Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+

Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ - What is there to tell about this blade?

The Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ is a really great blade with a sophisticated technology, made in Germany. The number "89" comes from the 25th annual anniversary of the Swedish table tennis title in 1989 in Dortmund, Germany. Back then, there was an incredible victory (5:0) of the Swedish National Team over the Chinese National Team. Based on this event, there are 3 new blades. These are dedicated to the table tennis legends Jan-Ove Waldner, Joergen Persson, and Mikael Appelgren. These Donic blades are made in Germany, of course, under strict quality standards.

Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ - Basic information regarding this great table tennis blade

Before we will talk about the veneers in closer detail, let us start with some basic information. The Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 is made of 7 veneers, with an overall thickness of 6.1 mm. These include the following wood types/materials: Kiri (3.0 mm), Ayous-Carbon-Fleece-Zylon (0.55 mm), and Spruce (0.8 mm). Despite the fact that there are 7 veneers, this Donic Appelgren blade only weighs about 80 g.

The low weight is very pleasant, and makes it easier for you to accelerate the blade in order to do more offensive moves. As the name already suggests, the suitability of this blade is described as ALL+. However, depending on the type and thickness of rubbers you will use, ALL or OFF- are also no problem! Remember: The thicker the rubber, the more offensive the behavior (and vice versa).

Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ - Quality and veneer aspects under closer investigation

Let us start with the heart of the Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+: The core veneer. This is made of Kiri (3 mm thickness). Kiri is a tree native to Central and West China. However, cultivations of this tree can also be found in Japan, Korea or North America. The tree may reach a height of approx. 15 m. Kiri is quite light (density: 300 kg/m³), not very strong (Young´s modulus: 4,380 N/mm²), and not very hard (Janka hardness: 250). Kiri veneers are denser, more durable, and harder than e.g. Balsa layers. Hence, Kiri plies are heavier and faster than Balsa plies. This underlines the suitability of Kiri to support more offensive strokes. Still, Kiri always exhibits good control and feedback!

The outer veneer of the Waldner World Champion 89 from Donic is made of Spruce. Spruce (Picea abies) is native to Europe (except the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula), but also to large parts of Asia. Spruce trees can reach an age of 600 years, a height of approx. 60 m, and a trunk diameter of approx. 2 m. The trees grow very quickly, and they are very frost-resistant during the cold months. Spruce is heavier (density: 420 kg/m³), clearly stronger (Young´s modulus: 11,000 N/mm²), and slightly harder (Janka hardness: 300) than Kiri. In general, Spruce veneers offer much feedback and control. However, as is evident by the above-mentioned properties, spruce also supports offensive strokes! According to the manufacturer specifications, Donic uses trees with an age of more than 200 years for this blade (Italian Spruces). Also, the so called SPT technology (Spruce Pressing Technology) made in Germany is applied.

The in-between veneers are made of a third type of wood: Ayous. Ayous is also known as Abachi, Obeche, or Samba. Ayous is a tree which grows in tropical regions of West Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, and so on. Ayous trees reach a height of 50 m, and exhibit a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m. In terms of its weight (350 kg/m³) and strength (Young´s modulus: 6.800 N/mm²), Ayous wood is the "golden mean" between Kiri and Spruce.  However, Ayous is harder (Janka hardness: 430) than Kiri and Spruce. As TT veneer, Ayous is well-known for its positive gaming properties. These are similar to Kiri and Spruce (due to the points mentioned above) and include a moderate heaviness & hardness, which induce a pleasant feedback and feeling of the ball. This is particularly important during passive blocks, the short-short play, and during long ball rallies. However, the increased hardness causes an increased penetration power and speed. This is particularly pronounced when using thicker rubbers, corresponding to OFF-properties.

The veneers of the Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ are treated by a special drying process. This reduces the moisture content to approx. 4%, making the blade stable and light. Furthermore, every single blade was finally treated by a special cold pressing process, for a duration of 24 hours. Also, the implementation of a unique 3D-technology makes the handle ergonomically sound with a great roundness.

Another type of in-between veneer, along with Ayous, is the Carbon-Fleece-Zylon fabric (CFZ). This is quite new, innovative, and is exclusively produced for Donic. As you might already know, Carbon fibers (made of the element C) are very light, but at the same time extremely strong and stable. Hence, the whole blade becomes stiffer, more direct, and more dynamical.

Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ - Brief summary

High quality, very good workmanship, and smart veneers & technologies! The Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 All+ is a very light blade, which sets new standards. This Donic table tennis blade is perfect for offensive allrounders, who: Always rely on much feeling and control during their strokes, but also take the initiative from time to time. Depending on the type and thickness of the rubbers you are using, this blade is also very suitable for more defensive styles (ALL), but also for more offensive styles (OFF-).