The Stiga Allround Classic Blade was first introduced in 1967 and has been popular among table tennis players for its versatility and durability, leading to over 1 million sales and a sales record.
Similarly, this blade helped Stiga open the market just like Butterfly Sriver (click to read our previous review)did for the Butterfly Company. Sriver was also released in 1967 and since then, these two brands have become the most popular ones in the table tennis community.
This legendary blade has an excellent performance in every aspect and has been used by many world champions.
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Who used Stiga Allround Classic Blade
Actually, it’s hard to find users among current players with the emergence of more powerful and much faster blades. However, in the 1990s, loads of world champions used Stiga Allround Classic, including Peter Katlsson, Marie Svensson, Jörgen Persson, etc.
Among them, the most well-known player might be Jörgen Persson who is considered one of the greatest table tennis players of that time and his highest world ranking came to the first during his peak. Persson was known for his all-round playing style, which made him a versatile player who could adapt to different opponents and situations. He was also known for his exceptional technique and footwork.
Besides, Peter Karlsson was one of the most successful Swedish players of his era, having won several national and international titles. Some of his notable accomplishments include winning the Swedish National Championships multiple times and competing in several World Championships and European Championships.
These players all have all round playstyle and they all have used Stiga Allround Classic Blade for quite a long time during their careers.
Who is Stiga Allround Classic Blade For?
Stiga Allround Classic is suitable for beginners and advanced all-round players. This all-wood blade has great balance in speed, spin, and control. Beginners can use it to practice and improve their basic skills. The blade helps them have a deeper understanding of table tennis. The advanced players can have great control of the match.
It’s not proper for super offensive players who desire super fast and powerful shots. They’d better consider a blade with carbon fiber.
Review of Stiga Allround Classic Blade
Appearance and composition
The color of the handle is typically brown, which gives it a classic and timeless feel. The classic look of the color is a nod to the traditional roots of table tennis and the history of the sport. Unlike other blades, there aren’t any images or words on the surface of the blade.
The touch of the blade is typically smooth, as the surface is designed to provide good control and feel when playing table tennis. Besides, there is a light wood scent, which gives me a special feel.
Stiga Allround Classic Blade weighs 84g and its thickness is 5.3 mm. The weight and thickness are quite normal for an all wood blade. The composition of the blade is Lima-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Limba. Stiga Allround Classic is a typical 5-ply blade that offers a good balance of performance characteristics and is suitable for a wide range of playing styles.
Speed
I put Yasaka Mark V on the forehand and Donic Bluefire m2 on the backhand to do the test. The blade has a woody and soft feel but I could clearly feel the vibration. The blade has quite decent speed among all round blades.
The clear feel makes me have better control of the speed. Actually, many players complain that this blade is slow but I don’t think so. On the one hand, it’s not fair to compare it with blades with carbon. On the other hand, Stiga Allround Classic is not so stiff that players can exert more effort if they want faster speed.
This blade is relatively soft but not bouncy. Under small gears, players can easily generate great topspin balls but without great speed, especially playing near the table. Under larger gears, players can hit more powerful shots with greater speed. The ball has great speed even if we play in the back court.
Actually, Stiga Allround Classic is really an all-round blade that is used with both large or small effort, near or far from the table, etc. But if you are the type who pursues really speedy and powerful strokes, then you might consider its upgraded version—Stiga Allround Classic Carbon blade.
Spin
This flexible blade has great performance in generating spin with small strength. Especially paired with proper rubber, I could feel that the blade as well as the rubber grab the ball deeply and then rub and bounce out the ball. The overall feel is difficult to describe in words. It’s as comfortable as you are playing ping pong with your own hands!
The blade can give players a sense of security when playing the games. It’s especially suitable for loopers who play near the table. Personally speaking, the speed of this blade might not be faster than Stiga Clipper CR or Butterfly Maze Advance, but the overall feel and spin are much better than theirs.
Control
Great control is the advantage of all the wood blades. But there are stiffer all-wood blades such as Clipper CR that sometimes might be struggling for beginners to control. As I mentioned before, Stiga Allround Classic Blade has a soft, solid but not bouncy feeling.
The only drawback is that the sweet spot is too small that sometimes we might have a “dead” feeling if we don’t hit the ball actively. And sometimes the ball might not go over the net.
But generally, players can have great control over the location and switch freely between the forehand and the backhand during the match. When I do the drop shots, I find the clear feel makes it easier to control the effort. The ball will never suddenly become high or much longer than you expect.
Stiga Allround Classic Blade is totally ideal for beginners or intermediate players to practice and improve their basic skills.
Defense
During the test, I find that this blade is not proper for the passive blocks as once you miss the sweet spot, the ball might fail to go over the net. There were several times I made such mistakes like this.
Players have to add some adjustments to their wrists and arms to better control and block the ball back. Thus, it’s proper for us to practice active block with it. I find that the backhand block is much easier than the forehand block with this blade. The great control can ensure we do counterattacks during the blocks.
Topspin and Backspin
There is nothing surprising when doing topspin or lifting up the backspin balls. All the results are within our expectations. Even beginners might do more flat hits and also they can control the ball well.
Generally speaking, players can choose to play topspin under small gears and win the game through great spin as well as great consistency. This is the biggest strength of Stiga Allround Classic Blade.
As for the backspin, it’s not difficult to lift up the balls as the blade is able to grab the well. I could feel that the dwell time is long and the balls can be quite spinny.
Pros and Cons of Stiga Allround Classic Blade
What I am satisfied with Stiga Allround Classic Blade
- Clear feel and feedback
- Great control
- Can generate quite spinny balls even under small gears
What I am not satisfied with Stiga Allround Classic Blade
- The sweet spot is quite small
- Not good at passive block
- Sometimes there is a “dead” feeling
Match suggestion
I would recommend players use Chinese tacky or relatively softer rubber on the forehand to make full advantage of its great spin. On the backhand, players can put relatively harder rubber to blocks or drives.
Forehand: DHS Hurricane 3 NEO (39 grade), Yasaka Mark V, Donic Bluefire m2
Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 64, JOOLA Dynaryz AGR
Conclusion
The Stiga Allround Classic blade has a good balance of speed, spin, control, and feel, making it a popular choice among table tennis players. It’s a great choice for both beginners and advanced all-round players. Even though after the reform of ITTF, speed glue is forbidden so players are more into bouncier blades.
However, Stiga Allround Classic is still a popular choice nowadays. It helps players master and improve their basic skills and also those advanced all-round players can control the rhythm of the games much better.
