Historic reference models
The previous sections have described five- and seven-ply constructions as families. But a family is not well known until proper names are put to it. The four models that follow are not the only all-wood classics, but they are the ones that have served for decades as reference points against which all the others are measured. What unites them is longevity: they have been on the market so long that their character is documented by generations of players, not only by catalogue sheets.
Stiga Clipper Wood. Seven plies of solid wood: thin limba outers over an ayous interior. It is the seven-ply blade par excellence and probably the best-selling in its category in history. Its character is firm, direct and with a stiffness that brings it close to composite territory without using synthetic fibre — exactly the profile described in 9.5. And it gets there without hard outers: the stiffness comes from the number of plies, not from the surface species. It weighs more than an average five-ply, but that mass works in favour of the stroke on flat attacks and blocks. It has for years been the habitual choice for those combining hard Chinese rubbers with a base that does not yield to the rigid sponge of a Hurricane (see 12.4). It is not a blade of nuances: it is a blade of clear intentions.
Stiga Allround Classic. Five plies with limba outers and an ayous core. If the Clipper represents power in all-wood, the Allround Classic represents control. It is the blade mentioned in 9.4 as the example of the classic allround profile: flexible, tolerant, with a long dwell time that eases the loading of spin even with imperfect technique. Its speed is contained — classified as ALL, it does not reach OFF- — which makes it an excellent base for modern tensor rubbers that contribute the speed the blade does not give. It has been a standard recommendation for developing players and for veterans who put variety of stroke ahead of raw power.
Yasaka Sweden Extra. An all-wood five-ply with limba outers. Yasaka classifies it as upper allround (ALL+), one step above the Allround Classic: somewhat faster and a little heavier — around 85 g — but far from the firmness of the Clipper. The limba outers give it the warm, slightly flexible touch described in 9.3, and the extra weight adds a touch of power without taking away the ball retention typical of the allround family. It does not try to compete with composite in speed, but offers a balance between control and power that has kept it in the catalogue for more than three decades. It has been the basis of countless club combinations, both with European tensor rubbers and with Chinese rubbers of medium hardness.
Nittaku Acoustic. Five plies with limba outers and a kiri core. It shares the limba surface of the Allround Classic and the Sweden Extra, and shows how much a five-ply changes when what lies beneath changes. The kiri core — lighter and less absorbent than ayous, as explained in 9.2 — and the lamination technique Nittaku borrows from stringed-instrument making give it a livelier response than the other two. Many players describe its touch as especially sharp, with little damping at the centre of the blade, and its speed takes it into the attacking territory of five-ply blades. It appeals to those who want lightness and sensitivity without resorting to composite.
The four models illustrate a logic that runs through the whole chapter: the combination of species, number of plies and thickness defines the character of the blade, and small variations in those parameters produce differences the player notices. They are not the only options — every manufacturer has its catalogue of all-wood blades — but they work as coordinates: whoever has tried at least two of these four has a frame of reference for evaluating any other. The reference models in composite blades are dealt with in 10.4 and 10.5.