No new acquistions...?

[ezgoer]

4 hours ago, FloggingOkie said:

This stuff just feeds the addiction! Got a full set of Spalding Cannons for free. 1,3,5 and 3-PW and bag like new, even has a dozen new top-flite balls of the day in the bag. Anyone use these in the past?

Never played them but I remember them. Not sure if they sold as many sets of these as the Executive set that had to be prior.  I used to see plenty of these at the executive 18 hole course I worked at in late 80’s. Can see EYE perimeter weighting influence. I Like the weight port in the bottom of woods. Think these were sold at the higher end sporting goods stores just prior to big box store takeover. Don’t think it was  a Kmart sold club like my first Jack Nicklaus set. 
 

Kinda cool and price was perfect!

Edited July 4, 2023 by ezgoer

[seis]

Seeing these Spalding Cannons takes me back. My first new set of golf clubs was a set of Spalding Centennials. 

[Greggle]

Just got back from the thrift store with my latest finds. 

Super excited and honestly shocked to see these all wrapped up together, and all for $9. 

 

I've been playing persimmons for a while now and my favorite has been a 1950? M75 2 wood...i just love the wing logo.  Though these aren't in the best shape. They aren't playable as they are. The varnish is crackled and inserts are gappy. Wood has swelled a bit. But as far as i can tell original condition. Grips are toast...but not original anyway. Silver tourney shaft bands still on too. And only the 4w has a back weight. 

 

Anyone know what year these are? Somewhere in the mid 50s was my guess.

[Brewski_golfs]

4 hours ago, Greggle said:

Just got back from the thrift store with my latest finds. 

Super excited and honestly shocked to see these all wrapped up together, and all for $9. 

 

I've been playing persimmons for a while now and my favorite has been a 1950? M75 2 wood...i just love the wing logo.  Though these aren't in the best shape. They aren't playable as they are. The varnish is crackled and inserts are gappy. Wood has swelled a bit. But as far as i can tell original condition. Grips are toast...but not original anyway. Silver tourney shaft bands still on too. And only the 4w has a back weight. 

 

Anyone know what year these are? Somewhere in the mid 50s was my guess.

I believe those are 1953-1955 M65W’s.  The M65’s were described as a shallow face model for the senior golfer.  That’s a great score to find them at a thrift store on what looks like original condition (except for the grips). 

[Greggle]

18 hours ago, Brewski_golfs said:

I believe those are 1953-1955 M65W’s.  The M65’s were described as a shallow face model for the senior golfer.  That’s a great score to find them at a thrift store on what looks like original condition (except for the grips). 

That's great info, thanks. 

As of now the plan is to take them apart and clean them, and try to keep them as original as possible. I started with the 3w and unfortunately, the finish is just flaking off. On the bright side, i can see the grain better. so after cleaning, i may simply seal them and punt on making them playable for now. 

[Swingingk]

That there is some very nice grain!

[hammergolf]

On 7/6/2023 at 3:37 PM, Greggle said:

That's great info, thanks. 

As of now the plan is to take them apart and clean them, and try to keep them as original as possible. I started with the 3w and unfortunately, the finish is just flaking off. On the bright side, i can see the grain better. so after cleaning, i may simply seal them and punt on making them playable for now. 

Awesome grain!

[Shallowface]

On 7/4/2023 at 2:08 PM, ezgoer said:

Never played them but I remember them. Not sure if they sold as many sets of these as the Executive set that had to be prior.  I used to see plenty of these at the executive 18 hole course I worked at in late 80’s. Can see EYE perimeter weighting influence. I Like the weight port in the bottom of woods. Think these were sold at the higher end sporting goods stores just prior to big box store takeover. Don’t think it was  a Kmart sold club like my first Jack Nicklaus set. 
 

Kinda cool and price was perfect!

The Cannons were a pro line club, although they were sold at K-Mart as a closeout offering.

The Executives predated the Cannons by several years and continued to be sold for several years after the Cannon was discontinued.  K-Mart carried those for years as well.  

[bcstones]

6 hours ago, Shallowface said:

The Cannons were a pro line club, although they were sold at K-Mart as a closeout offering.

The Executives predated the Cannons by several years and continued to be sold for several years after the Cannon was discontinued.  K-Mart carried those for years as well.  

Are you sure...K-Mart selling what Spalding called their "Professional" line of clubs, supposedly available in Pro shops only?

Edited July 8, 2023 by bcstones

[ezgoer]

At that time up here in Minnesota it was near the end of a sporting goods store called Kokesh. Not sure if it was a local chain or whatever but was a few of them around. They had all sports including golf. I think I remember the Cannon’s there and they had the biggies of the day like Pings, Hogan’s, Wilson’s. I’m not saying to question anyone, I could be wrong.
 

 That Executive set has to be Spalding’s #1 seller of all time cuz they seemed to be in 1 out of every 4 bags at that Executive course I was at in 1988

Edited July 8, 2023 by ezgoer

[bcstones]

2 hours ago, ezgoer said:

At that time up here in Minnesota it was near the end of a sporting goods store called Kokesh. Not sure if it was a local chain or whatever but was a few of them around. They had all sports including golf. I think I remember the Cannon’s there and they had the biggies of the day like Pings, Hogan’s, Wilson’s. I’m not saying to question anyone, I could be wrong.
 

 That Executive set has to be Spalding’s #1 seller of all time cuz they seemed to be in 1 out of every 4 bags at that Executive course I was at in 1988

found this about Kokesh...."Fast forward to 1950's when Kokesh Hardware moved into a new building. To make it possible to move into a new building without having to move the inventory out, they just moved the building right on to 10th Ave N in Hopkins. - With more space they offered sporting goods. Some of the fixtures for Kokesh Hardware actually came from the remodeling of Kraemer's store in Glen Lake. -
In 1960's, my father Paul Kokesh leaves Kraemer's in Glen Lake and starts working at Kokesh Hardware. About 1969 Kokesh Hardware closed and became Kokesh Athletic & Golf Supply. - Since it was strictly sporting goods, the remaining hardware inventory went to Kraemer's in Glen Lake! Kokesh Athletic closed in 1993 and my father started Metro Athletic Supply. He never really was a retail kind of guy, so he now sells wholesale team supplies and uniforms to sporting teams such as the Vikings and to local area schools and park and rec's."

I believe the Executive set began in the mid to late '70s & continued for quite a number of years as pro-shop only...if I remember Matlby's guide, circa 1950 -1993) saying it was in the last buyout in the early '90s, that really changed things around. So perhaps many clubs other than the "Tour" sets might have gone to retail outlets.

 

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

Just picked up a set of 1966 MacGregor RMT2 irons, 1 - PW.

Was the golf ball ever framed better?

[Jiggered]

30 minutes ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

Just picked up a set of 1966 MacGregor RMT2 irons, 1 - PW.

Was the golf ball ever framed better?

 

 

Beauties!

[Greggle]

Those are cool.

Very "ironman" look...pun intended.

I can see that styling making a comeback on modern club faces.

[FloggingOkie]

More Powerbilt finds! Keep coming across these as of late. 4-9 sans the 7 (again wth!) had a Haig ultra 7 in its place.  Stainless with H&B, Citation, Powerbilt logos. Nice square grooves clubs have good honest bag wear. Hope to track down the 7 this time. Not sure of the vintage on these yet.

 

[bcstones]

2 hours ago, FloggingOkie said:

More Powerbilt finds! Keep coming across these as of late. 4-9 sans the 7 (again wth!) had a Haig ultra 7 in its place.  Stainless with H&B, Citation, Powerbilt logos. Nice square grooves clubs have good honest bag wear. Hope to track down the 7 this time. Not sure of the vintage on these yet.

 

Nice find...they first show up in Kaplan's in 1970...w/Lighweight Duo=Power steel shaft by TT in H&B's exclusive (whatever the blazes that it) & they only show up also on the '71 catalog...not beyond.Are the grips leather or rubber?

Edited July 16, 2023 by bcstones
changed from '72 to '71

[FloggingOkie]

21 minutes ago, bcstones said:

Nice find...they first show up in Kaplan's in 1970...w/Lighweight Duo=Power steel shaft by TT in H&B's exclusive (whatever the blazes that it) & they only show up also on the '72 catalog...not beyond.Are the grips leather or rubber?

Rubber grips.

 

[bcstones]

42 minutes ago, FloggingOkie said:

Rubber grips.

 

oops...made a mistake - only offered 1970 & 1971. I also mistakenly thought that the leather grips were offered only 1970, but just reread the entry & both the leather and the rubber were offered both years.
I edited my comment to rectify the last year offered.

[ezgoer]

7 hours ago, FloggingOkie said:

More Powerbilt finds! Keep coming across these as of late. 4-9 sans the 7 (again wth!) had a Haig ultra 7 in its place.  Stainless with H&B, Citation, Powerbilt logos. Nice square grooves clubs have good honest bag wear. Hope to track down the 7 this time. Not sure of the vintage on these yet.

 

Wow those are some deep grooves and 1970 even. Cool looking club and that horse shoe HB logo should be brought back ASAP on something!

[bcstones]

24 minutes ago, ezgoer said:

Wow those are some deep grooves and 1970 even. Cool looking club and that horse shoe HB logo should be brought back ASAP on something!

The horseshoe logo is a trademark of the H&B/PowerBilt brand...seen alot w/Citation clubs. PowerBilt still exists, but I seem to realize H&B got sold a number of years back...bats to someone & PowerBilt to someone else....don't know if the horseshoe golf logo is still active...
H&B made the first set of golf clubs I used....

[EvanH]

Arrived in NZ yesterday, all the way from the UK.

Pretty impressive pedigree on these forgings.

[SnowbirdTom]

Going to look at these today.  Price is very right, but trying to ID year on them?  Walter Hagen 205 crown irons in stainless steel.  I can find them without the back faced groove.  I believe they're the pyratone shafts.  The woods definitely have me intrigued!  Steel shafts, but no face inserts.  🙂  4-9 irons, missing the 6 iron, sadly.

 

 

[bcstones]

3 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

Going to look at these today.  Price is very right, but trying to ID year on them?  Walter Hagen 205 crown irons in stainless steel.  I can find them without the back faced groove.  I believe they're the pyratone shafts.  The woods definitely have me intrigued!  Steel shafts, but no face inserts.  🙂  4-9 irons, missing the 6 iron, sadly.

 

 

interesting find...like the irons, Sir Walter was associated w/Wilson mostly wasn't he? I went to Kaplan's just to see when inserts came into being (also googled, I'm interested cuz I have a set of Leo Diegel woods - no insert & chromed shaft w/leather "reminder(?)" grips...anyway, seems thick leather inserts came into use at the change from feather balls to gutta percha. In Kaplan's, it seems that H&B first used inserts in 1940. MacGregor began in 1938. Wilson was using some kind of partial insert in the early 1930's, looked like it was part of the sole plate (maybe). The MacGregor Chieftan woods had an ivory insert, Wilson used ram's horn early on as well as metal, and H&B used fiber inserts. 
It was the auto industry, once they figured out how to properly chrome bumpers to prevent rust, that sparked the chrome shaft development in golf.
Good luck on your buy if you do...looking forward to seeing your pics....

Edited July 17, 2023 by bcstones

[SnowbirdTom]

Just now, bcstones said:

interesting find...like the irons, Sir Walter was associated w/Wilson mostly wasn't he? I went to Kaplan's just to see when inserts came into being (also googled, I'm interested cuz I have a set of Leo Diegel woods - no insert & chromed shaft w/leather "reminder(?)" grips...anyway, seems thick leather inserts came into use at the change from feather balls to gutta percha. In Kaplan's, it seems that H&B first used inserts in 1940. MacGregor began in 1938. Wilson was using some kind of partial insert, looked like it was part of the sole plate (maybe). The MacGregor Chieftan woods had an ivory insert, Wilson used ram's horn early on, and H&B used fiber inserts. 
It was the auto industry, once they figured out how to properly chrome bumpers to prevent rust, that sparked the chrome shaft...
Good luck on your buy if you do...looking forward to seeing your pics....

 

Grabbed 'em this morning after a post office stop.  Woods are Walter Hagen Ambassador Reg. 108 2&3 woods.  Shafts are steel and wasted.  Great wall hangers. 

 

Irons are 2, 4-8 and antique leather grips, pyratone shafts and it looks like wood cores..  Again, shafts are rough up by the grips, but all there and seem mostly solid.  Wall hangers for now too.

 

Got a bonus partial set of Maltby Tricept TU PF-701+ irons and a couple oddball irons free.  lol

 

Nice $5 haul.  🙂

 

[SnowbirdTom]

Moar pics.  Iron shafts are definitely wood with pyratone covers.  Flex is softer than senior .

[bcstones]

@SnowbirdTom could the wood thingy at the end, be an extension? And isn't the crown logo, seen on the woods, used by Wilson? It's a great find....any chance you'd have the heads refurbished?  About the pyratone covered shafts, I'm still trying  - Holy Moley!!! Ginkho kicking in...I knew Walter Hagen 205 rang a bell in my belfrey - I have a set of Walter Hagen Champion Compact Blade 205, 2 thru 8...where the pyratone shafts are in good condition w/just the beginning of slits. I've been researching how to stabalize the slits in order to make playable. They're in great condition....the grooves on the irons are a wee weird, straight line grooves on bottom w/slanting grooves above, I can't make out the grooves on your pictures...



 

[SnowbirdTom]

4 minutes ago, bcstones said:

@SnowbirdTom could the wood thingy at the end, be an extension? And isn't the crown logo, seen on the woods, used by Wilson? It's a great find....any chance you'd have the heads refurbished?  About the pyratone covered shafts, I'm still trying  - Holy Moley!!! Ginkho kicking in...I knew Walter Hagen 205 rang a bell in my belfrey - I have a set of Walter Hagen Champion Compact Blade 205, 2 thru 8...where the pyratone shafts are in good condition w/just the beginning of slits. I've been researching how to stabalize the slits in order to make playable. They're in great condition....the grooves on the irons are a wee weird, straight line grooves on bottom w/slanting grooves above, I can't make out the grooves on your pictures...

 

Thanks for all the help!  Hope the bats in the belfry weren't harmed in the thought process.  😉

 

The iron shafts are really pyratone wrapped steel shafts and about a 1.5-2" wood dowel in the end for the grip to be tacked onto by my readings. The face grooves are arranged in a fan shape.  Thin spacing at the hosel and wider at the toe.

 

The woods are definitely restorable condition.  Would probably be first time they've been re-done because the crown stamps are solid.  I'd pull the persimmon shafts and just send the heads. Guesstimating somewhere in the $200 range for all the wood refinishing work plus the new shafts cost.  I could possibly do it with intense supervision and Google video training.  I'm lollygagging on picking up the phone and calling because I'd really like to try it myself.

 

Iron grips are available from the Vermont source for a mere $6 per plus shipping.

 

I've got a nice hickory shafted putter already and a perfect vintage look stand bag for the set.  I would love to trot these out onto my short home course and try them with my geezer buds.  Finding usable balls and slowing my swing would be the big thing.  

 

[bcstones]

6 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

 

Thanks for all the help!  Hope the bats in the belfry weren't harmed in the thought process.  😉

 

The iron shafts are really pyratone wrapped steel shafts and about a 1.5-2" wood dowel in the end for the grip to be tacked onto by my readings. The face grooves are arranged in a fan shape.  Thin spacing at the hosel and wider at the toe.

 

The woods are definitely restorable condition.  Would probably be first time they've been re-done because the crown stamps are solid.  I'd pull the persimmon shafts and just send the heads. Guesstimating somewhere in the $200 range for all the wood refinishing work plus the new shafts cost.  I could possibly do it with intense supervision and Google video training.  I'm lollygagging on picking up the phone and calling because I'd really like to try it myself.

 

Iron grips are available from the Vermont source for a mere $6 per plus shipping.

 

I've got a nice hickory shafted putter already and a perfect vintage look stand bag for the set.  I would love to trot these out onto my short home course and try them with my geezer buds.  Finding usable balls and slowing my swing would be the big thing.  

 

My belfrey bats are ok, they help at times 🙃 It is a lovely set...I don't understand "I'd pull the persimmon shafts and just send the heads" - the shafts are pyratone covered steel shafts. What shafts would you replace with (just curious)? As to slowing swing....that is just practice, practice, practice. Gotta admit, I've been told by every Pro who instructed me in the past few years, my normal swing speed IS slow (that's how I was first instructed).

Here are some pics of the Walter Hagen irons heads I mentioned. As you can see, weird grooving on the face. The pyratone shafts are really in perfect condition w/just the beginnings of a slit, which is why I'm looking to stablize rather than replace. The grips are in absolute mint condition w/the Walter Hagen "WH" in the end cap...don't know how old they are or even if they pre-date when Wilson incorporated the Walter Hagen clubs into their line-up.

[SnowbirdTom]

Ahhhh, the persimmon woods are plain steel

shafts, hence our confusion.  

[bcstones]

47 minutes ago, SnowbirdTom said:

Ahhhh, the persimmon woods are plain steel

shafts, hence our confusion.  

Ah...see my belfry bats are doing ok, eh 🤣