Grays_StrokeMaster

Grays | Jaguar

Grays StrokeMaster (1982)

Condition
7
10: New
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor
| Rarity
8
10: Impossibly rare
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller
– – – – – – – – – – –
About This Racket

Grays, founded in 1855 by H.J. Gray stated making wooden racquets for Cambridge students, the company quickly expanded its product range. It had its own small factory, making largely hand-made products. It has some excellent rackets and nice liveries, although its use of new materials was slow. It was modesty successful in the UK but hardly known in US. Dunlop factory at Waltham Abbey is barely 50 kilometres from Grays’ Playfair Works factory at Coton just outside Cambridge. It may hold the record for the longest production run… ‘Light Blue’ started around 1927 (price – 70 shillings) until 1981, with Ambaflex Super stringing and Blue Leather grip, for £14.58.

MODEL List: 1908 “Masterpiece”; 1927 Light Blue’; The Gray; Wingfield; Playfair; Light Blue Super Blue Treble Blue, New Blue, Royal Blue, Varsity Blue, Cambirdge Blue; Gray Century

Historic Gallery

Specifications (👋 not yet accurate….check back soon)
MeasurementsValuePerformanceGraph
Weight394gPower (33%)
Head Size & Length68sq in | 27inchControl (22%)
Balance8pt head light (220)Spin (26%)
GripPerforated leatherHandling (88%)
Strings18 x 20 | gutComfort (66%)
FlexibilityRA 49Consistency (33%)
Gallery
About Grays

Grays, founded in 1855 by H.J. Gray stated making wooden rackets for Cambridge students, the company quickly expanded its product range. It had its own small factory, making largely hand-made products. By 1940, the company merged with L.J. Nicolls to form Gray-Nicolls, enhancing its cricket bat production. The acquisition of J. Hazells in 1941 further diversified its portfolio, establishing Grays Hockey. The 1980s and 90s saw significant expansion, leading to a move to Robertsbridge, East Sussex. Grays’ innovative products, like the Scoop cricket bat in 1974 and the Karachi King hockey stick in 1965, solidified its market leadership. In 2002, the acquisition of the Gilbert brand doubled the company’s size, making it a global leader in rugby and netball equipment. However, it lacked sponsored athletes and it couldn’t quite compete with the biggest and best in Tennis, despite many excellent rackets and gradually declined in the early 90s.

YEAREVENT
1855Henry John Gray founded Grays of Cambridge
1863Harry Gray became World Champion in Rackets
1868Joseph Gray appointed professional at Rugby School
1890Grays’ first catalogue featuring diverse sporting goods
1912Grays’ rackets for World Champion Charles Williams lost with the Titanic
1914Grays became a limited company
1940Merger of H.J. Gray & Sons and L.J. Nicolls forming Gray-Nicolls
1941Grays appointed as a nucleus firm; acquired Hazell & Co.
1956Launched the ‘Olympic’ hockey stick
1965Established Gray’s Pakistan factory
1974Introduced the revolutionary Scoop cricket bat
1987Grays floated on the Pakistan Stock Exchange
1995Gilbert ball first used in Netball World Championships
2002Grays acquired Gilbert brand
2007Gilbert ball used in Netball World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand
2015Gilbert Match XV chosen for Rugby World Cup