grip gaze and carbon graphite strings

[joe sch]

Who remembers the grip gaze and carbon graphite strings.
Here are a few pics of the Donnay offerings.
Its interesting that most of the tennis community considers poly strings a modern tennis improvement but poly types like these "carbon speed" strings from Donnay offered a great play option rather than natural gut even back in the 80s. I find they play very similar to rpm and msv hex and look like the current barbed offering. The gaze grip really worked if you did not mind your had getting sticky.

http://s920.photobucket.com/albums/...Borg Donnay/?action=view&current=IMG_1106.jpg

PS: Im also going to post in the stringers section since I know many of the old stringers will have some comments

 

[Rorsach]

Nice stuff, as usual.

Wonder how they came by the name "Gaze", sounds like a mix between "Gauze" and "Gaas" (dutch for gauze).

 

[max]

I used to use gauze a lot on my T-2000.

And I liked graphite strings on my Head Pro.

 

[struggle]

that gauze wrap was good for toughening up the hands.

great stuff BITD, i used it alot before moving on to Tournagrip,
Gripsy and a couple others (Gamma grip).

 

[coachrick]

I remember when the gauze first came out. It was bulk-packed with 6 or so rolls on a 'spool', separated by wax paper so the rolls wouldn't stick together. It was a medical product from Johnson & Johnson, IIRC. During a tournament around that time, practically no one had heard of the product on the first day...by the end of the tournament, practically EVERYone had it on their handles!

Took a while to realize that folding over the end of the remainder made it easier to start again(like packing tape when you get in a hurry and can't find the end). Also, took a little educating of the customer that you could REMOVE one layer before adding the next. We worked on some pretty yucky grips that summer! Some folks even found out that leaving your rackets in the heat of the car could result in two or three handles stuck together!

Ah, the good old days!

 

[retrowagen]

Yeah, if you didn't have gnarly, calloused hands prior to using gauze overgrip, you were positively guaranteed to after!

I tried some black Prince Graphite string back in the early 80's in my racquet. It looked sinister, and was sinister - not much ball feel, as I recall.

 

[joe sch]

Nice stuff, as usual.

Wonder how they came by the name "Gaze", sounds like a mix between "Gauze" and "Gaas" (dutch for gauze).

Your probably correct since I got those packs from an associate in Belgium

 

[Rorsach]

Your probably correct since I got those packs from an associate in Belgium

And not forgetting the original Donnay was located not far from me across the border in Belgium.

 

[joe sch]

And not forgetting the original Donnay was located not far from me across the border in Belgium.

Would love to visit and sample many of the Belgium Beers and tennis courts