OOAK Table Tennis Forum

HI, I've recently bought the following set of 2 rackets, both came in Stiga Yasaka Cobra Box (look about circa 1970's), with Sears Booklet on table tennis rules. My question, are these Stiga blades (the cheap kind, like Junior), or Sears pre-mades but from 1970's.
I've been to oldstiga.com, checked out their catalogs from 70' looks similar to Jr. kind of racket, I think it was Alser. but there are no identification marks on these rackets, not a single word.

The reason I bought these, because they look very much like the rackets I've started out TT back in ~1983. especially the handle. I've sanded and sealed one of the blades and glued some modern rubbers on it, doesn't feel bad at all, on a slow side (like DEF+ or ALL-). I wonder if they worth anything

here is the link to the pictures.
https://plus.google.com/photos/11338250 ... 6618635697

Thank you
Boris

They look somewhat like my old Hans Alsér IIRC, and I'm pretty sure the Kjell Johansson didn't look like that.

I think the middle layer was thicker on both allround and offensive blades, but if they made a "defensive wood" before the plastic inlay and blade lettering was introduced, yours may be it.

Can't say for sure from the pictures, though. Someone else may have more to contribute.
Is there a code (letter + digits) on the side of the handle?

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I can't see the pics but if you bought this off Ebay recently I know the items you are talking about. I asked the Ebay seller if the box was original he didn't give me a good answer. I think those, the one on Ebay, are not original to the box or they are Stiga premade so that there is no numbers, no writing, no stickers. I didn't feel good about that so even if they are old Stiga they are not the one most thought of.

edit: For some reasons ie don't work but firefox allows the pics to be seen. Those paddles are indeed not from the box. The box is marked KJell Johansson which means a conical handle paddle inside. But I can't make it out for sure. One of handle does seem to be nailed.

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Heh yep, thats that auction was worth a shot, those handles were too familiar.

The box is definitely not from these rackets, and its not a nail hole its just wood got bad at that spot on the handle.
I also have a feeling that these are Stiga but cheap pre-mades, and are pretty old, i'd say 25-30 years old, there are no lettering nor numbers anywhere.

I've added 5 more closeups, https://plus.google.com/photos/113382508976501439564/albums/5699766976618635697 (I wonder if this URL will work (added with bbcode this time)
the box from Kjell blade may worth something to collectors

Thanks for looking at it

All the Kjell blades I have seen had conical handles, if that is any help.
tOD

From what I understand, STIGA had an Allround, Offensive and Defensive wood. The names of famous players branded on the handle was just an indication of what kind of handle the blade was given, such as Peter Karlsson Straight (Peter today) and others like Stellan Bengtssa, Eric Lindh.

Some of the images show a handle more like the Contra, while others look like the Alsér. Do you have two bats with slightly different handles, or are they the same.

I think the Contra has a little slimmer handle, with a short straight segment at the handle base, while the Alsér has a uniformly concave and somewhat shorter handle.

The website http://oldstiga.com has some useful info. See for instance this brochure, which may shed some light on your situation.

It looks like one of the el cheapo blades which were floating around back in the day. Doesn't look like any stiga i know of. definitely not an Alser or Johansson.

You're probably right. The handle shape looks like something between Alsér and Contra, but even the intermediate grade Stigas had the serial number, and there's no sign of it on the handles in the supplied images.

I guess I was too eager to please...

I agree with Carbonman, the handle is similar to an Alser but isn't one .... looks like a premade to me.

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I remember those boxes very well -- bought my first Alser blade in Sweden actually (in a general sporting goods store, not a TT shop) and it came in that characteristic green box in the 60s and 70s. The blades you are showing never came in those boxes, especially since the one you are showing says Kjell Johansson on it. The Johansson blade was not flared, it was kind of a thin conical handle. That doesn't mean that the blades were not some sort of pre-made from Stiga from the 1960s and 70s, but I don't recognize it. Without any question, those blades are not Alser blades.

One other thing, if I remember correctly, the *** Cobra rubber of that era was usually green. Also, those boxes come from an era when blades were the same color on both sides.

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This is true, but Stiga gave you the choice of three types of wood only after the late 70s or early 1980s, which is later than the time when Stiga blades came in those green boxes. In the 60s and 70s when these boxes were used, there was pretty much only one kind of wood, and three handle choices -- Alser (very fat flared), Bengtsson (straight, also a little fatter than is usual today), and Johansson (a very fragile more or less conical handle).

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