Henry Hub
Hall of Fame
Finally, as we had a grisly intro to how gut strings are made above, let’s have a palate cleanser on racket manufacturing.
First, the Boys’ Own Annual of 1895 gets a tour of the Ayres workshops from what I can tell from the references to the “Union” and “Triplex” models. The fact that these model names are picked out suggests to me that this is an older article that may have been reheated and stuck back in the annual each year.
There is some interesting detail on the manufacture of these laminated frames (“Union” is cane and ash, “Triplex” is ash, cane and ash).
In describing the finishing of the handles, the author notes that some rackets are bound with twine like a cricket bat or wrapped with leather, showing that there were departures from the orthodoxy of the bare wooden grip.
Varnish is used as a finishing touch on the gut strings, which as noted above were largely sourced from France but also Italy (maybe from the Neapolitan sheep that get Calhoun Cragin so misty-eyed?).
First, the Boys’ Own Annual of 1895 gets a tour of the Ayres workshops from what I can tell from the references to the “Union” and “Triplex” models. The fact that these model names are picked out suggests to me that this is an older article that may have been reheated and stuck back in the annual each year.
There is some interesting detail on the manufacture of these laminated frames (“Union” is cane and ash, “Triplex” is ash, cane and ash).
In describing the finishing of the handles, the author notes that some rackets are bound with twine like a cricket bat or wrapped with leather, showing that there were departures from the orthodoxy of the bare wooden grip.
Varnish is used as a finishing touch on the gut strings, which as noted above were largely sourced from France but also Italy (maybe from the Neapolitan sheep that get Calhoun Cragin so misty-eyed?).