My first vintage Volkl ..can anyone help with dating or construction info ?

[Backspin to the Future]

I`ve just got my first Volkl racket - a mid or possibly midplus egghead .
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G4T2kcTirFkGvm_uiLppmgaV3tYXlygy/view?usp=drive_link
I`m guessing it may be from around the early `80`s..most of the info on a plastic sticker on the shaft but I can just make out what I think was West Germany.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IJygAZuRkZ97FxMK0zwx5QmKYYQZ7RHd/view?usp=drive_link
The throat piece is plastic and unusually the handle seems to be solid wood with it`s original leather grip.
Perradur-holz-pur (Luxembougish) according to Google tranlate equates to Perradur-wood-pure
A serial number : 3767887 is on the throat and the number 2800676 at the top of the grip if this helps any Volkl experts.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15CbbI1IewLA11yiSs9VGb-z9b41ItAH2/view?usp=drive_link
The racket weighs in at 325 grams.
18x 19 string pattern.
The racket states compound construction but doesn`t mention anything specific .
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCQDQ3UsI0Uo42zSq33Ni7k-7YIywXf8/view?usp=drive_link

I`m giving it it`s first hit tomorrow-no idea how dead the strings will be by now though.
Does anyone have any idea on suggested string tension range if I like the feel of it enough for a re-string.
It may turn out to be a bit of a turkey- but I bagged it on fleabay for just £5 including postage so I`m not going to fret if it`s dire

 

[retrowagen]

That one was in the 1985 Voelkl catalogue, and was available for at least a year before and after. It is an aluminum alloy frame with a wood insert—Voelkl was digging down into their ski technology backcatalogue for this frame, which was their entry-level offering.

 

[Backspin to the Future]

Thanks for the info @retrowagon.
Aluminium (as we Brits say) makes sense as it felt a bit cold to the touch.
I`ve never really found a metal racket that I`ve enjoyed playing with for any length of time but I`ll give it a swing tomorrow ,although as it`s their entry level offering I won`t raise my hopes

 

[retrowagen]

Well, although aluminium (former resident of SW14, now in California!), those “Made in West Germany” Voelkl of the mid-80’s were at least beautifully made. I had a brace of MS24 Worldcups concurrent to your model, and they were beautiful to look at, but sadly quite ghastly to actually hit tennis balls with. For some reason vastly unknown to me, most Voelkl models of the era had no perfect stringing solution. I never could find the right feel and tension, and moved on to other kit.

 

[Backspin to the Future]

I`ve just got my first Volkl racket - a mid or possibly midplus egghead .
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G4T2kcTirFkGvm_uiLppmgaV3tYXlygy/view?usp=drive_link
I`m guessing it may be from around the early `80`s..most of the info on a plastic sticker on the shaft but I can just make out what I think was West Germany.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IJygAZuRkZ97FxMK0zwx5QmKYYQZ7RHd/view?usp=drive_link
The throat piece is plastic and unusually the handle seems to be solid wood with it`s original leather grip.
Perradur-holz-pur (Luxembougish) according to Google tranlate equates to Perradur-wood-pure
A serial number : 3767887 is on the throat and the number 2800676 at the top of the grip if this helps any Volkl experts.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15CbbI1IewLA11yiSs9VGb-z9b41ItAH2/view?usp=drive_link
The racket weighs in at 325 grams.
18x 19 string pattern.
The racket states compound construction but doesn`t mention anything specific .
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCQDQ3UsI0Uo42zSq33Ni7k-7YIywXf8/view?usp=drive_link

I`m giving it it`s first hit tomorrow-no idea how dead the strings will be by now though.
Does anyone have any idea on suggested string tension range if I like the feel of it enough for a re-string.
It may turn out to be a bit of a turkey- but I bagged it on fleabay for just £5 including postage so I`m not going to fret if it`s dire

 

[jxs653]

Well, although aluminium (former resident of SW14, now in California!), those “Made in West Germany” Voelkl of the mid-80’s were at least beautifully made. I had a brace of MS24 Worldcups concurrent to your model, and they were beautiful to look at, but sadly quite ghastly to actually hit tennis balls with. For some reason vastly unknown to me, most Voelkl models of the era had no perfect stringing solution. I never could find the right feel and tension, and moved on to other kit.

Once I've hit with no-name aluminum racquet and it felt very soft and plush, and it actually got me thinking if aluminum is a good material to make tennis racquet with.

 

[kabrac]

Once I've hit with no-name aluminum racquet and it felt very soft and plush, and it actually got me thinking if aluminum is a good material to make tennis racquet with.

I beat a guy with one. They definitely help bring out the basic fundamentals of the game. I wonder how different tennis would be if it was still like this. I love watching older matches from the 70's and 80's...early 90's.

 

[michael valek]

Well, although aluminium (former resident of SW14, now in California!), those “Made in West Germany” Voelkl of the mid-80’s were at least beautifully made. I had a brace of MS24 Worldcups concurrent to your model, and they were beautiful to look at, but sadly quite ghastly to actually hit tennis balls with. For some reason vastly unknown to me, most Voelkl models of the era had no perfect stringing solution. I never could find the right feel and tension, and moved on to other kit.

These were the yellow ones? Yes I had two as well. Heavy and beautiful, although as you said, awful. No idea why I moved to those after using max200g

 

[Frankc]

Once I've hit with no-name aluminum racquet and it felt very soft and plush, and it actually got me thinking if aluminum is a good material to make tennis racquet with.

I remember reading in a very good source that the flex properties of aluminum frames were considered by many racquet engineers to be superior for recreational players. This, of course, was after tennis transitioned out of the all wood era and well into the beginning of graphite composites. But that article stressed the well rounded playabilty of aluminum ( stiffness levels) and the cost (low). The author continued on and lamented that the change to graphite (space age tech) was more rapid as manufacturers could only get "top dollar" from consumers for new tech. Consumers expected metal racquets to go cheaply... So manufacturers pushed quickly into graphite composites and much higher price tags.

I must admit that the replays that I have seen of Evonne Goolagong Cawley at W wielding her Dunlop Volley Aluminum frame exhibit some of the most graceful, varied and dynamic shotmaking in any era. Beautiful in every regard...

(On a far, far lesser note - a Head Master Aluminum (quite soft) gave me many of my finest memories on slow New England clay - one could do anything with the ball with that frame...)

 

[jxs653]

I remember reading in a very good source that the flex properties of aluminum frames were considered by many racquet engineers to be superior for recreational players. This, of course, was after tennis transitioned out of the all wood era and well into the beginning of graphite composites. But that article stressed the well rounded playabilty of aluminum ( stiffness levels) and the cost (low). The author continued on and lamented that the change to graphite (space age tech) was more rapid as manufacturers could only get "top dollar" from consumers for new tech. Consumers expected metal racquets to go cheaply... So manufacturers pushed quickly into graphite composites and much higher price tags.

I must admit that the replays that I have seen of Evonne Goolagong Cawley at W wielding her Dunlop Volley Aluminum frame exhibit some of the most graceful, varied and dynamic shotmaking in any era. Beautiful in every regard...

(On a far, far lesser note - a Head Master Aluminum (quite soft) gave me many of my finest memories on slow New England clay - one could do anything with the ball with that frame...)

Oh, thank you for the story and for sharing fond memory of yours. I thought there might be a reason why aluminum was not popularized as much but never imagined the one you described.

 

[Crocodile]

Did Sylvia Hanika from W Germany used a yellow version of this frame ?