That version was sold worldwide in 1988–not only in Europe.Nice find, Euro edition - I didn't realize all it took was getting to a major city and having a local tell me where to shop. Have been sorely missing this amenity in my time abroad so such discovery was a real dopamine hit. Marked at ~$10, discounted to half off at the register for some reason, for a total of ~$5.
I could not find a lot of info as it seems overshadowed by other classic Head models of the late 80s, but I've gathered from the few threads by @teachingprotx and @Grafil Injection that it is fairly similar in terms of manufacturing quality and performance. To summarize what I found, it is the exact same mold (it does look basically identical to the Graphite Pro I have), with a different fiberglass to carbon ratio in thr layup. Very excited to try hitting it as I have found the Graphite Pro exceptional in terms of feel, power, and control.
It is not in the most beautiful condition but a lot of the damage looks like surface level smearing of some substance (probably also paint?) on top of it. This fouling should be visible on parts of the strings, such as those near the throat. If anyone has recommendations or guidance on how to clean up that would obviously be appreciated. There are a couple spots of chipped paint but no obvious cracks or defects, and gladly - unlike the first Graphite Pro I found in the US - no hoop deformation. Thankfully the grommets are the black ones and therefore not substantially decayed. I don't think I will restring it unless its really necessary but it is good to know that option exists without having to worry about transplanting CAP from a newer Head model.
Despite where it was acquired, this is the American version, as one can see, replete with English writing and recommended tension in imperial units. I would guess someone brought it with them when they moved back from the US in the past and sought to offload now when they were cleaning up their things. I did not take a picture of the buttcap, but as I assume would be expected, it was made in Austria.
(@retrowagen @vsbabolat as I recall you both have interest in these frames so I will mention you as well)
Did they not change them based on market? I thought surely something sold originally in Europe would have string tension in kg and not lb!
Yes this is also a problem I had with the CAP grommet on Graphite Pro. They work and make the racquet look really nice but they mess the weighting up.
Which part of the neck would it be? The writing is in English, there is an American flag on it, and the string tension is "55-70 lbs" so I think it must be the US version.
Yeah there's nothing anywhere. But unlike Graphite Pro I am seeing no differences in feel between the versions?
Yes, I am asking because I remember when I found the Graphite Pro there seemed to be a lot of consensus that each of the colors had a distinct feel to it.
The turquoise blue Graphite Pro had silicon carbide (ceramic) fibers in the layup, the earlier black versions did not.
What about the red one?
Both are MPs!
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Found this at Savers along with that Markwort. Wilson wasn't the only one applying the SC moniker to ceramic fiber frames, here's Dunlops submission to the fad, and it takes after the POG a little too with that cross bar. The pinstripe and text on the frame is navy blue, but looks almost black under bright studio lights. This thing is surprisingly light for the era it was made, most sticks of that type weigh in the 345-360g range and this comes in at only 322g strung. Nice leather grip as well, still has plenty of life left in it. My Dunlop stencil just barely fit on this thing so I was happy to apply it. And yes I was too lazy to swap in a black backdrop, my light box velcro is starting to get a little threadbare from opening it so much to swap them lol. Dang thing was $220 you'd think it'd hold up better...
FB link for @Grafil Injection or anyone else who is from across the pond and is too shy to share.
Tennis Vintage and Classic Racquets (Rackets) Show, Buy or Sell | More ceramic goodness, this time in the form of the Dunlop SC95 | Facebook
More ceramic goodness, this time in the form of the Dunlop SC95. With a box beam shape and a cross bar reminiscent of the Prince Graphite, this 95sq in frame feels surprisingly modern, probably...
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Around the string channel on Donnay’s “CAP” system is raised a bit, I’m assuming to protect the strings without encompassing them and treading on Heads patents?
It's just so grotesque. I want one!Left this due to condition but I really thought about it. The worst of both worlds, together at last! Kawasaki was wild man.
It’s totally understandable, they were just too excited to share their new metal widebody frame with the public they made a typo. It wasn’t their first, and almost certainly wasn’t their last.
is wrapping lead around the pallet your preferred method for drastically increasing weight? I'd do that but dang lead is expsensive lol. I bit the bullet and bought a reel of lead off TW for $170, and even that hurt my cheapo mindset. I usually just lay strips of lead down the pallet on each bevel, but that usually only adds about 15-20g of weight. That's a great looking frame btw, I like the Donnay D drawn as if it was a string stencil on the bag, that is a bit light though, I'm assuming Greg just used this paint job on some other frame?Decent finds are usually difficult in mid-Winter, but this was a good one for £5. My second Donnay Rusedski Tour was irresistible due to the good condition and the original matching case. My first one came with a Pro One case instead. I quite like the design of the correct cover, because even though the racket is from the late 90s, it seems like Donnay (i.e. Sports Direct UK) went for a slightly retro early 80s style.
When I first obtained one of these models two years ago I thought it must be a fake being so light, but the specs are consistently 285g strung, with a head-heavy balance. This one is 36.5cm (8pt HH) even with the over-grip in place. So quite similarly weighted to the Wilson Hammers of the era, although they are more like 12-15pt HH! Moreover, the Donnay with its straight 22mm beam, doesn't actually feel too clubby to hit.
Serves and groundstrokes hit in the middle to upper hoop feel solid and stable, but if you venture lower in the hoop the solidity disappears and they become a bit twisty. I suspect if they had more weight in the handle, they would resist twisting on such shots. Whilst good shots feel nice (with the Graphite / Kevlar layup), I find the ball is never really that powerful. But with an 18x20 stringbed and a relatively comfortable flex (low 60s ra), the control is great.
Doing the calculations, and checking by balancing a roll of finishing tape in the middle of the handle, adding about 45g would make mine come out at a 'normal' 335g, 32.5cm balance. So the hoop must have about the same mass as a PS97, or CX 200T, just with 1.5oz taken out of the handle. I am once again quite tempted to wrap the handle in lead, to see if there's a serious hitter hiding away.
unrealWho knew true happiness was so cheap!
Found this at, yes you guessed it, Savers. Someone here must know something about this Donnay Supermid Carbon, but I'm pulling up a goose egg on it at the moment. Look, a Donnay with CAP grommets! Who said Head cornered the market on them? They (along with the rest of them) haven't held up to the stresses of time without some minor cracking but it's a neat sight. Weighing in at 360g strung it's a players spec box beam all the way, with a nice 95sq in head size. Belgian made so I'm guessing this was mid-high end in their range, also came with a full size soft case. The throat bridge plastic likes to leach its color into the strings, neato! Also there's some lager taper grommets on the upper section of the hoop, any idea what they were for? I like the aesthetics, as difficult as they are to photograph, spent over an hour making this set look presentable, I hope the effort was worth it.
FB Link for pics: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627103527677645/permalink/3172853389769310/
Decent finds are usually difficult in mid-Winter, but this was a good one for £5. My second Donnay Rusedski Tour was irresistible due to the good condition and the original matching case. My first one came with a Pro One case instead. I quite like the design of the correct cover, because even though the racket is from the late 90s, it seems like Donnay (i.e. Sports Direct UK) went for a slightly retro early 80s style.
When I first obtained one of these models two years ago I thought it must be a fake being so light, but the specs are consistently 285g strung, with a head-heavy balance. This one is 36.5cm (8pt HH) even with the over-grip in place. So quite similarly weighted to the Wilson Hammers of the era, although they are more like 12-15pt HH! Moreover, the Donnay with its straight 22mm beam, doesn't actually feel too clubby to hit.
Serves and groundstrokes hit in the middle to upper hoop feel solid and stable, but if you venture lower in the hoop the solidity disappears and they become a bit twisty. I suspect if they had more weight in the handle, they would resist twisting on such shots. Whilst good shots feel nice (with the Graphite / Kevlar layup), I find the ball is never really that powerful. But with an 18x20 stringbed and a relatively comfortable flex (low 60s ra), the control is great.
Doing the calculations, and checking by balancing a roll of finishing tape in the middle of the handle, adding about 45g would make mine come out at a 'normal' 335g, 32.5cm balance. So the hoop must have about the same mass as a PS97, or CX 200T, just with 1.5oz taken out of the handle. I am once again quite tempted to wrap the handle in lead, to see if there's a serious hitter hiding away.
unreal
NiceWho knew true happiness was so cheap!
Added a $3.50 AA Comp 3 to the collection
It was 50% on green tags today
Geez I never give badminton rackets a second glance, maybe I should do a quick Bay search the next time I see one from a notable brand.
