MacGregor M85 original condition……nice deep face.

[golfunderpar18]

I recently picked up these clubs From the grandson of an ex pga tour caddie who also sold classic clubs to tour players back in the day.  Here are a few m85’s.  Believe the driver is from 1951.  Great looking face on this one - very clean and deep,  also picked up a pair of 3 woods and a 4 wood,  (one 3 and 4 wood have matching neck numbers).  Getting harder and harder to find these in original condition.  71 years old!

[deejaid]

That is definitely a good looking driver.  Love the white/black/white insert.

[northplatteriver]

I have the same set.  It is the first generation M85.  You can tell from the 5 screw insert and the also the fact that it does not have the "Eye-O-Matic" stamp on the toe.  Gorgeous set, you are very lucky!  Are the hosel stampings still present?  They all appear to be in original condition from the pictures.

[mocokid]

That is one good looking deep face driver!  

[RobotDoctor]

These are 1952 M85Ws, the first year M85Ws were offered. These replaced the M43s. Terrific woods and yours looks to be a terrific driver!!! 
 

 

[Robert7148]

I have  Toney Pina driver. I sent it to Stan at the Golf Club Hospital Company it is now beautiful and very playable! Call Stan at 612-825-5389 he probably knows the complete history of your clubs, he did mine.

[golfunderpar18]

On 8/7/2022 at 3:43 PM, northplatteriver said:

I have the same set.  It is the first generation M85.  You can tell from the 5 screw insert and the also the fact that it does not have the "Eye-O-Matic" stamp on the toe.  Gorgeous set, you are very lucky!  Are the hosel stampings still present?  They all appear to be in original condition from the pictures.

Neck numbers are present if that’s what you mean.  The original finish is pretty rough so hard to see all of the  #s but they are definitely there.  Photo in first thread 

Edited August 9, 2022 by golfunderpar18

[golfunderpar18]

9 hours ago, Robert7148 said:

I have  Toney Pina driver. I sent it to Stan at the Golf Club Hospital Company it is now beautiful and very playable! Call Stan at 612-825-5389 he probably knows the complete history of your clubs, he did mine.

I’m familiar with their history.

 

16 hours ago, RobotDoctor said:

These are 1952 M85Ws, the first year M85Ws were offered. These replaced the M43s. Terrific woods and yours looks to be a terrific driver!!! 
 

 

David A quoted the driver at 1951.  My Kaplan guide is up high on a shelf so didn’t get it down to confirm.  The fairways are newer thank the driver.Thanks Sam. 

[northplatteriver]

Certainly could be 1951 since there is no question the model without the "eye-o-matic" on the toe stamp is the earliest version.  In the Kaplan book I have they only show up for 1952 with the 5 screw insert.  

[RobotDoctor]

It is a 1952 pre-production run M85W.  These were made in limited numbers. Not sure how many but somehow 300, or so, sets is what I believe I’ve heard.  The Eye-O-Matic toe stamp was done for the standard production run models for the entire line of the Eye-O-Matic inserts that were introduced in 1952.
 

This is my 1952 M85W driver Dave Wood restored for me last year.  The sole picture is with all three of my M85W drivers.  The one on the left is my 1952 M85TW.  
 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by RobotDoctor

[HoganApexBlades]

On 8/6/2022 at 5:53 PM, golfunderpar18 said:

I recently picked up these clubs From the grandson of an ex pga tour caddie who also sold classic clubs to tour players back in the day.  Here are a few m85’s.  Believe the driver is from 1951.  Great looking face on this one - very clean and deep,  also picked up a pair of 3 woods and a 4 wood,  (one 3 and 4 wood have matching neck numbers).  Getting harder and harder to find these in original condition.  71 years old!

Fantastic find! I have a 1, 2, 3 & 4 wood set with the 6 screw insert ('53, '54 or '55) that I found @ SAVERS for $1.99 each!

[Stephen8802]

I love the early M75s and M85s. I have several of each and they are more varied in size and generally deeper than the 6 screw versions. I picked up a few more this summer and can't wait to get the on the bench and back into playing condition. You found a good one. 

[golfunderpar18]

On 8/11/2022 at 10:27 AM, HoganApexBlades said:

Fantastic find! I have a 1, 2, 3 & 4 wood set with the 6 screw insert ('53, '54 or '55) that I found @ SAVERS for $1.99 each!

Those are the best finds!

[Coletrain]

Can we get an official face depth on this beautiful club? Pic?

[golfunderpar18]

8 hours ago, Coletrain said:

Can we get an official face depth on this beautiful club? Pic?

 

[JimmyC59]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:11 PM, golfunderpar18 said:

I’m familiar with their history.

 

David A quoted the driver at 1951.  My Kaplan guide is up high on a shelf so didn’t get it down to confirm.  The fairways are newer thank the driver.Thanks Sam. 

What is the "Kaplan Guide"?

[Stephen8802]

Jim Kaplan published compilations of the old catalogs for Macgregor, Wilson, and PowerBilt. They aren't 100% complete, and the first edition of the Macgregor Kaplan stopped with the 1967 catalog, but they are invaluable sources of data on classic clubs. I have a first edition Kaplan Macgregor I bought mail order when it was first published and I've read it over and over in the 40 years I've had it. You can find them used, although infrequently offered and usually expensive now. The Kaplan Macgregor book is also available on the internet library. https://archive.org/details/macgregorgolfhis00macg/page/n389/mode/2up

 

[Coletrain]

On 10/28/2022 at 10:38 AM, golfunderpar18 said:

 

This is the perfect shape, the first pic makes the face look absolutely huge. any plans to have it restored professionally? i think the original opaque burgundy would be perfect for this shape.

[HoganApexBlades]

On 8/11/2022 at 12:27 PM, HoganApexBlades said:

Fantastic find! I have a 1, 2, 3 & 4 wood set with the 6 screw insert ('53, '54 or '55) that I found @ SAVERS for $1.99 each!

 

Driver pictures.

 

[golfunderpar18]

On 10/30/2022 at 10:11 PM, Coletrain said:

This is the perfect shape, the first pic makes the face look absolutely huge. any plans to have it restored professionally? i think the original opaque burgundy would be perfect for this shape.

I have a long list of clubs to have refinished /rebuilt and it gets expensive so we will see.  Also hard to find clubs in original shape that have never been touched in 70 years.  The face on this one is pretty spectacular.  It will refinish beautifully I have no doubt.    First in line for refinishing are a pair of WW Special drivers ….super rare and speculation are only around 100 were made.   I own 3 of them   

Edited November 1, 2022 by golfunderpar18

[Coletrain]

17 hours ago, golfunderpar18 said:

I have a long list of clubs to have refinished /rebuilt and it gets expensive so we will see.  Also hard to find clubs in original shape that have never been touched in 70 years.  The face on this one is pretty spectacular.  It will refinish beautifully I have no doubt.    First in line for refinishing are a pair of WW Special drivers ….super rare and speculation are only around 100 were made.   I own 3 of them   

Can we get pics? only seen pics of 1 or 2. how long have you had these?

[RobotDoctor]

22 hours ago, golfunderpar18 said:

I have a long list of clubs to have refinished /rebuilt and it gets expensive so we will see.  Also hard to find clubs in original shape that have never been touched in 70 years.  The face on this one is pretty spectacular.  It will refinish beautifully I have no doubt.    First in line for refinishing are a pair of WW Special drivers ….super rare and speculation are only around 100 were made.   I own 3 of them   

AHHHHHHHH!  My Unicorn wood!  🤤   I would love any WW Special wood in my collection! 

[RobotDoctor]

On 10/31/2022 at 12:49 PM, HoganApexBlades said:

 

Driver pictures.

 

Do my eyes deceive me or is the grain of the driver about as straight - straight back as it gets?  Damn, perfect grain!!!!

[HoganApexBlades]

On 11/2/2022 at 8:18 AM, RobotDoctor said:

Do my eyes deceive me or is the grain of the driver about as straight - straight back as it gets?  Damn, perfect grain!!!!

Maybe these will help...

[Stephen8802]

That is such a fantastic club! What a great find and what a relief that a club like that has been saved.

[RobotDoctor]

4 hours ago, HoganApexBlades said:

Maybe these will help...

Dang, that grain is pretty much on rails!  Straightest straight back grain I have ever seen.   Absolutely love this driver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hammergolf]

Never seen that shape of grain. I always thought the manufacturers tried to cut the blocks across the grain for added strength, but maybe someone can confirm. Either way, would love to see that refinished.

[Stephen8802]

It just depends on which part of the block they used and both were used to make clubs; both U grain and straight grain make great clubs. I've attached a graphic from the Persimmon Story by Elmore Just that shows how the blocks were cut and how that influenced what the grain would be.

[MacGregor]

Hi All, 

I recently acquired my grandfather's MacGregor irons and woods. I have zero expertise and internet searching has only revealed to me that MacGregor made a LOT of clubs. Can anyone help me identify these? I have a colleague who is interested in them (I don't really have a place for them, and I'm happy to see them go somewhere they'll be appreciated) but would just like to know if I'm in the unlikely position of possessing a unicorn-like set of clubs. 

Here's what I have found: The irons are Tourney Colokrom, which I think means they were made in 1955-57. They're stamped with Rec M65 which I haven't been able to find anywhere (lots of M55, 75, 85 out there, but I can't find anything about M65). The woods, as best I can tell, are Eye-O-Matic Tourney M85TW, but I'm not 100% sure of that. I have a few other pictures I could post or could take any others that would help ID these clubs. 
 

Thanks in advance for any info you might be able to provide. 

[raggal62]

17 hours ago, MacGregor said:

Hi All, 

I recently acquired my grandfather's MacGregor irons and woods. I have zero expertise and internet searching has only revealed to me that MacGregor made a LOT of clubs. Can anyone help me identify these? I have a colleague who is interested in them (I don't really have a place for them, and I'm happy to see them go somewhere they'll be appreciated) but would just like to know if I'm in the unlikely position of possessing a unicorn-like set of clubs. 

Here's what I have found: The irons are Tourney Colokrom, which I think means they were made in 1955-57. They're stamped with Rec M65 which I haven't been able to find anywhere (lots of M55, 75, 85 out there, but I can't find anything about M65). The woods, as best I can tell, are Eye-O-Matic Tourney M85TW, but I'm not 100% sure of that. I have a few other pictures I could post or could take any others that would help ID these clubs. 
 

Thanks in advance for any info you might be able to provide. 

The M65 irons had essentially men's flexible or senior shafts.

 

The woods look to be refinished. Seemed that most had W/B/W inserts. Perhaps someone else can chime in for identification.