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Who mills Byron Morgan heads
golfgolfguru ·


Who mills the heads for Byron? I know he adds the finishing touches but who actually makes the heads? I’ve searched and found nothing just thought it would be interesting to know.
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I`d be curious who actually makes the heads for all the "custom" putter guys.
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Some of the smaller companies are able to out-source what is needed for CNC models and still create completely hand-milled pieces using a Bridgeport vertical mill, or similar machine. I've heard that there is a guy in Arizona who is trying to blend this split-method, but that could be just a silly rumor.
One Mann's Opinion,
LaMont in AZ
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What about Nead? I think slighter milled his own heads as well? Any one know?
I can't help but define a true custom putter maker as one milling his own original designed heads from raw billets or at the very least designing his own head shapes even if cnc is outsourced. If one is using a blank designed by someone else, even if one rounds off the edge, puts his own face mill etc, it's in a way just a modification of someone else's original design?
This is a great topic and it'll be great to know who really makes putters from scratch.
UTs : Itobori-ModartMA01H-ProceedTi-PXG 317
Irons : GrindStudioProto-ModartCBC-PXG311T-RoddioMeisterM
Wedges : GrindStudio-Modart-Orion
Putters : ArGolf-Benock-BPutters-Kitada-Machine-Masda-Nead-PXG-Slighter-Xenon
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This is the only answer needed.
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Yup. Agreed. I'm wondering in these instances, is the head design original in terms of weight,cg, moi,balance,face loft etc. If yes, outsourcing the grind work seems a no brainer.
That said, for a small boutique shop like xenon, I don't think he has the volume to realize the cost benefits of outsourcing. Maybe that's why lump does things off a small hand mill per an article on him a few years back. That adds to the charm of custom and part of a full custom definition for me.
UTs : Itobori-ModartMA01H-ProceedTi-PXG 317
Irons : GrindStudioProto-ModartCBC-PXG311T-RoddioMeisterM
Wedges : GrindStudio-Modart-Orion
Putters : ArGolf-Benock-BPutters-Kitada-Machine-Masda-Nead-PXG-Slighter-Xenon
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I’m thinking Bettinardi ‘quietly’ mills many outsourced putters.
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Lumpy is one of the good guys who mills a large percentage of his pieces, right on site on his manual mill. He also has out-sourced a model that is CNC milled as a one-piece head with a plumbers neck that makes it much quicker for him to build for guys looking for that design. Business-wise, it makes perfect sense. Guys who desire a truly hand milled putter can get it, while guys looking for a Xenon putter, but not looking to spend what a handmade should cost, can still support Lumpy's operation.
Tom Slighter was doing all of his CNC machine work in-house, for the last few years. He was very dedicated and invested a sizable amount into his machines and I believe that he had contacts that did some of his programming, when needed. He is an incredible craftsman and has earned his retirement. Truly, another of the good guys in the putter game.
Gene Nead? He is without equal when it comes to anything metal related. Welding, machining, fabricating and designing are just a few of his exceptional skills. I believe that the only thing that kept him from being the premier putter maker (which I believe he honestly is) to the masses, was the lack of having a rep to share his work and leave him to create. If you have ever seen Gene's Mokume' Gane' putters, you have to know that the workmanship and beauty of those putters far surpass anything that has been milled in the past ten years...........except the Byron Morgan Damascus DH89s.
You are correct in your reasoning with the CNC and one-off pieces. It is extremely rare that the cost of programming and fixturing for a single piece is offset by the sales price of a single putter head. I have to assume that there is such a putter, I just have no idea what it is, off the top of my head.
"I can't help but define a true custom putter maker as one milling his own original designed heads from raw billets or at the very least designing his own head shapes even if cnc is outsourced. If one is using a blank designed by someone else, even if one rounds off the edge, puts his own face mill etc, it's in a way just a modification of someone else's original design?" This may be referring to the constant making of the Anser-style heads, I am not sure. If so, yes, IMHO when you take an Anser head to a CNC shop and ask them to duplicate it, you are not automatically a putter maker. But, it happens with startling regularity and is always justified as "I have to in order to keep the doors open." I won't open that can of worms, but that was never my desire, just to sell putters.
Bettinardi has milled putters for a lot of makers, agreed. Cameron moved to him for reasons that were Scotty's own and left a SoCal machine shop that had been doing his work for a while. Bettinardi's machines, programmers and designers are some of the best in the business, although putters are still less than 50% of what RJB's operation produces, revenue-wise, I believe.
I hope that this sheds just a touch more light on a subject that is not exactly where this thread was intended to go, but I think we are still "on-topic" to a point.
Lots of stories have been told and re-told about how this putter world works. It is fun to hear them and quietly know a few cool stories, myself.
Have a great night/week all.
LaMont in AZ
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GHIN: 2719293
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Betti mills for Scotty?! Wow!
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He used to back in the Tel3 days and before. Hasn't for a while now.
Lajosi machines fully in house as well. Like Betti, I don't think it's his main stream of income.
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Balls 19'Srixon Zstar xv and Zstar and others
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It is the same shop that mills Piretti, Whitlam and does some contract work for a maker out of Chicago.
The owner of that shop is an incredible CNC talent and has done some of his own putters that were absolutely incredible in the engraving.
LaMont in AZ
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pretty sure putters are a small side job for kari which would make sense as to why his custom putters take a while to make. worth the wait though.
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You don't really want to know the truth to that, do you?
LaMont in AZ
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Sure, if you don`t mind sharing.
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please share more stories LaMont
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This thread is JUICY. Any chance we can know this maker in Chicago? Got a vendor friend (wood flooring industry) who's a golfer and does metal work, would love to get him a blank to play with
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Custom Cameron & Crown 5MB
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If you can share Lamont. At least for me, I'd like to know exactly what I'm paying for.
UTs : Itobori-ModartMA01H-ProceedTi-PXG 317
Irons : GrindStudioProto-ModartCBC-PXG311T-RoddioMeisterM
Wedges : GrindStudio-Modart-Orion
Putters : ArGolf-Benock-BPutters-Kitada-Machine-Masda-Nead-PXG-Slighter-Xenon
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Callaway Rogue 3 wd with blue evnflow shaft
Cleveland hb launcher 3h
4-pw Srixon Z585\Z785 combo with $ taper shafts
Cleveland 50 cbx2 wedge
Cleveland Huntington Soft 11 CS blacked out
Balls 19'Srixon Zstar xv and Zstar and others
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Being a glass half full type, one thing I can tell you what is pretty incredible ,,,
To see your putter being shaped (Bombara) and stamped by the by the name (Byron) on the putter, and that name asking for your input,,
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