Avalox P700 Review

Avalox P700 Review
Set up: Avalox P700 ST (Switched from FL!)
     FH: Stiga Almana Sound MAX
     BH: Stiga Almana MAX
No tuners, no speedglue

Intro

****The review is a comparison between the Stiga Clipper and Avalox P700.****

I am big on 6mm thickness Stiga Clippers. Why? I think they�re great for looping, hitting, service, etc. and in addition they have an amazing feel. I feel like a 7 ply wood blade that is thin offers great looping ability, power, feel and touch for my game. So the first thought that came to me was� I need a spare. The problem is Stiga doesn�t make 6mm Clippers anymore. I have owned 3 Clippers and recently hit with a friend�s brand new Clipper. Two of them were used and purchased several years ago, both of them 6mm (one of them has a cracked center ply;_;). The newest one was 7mm; and recently I hit with a friend�s brand new Clipper, which was also 7mm.   Some individuals may like 7mm Clippers, but I find it does not fit my stroke (No offense to the 7mm Clipper lovers).

So I went on a quest to find a blade similar to a 6mm Clipper and I remembered the threads on MyTT.NET on the Avalox P700. Softer, ~6mm thick, 7 plys = just what the EJ needs. I purchased an Avalox P700 and once it arrived, I eagerly opened the box and discovered a very nice high quality product. All edges on the blade are sanded; the grains on the wood look nice and straight, the balance is nice. I then immediately proceeded to lightly varnish both faces of the blade with poly and grip tape the handle. Once the poly cured I transferred my rubbers from the Clipper to the P700.

Initially, I did not like the P700 compared to the Clipper because the P700�s feel was not as strong as the Clipper�s. But as I hit with it more I found that it can loop better since it is softer (more dwell time) and that I needed time to adjust to the P700�s softer feel.

Initial Impressions
Service
Service trajectory is a little higher than Clipper, still spinney. Just a matter of technique.
Clipper > P700

Push
Long pushes have a flat trajectory and are fast. Short placement pushes have a small arch.
Clipper > P700 (not by much)

Counter
Counter drives feel nice. They are flat and fast and have a softer feel.
Clipper = P700

Block
Completely forgot about this. Blocks feel easier to do compared to the clipper. The soft feeling allows the ball to stay on the face longer and control the block.
P700~Clipper

Loop
The P700 is noticable better at looping then the Clipper.   It has more dwell, a higher throw, and is thinner than comparable 7 ply blades. High arch loops are spinney, Loop-drives are fast and low; openings are strong and spinney. BH loops are easier to do compared to the Clipper.
P700 > Clipper
edit*** after another night of playing, I found that with my current set it is most effective at looping at around 4ft away from the table. Any further I have to expend a lot more energy to get the ball back on the table.

Smashing
Smashing is solid with the P700; fast and low. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Clipper> P700

smackman wrote: Thanks Jeff ,great review �I'm in China now and I was thinking of buying the P700 even just for resale ,but how does it play away from the table a bit?

With Almana Sound/Almana at Midrange (~6-8ft? is that midrange?)I can generate some good pace, but any further the ball does not have enough energy. I'm sure this could be remedied with tensor or spring sponge rubbers.

I have 6.8 mm Clipper and it is stiffer, about the same softness (if not less) and a bit faster compared to my 6.2 mm P700.

Actually P700 is like 5-ply on steroid.  It is quite flexible for a 7-ply blade, soft with ample dwell time but quite fast (faster than my old Korbel).  If you are using ordinary 5-ply for a long time, it is easier to adjust to P700 compared to the 6.8 mm Clipper.

...smackman., i've heard p700 is good for smacking...ahaha

chugun wrote: ...smackman., i've heard p700 is good for smacking...ahaha

doraemon wrote: I have 6.8 mm Clipper and it is stiffer, about the same softness (if not less) and a bit faster compared to my 6.2 mm P700.Actually P700 is like 5-ply on steroid.� It is quite flexible for a 7-ply blade, soft with ample dwell time but quite fast (faster than my old Korbel).� If you are using ordinary 5-ply for a long time, it is easier to adjust to P700 compared to the 6.8 mm Clipper.

can somebody compare p700 with clipper cr?

Unfortunately there are two types of P700. The older version is thinner. I've tried both and gave me the impression that the older one is the real one, and the newer one's fake. The newer version is thicker and harder, only good for smashing. Very difficult to get the thinner older version now.

I'll document this using photos but I'll need help uploading photos. The older version of P700 is thinner and plays much better than the Clipper Wood. Then again I don't know which Clipper I have. Must be the thicker newer versions. Guess the good old ones are harder to find now.

does alphatt have nittaku plaques on their avalox blades?
Or do you have to get those ones from China?
12 yrs ago i got one (p700) from my coach, and i want a replacement just in case my wood starts to warp, i remember reading somewhere the quality is slightly better, can anyone confirm that?
Thx

My avalox p700 has 95grams and 6.7mm thickness.

ejmaster wrote: In my opinion P700 is a blade out of date now.   Too soft for 40 mm. It has no crispness. It is difficult to match a rubber. Maybe before H3 like were a good set up but now feels slow mushy.   It has a lot of control but it is a no live blade.   And weights as hell.   Good handle.   I like the latest clipper that are not anything extraordinary better than the P700.

1


Edited by tomaca - 11/08/2010 at 11:31am

p700 is harder(Some will say that it is not, but yes is harder), more flexible and has big catapult efect which makes it somewhat faster but with much better control,

I heard that some avalox blades come pre-sealed with a very thin layer, does P700 have this? 

Beautiful blade. My P500 is nice with Bryce/ Bryce Speed. A little to flabby with T05FX.