Stiga Nostalgic VII

Very good for receiving and the first ball. For looping, you should be precise with the timing. For blocking, it is the best wood. Smashes are also easy to perform with this blade.

Tried this blade in penhold. Visually, it’s very beautiful. Mine was 87g and 6.2mm. I started out with slow rubbers, H3 forehand and Bty Sriver on backhand, as I heard this blade was quite fast.

Even with the slower rubbers, the quicker rebound speed was immediately noticeable at passive block and very fast at smashes and drives. And this was me coming from a Dignics 09c and Tenergy 05fx on All-round classic.

Looping with this blade versus the Stiga All-round classic was something else altogether. Dwell time is much shorter, so this blade requires a better touch for pretty much every shot. There is almost no flex to it. This is definitely not a beginner’s blade. Maybe after you’ve learned the short touch.

This blade is best for those who utilize athleticism in their game (counterhitters will enjoy it and some loopers) in addition to those who already have a well-developed touch game.

This blade is considered very fast for an all-wood blade. The handle is small, making it suitable for female or children’s hands.

It pairs very well with Nittaku G1. It also pairs well with short or long pips.

Update: This blade pairs well with Xiom Vega Japan, providing excellent spin and control. It is a recommended pairing.

The speed and spin are both good, making it a well-balanced blade comparable to other expensive carbon blades.

I played table tennis a long time ago and came back after 20 years. When I left the game, Liu Guoliang was the king, and I always tried to imitate his style. Therefore, I’m a penholder RPB short pips forehand, but the difficult decision was finding a blade that fit with Stiga Clippa. The Stiga Clipperwood is not so easy to find and is now a bit old, so I tested many blades to finally play with Nostalgic VII.

In the description, there are some mistakes (I guess) because this blade is 5 plies and not 7. It is thin, light, and fast. I played before with Stiga Infinity VPS, and Nostalgic is faster, no doubt about it. Therefore, the speed cannot be 8 (less than the Infinity blade). It is a bit harder and less controlled, but it is not a blade that is “crazy” or difficult to play with. I recommend it if you play closer to the table. It is very good with short pips but does not play with hard rubber because you won’t feel the ball’s contact with the blade.

Very good blade.