Black Lab Putters

[MattM97]

What are the chances/odds that Chip is supplying/milling heads for other companies? Quarantine may have me seeing things, or I'm going crazy.

[MattM97]

Nope I'm not going crazy in quarantine. Looks like Black Lab is supplying Strokes Gained Customs with blank heads and they're stamping, hand softening, finishing, etc and selling them as their own. Which ok I get happens not everyone can mill their own stuff but it's just the price difference from the 2. Although I wouldn't buy a SG for their asking price I still think the finished product is nice.

 

 

[03trdblack]

I spoke with Chip in person in Savannah and he's not milling anything himself. He gets the heads milled for him but wouldn't say who he has doing it.

[MattM97]

Well this changes everything then. Maybe Rohrs over at SG is milling everything then or they found a common supplier cause the heads are identical.

[jonradus]

Out of curiosity, what’s the asking price for Strokes Gained? Everything on their website is sold out.

[MattM97]

Rohrs told me this last week.

His 8802 style or his Tour is $599, his Anser styles are $799.

[YoungBorra]

 

SUPER EXCITED TO GET THIS going!

[JunkerJorge]

I tried to track this down a long time ago but never got to the bottom of it. I did hear Rohrs say on a podcast one time that he designed a putter for another maker before he started out on his own. I wondered If this was C&L which sort of became black lab but I don’t have any inside info. They certainly look very similar to my eye. Either way black lab seems to offer tremendous value and SG offers some extra build options. Both guys seem like really good folk.

[MattM97]

Maybe it's best left a mystery like most of the others who mills what for who in golf. But like you said Chip offers great value, Rohrs offers way more customization and he does do great finishing work. Sadly the models I like don't come in LH so I just oogle pics on Instagram.

[Murphy76]

 

I believe Chip has shipped my putter. I purchased a BL-7 in blue as a gift for my father's 75th birthday.

 

I plan to order something from him in the near future for myself. The pictures he sent were cool-

 

I'm only showing the front and back. The bottom engraving has his name/birthday/etc. It looks great-

 

[MattM97]

Picked up a C&L 350Milled putter the other day, this was pre Black Lab for those not aware so still Chip but also his former partner Lee. Shape is similar to his BL-1 and I'll get some pics one I get it oiled because it needs some oil badly and doesn't look good without it, unless a really dull look at address is your thing.

[wrbush31]

Strokes Gained had nothing to do with C&L. Chip did C&L with a business partner (Lee already mentioned above my post), and then later bought Lee out and his solo venture is Black Lab Golf.

[JunkerJorge]

I wasn’t suggesting that strokesgained was a part of C&L. He said he was contracted to design a head for another putter maker before he got into putters himself. Since the heads look so similar to my eye I just speculated that he might have been talking about C&L. I don’t know anything.

[MattM97]

Also Chip's former partner Lee is still making some putters and guess what it's a similar look design as well to what Black Lab has and Strokes Gained has as well.

I'm not saying anything fishy is going on more who is actually milling the putters. Is Lee providing putters for everyone or is Rohrs doing that or is it an outside source we don't know?

Take a look and tell me these don't look like the BL-1 and RM4 https://instagram.com/350milled?igshid=iylf19val3n6

[BB28403]

@MattM97 there is nothing wrong with what any of them are doing. National Custom golf, you’ve heard of them? Make really beautiful irons, well that guy gets his heads from Miura last I heard. And his irons are works of art. If you do not have your own steel hammer presses to stamp out the shape from the steel ingot. Then you cannot start the process from scratch, ALOT of artisans and manufacturers since the beginning of time have been using half finished raw material to finish it into a sellable product.

This is completely acceptable and a time saver. They are using quality materials.

[MattM97]

I understand that I was just bored and started noticing things were similar. I know a lot of companies do it and a lot don't even mill their own heads. There was that thread a while back trying to figure out who was milling heads for Byron Morgan and that's kinda what I'm doing.

The reason for that is Chip doesn't offer a lefty in the BL1 and BL2, Rhors doesn't have a lefty in the RM4 and RM5 but said he will soon I'm just not paying over 1k for what I'd build even if super simple and Lee may or may not have LH options but I don't know.

Basically I'm trying to hunt down an Anser 2 style head from whoever makes these because the Anser style i just got feels really nice and I want the other shape as well.

[BB28403]

But granted all these guys have 1000’s more hours than you fitting putters. Chip has his own shop people breeze thru all day long. So even if you discovered the source of the heads there’s no way you could balance the putters the way they do. Get the nuances just right. Sure it might be fun to try. But unless you are going into business selling to the public, I doubt you would get the same resulting product. And their source prob will not sell to you, because it would undercut the customers he supplies with 1000’s of products. I can understand your motivation but I don’t see an opening where it works out for you.

[MattM97]

I'm not trying to undercut anyone or take away business from anyone. I know these guys are way better at finishing and building putters than I am, I'm not trying to do any of that. You're putting words in my mouth here.

I just want an Anser 2 style putter from whoever makes these heads and I don't want to pay 1k+ for one because the exchange rate will put it closer to 2k after taxes for me. Nothing more to it, don't try to read more into it because there is nothing to read into and don't put words in my mouth. Capiche.

[MattM97]

Pre Black Lab, C&L/350Milled CL1

Have to get that top line buffed a bit can see some weird staining there.

[chipaputt]

This may clear up some questions.

I started C&L Putters with Lee in 2007. We had several models, which we both still own the CNC programs to. These were drawn by an individual who has a high end Putter pedigree dating back ~25 years. These heads were milled in the US. About 5 years ago, we closed down C&L. Lee worked a full time job and had other things going on that made it very difficult for him to spend extra time with putters. The closing down of C&L was amicable. I bought most of the inventory and started Black Lab Golf. Since that time I have expanded into more models which I own the CNC programs to. I use two separate US milling companies for my ~100 piece CNC runs. I do own a manual Bridgeport type mill and do quite a bit of addition/alteration work on my putters. "Rohrs" at Strokesgained is a great guy, but he has not designed or milled any putters for me. I do not offer a Lefty Plumbers neck.

There are quite a few putter companies mentioned on this site and everyone has a different business model or manufacturing set up. The putter business is just a sideline for me. My Retail Golf shop along with my relationships with Miura, Fujikura, Nippon keep me very busy.

Thanks, Chip

[MattM97]

Thanks for the clarification on everything, if there are no lefty black lab blades then I'll have some fun finding old C&L putters then.

[rb2golf]

Sweet! That looks like a Miura blade. Always wanted to try something like that. How do you like it? Do you find alignment is okay for you? And does it feel like a solid one piece, or does the toe buckle when you strike it?

[FlashinLeather]

As many have noted on this forum - Chip is a pleasure to work with and all around nice guy. I visited his shop earlier this year and finally got around to ordering a putter a few days ago. He was happy to make the putter exactly how I wanted it - keeping the putter extremely simple and clean. I will post some photos when it is in hand next week.

[FlashinLeather]

 

[TD88]

Another happy customer here, only have great things to say about working with Chip.  Gifted this putter to a friend and felt I should share Chip's work here -- even as a Notre Dame hater myself, I have to say it's a beauty.  BL-3, aquamarine finish.  Weighting is just right and putts feel pure.

Edited September 12, 2020 by TD88

[10HcpBlades]

Anyone know if BLG is still around? Contacted them yesterday and got voicemail but it could’ve just been at an unfortunate time. Haven’t heard anything about them in a while. 

[Tailgate]

1 hour ago, 10HcpBlades said:

Anyone know if BLG is still around? Contacted them yesterday and got voicemail but it could’ve just been at an unfortunate time. Haven’t heard anything about them in a while. 

Chip has historically been very responsive, and I’ve had to leave a voicemail before as well.  I’m sure he’ll get back to you soon.  I’ve never called and gotten anyone else on the phone (don’t know if there are any other employees) so I’m sure there are times such as vacation that would warrant a longer return call.

[10HcpBlades]

7 hours ago, Tailgate said:

Chip has historically been very responsive, and I’ve had to leave a voicemail before as well.  I’m sure he’ll get back to you soon.  I’ve never called and gotten anyone else on the phone (don’t know if there are any other employees) so I’m sure there are times such as vacation that would warrant a longer return call.

Yes, totally understandable. Just wanted to make sure he was still in business, thanks!

[MattM97]

19 hours ago, 10HcpBlades said:

Yes, totally understandable. Just wanted to make sure he was still in business, thanks!

 

I see new stuff on his ebay here and there so must have caught him at a bad time. 

[10HcpBlades]

3 hours ago, MattM97 said:

 

I see new stuff on his ebay here and there so must have caught him at a bad time. 

Good to hear! Hopefully the BL1 is back in stock sooner rather than later, but I don’t mind waiting!