Hazell’s Streamline Blue Star Mark 2 Racket circa 1936
The National Badminton Museum has recently acquired a later version of the Hazell’s Streamline Blue Star racket from Ottawa, Canada.
Hazell’s were well known for making good quality rackets in England in the 1930s, and they produced rackets for tennis, badminton and squash. Hazell’s first brought out their triple shaft racket in April 1936, this particular style was only advertised from November 1936 to January 1937. It was advertised at 36/- (shillings) with leather grip. They said in the advert “Makes the game easier. Perfect balance and pick up. Lightness combined with strength. It gives complete control and effortless ‘follow-through’ due to streamlined design.” The racket weighs 170.5 grams which is 13.5 grams lighter than the mark 1 version, a modern graphite racket weighs approximately 92 grams.
Hazell’s then reverted back to advertising the original design until April 1937.
The racket has printed on the frame ‘Imported and strung in Canada by Wallace Brothers, Toronto’.
However, it was not a popular choice among badminton players and soon went out of fashion -few of the badminton rackets have survived.
The tennis design was more successful being used by Bunny Austin for some time. It appears far more have survived and they do not make as much money in the sales rooms.
This racket and many more can be seen at the National Badminton Museum, National Badminton Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, MILTON KEYNES MK8 9LA
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If you have any badminton memorabilia, archive material, or any other items and would like to donate them to the National Badminton Museum please contact us at: –
museum@badmintonengland.co.uk
Thank you to all the ‘Friends of the Museum’ and people who have made donations to the National Badminton Museum, your support enables us to purchase extremely rare badminton artefacts for the National Collection as they become available.
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Visitors are welcome to look around the Museum unescorted at any time – the National Badminton Centre is normally open 9am to 8pm every day.
National Badminton Centre – Lodge Hotel
For more information and to book a room go to: – Badminton England website – https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk – National Badminton Centre – National Badminton Centre Hotel.
