OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I played a couple of 90g Stiga Clipper Wood blades during several years. Unfortunately I damaged both as I did not use side tape to save blades evaluations from table contact. Then I made a costly and time consuming round of similar to Clipper blades evaluations. Not long ago I have bought a 3rd Stiga Clipper Wood, this time weighted 85g. I hated this 85g blade at the first test, gave it another month try and retired it completely.

Stiga Clipper is very nice to play away from the table and at half distance. But it is not great for short game. There are bad days when your offensive mode does not work and you need to play safely to collect unforced errors from lower rated opponent. And Stiga Clipper is bad in that safe mode.

My Stiga Nostalgic Allround is 92g. At first it felt terribly heavy, clumsy and slow during 2-3 hours. I am not a power lifter nor do any other physical activity in my life but I usually get used to the weight of my rackets very fast. And so it was this time.

I glued Tibhar Aurus Prime 2.1 (not max) and Dr. Neubauer KO Pro 1.5. Not in mint conditions, about 2/3 of their expected lifetime. I want to share my short observations.

1) Inverted rubber felt much harder then it felt on other blades (Dr. Neubauer Matador Texa Balsa and Stiga Clipper Wood). I doubt that the rubber sponge aged into stone at the moment I glued itvto Nostalgic. I think hardness is a property of wenge top ply of Nostalgic blades.
2) Nostalgic is excellent blade for control in the short game, especially in performing services. I have never felt in my life that I can send the ball over the net and exactly short with any FH pendulum and reverse pendulum kind of spin and side spin effect.
3) Chopping is different. Clipper sends chops steady, low and long. Nostalgic pop ups chops eagerly but I feel that I can perform more spin variations.
4) Pips-out push-blocking game with Nostalgic is very effective, more descriptive and precise. I prefer to open attacks with my BH. Nostalgic is slower, but added control allows to hit harder and it creates more poisoning balls.

With Nostalgic I gained control of the slower blade but with stronger pips out disruption. BH attacks become not any less effective overall.

I think inverted side of my Nostalgic blade wants a softer rubber then Aurus Prime.

Why do you think a heavy 7-ply blade is better than a 5-ply one for chopping away from the table?

It seems this theory is not followed by many Asian choppers.

According to your theory then, a 90-95 gram Clipper would be a very good idea.The problem I see is how you will be able to get consistency with a fast) medium fast pip.

The Nostalgic has a different outer wood, Wenge I think. This is a rather hard and heavy wood.

There are many different versions of Clipper, with hollow handle (WRB) and more top heavy but generally lighter than the Classic. Then they have the CR wich has been hardened with UV. And then the CC also with hadened outer ply, but with another method (I believe Swedens best pips players Fabian Åkerström and Gustav Ericsson uses this blade, Gustav at least).

I really like the Clipper Classic, better balanced than the WRB and slightly slower. Good for FH loops and for different pips on BH or even anti. Very predictable and linear behaviour.

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Nostalgic Allround has hard top veneer but does not have hard feel in overall. Somehow inverted rubber feels harder on Nostalgic. But I cannot say that my pips feels dead. My pips rubber feels very natural and more precise in ball placement.

Clipper (softer, thicker, classical 7-ply with thick inner 3 plies of even thickness) is quite opposite: the same medium-hard modern tensor rubber feels too bouncy on lighter Clipper despite of a heavier exemplar should be faster (in theory).

Clipper with extra 5g felt more solid, stable and with less vibrations. Better for chopping and counter-looping from chopping distance. Greater potential to charge powerful shot.

Nostalgic has very good pips-out blocking: low, very precise height and possibilities for drop shots. Pushing is easier on Clipper. At least it feels more natural to lift underspin for me.

I tested Dr. Neubauer Texa Balsa with the same rubbers. Nostalgic feels softer (more handy) but slower.

It is not my theory but personal feelings. And it changes over time. Sometimes I reread my own equipment reviews in this forum and discover completely forgotten facts. :)

Is a tensor suitable for a Clipper? Which sponge is better ? soft ,hard or semihard?

It is all a matter of taste. I have used it with H3, Yinhe Jupiter 2 and Yasaka Rakza 7. To me harder rubbers are better on this blade, at least on FH.

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Def-attack's attempts to find balance between defence/attack | Getting better - health and game |
My Youtube

Yes I agree hard rubbers benefit Stiga Clipper.

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Is Clipper suitable for chopping only in ox? is a thin sponge a good idea on a heavy Clipper?

what is the advantage of a seven ply blade over a 5 ply one? just because of the heavy weight ?

Agree. Hard sponge rubbers definitely feel better on Clipper then on other harder blades.

It was easier to chop balls low with Clipper then with other blades I had ever tried. With any kind of rubber.
I am not sure that Clipper is the best for higher level choppers that want more spin and spin manipulation.
My level is not enough for such strong statement. Clipper is still full OFF speed blade.

There are two different 7-ply blades designs. Some blades has single thick core and very thin outer plies. I think such 7-pliers do not differ much from 5 or 5+2 plies blades.

Clipper design has 3-ply core of even thickness, that makes mainly horizontally oriented core rather then much more common vertical core.
I think 3-ply core improves blades stiffness and make possibilities of softer wood without loss of power.

And disclaimer. It was me who made big noise at OOAK about wonderful Clipper-design and chopping with it.
I as of now I retired my Stiga Clipper Wood and similar blades and play 5-ply blade.

Just made return to Stiga Clipper Wood (85g) from Stiga Nostalgic Allround (94g). Same rubbers: Palio AK47 Red and Dr. Neubauer KO Pro 1.8.
Fresh observations:
1) racket weight change from 183g to 174g is not important for me.
2) Clipper is much faster, much softer, lower throw. AK47 Red feels softer (in good sense) on Clipper as expected. My pips feels fine on both blades, difference is not important.
3) my primary reason to change blade was the felling that 1.8 MPs is too thick for the Allround blade. Clipper feels perfect with 1.8 thick pips.

What I gained:
1) surprisingly better service return quality. I am sure about it.
2) faster services and service returns, punch strokes with pips are really hitting now.
3) more spin because passive strokes do not work and I have to use my wrist to control incoming speed.
4) more stable trajectory of chops, with Allround blade I often chop balls into net.
5) more stable trajectory of counter-hits and smashes (obviously).
6) better emergency chop blocks. (less nets, more long misses, percentages the same after only first playing session and should improve soon) but those which succeeded are more dangerous.
(1) and (6) Partly because shorter blade dwell do not require longer strokes that are problematic to perform in tricky situations with space and time deficit. Partly because faster bounce make harder to punish my "easy" balls by opponents of my level. Partly because using wrist is more effective with faster blade.

What I lost:
1) passive blocks do not work on faster blade anymore.
2) control in short low serves.
3) control in short game placement. More practice should fix it.

Additional notes:
1) Nostalgic Allround is head heavier. Not sure whether it is advantage or disadvantage. But with more bottom-heavy Clipper I begin to touch more BH balls with my index finger. I think it is because Clipper's lower sweet spot.
2) Nostalgic Allround is more stiff. I feel that slower, thinner but harder Nostalgic Allround has bigger sweet spot. Or may this impression because I do not feel sound difference between edge and center on Nostalgic. Clipper is much faster, but it has better feedback.
3) Playing with Clipper spends naturally more physical energy because you are pushed to play more aggressively and play further away from the table.

My style is shifting from active to passive to more active again (but still basically defensive).