1969 Wilson staff x-31 irons

[sachdog]

Just picked up a set of wilson staff x-31 irons. Went to iron finder and figured out they were from 1969. Has anyone hit these before? Also saw on iron finder that there were wilson x-31 irons. What’s the difference?

Ps. Ik pitching wedge is different

[Steele47]

What catches my eye is the shaft bands/stickers. Those shafts haven't been pulled in and out of a golf bag much. Relatively recent re shaft maybe.

Used to see the X31's around a lot when I was a kid. Don't remember ever hitting them.

[sachdog]

I never noticed that looks like true temper to me

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I've got a set of 1972-73 X-31s (not staff X-31s, just X-31s), and they have "Ultralite" shafts (which are anything but), and around the step nearest the hosel is a ring of green paint indicating X-stiff flex (and by golly they are). If yours don't have a ring of paint, it may support the re-shaft theory; the shafts on my only other set of Wilsons, FG-J8s, have a ring of black paint denoting regular flex, but I really don't know of all Wilson iron shafts had this ring painted on them back in the day.

Also the lone silver ferrule on the wedge suggests it was reshafted.

[Foozle]

I have a couple of sets of X-31 and also the Kaplan Wilson catalogue. Yours look to be the 1967 model and not 1969.

'67 was possibly the only year X-31 carried the "staff" name.

At the time X-31 were actually top line and cost more than Dynapowers; in 1969 £218 dollars for a set of 9 compared to £180 dollars. As time went on X-31 seemed to slide down the product line.

Of note is that the 7 iron is listed at 39 Deg of loft! Compare that to modern sets with 7 irons turned down as low as 27 Deg! Min 3 possibly 4 club difference!

I agree, yours look like they have been reshafted at some point.

Nice clubs! Enjoy!

[Shallowface]

"67 was possibly the only year X-31 carried the "staff" name."

That is correct.

Based on suggested retail prices, Staff and X-31 were both top of the line through 1984, with the exception of a couple of models in the late 70s and early 80s where the X-31 was a lower priced item.

The last forged X-31 from 1983-84 was a remake of the very first model, with the word "Forged" replacing the word "Staff" on the back of the blade.

 

 

 

 

[sachdog]

The silver ferrule is actually the Pw from a different model think the x 31 inside diamond

[sachdog]

If anyone has a loft chart for these please post it

[raggal62]

Definitely reshafted. TT started making that shaft band in the late 70's, early 80's.

[sachdog]

Thx

[sachdog]

Do these have any value?

[Foozle]

Sachdog,

Hope you can read this from the 1970 section of Kaplan's Wilson catalogue?

[sachdog]

Thx I would have found a loft chart on google in a million years ?

[Shallowface]

Not really. I don't believe they are considered to be rare, and they weren't a club famous for being used by any particular player or group of players.

A set in mint or near mint condition might be an exception because it brings the rarity factor of such a thing existing into play.

 

[Joe S]

If you define value in terms of financial value, then no. But...if you define value as status with a very small group of Goflwrx forum members then you are doing well.

[sachdog]

Yeah I got them for 25 cad including shipping. I would like to make them look nice again. I’ll try to play them but I doubt I’ll be good enough so I might resale ?

[Shallowface]

They were the game improvement irons of their day. You're good enough to play them. They have a low center of gravity and a wide sole, just as many of today's irons do. The fact that they aren't a cavity back means nothing. I would make sure the grips are clean as slick grips make hitting any club difficult.

Try them and let us know how you did.

[sachdog]

Thanks man I’ll be sure to get back to you guys to tell you how they hit

[sachdog]

I have a question: I was looking on google at pictures of the x 31’s and I saw on most of the pictures on there their was a serial number on the back of the club head. Why does my set not have one?

[BIG STU]

My Old Man sold a bunch of those when he was a Wilson dealer. for the weekend guys it was about 50 / 50 between those and regular staffs. Like Shallowface said basically they were the GI iron of those days. Remember back in those days they did not have the fancy hybrids etc. Those clubs with the right shaft of course were easy to elevate for the less skilled weekend warrior. Also the wider sole and not so sharp leading edge prevented chunking too.

[Foozle]

Sachdog,

In the vintage era there are very few serial numbers but many manufacturers used a code. This was normally stamped in the plastic ferrule rather than the club head. Not sure that Wilson went in for this as much as say Hogan or MacGregor? Possible exceptions might be custom orders?

If you know how to read the code it will often give details of the year or manufacture, swing weight, shaft flex and type of grip etc. I still struggle with these but others here with very large brains can read these codes with ease.

I know nothing of the "modern" era but clubs today often have unique serial numbers etched in the hosel. This probably means nothing but will relate to a database entry from which the manufacturer can pull up the as built specs.

[BIG STU]

^^^^ Foozle--- A lot of times on modern clubs the individual SN is not only for the build specs but insurance purposes also. As much as some of the new sets cost some folks carry them on their homeowners policy etc. Really I do not blame them one iota. As far as we go the monthly payment on such policy is more than the clubs are worth or in my case it is

[BIG STU]

You know talking about lofts my Mac 7 iron stock is 37*. One of my regular Shoot Out partners has not been playing but a couple of years and really does well. We ended up playing another 18 after we played a round robin yesterday. He plays a newer set of Call Away Diablo irons. He is somewhat younger than I am and is in better shape. I was educating him on lofts. Now he can hang pretty well with me with the driver. He usually hits the same number iron I do from the same spot. I had about 170 into a green yesterday and flushed my 5 iron to the middle. He hit his 5 iron sorta the same. I took his 5 iron and hit it and airmailed the green. But then again I hit it more solid with irons than he does

[Foozle]

Sachdog,

Hope this might help with info on your X-31's?

No serial numbers shown so I think yours are stock '67's.

Picking up on Stu's comment about serial numbers / insurance and the fact that most vintage sets would not justify the premium, I recall you didn't pay a whole lot for your X-31's? Most of my vintage sets only cost a few £ and the most fun I have had has been with some of the cheapest!

In vintage cost does not equate to pleasure, often it is the other way round!

Play and enjoy!

[sachdog]

 

Just hit these and they feel great. Actually pretty forgiving for a blade. They’re going in the bag.?

 

ps. Anyone know how to get that rust off the face

[Foozle]

Glad you enjoyed them. I did warn you.

Welcome to the club!

[lizardman]

I play these same irons! Picked up at an estate sale.  They belonged to Curtis Person or his son. In great shape. Paid $12.  Put new grips on myself $60.  Cleaned up with soap & water, steel wool and steel brush where needed. Love them!  Very light weight.  Took to Edwin Watts and had the lies adjusted for my swing = Free and strong lofted a couple of degrees.  I swap out with one the the other 10 sets of irons I own! 

[Bucko1]

I just picked these up today for $10 for everything.  2-PW, plus 1,2,3 and 4 wood.  Only thing missing is the 4W headcover.  They are left handed.  Shafts are Wilson “Power Groove” aluminum.  
 

The 7-iron is different because where the shaft (I presume) runs through the sole it is orange, every other club is black.  Not sure what that signifies.

 

I had intended to cut these to use for a project, but given how complete the set is, they are left-handed, and other than the PW seem to be in remarkably good shape (especially the woods), is there any value to these?  eBay was not much of a help.

 

Thanks.

 

[tatertot]

I played the '67 version of these of these for years ... They were my dad's and were reshafted with DG S300s. Fantastic irons.

Edited November 10, 2023 by tatertot

[SnowbirdTom]

Heh, just happened to have my Golfworks guide in my hands turned to the Wilson section.  They appear to be from 1970/71.

 

I’m kinda sorta halfheartedly searching for an X31 iron set from ‘67 myself.  Got the woods in a package deal a while back.