2 unk hickory shaft clubs

[bcstones]

I bought these 2 clubs w/a few others...these 2 have no grooves. What attracted me was the short rut iron. I have no idea if it's from the 18th century or earlier....or if it's a modern copy. 
The niblick on the back indicates "D Cathcart Hardwr Co"....there was a Dent Cathcart Hardware Co of Penn or NJ in the 1920s - so??? 
Any ideas???

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by bcstones

[Bella Woods]

The "blacksmith"/rut iron has to be a replica - no (manual/primitive) nicking at the top of the hosel

not to mention you can count the number of 18th century golf clubs in existence on one hand (probably

an exaggeration but not by much). Rut irons could be 19th century also.....

 

The niblick is original and you are probably right as to its provenance.

[bcstones]

12 hours ago, Bella Woods said:

The "blacksmith"/rut iron has to be a replica - no (manual/primitive) nicking at the top of the hosel

not to mention you can count the number of 18th century golf clubs in existence on one hand (probably

an exaggeration but not by much). Rut irons could be 19th century also.....

 

The niblick is original and you are probably right as to its provenance.

Thanks, I was actually thinking 19th century & wrote 18th 🙃...why is the nicking important? 

[Bella Woods]

The nicking on the very old clubs was done very crudely by hand (some deeper than others, some longer

or shorter than others etc). Re: Prior to machined nicking...... I don't think I have ever seen a really old club 

with no nicking at all.

 

So sometimes the nicking on a hickory club can help date it.

[bcstones]

3 hours ago, Bella Woods said:

The nicking on the very old clubs was done very crudely by hand (some deeper than others, some longer

or shorter than others etc). Re: Prior to machined nicking...... I don't think I have ever seen a really old club 

with no nicking at all.

 

So sometimes the nicking on a hickory club can help date it.

Thanks...I understand about those crude "nicking", they looked like spear points & would have been pretty deeply crimped to hold together sans glueing...which made me wonder how would you reshaft a club in the times of blacksmithing (no power tools)..that crimping would have to be overcome somehow, wouldn't it?