Ray Cook Affluent putter head

[bcstones]

After Ray Cook died, his shop, equipment, etc were sold to another club maker, who sold what he had to another...you can tell by the logo differences (an original Ray Cook just has his name, SA Texas - well, when he made putters for Hogan, it stated DBRC SA Tx). Anyway, Odel Trueblood knew the Cook's & he purchased whatever was in Ray Cook's garage from Widow Cook. Sometime later, much later, he sold what he had left to me. I have quite a number of putters, of all shapes not just the mallet style, as well as a set of Affluent iron heads. Also, I have a small box of what looks like unfinished putter projects...included in that box were what I think was Ray Cook's response to MacGregor's Response putter (pun intended). Interestingly, on the face of one is the inscription "#1 To Karl, My Friend, xxx Cook" (Odel autographed the other one for me)...
They are on the book shelf where I keep a number of books on golf (I was looking for a particular book...sparked by @Jiggered on his YouTube channel)....
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2023 by bcstones

[ezgoer]

Great stuff you have here! The more upright one is very interesting. The Responses are so damn flat you are forced to putt/look  like Jack, minus the results, with them. Afraid to try bending cuz it feels like about the cheapest alloy ever used in any name brand club. Actually had oxidization eat away the corner on one Response that was forgotten on a shelf in my garage for years. 

[bcstones]

9 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Great stuff you have here! The more upright one is very interesting. The Responses are so damn flat you are forced to putt/look  like Jack, minus the results, with them. Afraid to try bending cuz it feels like about the cheapest alloy ever used in any name brand club. Actually had oxidization eat away the corner on one Response that was forgotten on a shelf in my garage for years. 

Both putters have an arched sole, they don't lay flat....they also feel heavy, so I just weighed them on a small kitchen scale I occasionaly use, anyway - the one autographed by Odel weighs 12oz (340.2gm) & the other weighs in at ~11oz (~311.8gm)...I have no idea if those weights are considered heavy or not. I do have a solid brass Ray Cook putter, not sure if he did finish it, but put a shaft on it & that took a bit of practice cuz of all that mass.

I do have a couple/3 of the Response putters in the garage, one black & the other(s?) silver. 

[raggal62]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:14 PM, ezgoer said:

Great stuff you have here! The more upright one is very interesting. The Responses are so damn flat you are forced to putt/look  like Jack, minus the results, with them. Afraid to try bending cuz it feels like about the cheapest alloy ever used in any name brand club. Actually had oxidization eat away the corner on one Response that was forgotten on a shelf in my garage for years. 

I used a Response putter for a couple years back in the late eighties. It was always going out of adjustment just from constant use and simply by being in the bag! I don't know what alloy they used but it was soft and very malleable.

[bcstones]

5 hours ago, raggal62 said:

I used a Response putter for a couple years back in the late eighties. It was always going out of adjustment just from constant use and simply by being in the bag! I don't know what alloy they used but it was soft and very malleable.

ahh...what/why/how did the Response go "out of adjustment"? I just went & pulled the Response putters I have...what would "give" enough to need adjustment? I've only practiced putted w/the Response, funny I prefer the Ping Doc 17 to it 😂

Edited June 5, 2023 by bcstones

[bcstones]

@ezgoer I did just go & check my Response putters (I do have 3 - the 2 silverish ones (615 & 640) are marked 'Pat Pend' & the blackish one is marked "Jack Nickilson 20th" w/a pat #). The 640 had an indentation filled w/white paint above the MacGregor on the sole. There is a flat section mid way but it also has slight curve to it, tho nothing like Ray Cook's Affluent putter.

 

Interestingly, I measured the shafts, the silverish headed ones had a fluted shaft, the 615 was 32 3/4" while the 640 was 31 3/4". The "JN 20th" was 30" & some kind of non-metal shaft, probably graphite...for my stature, 5'8", the 20th fits best (overall lenght - approx 34"). All have black MacGregor grips.

 

I'm looking at the soles of all....the 640 seems to be a wee bit longer or perhaps less rounded than 615s.....now I'm wondering what the difference was in the 615 vs 640, or even vs the 700?

Edited June 5, 2023 by bcstones

[raggal62]

18 hours ago, bcstones said:

ahh...what/why/how did the Response go "out of adjustment"? I just went & pulled the Response putters I have...what would "give" enough to need adjustment? I've only practiced putted w/the Response, funny I prefer the Ping Doc 17 to it 😂

I believe due to the softness of the aluminum alloy, mine would have a tendency to bend at the plumbers neck. 

[bcstones]

11 hours ago, raggal62 said:

I believe due to the softness of the aluminum alloy, mine would have a tendency to bend at the plumbers neck. 

ah...I see. Hmm, just checked the 2 heads, the one signed to Karl is ok, but the other needs bending. However, since I'm not planning to actually use them, all is okay

[ezgoer]

On 6/5/2023 at 11:07 AM, bcstones said:

@ezgoer I did just go & check my Response putters (I do have 3 - the 2 silverish ones (615 & 640) are marked 'Pat Pend' & the blackish one is marked "Jack Nickilson 20th" w/a pat #). The 640 had an indentation filled w/white paint above the MacGregor on the sole. There is a flat section mid way but it also has slight curve to it, tho nothing like Ray Cook's Affluent putter.

 

Interestingly, I measured the shafts, the silverish headed ones had a fluted shaft, the 615 was 32 3/4" while the 640 was 31 3/4". The "JN 20th" was 30" & some kind of non-metal shaft, probably graphite...for my stature, 5'8", the 20th fits best (overall lenght - approx 34"). All have black MacGregor grips.

 

I'm looking at the soles of all....the 640 seems to be a wee bit longer or perhaps less rounded than 615s.....now I'm wondering what the difference was in the 615 vs 640, or even vs the 700?

Sorry been a hectic few days. Here’s a 615 and 700 comparison since you have a 615-640 combo. Wonder how many variations there was? Pretty sure I read the 615 is the model Jack won with. 
700 on the right is in original finish. 615 on the left used to be black but was glass bead blasted and I did a quick black paint fill. Side by side one difference is the 700 is just a bit deeper face to back edge and has those build ups 

Never realized this but the 700 has more offset and appears to have some additional bend on mine anyways. I’ve only putted with the 615.

The weights weren’t as visible on the 615 when it was painted black but the phillips heads were noticeable. 
 My two putters the 615 is about 1.25 inches shorter and total weight the 615 is 86 grams heavier at 444. I put a Winn NPT 1.10 126 gram grip on it so that’s gotta be most of that difference. Same grips same length I bet they are pretty similar weight wise. 

Mine both have the same fluted shaft

I have to block sand the face of the bead blasted one to get back to the smoothed shiny machined surface. It feels super soft this way. I don’t really care for these but I’m wondering if it’s cuz I really can’t get over the top of it cuz of the flat lie. Or it’s very awkward to get over it at the least. 

Here is a 3rd 700 I’ve had forever. This is the one that got forgotten on a shelf in the corner of the garage for who knows how long. When I found it it had white oxidation stuff all over it especially thick at the worst spot. Looked like battery sulphate. I don’t remember it being previously damaged but in person you can see how far out the oxidation went other than the metal missing area. Possible it could have got some kind of contaminant on it I guess but that soft alloy got pretty eaten up. 

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by ezgoer