Ancient Racquets

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by Bbn, Feb 18, 2011.

  1. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Some photos of some old racquets belonging to an old coach I met :

    1) A Flight Commander 2) Dunlop Maxply 3) Black Yonex
     

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  2. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Before you ask, the Flight Commander is a Slazenger used by Wong Peng Soon & Ong Poh Lim in the 50s,

    the Dunlop Maxply was used by most players in 60s,70s while the Yonex was used by Hartono before he switched to Carbonex 8.
     
  3. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    More

    1) Carlton 3.7 X with taperd Shaft used by LSK & co before switching to Yonex

    2) 70s Yonex
     

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  4. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    The yonex in the first pic is a cab3!

    The other one I think should be a B9000 (Slim Stainless) but not 100%...will have to double check at home.
     
  5. david14700

    david14700 Regular Member

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    The wooden heads are really quite beautiful and elegant.

    The craftsmanship needed to turn such a light piece of wood into a thin, strong frame must have been amazing.

    Wondered what they were like to play with?
     
  6. drifit

    drifit newbie

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    the Carlton tapered shaft. kind of evolution technology that time......
    oh man.... this kind of thread is age revealing!
     
  7. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    they aren't as heavy as you might think. I have a number of them & they are ok to play with. Biggest differnce if the "type" of flex the Metal shafts have compared with grpahite. Must be something to do with when the shaft gives, how much it gives & how quick it returns.
     
  8. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    For you maybe........!
     
  9. RSLvictorSOTX

    RSLvictorSOTX Regular Member

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    I have only heard from a friend of his dad's Carltons....man, I am speechless:cool:. ...and they are in pretty good condition too from the pics (it must've been stored away in a lock box.
     
  10. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Yonex Japan occassionally produces a limited volume of wooden racquets to sell as collectibles

    (apparently they still have the facilities to do so).

    The last time I saw a few of the Yonex shown above for sale in Nahar's in Pertama Complex in KL ,a few lots away from Racquet World.

    I think they may make some more racquets if there are requests.
     
  11. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    Another old classic

    from the 80s a Carbonex 15.

    My fave in 70s was the cab3 wood, in the 80s the cab15.

    Reason why so few remain of the cab 15 was because it was very fragile

    and broke easily. it distorted after 1 or 2 restrings.
     

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  12. weeyeh

    weeyeh Regular Member

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    Hmm... I had one of these but lost it. Loved the racket. I never thought it was that fragile though.
     
  13. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    al racquet

    This is the best find of all, found it in the garden of the family home .
    used it when I was a little one in the early 60s.It was China made and called "Wild Duck".
    Basically it is a long piece of hollow aluminium extrusion welded by an al plate at the throat which has seen broken and caused the racquet to be distorted.
    Must be a frontrunner of the Carlton series.
     

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  14. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    2nd picture is a cross section of the hollow shaft.

    The grip and handle has long fallen off
     
  15. RSLvictorSOTX

    RSLvictorSOTX Regular Member

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    Seriously? Yonex Japan would still occasionally produce wooden racquets if there is a demand (for collection, naturally):cool:?

    The original wood (made of beech wood?) racquet craftsmen must be septuagenarians by now at least!
     
  16. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    I have one of those Cab15's bought from ebay a few months back. Will try to take some pics of some of my dinosaurs& upload them here.....
     
  17. RSLvictorSOTX

    RSLvictorSOTX Regular Member

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    Wooden racquets please. Steel and aluminums are good but please...woods please, tks.
     
  18. Bbn

    Bbn Regular Member

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    The last Yonex wooden racquets were produced around 1980, 30 years ago.If the workers there were about 30/40, they would be about
    60/70 now. But knowing the Japanese they would have reduced the craft to a series of processes captured in a staff manual for continuity
    instead of allowing craftsmen to take it to their graves.Equipment may just be modified joinery machines.

    i think the basic ingredient is not solid timber but laminated plywood.Maybe just like making acoustic guitars.
     
  19. jamesd20

    jamesd20 Moderator

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    Correcting myself: Slim stainless is Pink B9000 Brown one is B9100. Sorry for making mistake!

    OK give me some time.....
     
  20. Nigel Ong

    Nigel Ong Regular Member

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    yes i love this cab15. It was my 1st Yonex racket
     

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