deliberately so. Put it down to feminine foibles if you like.

By the way, if anyone has a Sheffield "Wilding", please let me know.

Likewise, an F.H. Ayres "Wilding".

This year, it's 100 years since Anthony Wilding of New Zealand won his first Wimbledon.

I would also love to find a Wilding racket, they are very scarce.
I think I have only seen one or two over the last decade.

[Virginia]

Originally Posted by joe sch

Nice variety. Im not sure what your collection era of interest starts at, possible like 1950 ? Ofcourse if you want to add lots of other manufactures, you can go older and start amassing some antique woodies like Victors and Horsman.

Yes, 1950 - but mostly concentrated on the 1980's. I have one or two older ones, 1928 or thereabouts and my oldest is a Wright & Ditson Hub from 1895. I also have a few modern racquets, all new, chosen for their "classic" characteristics.

I've deliberately kept away from the really antique ones, partly because of their expense and partly because I had to draw the line somewhere.

[Virginia]

Originally Posted by joe sch

I would also love to find a Wilding racket, they are very scarce.
I think I have only seen one or two over the last decade.

I've made a special study of Wilding, as he was a New Zealander and a pretty special person. I have two biographies plus his own autobiography "On the Court and Off".

I've been working for the last 18 months or so on getting a wooden racquet tournament organised, to celebrate his centenary.

Our regional tennis organisation has expressed considerable interest (they oversee 47 clubs in my area), but we haven't finalised the details yet.

[Virginia]

Originally Posted by schu47

This is a great thread, Virginia. You always come up with interesting ideas. And I'd bet no one else on this board can match that number of manufacturers.

But as we both know, there are always more. Here are a few of mine which haven't been mentioned yet. Alas, no Ayres or Sheffield Wildings in this bunch.


Bottom to top: Topspin, Phanton, G-Starr, Benes and Super-X.



Bottom to top: Gary Head, Desporte, Dayton and Ada.

schu47, we might need to have a little talk. You didn't tell me you had all these beauties!

[zapvor]

wow amazing list. love it

[gavna]

Originally Posted by vsbabolat

It is my understanding that Cousin Freres manufactures the Tecnifibre String for Major Sport. Cousin Freres is a separate company that is in partnership with Major Sports.

In 1980 Major Sports developed the Tecnifibre string. This was a landmark event in the development of stringing technology.
Mr. Robin, a chemical engineer, developed the concept with Cousin Freres, the industrial partner, and Major Sports.
This was the beginning of the successful partnership between Major Sports and Cousin Freres that continues to this day.

Sorry for my syntax on my original post merger was not the correct term - English not my 1st language - I work for a company that competes with Cousin Composites (a division of Cousin Freres) and they are for sure not owned by Major -

[High Roller]

Originally Posted by vsbabolat

It is my understanding that Cousin Freres manufactures the Tecnifibre String for Major Sport. Cousin Freres is a separate company that is in partnership with Major Sports.

In 1980 Major Sports developed the Tecnifibre string. This was a landmark event in the development of stringing technology.
Mr. Robin, a chemical engineer, developed the concept with Cousin Freres, the industrial partner, and Major Sports.
This was the beginning of the successful partnership between Major Sports and Cousin Freres that continues to this day.

Thanks, man.

[pug]

Virginia,

Awesome list! Do you have pictures posted somewhere? If not........

[Virginia]

Yes, see my sig - it's not complete yet, as I need to send the webmaster some more. He also has a few he hasn't uploaded yet.

In a month or so, I'll be getting some professional photos taken, that I'll upload to picassa web eventually. Plus of course, I'll post a few here too, to show my tennis collector friends, from whom I've learned so much over the last 2-3 years.