Wilson Staff Tour Blade Fluid Feel 84-86?

Just scored a complete set of Wilson Staff Tour Blade Fluid Feel 84-86?. Can't wait to grip'em and rip'em. New lambkin grips on the way. Has anyone else played these or have memories of these blades?

I still have a set. They are pretty much a remake of the 1967-68 Dynapower irons.

I like these just a smidgen better than the '71 Button Backs, but it's the tiniest of smidgens.

I am guilty of swapping out my vintage sets on an almost weekly basis as the mood takes me. However, in any season I will have a "gaming set" which probably means they are in the bag for half the rounds that year. These are one of those sets which says it all really. Lovely blades! After these I also "gamed" Fg 49's which I think were only released in the UK - very thin bottom line - true butter knives! Also like '76 Staff's but like Shallowface these probably edge it for me.

I had a set of these, they didn't stick around for me. The main reason is really that they had Dynamic S (or DGS300), and I was trying them during my DGX phase. Knew someone who was interested, off they went in a trade.

Thought they were a fine example of the Wilson sweet feel. Kind of wish I still had them. Which isn't saying much, I have a number of sets I feel that way about. LOL

I have never hit any of those but they look nice and I could probably play them. And yes I spot the Zing SW I have a LW to match it-------- Anyone who carries a Ping SW or LW with blades is a ringer for sure--- Never bet with a guy that has those in the bag unless--------- he gives you enough up per side---- You probably putt with either a 8802 or Bulls Eye too!!----- I know a ringer when I see his bag

Be careful, they are the crack cocaine of irons.. The 1987-88 Fluid Feel's are what started my vintage club appreciation obsession. I bought a set of Feel's to practice with and hit them better than my modern irons. I now have 27 sets of vintage irons and looking for more.

Where are you based, Tom?

HI Stix, I live in Australia.

I know the addiction well. I go thrift hunting at the goodwill donation outlet where goods are sold by the pound and there are usually 4-8 sets of clubs that come through the donation center every day. Today Score was the Odyssey pictured below along with the old Axis mallet putter. The rest are from previous hunts. I wish it were true but I am no wringer,lol. Just a iron and putter whore. I do have two Bullseyes and do love the feel of them.

Wait a minute!!!----- You can putt left handed too? And the shiny mallet beside the Odyssey is that an old Kroyden or Northwestern? And the Ping beside the Bullseyes is that an A blade or O blade or Y blade? It is raining and I do not feel like going to the shop to compare mine to see

The shiny mallet is a axaline stamped -56, made in the USA(i've never heard of it before). The Ping is an a O-blade. I can putt left handed,just not as well, lol. I plan to give it to my father who is left handed, just at the cost of 1.19 per #, I couldn't pass it up.

Those are indeed 84-86, but they'll only be partially vintage if you end up replacing vintage grips, which will ruin the set forever. Copycat grips don't look like the originals, which should be either Wilson Victory composition grips or hand-wrapped leather grips. I use Armor-All or Leather conditioner to restore my truly vintage sets and wouldn't touch a set claiming to be vintage with newer parts. I heard another guy talking about re-shafting his FG-17's. If you're a vintage golfer, better buy these up now because people are ruining them left and right.

^^^ Those around here for awhile know that it is acceptable to replace worn out grips on vintage clubs especially victories that are slick & dried out, unplayable. Kudos to buying replacement lambkins.

There are exceptions but they should be rare indeed.

They are still a tool to be used. I have a Stanley no. 26 combination plane from the 30's, that I put a new iron in because it needed a new iron if I were ever going to use it.

You're right. The intrinsic vintageness of the clubs is lost to new grips or new shafts. But we are not all museum curators, and I think it better that he bought them and will use them than the goodwill eventually deciding they won't sell and junking them.

Hold The Presses Here!!!! Don't tell me you work in the scrap metal industry too. I drive a truck for a scrap metal recycler well at least until the end of March when I retire but I still plan to work part time for the guy. That is where most of my stock comes from

Well I can certainly respect your side on this. I am of the school of doing what ever it takes to make them playable for me. Now I do have a couple of clubs that will stay original as long as I breathe. One is a blonde Penna driver that I know the history on and it has never been hit. The other one is a Curtis Strange Mac VIP SW that was given to me by him. Now he had hit it some and I tried it with a few balls but it still has the grip he had on it etc. Now if I had something super rare that had never been hit I may change my view but then again I would roll it or trade it off to a collector

Like you said i am not a museum curator. Most of the stuff I end up with comes exactly from the source you mentioned Goodwill not selling and they junking them. If anyone would see the violence of the shredder at the steel mill they would understand where I am coming from.

The grips were completey shot, dry and cracked. They really aren't worth anything. What's the point of having them if they can't be played? I put new lambkins on them so they are usable. If any historian wants to buy them off me they can put whatever vintage grips they like on them.

I picked up a set of MT tourneys today with leather grips in great condition which I will be leaving alone because they are playable.

(Edited double post)

Ruined is in the eye of the clubholder. Those Staffs are beautiful but not perfect or mint and they deserve to be played. If they were Bobby Jones' personal set then I agree with you wholeheartedly and I wouldn't even wash dirt off of them. In this case I'd say that new grips will probably double their value.

Nice choice on the Lamkins too. I'm a Crossline full cord man myself. I like to rough them up with 40-grit ssndpaper until they're real nasty!

anyone know the value of the 87-88 fluid feel? I was handed down a set of irons (3-9, PW, SW with covers) and actual woods (1, 3, 4, and 5 with covers) from my late uncle with bag included.  I do not think they were ever used. MINT condition with original grips which are also in MINT condition.

3 hours ago, TroyB said:

anyone know the value of the 87-88 fluid feel? I was handed down a set of irons (3-9, PW, SW with covers) and actual woods (1, 3, 4, and 5 with covers) from my late uncle with bag included.  I do not think they were ever used. MINT condition with original grips which are also in MINT condition.

Sounds nice!  Check completed sales on eBay for the most accurate.  Asking prices on eBay can vary.  If you plan on selling I would be interested.

I suspect if they truly are unused or similar, a few hundred minimum would be a reasonable expectation.

On 8/3/2021 at 11:28 AM, TroyB said:

anyone know the value of the 87-88 fluid feel? I was handed down a set of irons (3-9, PW, SW with covers) and actual woods (1, 3, 4, and 5 with covers) from my late uncle with bag included.  I do not think they were ever used. MINT condition with original grips which are also in MINT condition.

I too have a mint set of 86-87 Staff Fluid Feels with Dynamic shafts. 3i > PW. Some clubs don't look like they have ever been hit. Also a few mint sets of Hogan's. Decades, Medalians and PC's. All acquired from an auction a few years back. Also included a cool Hogan display rack with a picture of Hogan's famous 2 iron shot.

13 hours ago, weakputt said:

I too have a mint set of 86-87 Staff Fluid Feels with Dynamic shafts. 3i > PW. Some clubs don't look like they have ever been hit. Also a few mint sets of Hogan's. Decades, Medalians and PC's. All acquired from an auction a few years back. Also included a cool Hogan display rack with a picture of Hogan's famous 2 iron shot.

 

Great display!

I like the positive statement on the 2 iron shot at Merion! One of golf's great debates / mysteries! I have always come down on the side of it being a 2 iron rather than 1 iron but I am sure others here will have their own views!

I had heard that Ben took the 1 iron out of the bag that day (or for that tournament). 

Not sure what the Wilson Fluid Feels are worth in great condition, but I know that I turned down $175.00 from a fellow golfing buddy a few years ago.

Anyway, my Staff Fluid Feel pictures did not load yesterday. So, ...

On 2/23/2020 at 2:17 PM, OldTom said:

 

Be careful, they are the crack cocaine of irons.. The 1987-88 Fluid Feel's are what started my vintage club appreciation obsession. I bought a set of Feel's to practice with and hit them better than my modern irons. I now have 27 sets of vintage irons and looking for more.

I purchased a few Wilson clubs from an Estate Sale for the late great Robert Mandralla that and a purchase of Charlie Rymer's Ping G-Loomis Staff Bag got me going with my golf club collecting addiction. 

2 hours ago, weakputt said:

I had heard that Ben took the 1 iron out of the bag that day (or for that tournament). 

 

Not sure what the Wilson Fluid Feels are worth in great condition, but I know that I turned down $175.00 from a fellow golfing buddy a few years ago.

Anyway, my Staff Fluid Feel pictures did not load yesterday. So, ...

He took the 7 iron out " because there are no 7 iron shots at Merion" so that he could carry a 1 iron. He definitely hit a 1 iron in the play off so on the basis that the club he hit on the 72nd hole of play was stolen after the round, it could not have been a 1 iron - unless he carried a spare. After the round he also referred to it as a 2 iron shot but in later years he confirmed a 1 iron that was found by a collector as being the club he had stolen - his lost friend. Lots of theories and versions but as I say, I am more convinced by the 2 iron argument.

I had not hear that version of the story. Interesting.