Specs
Balance - even
Flex - Medium
Length = 670 mm
Intro
The Razor V1.0 is the first in the Razor series of rackets and sits between the V1.1 and V1.2 with an even balance and medium flex shaft. The racket is strung with Carlton X67 at 22lbs and should suit an all round game – time will tell! The racket features an Optimetric head shape and Razor's trademark wrap-round strings at the 3 and 9 o clock positions. The frame features Japanese HM Carbon.
Appearance
The V1.0 is a fabulous looking racket with a predominantly charcoal grey and black frame broken up with splashes of yellow running throughout the frame. The racket is strung with yellow X67 string which adds to the appearance and makes it an awesome looking racket.
Initial impressions - the warm up
Having previously played with a V1.2 it didn’t take too long to adapt to the V1.0, despite usually playing with a racket that is slightly head heavier. I kept the factory grip on so not to alter the balance point at all. Like the 1.2 this is a fairly quick racket and the shuttle felt very crisp coming off the string bed. My one biggest issue with the 1.2 was the slight lack of power but I could already feel that this racket would bridge that gap.
Defence
Defence with this racket was very good. The head is quite quick and not too heavy which made defending smashes quite easy. I also found it fairly easy to turn defence into attack with this racket as it is very responsive.
Net area
I found drop shots and net play to be very precise with this racket – I felt like I could almost feel the shuttle coming off the string bed. Once again feedback was great and I could easily place the shuttle exactly where I wanted it. The one area On net kills this racket felt slightly slower than the V1.2, possibly due to the latter being more head light. This however didn’t pose a problem.
Mid/rear court
This racket definitely fills the power element missing in the V1.2. Smashes from the back of the court where very powerful and also accurate and I was often able to put the shuttle on the floor.
The area this racket really shone for me where fast flat exchanges and drives. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but the racket seemed to generate lots of power when getting into mid court battles. The speed of the racket also meant that the head was always in position to attack the next shot.
Summary
This racket really impressed me and it is a great all-round racket, mixing power and control. I think it would suit an all-round or attacking doubles player. The razor guided strings/grommets produce a unique feel which is very crisp when hit in the centre, however you can certainly feel off-center contact.
About me
As reviews are very subjective I find it important to specify my level of play when making a review. I currently play MD and XD at a fairly high league level so would rate myself as intermediate.
