A moment of silence please...some Fairways died today

[SirGounder]

I have a local tennis shop that I used to frequent quite a bit before I got a stringing machine. I walked in and saw his son, about 25 years old, at the counter cutting power pads from some leather grips. I said hi and asked what he was doing, to which he replied, "I'm making some of these pads for our customers who like em. These old grips work really well."

I looked closer and realized they were Fairway leathers, the ones you can't buy anymore, the leather grip to end all leather grips. Apparently a customer brought in some old racquets that he wanted the shop to sell and these grips were on them. They took them off (3 of them), slapped on some synthetic ones, and used these to make the power pads.

I hid my horror as best I could and asked him if I could try on a pair of Bigshots. While he went to get my size, I grabbed the remaining 2 leather grips and ran out the door, yelling, "I saved them, I saved them from the bad man!"

At least that's what I would have done had I come in about 10 min earlier. There was only half a grip left I poked around the shop for a bit and left with a sick feeling in my stomach.

 

[Ronny]

it's a grip.

 

[SirGounder]

Have you ever used one?

It's just that there are some people who would have loved to get those, including myself. To cut them up is just a waste.

 

[GoodSamaritan]

Just ordered 2 from the bay, pretty anxious. Currently using Head FC btw

 

[Ronaldo]

Have you ever used one?

It's just that there are some people who would have loved to get those, including myself. To cut them up is just a waste.

Just do what this guy did, remove them from old racquets. Got one from a Dunlop Max 200G (old junk) and a black Fairway from a Wilson FPK 95 (blue junk), Balmforth from a Prince Graphite II (worthless).

 

[gpt]

Just do what this guy did, remove them from old racquets. Got one from a Dunlop Max 200G (old junk) and a black Fairway from a Wilson FPK 95 (blue junk), Balmforth from a Prince Graphite II (worthless).

oh you are such a provocateur Ronaldo

 

[Ronaldo]

oh you are such a provocateur Ronaldo

Just messin with you. Have Fairways from back in the 80s so I don't need to strip them from classics.....................yet. Anyone aware TW had NOS Fairways for sale 7-8 yrs ago?

 

[Jake Speed]

I looked closer and realized they were Fairway leathers, the ones you can't buy anymore, the leather grip to end all leather grips.

Good story.

Why didn't you offer to purchase what he had left?

The "Fairway," if I remember, the grips were of brown leather and had no markings/logo/lettering. Correct?

I believe I still have a bunch of those.

All I've ever used was Leather! I've used nothing else.

I do have about a dozen of the "Century Sports Inc." grips. They are made by Balmforth of England. Unfortunately, they are black and not my first choice of color.

No idea if these are still available either?

I'm sure leather grips can still be had. ??

I mentioned leather grips and what I do to rough them up, in another Thread.

I use a jig-saw blade. Anyone else know about this?

 

[Torres]

I looked closer and realized they were Fairway leathers, the ones you can't buy anymore, the leather grip to end all leather grips.

There are loads of them on the bay. Balmforth still trades, but they don't really cater for the tennis market in the same way that they did in the past as the market for leather grips is tiny compared to what what it was in the past, more competition and downward pressure on prices. They still make them though, so if you really want one and prepared to pay through the nose for it.....

 

[GoodSamaritan]

^^ Yep I just purchased 2 of them for about 30 bucks!