Should i choose STIGA Clipper?

VicVoc32 · May 26, 2015

Hi I'm pretty new on this forum and want your help with choosing a blade. I'm sorry my english is not perfect.

I'm an offensive player and i like to play fast close to the table. I'm currently using Donic Blackthunder and the problem is that i feel that it's a little hard to control, especially in my returns. My friend is telling me to get the Stiga Clipper which i like when i tried his racket.

He says that the Clipper is very popular in China and that it's a very good blade. Is this true and should i buy this blade or do you got some other good alternatives?

UpSideDownCarl · May 26, 2015

The Stiga Clipper is a blade that has been around for a long time and it is not that expensive. Despite this, it is really one of Stiga's best blades. I feel like it is better than a lot of their newer blades that have a hardened surface like "NCT" or "Diamond Touch". It is a bit heavier than the newer blades from Stiga but it plays really nicely. I know a lot of pros where I live who use it. I would try and get one that is about 95 grams because the ones that are lighter do not play quite as well or feel as good.

You could also look at OSP Virtuoso+ (which plays a lot like a Clipper but the wood is a bit more solid and the balance is a bit better because the handle is not hollow) or an OSP Martin. If you consider the Martin, think about getting about 94 grams. If you get the Virtuoso+ try to get one that is about 90 grams.

But a Clipper is a great blade.

dio_hgw · May 26, 2015

UpSideDownCarl said it all, though I wouldn't reject lighter than 90gr Clippers. It's a can't-go-wrong blade with lowish throw for close to table game, but also powerful enough for playing farther. However, I suggest you buy it sealed or seal it yourself cause it's rather subjective to splintering.

UpSideDownCarl · May 26, 2015

That is true. I feel like it is good to seal all blades.

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Amayzde · May 26, 2015

Clippers are usually heavy so maybe with your close to the table style you would like the Infinity VPS V more those are lighter.

UpSideDownCarl · May 26, 2015

It is true, if you get a good Infinity they are light and have about the same speed as the Clipper. I personally don't love the way they feel. Clipper gets better spin and better touch for short game. But they are not bad. However, I know many people, over 20, which is really a lot, who got that blade and had the plies delaminate (separate, the plies became unglued). In the end, they got a replacement. But....I even know someone who had the same thing happen to the replacement. So he had 2 Infinity blades delaminate the same way.

I would go with a Clipper over an Infinity any day. But everyone is different. So.....nothing wrong with researching the Infinity.

VicVoc32 · May 26, 2015

Thanks for your great answers. i have read about the infinity vps and it also seems to be a very good blade, i will search a little more before i finally decide but i think it will go with the Clipper becasue it's pretty cheap and if i don't like it i will try something else.

UpSideDownCarl · May 27, 2015

phamster said:
i second this from carl's post... i bought a brand new diamond VSP from a vendor in USA and when it arrived the blade was delaminated from the core... i didn't even glue or hit it.. it just separated from the core..

attached is the photo of mine , of course i sent back to vendor and they took care of it.

http://tinypic.com/r/e6f43o/8

Just so you see what I am talking about. That is an Infinity blade fresh out of the box.

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phamster · May 27, 2015

Master Carl has enlighten us again... it is true he has lots of insight to many different blades and i echo him on this clipper topic as i am a CLIPPER user

my story goes like this

Hi guys.. and gals..

i have a story to share, i have been away from the game for about 5-7 years, and when i came back in early 2013, equipment has changed alot. no more speed gluing.

with the speed glue ban, i couldn't rely on my dwelly top spin forehand that i played with back in 2005

so i had to find a new set up in the modern era.

playing with forehand dominate style game, i needed a racket that slightly flexes and some decent power too.

in the past i had a gambler carbon arylate straight fat handle with tibhar torpedo speed glued, and that combo was great. but with out the glue, that set up with the 40mm ball sucks.

coming back into the game my body and legs were out of shape and so of course the skills were not where it used to be... so i had to start off slowly.

while looking for the best rubber and blade type to match my game i ended up buying over 10 rackets,

forehand rubber - chinese style Hurricane 3 (neos, blue spong, 50 red sponge)
backhand rubber - donic blue fire m2, tenergy 64, tenergy 05

yinhe T8 - great handle - too fast - not enough dwell
butterfly AL - short small handle didnt like - very dwelly but not fast enough
butterfly innerforce ALC - short small handle didnt like - dead feel, just a little too fast
butterfly mike maze - - short small handle didnt like - crisp feel, nice dwell, over all too light (83) grams
butterfly viscaria - short small handle didnt like - crisp feel, nice dwell, 87 grams second best blade, will keep for backup
yasaka ma long soft carbon - short small handle didnt like - crisp feel, nice dwell - head shape is too small, too light
yinhe W2 - great handle - nice dwell, 90 percent speed of Viscaria - will keep for 3rd backup

and the one i liked best is Stiga
Stiga Clipper Classic - legend handle - hand is the best of all blades i have tried - perfect pitch sound - just dwelly enough for spin and great power for both FH and BH , 94 grams perfect weight for tournament style playing.

weight of the stiga is 94 grams and some might say that it is too heavy for them. but i say when your playing a 2200 level player that hits a hard spinny loop at you, you need to stick the block. and to stick blocks is to have a heavy set up that when the incoming ball hits your blade, it doesn't move. the force of the ball can not over come the weight of your blade. i have found my cut line for weight is 185 grams or higher will give me this stability for good blocking. and of course if youre hitting a ball, the heaveir set blade will be more stable too. over course you can't have it too heavy as you can not get a good flick or accelerate, but i have concluded that 94 gram blade is a great start for me.

anyways, the irony of it all is i spend gobs of money on modern high tech blades and what i ended up with was just a classic all wooden blade.

when i quit playing table tennis in 2005 i was rated around 2032 usatt rating.

now with 2 years under my belt from the come back , i am now rated 2128 usatt. never though i would be this high but with continued drills on serve returns and playing this classic chinese style forehand with the clipper i can see myself going a little farther..

so my moral is don't buy all that fast carbon high tech stuff, just stick with classics, in my case it was the clipper classic that shines in my hands..

phamster

VicVoc32 · May 27, 2015

Thank you for your advice phamster. i will ask my friend what the weight is on his Clipper and give it a second try.

VicVoc32 · Jul 23, 2015

I'm have now just the Clipper for a while and I'm very happy I made the change. It really is a good blade with more control that suits me. Thanks for your advices.

UpSideDownCarl · Jul 24, 2015

Great blade. Basically, it as good as anything else around and it is a classic, all wood, seven ply beast!

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Hamasaki_Fanz · Jul 24, 2015

UpSideDownCarl , what do you think the differences between PG7 and clipper?

also, I heard when WLQ uses clipper, DHS sponsored him and made him DHS Hurricane King. Have u tried it? what are the main differences? Thanks

Der_Echte · Jul 24, 2015

I will confuse everyone by saying 95 grams (which is already a full 10 grams heavier than the average offensive blade) is NOT HEAVY ENOUGH.

If you add another 15 grams to the handle area, it would play a LOT nicer, FEEL a LOT nicer, and actually have better looping performance.

I have some wood glue in the car at the ready for whenever I can ever meetup with Carl again and perform a small procedure on his blade that is NOT covered by anyone's medical insurance.

Liten · Jul 24, 2015

Der_Echte said:
I will confuse everyone by saying 95 grams (which is already a full 10 grams heavier than the average offensive blade) is NOT HEAVY ENOUGH.

If you add another 15 grams to the handle area, it would play a LOT nicer, FEEL a LOT nicer, and actually have better looping performance.

I have some wood glue in the car at the ready for whenever I can ever meetup with Carl again and perform a small procedure on his blade that is NOT covered by anyone's medical insurance.

I have to + this post.
Once I made the modification to the WRB handle on my Hybrid Wood, filling it up wood and moldable glue, the balance improved alot! More omph in every shot.

Now I just have to find a all+ to Off- blade so I can improve! (Thanks to Carl's friends for pointing this out.)

UpSideDownCarl · Jul 24, 2015

@ Der_Echte: Yep. But still, when you have a Clipper that is 95 grams, it is one of Stiga's best blades. And when Der_Echte and I go on our next adventure we will do that to my Clipper. It should be fun. Even if we only added 8-10 grams, it would do the job. A solid handle makes a blade play better in my opinion as well.

@ Hamasaki_Fanz: I am not sure how the PG-7 plays. I have never hit with one. But I think it is thinner than a Clipper so not really quite the same. The Hurricane King is a great blade as well but it is a 5 ply blade so it plays very differently than a Clipper. That being said, Wang Liqin did use a Clipper with a DHS handle instead of either of those blades.

And I know more pro players who use a Clipper than any other blade. Off the top of my head I personally know at least 7 players who are USATT 2500 or above who use a Stiga Clipper.

vvk1 · Jul 24, 2015

I had a knock with a Stiga Clipper WRB yesterday which has DHS Neo Hurricane 3 on FH and, drum roll, Mark V on BH. You know what, it was a very nice combo. Clipper has a very nice feel, and top end speed when needed.

On a side note, Mark V had absolutely zero problems with the plastic ball. Super controllable, and vicious spin. Makes me wonder if we've all been tricked by TT equipment manufacturers.

Liten · Jul 24, 2015

My sparring buddy uses 2 old stiga stickan blades with new mark v rubbers.. Crazy fast and light setups..

josephluck · Jul 24, 2015

vvk1 said:
I had a knock with a Stiga Clipper WRB yesterday which has DHS Neo Hurricane 3 on FH and, drum roll, Mark V on BH. You know what, it was a very nice combo. Clipper has a very nice feel, and top end speed when needed.

On a side note, Mark V had absolutely zero problems with the plastic ball. Super controllable, and vicious spin. Makes me wonder if we've all been tricked by TT equipment manufacturers.

I had a hit with mark V on an old Primorac blade I had sitting around last night and I share your sentiments.

It had amazing spin with the plastic ball, top end speed (though you get what you put in) and control when you need it.

Seriously thinking of replacing Airoc M with two sheets of it when the time comes!

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Billy Boy · Jul 27, 2015

So which rubbers would be best? soft,medium,hard?

Should i choose STIGA Clipper?

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