Klip $29. VS Tonic $36. VS Touch $42. Which to buy?

Is Klip a false economy ?

Klip is my favorite of the 3. After a break in, the 16 and 15 gauges are soft but last pretty well. I have a wrist injury that flares up from time to time, and Klip is my go-to. Not a gut aficionado, but I find it plusher than VS (not the old VS, that stuff was better) or Tonic with equivalent performance on everything else. YMMV

Depends on what you are looking for. Tonic + comes in 2 gauges: "> 15L" and "< 15L", so if you like thinner gauges, that leaves you with Klip and VS.

Are you going to hybrid it or go full bed of gut? Well, if you're hybriding, then you split the cost, and now its only $6.50 more for VS per string job. So now VS is looking like a better deal...if you can tell the difference.

In the "old days" (e.g. pre BT7), I'd have said VS was worth the extra $, but the new stuff doesn't play much better than other gut brands IMO. Bottom line is you should do a side-by-side 'blind taste test' to see if you think VS is worth the extra.

i want 15 since it will last longer.
ok, so klip is not some reject off-brand? legit?

It's very hard to give an objective answer to a subjective question. For me and of your choices, VS in either of its offerings was better than Klip, but that's just me. I have some people who like Klip better.

Yes, Klip is the real deal. Their gut is from Australia and is made by them. It plays much firmer than VS. It sounds like you want to try the Legend 15L. Every once in a while, TW will get some true 15 gauge Klip. It might be worth a search if you really want 15 gauge. Klip also has a gut called ArmourPro which is a tad more expensive ($3) but comes with an exclusive coating which enhances durability. Again, some people love it and some don't. And again, it is available if you're interested in doing a search.

E46luver said:

i want 15 since it will last longer.

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If I were stringing your racquets, my response to this would be...

• Are you an habitual string breaker?
• What are your normal playing conditions (e.g., outside, clay, humid)?
• Are you hybriding or going full bed?

Why would I ask those questions? Well, because if you don't normally break strings, or if you're in a non-humid environment, playing mostly on hard courts, the concept of 'last longer' may not matter. I string for some people who use full gut (16g), and have me restring every 2 years, and that is only because they think its time (normally the gut is in great condition).

And if you're hybriding, then 'last longer' is somewhat irrelevant as the poly (assuming you're hybriding w/ poly) will likely go dead way before your gut breaks (again, assuming you're not a habitual string breaker).

And finally...15g gut can be a real b!tch to string when you get to a blocked hole. I've spent almost as much time trying to thread 15g gut through a blocked hole as I did to string 1/2 the frame...

I recommend Tonic for $26.82 at a certain "depot" in the UK.

The uncoated Klip hits nice and soft. Still is decent durability for me, as I use that one when I hit indoors, which is a lot this time of year.

jim e said:

The uncoated Klip hits nice and soft. Still is decent durability for me, as I use that one when I hit indoors, which is a lot this time of year.

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Second vote for the uncoated Klip. It's my choice, irrespective of price.

ckhirnigs113 said:

I recommend Tonic for $26.82 at a certain "depot" in the UK.

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I too recommend this depot for tonic

Hopefully, not off topic, but wish that the Pacific options were on the table and available. If a vibrant and lively natty g is to your liking then Classic is a fine value and "for a few dollars more" (good film, btw) Pacific Prime is a show stopper in the contemporary realm of stiffened natty gs. Obvious bias here in a subjective choice as I just finished a session with some 16L Prime that has truly wowed me for months now - there used to be one set up with lively, thin natural gut where is strung at medium or medium/low tension in a tighter string pattern. Then, thin gut shines as the pop and ball speed comes from the strings and your timing and hands supply the rest. The Big Easy - natural power - and the serve, oh my...
Yes, a definite bias here, but I am hoping that the current lull in the availability of Pacific is a planned lull in production, not the end, or not a retooling for a cheaper less process intensive product that is stiffened like all the rest... For me, their Prime lasts and lasts and is worth every penny, over and over...

Alas, @Frankc, I think Pacific is done in the US for the foreseeable future. If you look at Tennis Warehouse Europe, not natural gut there either. The only place I've seen their natural gut referenced is their website (defunct?) and the prices there are, shall we say, prohibitive.

Sorry, check that, Tennis Warehouse Europe does have 5+ sets of Pacific Tough Gut in 15L. If you look for natural gut and filter by Pacific it won't show, but if you just filter natural gut without specifying brand, it will show. The price is 33,53 € ($36.70USD)/set.

Good luck!

Rabbit, thanks so much for the efforts... BTW, really enjoy your thoughts - nice "Cavalcade..."
Luckily, I have learned that if one finds quality nowadays, buy it up as it will, for sure, be discontinued. What concerns me now, is that Pacific supply is lacking for some time now in the EU. That was seldom the case in the past... So, I started stocking up a while back with the "good stuff." Now, I wander to my study, grab a box down from the closet, open it and smile... a big smile...

@Frankc I have such a box in such a closet. Currently I am pursuing my dream, reels of TiMO 18 which is no longer available in the US thanks to our friends at Wilson. I have a stockpile of Pacific gut in various grades and gauges. My most prized is some of the old gold gut in 18 gauge. I string it sometimes during indoor season.

thanks so much for the kind words.

I used to play with Klip good quality to $ ratio. But the last batch I bought it gathered humidity and started sticking sooner than Wilson/Babolat. So I now only buy Bab/Wilson/Lux whatever one is on sale during Black Friday (though I lately decided to just use Yonex PTP and restring every 4 hours). If you live in a really humid region I'd test a set or two before fully comitting to Klip.

I get the Klip legend uncoated 17g. It's the longest last of the guts for me as it doesn't fray as quickly as Babolat or Lux.
Can't beat it for the price since it's only modestly more expensive than top end multi's and far more playable than NXT or Biphase.

Is it as good as VS or Lux gut? No not really. But it's nitpicking. And certainly there isn't enough difference to make a difference in my tennis outcome. All gut feels better than poly, performs better than syn guts and outlasts multis.

When can I expect the next sale here at TW?