Slazenger Demon 1888

Manuf.:    Slazenger

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Model:      The Demon

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Spec.:        Solid wood, fishtail handle, elongated face

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Year:         1888

(documented or estimated)

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Background facts:

The Slazenger Demon was introduced in 1885 and featured a solid wooden frame with a fishtail handle that widened at the end to improve grip security. In 1888, the Demon racquet was revised with an elongated head, increasing the hitting surface and reflecting contemporary developments in racquet geometry.

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Slazenger was founded in London in 1881 by brothers Ralph and Albert Slazenger. The company established itself early as a manufacturer of tennis equipment and became the official supplier of tennis balls for the Wimbledon Championships in 1902, a role it still holds today. The Demon model belongs to Slazenger’s early production phase and illustrates the firm’s focus on functional design and manufacturing quality in the late nineteenth century.