UK Classic Club Thread - John Letters, Ben Sayers, Slazenger, Dunlop, George Nicoll, Swilken, Petron

[stixman]

Back when steel shafted golf was young and matched sets of 14 clubs became the legislated norm, the convention was for the iron set to be numbered 1 to 8 for the irons with loft, and number 9 for the flat stick. I find it hard to suppress a giggle when an ebay seller describes a nice old bladed putter as a funny 6 iron. :)

[madhaggis]

Stixman - many thanks, I am showing my newbie lack of knowledge here. Must admit I was thinking that 9 iron -> putter was a fairly radical loft adjustment!

[stixman]

Stixman - many thanks, I am showing my newbie lack of knowledge here. Must admit I was thinking that 9 iron -> putter was a fairly radical loft adjustment!

 

Good grief! There is so much accumulated knowledge here that every one of us is a novice. I learn something new every time I come on this board.

[Jiggered]

I took delivery of a set of Swilken "Eric Brown" irons yesterday, won on ebay.

 

I'm guessing that these would be late 60s early 70s in date but, as usual, any suggestions welcome.

 

I'm intrigued by the markings on the back which include a pipe as per Tom Stewart's cleek mark.

My understanding of Swilken is that they were formed when Spalding closed their Scottish operation so I'm wondering where the pipe mark comes into this, did Spalding or Swilken acquire the Stewart name?

 

A nice mix of paint fill colours on the back of the heads in blue, white and red.

Shafts are TrueTemper Dynalite R.

 

 

 

 

 

Also in the "Tour Line" bag were a putter marked on the sole "GT 400" and a Slazenger "Bobby Locke" 262, 3 1/2 wood, not sure if this is persimmon or not, it's definitely not laminated, were any other woods used in the UK?

There looks to be a small crack in the insert but it sounds solid.

 

 

 

 

 

[DM70]

I didn't know Eric Brown, shame on me, four time Ryder Cup:er.

from the -53 Ryder Cup. Can't find anything about the clubs, but did find that he was doing ads for George Nicoll in -65, so I'd think these are later.

[stixman]

Spalding closed their Scottish operation so I'm wondering where the pipe mark comes into this, did Spalding or Swilken acquire the Stewart name?

 

The Tom Stewart forge at the Argyle Works was bought by the Robert Forgan business in 1931 after Tom's passing. The Forgan business was acquired by Spalding after WW2 in 1945.

There are some really horrid Spalding Argyle woods with Tom Stewart and his Pipe in a Gothic script.

[Jiggered]

I didn't know Eric Brown, shame on me, four time Ryder Cup:er.

from the -53 Ryder Cup. Can't find anything about the clubs, but did find that he was doing ads for George Nicoll in -65, so I'd think these are later.

 

I had to look him up as well, an unusual Ryder Cup record for our team in that he won all four singles but lost all of his foursomes matches.

 

Spalding closed their Scottish operation so I'm wondering where the pipe mark comes into this, did Spalding or Swilken acquire the Stewart name?

 

The Tom Stewart forge at the Argyle Works was bought by the Robert Forgan business in 1931 after Tom's passing. The Forgan business was acquired by Spalding after WW2 in 1945.

There are some really horrid Spalding Argyle woods with Tom Stewart and his Pipe in a Gothic script.

 

Thanks Stixman, another piece of the jigsaw in the decline of UK manufacturers.

 

I've seen a sand iron with that gothic script and this model of putter crops up now and again on ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GOLDEN-GOBBLER-ST-ANDREWS-GOLF-PUTTER/182616675607?hash=item2a84cd5517:g:P8wAAOSw5cRZLYY-

[stixman]

Can anyone place this putter?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I acquired this with the head in 3 separate pieces, I small bit attached to it's steel shaft. The lead disc in the core of the club had oxidised and blown the head apart. With care and a mix of lead powder and epoxy to a hollowed out core I was able to rebuild this nice boat shaped mallet with it's 1930s art deco overtones to something approaching it's former glory. I thought it would look better with a hickory shaft, and so it proved.

 

Pretty sure it's UK in origin, so anybody, do you recognise it.

 

edited to try remove watermarks, final fail of 2017, Happy New Year!

[Chris122]

Could it be a pro workshop built putter with a sole plate recycled from a redundant wood?

[Jiggered]

Lot 219 in the below link sounds similar.

 

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/ukauctioneers.com/pdf_catalogues/841_no_images.pdf

 

I have a Ted Manton mashie marked Kirby Muxloe GC where I believe he was Pro for a time.

(And by a strange coincidence I played that very course for the first time today! The club was founded in 1893 and celebrates its 125th anniversary this year)

[stixman]

Lot 219 in the below link sounds similar.

 

https://s3-eu-west-1...1_no_images.pdf

 

I have a Ted Manton mashie marked Kirby Muxloe GC where I believe he was Pro for a time.

(And by a strange coincidence I played that very course for the first time today! The club was founded in 1893 and celebrates its 125th anniversary this year)

 

Wow, what another spot, right on the money I think. Thanks, Jiggered,

It does work well with the hickory stick in it tho'.

[madhaggis]

Lot 219 in the below link sounds similar.

 

https://s3-eu-west-1...1_no_images.pdf

 

I have a Ted Manton mashie marked Kirby Muxloe GC where I believe he was Pro for a time.

(And by a strange coincidence I played that very course for the first time today! The club was founded in 1893 and celebrates its 125th anniversary this year)

 

Wow, what another spot, right on the money I think. Thanks, Jiggered,

It does work well with the hickory stick in it tho'.

 

And here's a very similar one that went for $542.80!

 

http://thegolfauctio...r-LOT10341.aspx

[Chris122]

Cor' blimey! There was me thinking it might have been a Max Faulkner,Heath-Robinson jobby.

Well done Stixman!

[stixman]

Anybody from our gang pick these up on Ebay today? A bit of 'orl right', wouldn't you say. So, come on, own up!

 

[GolfNutRiblick]

Not me but I wish I had. Those look sa-weeeeet!

[oldschoolrocker]

^ ^ ^

[Fellaheen51]

Ever since I thrifted this some two years ago, have been curious as to what this may be. Perhaps you UK lads could help me out. Totterridge 'Harry Vardon' London England brassie. Has a unique copper plated shaft, non-insert face, original leather grip. Obviously in vintage, beat up condition. It rests above the workbench where I look at it periodically. TIA.

 

 

[stixman]

Harry Vardon, Pro at The South Hertfordshire Golf Club, Totteridge, outskirts of London 1903 -1937. Totteridge is now a housing estate.

 

That shaft,from memory was made by Bristol Golf Shafts, Connecticutt.

 

So, just a guess, Harry Vardon had strong links with the USA after his Spalding tour of 1900, so I'm thinking the head was an export, shafted up in the USA.

 

Very nice club, well done.

[Fellaheen51]

TYVM Mr. Stix for all the great information. Appreciated.

[_AM_]

Turned these up at home; anyone with more info?

 

 

1. Auchterlonie's of St. Andrews; initialled but otherwise unmarked:

 

 

 

 

2. Golf Classics St. Andrews: The Duchess:

 

 

 

 

3. Golf Classics St. Andrews: The Davie:

 

 

[Jiggered]

Turned these up at home; anyone with more info?

 

 

1. Auchterlonie's of St. Andrews; initialled but otherwise unmarked:

 

 

2. Golf Classics St. Andrews: The Duchess:

 

 

3. Golf Classics St. Andrews: The Davie:

 

 

Nice clubs.

They look like remakes of early putters, I'd guess produced by St Andrews Golf Co.

https://www.standrewsgolfco.com/product-category/products/heritage-collection/clubs-and-balls/

[stixman]

During the heady years of the 70s and 80s there were a few businesses around St Andrews cashing in on the golf nostalgia boom and selling to tourists. Golf Classics was one, Heritage Golf was another. Gradually the trade faded and the businesses amalgamated. All that's left is The St Andrews Golf Co, and they aren't even in St Andrews, but down the road a way at Largo Ward.

I didn't include Auchterlonie's in the list because they do have an authentic link to earlier days, but it didn't stop them putting their name to gewgaws.

 

Most of these 'old style' putters were mass produced from laminate block by off site support businesses like Hardwood Dimensions in the Manchester area. The putters were quite decent performers on the moss but never going to be collectables.

 

The fun bit is that all these companies owned a genuine piece of ancient action, the old trading names of Stewart, Forgan, Morris. As the businesses amalgamated who owned what mattered, most are now owned by The St Andrews Golf Company. Strangely their licence to use Tom Stewarts name was only registered in the UK and Louisville Golf spotted this oversight.

[_AM_]

Ty, guys.

 

gewgaws...

 

Haha, new word for me... and but for posting these putters, I don't know if I ever would have come across it :)

[Jiggered]

I won a couple of mixed sets on ebay on Friday and took delivery today, see the "No New Acquisitions" thread for the rest of the clubs.

 

These are a set of George Nicholl Pinsplitter irons, 3 to 9.

Pretty worn but I'm guessing they're probably 1950s in vintage, I've been after a set of Nicoll clubs for a while to add to my growing collection of UK made irons.

 

 

[GolfNutRiblick]

Pretty cool looking set of Pinsplitters Jiggered! Love the name Pinsplitters. Cool looking fonts on all the lettering. Nice win!

[stixman]

I posted a couple of photos of The St Andrew Golf Company preWW2 clubs earlier showing a Gene Sarazen Pitching Wedge and a Denny Shute signature Oggmented 7 iron. You may recall that these were Scottish releases of Wilson clubs and associated Patents. Note that the St Andrew Golf Company was based in Glasgow and Dunfirmline and at that time there was no St Andrews Golf Company. This latter was formed very recently and acquired a number of famous names, including STAG.

On Ebay UK recently there was a St Andrew Golf Company Sand Wedge, companion to the Pitching wedge shown and in my ownership.

[Jiggered]

Has anybody come across this model before?

The stamping reads “Jack Berry Golf Co London” and “It-sits”. The head is Stainless steel with a coated steel shaft and an Avon Track-Line grip.

 

It’s an ebay purchase I’ve just had delivered. It was hiding in the pictures amongst a few other clubs and while I could see that it had a low profile I wasn’t quite prepared for just how low!

 

I’m sure I’ve seen the cleek mark before but can’t now find it, a moon or monkey face?

 

I did find a Jack Berry Golf Co hickory club on the internet with an "S" on anchor mark which according to HickoryJohan belongs to the Stadium Golf Co.

 

It has a good weight and putts very nicely but the lie is a little flatter than I prefer, do clubs of this vintage take okay to being adjusted to make them more upright?

 

 

[stixman]

Sorry, I don't know.

Both cleekmark and 'It-sits' ring a faint and distant bell, but that's it. Nice find,btw.

[Jiggered]

Sorry, I don't know.

Both cleekmark and 'It-sits' ring a faint and distant bell, but that's it. Nice find,btw.

 

Thanks stixman, there's very little on the internet for Jack Berry London, apart from the club previously mentioned all I've managed to find is an entry in The London Gazette saying that the The Jack Berry Golf Company Limited was in business in July 1937.

[Blade Junkie]

Nick, the cleek mark looks like Jack White to me, and I've seen Jack White clubs with that typeface as well. I've never heard of Jack Berry Golf Co London before though ... :)