Video: STIGA Table Tennis via YouTube
Stiga first released the Allround Classic in 1967 and says well over a million have been sold since. It is a light, five-ply all-wood blade built for control, and it is still one of the most recommended first custom blades in the sport.
Specifications
| Construction | 5 ply, all wood |
|---|---|
| Outer ply | Limba |
| Weight | 80 g ±5 g (Stiga range 75–90 g) |
| Thickness | approx. 5.4 mm (Stiga Japan) |
| Stiga class | Allround, Beginner level |
| Stiga rating | Speed 4.1 / Control 8.8 |
| Made in | Eskilstuna, Sweden |
| Handles we stock | Straight, Master (flared), Penholder |
Figures are manufacturer and supplier data, cross-checked with a second published source (see the sources below). Brands use different rating scales, so compare numbers within a brand only. We have not run our own lab tests.
What the numbers say
Stiga rates blades on its own scale, and the Allround Classic sits at the slow, controlled end: Speed 4.1 and Control 8.8. For comparison, Stiga's own Clipper Wood is rated Speed 8.2 and Control 4.9. Stiga lists the blade at Beginner level and in its Allround style group, and Dandoy and Tabletennis11 both class it as ALL with five plies.
Tabletennis11 lists an approximate weight of 80 g, matching Stiga. Published thickness figures differ a little between sources (Stiga Japan gives 5.4 mm, Tabletennis11 4.8 mm), which is normal for natural wood. Stiga notes the blade is not weighed separately for individual orders.
What to expect
A thin, light five-ply blade gives you a lot of feedback and dwell, so you feel the ball on the rubber. That is exactly what helps when you are learning to push, block and roll the ball, because a slower blade forgives small timing errors. The trade-off is pace: once you play strong topspin from mid-distance you will eventually want something faster, such as an OFF- or OFF blade.
In Stiga's own video above, the Allround Classic appears alongside the Offensive Classic and the Clipper Wood as three of Stiga's most sold blades.
Rubber pairings
Control rubbers bring out the best in it. A classic non-tensor such as Yasaka Mark V or a soft tensor like Xiom Vega Europe gives a forgiving, spinny set-up. Our guides to choosing a first blade and choosing a first rubber go into more detail.
Who it suits
Beginners moving up from a ready-made bat, juniors, coaches building club bats and experienced allround players who value feel over power.
A proven, light control blade at a fair price. If you are building your first custom bat, this is one of the safest starting points there is.
Buy Stiga Allround Classic – £39.99 Free gluing when ordered with a blade.Sources: Stiga (official) · Stiga Japan (official spec) · Dandoy Sports (supplier) · Tabletennis11 (supplier) · Paddle Palace · STIGA Table Tennis on YouTube
