How a GDR racket from the 70s became three new favorite rackets
Sometimes there is more to an old table tennis bat than just racket. Sometimes it holds memories of your youth, your time at the club and the feeling of how much you enjoyed playing with that particular bat.
That's exactly what happened to one of our customers. He had found an old table tennis bat from the GDR, probably from the 1970s. He even remembered the price at the time: around 17 Ostmarks. You don't forget details like that when a racket has been with you for many years.
The racket was pretty worn out and definitely no longer in a condition to play with. No wonder, given its age.
But throwing it away was out of the question. Rebuilding was the solution.
The original racket from the 70s
An old treasure with a special shape
As you can see in the pictures, the racket had a special blade shape that is rarely seen today. Our customer remembered that this model was called "Vietnamese" at the time. Whether this was the official name or more of a nickname is difficult to say today. Perhaps someone knows more about this and can tell us.
This is exactly what made the reproduction of this old table tennis bat so exciting.
Because it wasn't just about building any other similar blade. It was about breathing new life into this very special racket from our youth. With its unusual blade shape and special character.
Can you rebuild an old table tennis bat?
Yes, in most cases yes. It always depends a little on the materials used.
Our customer sent us his original so that we could measure the bat precisely. The original blade shape was measured precisely and a CAD drawing was created so that we could mill out the wood with our CNC milling machine. We also copied the striking notch in the handle as closely as possible.
From GDR bat to modern table tennis blades
In this case, we deliberately did not stick to the original 1:1 veneer structure. Instead, the customer opted for their own veneer structure made from 100% walnut.
This means that the shape and character of the old racket were reproduced exactly, but technically the racket was given a modern upgrade. So it's not a museum piece for the display case, but a racket that you can finally take to the table again and have fun with.
It was particularly nice that it wasn't just a single replica.
The customer not only wanted to revive his own old treasure, but also had two more rackets made for his two sons. In the end, three very special replicas were created that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
We wish the three of them lots of fun with their special table tennis bats.
Request a replica of an old table tennis bat
Old table tennis bats in particular often have a charm all of their own. Many players associate them not only with their first years in the club, but also with a very special playing experience. Some of these old shapes and designs are simply no longer available in normal shops.
That's why such requests are always exciting for us. Not because it's just about nostalgia. But because there is often a desire to have that wonderful feeling of the past in your hand again - just in a version that you can play with properly again today.
And that's exactly the beauty of such replicas: old favorite bats can be used again in a modern version and are just as much fun to play with as they used to be.
If you would also like to have an old table tennis bat rebuilt: You can find all the information about our custom-made products here
You can submit your specific inquiry there and we will get back to you with a quote.
