How Old Is This Yonex ? Carbonex 8 SP BH-8500

[Dillon]

Dear all

I just got an old Yonex from a friend - which is in quite in good condition.
(except for some minor battle scars... )

She claims it is more than 25 years old. (Well, I can see it carries the old Yonex logo)
What edition is this ?

Is this true ? Would anyone know circa what year is this racquet make, and provide me some info on this ancient relic ?

Thanks

[**KZ**]

my dad had two of these...gave away...lol

[bop240]

1980-"The world's first ultra light badminton racquet, Carbonex 8, was introduced. Yonex signed, the Grand Slam champions, Billy Jean King and Martina Navratilova. Yonex commitment to innovation brought exciting changes to tennis racquet manufacturing with the introduction of the R-series in 1980. The R-1 was the world's first square or "isometric" tennis racquet." Source: http://www.yonex.com/company/history_03.html

[Dillon]

1980? Wow... That would make this racquet 31 years old...

[Pritch86]

Where can I buy one of these I have trawled the Internet looking for one

[Cheung]

The original carbonex 8 came in orange, yellow and green colours.

Red and blue came later. Then the letters "SP" were added around the late 80's. However, production of the "Carbonex 8 SP" did span a number of years. The racquet could be a bit younger than 25years...

[istringforyou]

Cheung is right. I remember only seeing Cab8SP from ard 1988 onwards and before than was all Cab8 without SP.

[demolidor]

And as stated in previous threads, this is the newer Carbonex font from the early nineties so it is "only" around 20 years old at best ...

[chrisfong89]

Wow... i totally had one of this. passed down from my mother to me... probably older one as i don't recall having sp on it. though it was blue...

[paulstewart64]

Totally agree. I bought my first Cab8 in 1982 - a green one. The red and blue versions followed later and SP version was definitely late 1980's. To be honest i don't remember the SP at all so I'm not sure whether it was introduced in UK.

I remember all the later Carbonex racquets as I bought a few - oh those were the days.

Paul
www.badminton-coach.co.uk

[jamesd20]

The font on the racket indicates it is much later, probably early to mid nineties.

The original font was thinner.

[demolidor]

Totally agree. I bought my first Cab8 in 1982 - a green one. The red and blue versions followed later and SP version was definitely late 1980's. To be honest i don't remember the SP at all so I'm not sure whether it was introduced in UK.

I remember all the later Carbonex racquets as I bought a few - oh those were the days.

Paul
www.badminton-coach.co.uk

Am fairly sure "SP" then meant the same as it does now: region code SP, so no particular special or different version ...

[a|extan]

i agree
this is a later version.. as the font is more modern

the eariler one comes with another rounder..font...

[TheSmasherKing]

I hv ths red version same as u[although it is nt in a good cosmetic cnditn nw].i strung it 23lbs n it does makes the frame to bend a bit.i remember bought it in 1995,so it was ordy 16 yrs old.n it got sp written on the shaft.really good for collection as i nvr use it anymore.i gave it to my 2 1/2 yr old son to expose hm to bdmintn :-)

[TheSmasherKing]

I hv ths red version same as u[although it is nt in a good cosmetic cnditn nw].i strung it 23lbs n it does makes the frame to bend a bit.i remember bought it in 1995,so it was ordy 17 yrs old.n it got sp written on the shaft.really good for collection as i nvr use it anymore.i gave it to my 2 1/2 yr old son to expose hm to bdmintn :-)

[Borbor]

got 2 of these sitting in my parents' basement. My dad bought em in 1986. I still remember because the cab 9 I am looking at as I type this was bought on that same day. My very first badminton racket that I used for the longest time

[chobolan]

I still have the racket, bought it in 1987. Fantastic racket and now my 6 yr old son is using it for his training. Those were the days that I was fitter and better :-)