Dunlop Maxfli Original Blades

[Jiggered]

Maxfli irons from around 1935

 

 

 

Thanks, do you know if they were a UK product?

[Swingingk]

Maxfli irons from around 1935

 

 

 

Those look really neat and quite playable. Also not just a little like Callaway X-Prototypes. Nice!

[Junah]

Those 1930's pyratone's were a USA release intended to compete with the Spalding Bobby Jones model. Spalding actually used to paint the pyratone's to look like it had woood grain as people still weren't convinced back then that steel was better than hickory.

 

As for playability, many people forget that from the 30's even up to the early 80's spin was manipulated in manufacturers minds more with the ball than the clubhead. As a result many of the older heads simply aren't suited for the more modern low spin ball. John Hoeflich was talking about this year's ago and it's even truer today. I've found that if you can't find good balata the Wilson Duo Soft works pretty well with heads from that time range.

[National Custom Works]

Logo font/cosmetics/ferrules all point to early-mid 80s.

 

These were very likely were a limited production model designed for a specific market (definitely not US). They're not listed anywhere in Dunlop's Library and that's a pretty deep reference for JDM.

 

Cool set.

[Richard 77]

Back in late sixties, early seventies, m FIL had a set that was completely flat on the bac with a long V wit Maxfli in it. I never liked them because they just looked like they were stamped out and the blade at the hosel was sharp and nothing smooth like other irons. Saw a set at a GW a month or so ago. Started to buy them just for nastalgic reasons. I remember seeing the. In K mart about the time Trevino threw the snake a Nicklaus.

 

 

 

S

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Dunlop Japan has done a half assed job of cataloguing their clubs - I have used this a few times to look up DP series iron although it doesnt list the 10s, or 30s (Japan version Aussie Blade).

 

http://golf.dunlop.co.jp/clublibrary/iron/lib_ir_prm_mxf201.html

[majic]

The Original Blades look definitely from the 70’s and made in Japan.

[Hatchmanss76]

Very late to this discussion as I was looking for info on the Maxfli DP-30 Por Models I just recently bought.

I own a few vintage Blade sets including a set of 1984 Titleist Blades. Those Maxfli’s in The OP have the same Diamond pattern either side of the grooves just like my Titleist Blades and a few other 1980 Blade sets from the 80’s I’ve seen. Based on that only I’d be guessing the OP irons are from very late 70’s to mid 80’s as the Diamond pattern was seen a bit around that time.

 

[adrianl]

Just saw this old thread. My first clubs were Peter Thomson Australian blades and I bought them Christmas 1965. Had white rubber grips and were really good clubs. They were forged.

[LeftyMac]

The first year the Australian Blades were made was 1976 and they were made in Australia and stamped as such. Heads were sent to the US, they were copied there and from then they became the Australian Blades

[Zen_Golfer]

Tell me about the clubs in the bottom picture. I believe those are called the black dot. Ive seen a few sets of those, what years are those from? They look like theyre from the 50s or 60s.

[Jiggered]

As DM70 says, they're the Maxfli International and were released in 1975.

The pages below are from Dunlop UK's 1977 catalogue (although the club was sold throughout the world) showing the short hosel and standard hosel variations. The examples I've seen are all red dot, there may be black dot versions but if so I'm not aware of the significance of the dot colours.

There are of course the black and red dot Australian Blades as shown below.

 

[elwhippy]

Some awesome photos of old Maxfli clubs. Quality gear.

[OldTom]

Here is a bit of the history from Ralph Maltby (he's answering a question on a forum):

 

 

 

"In 1976 the Australian Blade which was made in Australia came out. This was sold also in the USA. However, this model had "Made in Australia" on the back under Maxfli with the red dot. At the end of 1977 the USA version of the Australian Blade came to market and the model actually made in Australia was dropped. In 1977, 1978 and 1979, Maxfli used the red dot on the USA made Australian Blades. In 1980 (could have been 1979) the red dot disappeared. So, my guess is that you have a 1977, 1978 or 1979 Australian Blade made in the USA. If it said made in Australia, you would have a very valuable set of irons (collectable as these irons were sought after by tour players). It obviously will be hard to find the #7 iron you are missing, so I hope this helps a little. Also, remember that the model years of golf clubs can have quite a bit of overlap because of available inventories, closeouts, etc. PS I think I am pretty accurate on the above because Dunlop (Maxfli) came to me in 1979 and asked that I help them with the USA version of the Australian Blade. It seems that no one really liked it (good players and tour players) and they still preferred the built in Australia version. The USA version was really a copy of the Australia version but was very poorly done and really wasn’t even close. So, I made new models and they sunk new forging dies and my version came out in the 1981 or 1982 model. It was still confusing because they were still dumping the messed up version at the same time as trying to sell my new one. This whole Dunlop relationship with me is actually a very interesting story if I told it completely which I promise to do someday. Obviously, at the time it was a super secret project and I was sworn to secrecy."

[raggal62]

Ralph Maltby has been a hero of mine for many, many years. I have him to thank for my passion for club tinkering. Made a career of it for 22 years.

He's actively involved even to this day. His company, "The Golfworks" still has his DNA all over it. An ingenious mind.

[Guest]

I had a set of the dunlop original blades. Picked up second hand in the late eighties. I was a single handicapper back then. Hands down best clubs I have ever played. They got lost when I moved house in early 2000's. Have played many forged clubs since, but always love Maxflis. Have played Aussies, revolutions and a-10s. And knock the spots of the mizunos and titleist I have tried.

[Woodridge]

 

[Woodridge]

 

[Joe S]

On 8/2/2020 at 9:18 AM, Woodridge said:

 

 

Can anyone confirm what year these irons are from?  I found a really nice set today.  According to the Maltby Guide III the only matches for the stamps would be either the 70 the 71 model.  The 70 is described as a "flat back design" and the 71 is a "completely plain back design".  I found a picture of a flat back, so that's not it.  I'm assuming it is the 71, but I wouldn't describe it as completely plain.  

[Jiggered]

Pretty sure it's a USA model so not one I'm familiar with I'm afraid.

[MrFlipper]

The logo is the same as the flat backs I've seen, but I am confused as well. The head design is hogan precision ish, I also have a set of the irons in this picture, different logo but heads are the same. Clubs in picture are from no later than 1966, it's Tony Lema for those who don't recognize him. 

[Woodridge]

Thanks for sharing the picture of Tony. They are a great looking club. I know Tony played Fernquist and Johnson clubs as well. I wonder if his Maxfli deal was for Europe or Australia.

[MrFlipper]

13 minutes ago, Woodridge said:

Thanks for sharing the picture of Tony. They are a great looking club. I know Tony played Fernquist and Johnson clubs as well. I wonder if his Maxfli deal was for Europe or Australia.

I've wondered that too, I'm kind of a Tony Lema geek and have a set of his F&J signature line as well.

 

My guess is he used them in the Open, of which he won one. Not aware that he went to Australia but considering it was a typical off season trip in those days I wouldn't be surprised. 

[Joe S]

 

I went back to the Maltby guide and found the club from your Tony Lema picture.  

 

The 1971 is in there too.  I didn't recognize it yesterday because it's washed out.  But this is a match.

 

Here's what I found yesterday.  These are also the 1971 woods.

 

Beautiful irons.  I really like the "cut-away v-shaped muscle".   This is about as good looking a blade as I could ask for.  

 

 

 

 

 

[MrFlipper]

27 minutes ago, Joe S said:

 

I went back to the Maltby guide and found the club from your Tony Lema picture.  

 

The 1971 is in there too.  I didn't recognize it yesterday because it's washed out.  But this is a match.

 

Here's what I found yesterday.  These are also the 1971 woods.

 

Beautiful irons.  I really like the "cut-away v-shaped muscle".   This is about as good looking a blade as I could ask for.  

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Wish I could give you a thanks for each set!

 

So my set of 1971's came without a pw. Ended up buying a solitary dunlop pedersen pw from 1960 ish. I had no idea! Down another rabbit hole I go lol

[Joe S]

18 minutes ago, MrFlipper said:

Thanks! Wish I could give you a thanks for each set!

 

So my set of 1971's came without a pw. Ended up buying a solitary dunlop pedersen pw from 1960 ish. I had no idea! Down another rabbit hole I go lol

 

Just to complicate things a little more, there seems to be two versions of the 71.  Notice that mine has hash marks on the hosel and Woodridge's doesn't.  There is a 2 iron on ebay that I thought about adding, but it doesn't have them so it wouldn't be a match for me.

[Woodridge]

Thanks Joe! Great job tracking that down!

[Woodridge]

I ended up adding this Maxfli sand wedge from ebay. It's a different model, but that's ok. 

[MrFlipper]

45 minutes ago, Joe S said:

 

Just to complicate things a little more, there seems to be two versions of the 71.  Notice that mine has hash marks on the hosel and Woodridge's doesn't.  There is a 2 iron on ebay that I thought about adding, but it doesn't have them so it wouldn't be a match for me.

Interesting! Mine have no hash marks.

 

Ferrules are stamped 22R2D0. Interesting given my Made in Australia sets from 5 years later are stamped 23X2, 23S2 and 24S2, none with hash marks. Sure wish I knew the code for maxfli ferrule stampings.

 

FWIW the 67's I have are stamped A199525 and have hash marks.

[MrFlipper]

7 minutes ago, Woodridge said:

I ended up adding this Maxfli sand wedge from ebay. It's a different model, but that's ok. 

Your sand wedge matches the pitching wedge to my 67's like in the Lema picture. No muscleback like the rest of the set.