MIZUNO BLADES // any info?

MattIsenburg · January 13

Hey everyone...

I bought these blades and I was hoping on getting a little more info on them. I think they are an ms3 but there isn't any stamping, just the name of T.Nishiguchi. did mizuno do custom stamping for pros? Or did someone just do it themselves. Are they forged?

Thanks all

Kingcat990 · January 13

Solid looking sticks there. @No_Catchy_Nickname & @Christen_The_Sloop are probably the most Mizuno blade knowledgeable people on these parts of the internet. Willing to bet they would be able to pinpoint these.

No_Catchy_Nickname · January 14

7 hours ago, Matt Isenburg said:

Hey everyone...

I bought these blades and I was hoping on getting a little more info on them. I think they are an ms3 but there isn't any stamping, just the name of T.Nishiguchi. did mizuno do custom stamping for pros? Or did someone just do it themselves. Are they forged?

Thanks all

I'm pretty sure you're right about it being an MS-3. Mizuno did (and still do as far as I know) offer custom stampings and finishes for customers. Often these would be stamped with "Original" as well. That yours doesn't have the "Original" stamped on it makes it a little unusual. I wonder if Mizuno started using the "Original" stamping on later models. The MS3 came out in 1983 I think, so perhaps they weren't using the "Original" stamping then. However, I have a set of custom MS-11s without the "Original" stamped on them, so perhaps it was merely optional (see first pic).

I have no idea who T. Nishiguchi is, but I am guessing he was a regular golfer, rather than a pro. Is there a serial number on the ferrule? By the way, that ferrule looks like it needs turning down...😅

Here's a few pictures of some of the Originals I have for reference.

MS-11 Original

Probably a US model MS-4 Original, which is also basically identical to the TP Originals

Comparison of two MS Pro Originals (TP Originals, which weren't released in Japan) and the probable US model MS-4 Original

What I think is an MS-5 (Japan model) with custom tamping.

Edited January 14 by No_Catchy_Nickname

MattIsenburg · January 14

1 hour ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

I'm pretty sure you're right about it being an MS-3. Mizuno did (and still do as far as I know) offer custom stampings and finishes for customers. Often these would be stamped with "Original" as well. That yours doesn't have the "Original" stamped on it makes it a little unusual. I wonder if Mizuno started using the "Original" stamping on later models. The MS3 came out in 1983 I think, so perhaps they weren't using the "Original" stamping then. However, I have a set of custom MS-11s without the "Original" stamped on them, so perhaps it was merely optional (see first pic).

I have no idea who T. Nishiguchi is, but I am guessing he was a regular golfer, rather than a pro. Is there a serial number on the ferrule? By the way, that ferrule looks like it needs turning down...😅

Here's a few pictures of some of the Originals I have for reference.

MS-11 Original

Probably a US model MS-4 Original, which is also basically identical to the TP Originals

Comparison of two MS Pro Originals (TP Originals, which weren't released in Japan) and the probable US model MS-4 Original

What I think is an MS-5 (Japan model) with custom tamping.

First off, thanks so much for the notes and pictures... you have an awesome collection. Im definitely going to need to track down some 11s, that top edge looks 👌

There isn't any serial numbers on the furrels. If the name isn't anyone special ill just weld it up when I do the resto.

Thanks again for you help 🙂

No_Catchy_Nickname · January 14

1 hour ago, Matt Isenburg said:

First off, thanks so much for the notes and pictures... you have an awesome collection. Im definitely going to need to track down some 11s, that top edge looks 👌

There isn't any serial numbers on the furrels. If the name isn't anyone special ill just weld it up when I do the resto.

Thanks again for you help 🙂

Thanks. I wish my wife felt the same way about my collection as you do....

I can't say for sure that T. Nishiguchi wasn't a pro, but if he was, he didn't leave a name for himself in Japan's golfing history. There's a Minoru Nishiguchi who played in the late Eighties and Nineties, but I couldn't find any other Nishiguchis, so I'm guessing it was the name of the guy who ordered those beauties.

No serial on the ferrule suggests to me that they have been reshafted at some point. All my Mizuno sets from the Eighties and Nineties have serial numbers on the ferrules--and I have quite a few sets as proof😅

In Japan at least MS-11s are easy to find. They were a very popular iron, and for a blade pretty easy to play.

MattIsenburg · January 15

On 1/14/2024 at 12:57 AM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Thanks. I wish my wife felt the same way about my collection as you do....

I can't say for sure that T. Nishiguchi wasn't a pro, but if he was, he didn't leave a name for himself in Japan's golfing history. There's a Minoru Nishiguchi who played in the late Eighties and Nineties, but I couldn't find any other Nishiguchis, so I'm guessing it was the name of the guy who ordered those beauties.

No serial on the ferrule suggests to me that they have been reshafted at some point. All my Mizuno sets from the Eighties and Nineties have serial numbers on the ferrules--and I have quite a few sets as proof😅

In Japan at least MS-11s are easy to find. They were a very popular iron, and for a blade pretty easy to play.

I appreciate you looking into Mr. T for me, I couldn't find anything either. The furrels look correct but yes no numbers... I was wondering if it was maybe a prototype set, with no numbers on the furrels and no ms-3 on the heads?

One thing I noticed is that after I pulled the heads I could stand 3 iron up on the sole without it falling over. It was perfectly balanced over the sweet spot and would spin easily. I tried to do some other blades and nothing else did that... I have an higher level of respect for the design and craftmanship of Mizunos... I cant wait to hit these!

Thanks again 🙂

m

Christen_The_Sloop · January 15

6 hours ago, Matt Isenburg said:

I appreciate you looking into Mr. T for me, I couldn't find anything either. The furrels look correct but yes no numbers... I was wondering if it was maybe a prototype set, with no numbers on the furrels and no ms-3 on the heads?

One thing I noticed is that after I pulled the heads I could stand 3 iron up on the sole without it falling over. It was perfectly balanced over the sweet spot and would spin easily. I tried to do some other blades and nothing else did that... I have an higher level of respect for the design and craftmanship of Mizunos... I cant wait to hit these!

Thanks again 🙂

m

I think NCN is right on the ID. They look pretty dead on for the MS-3. The MS-5 is similar, but the the 3 had a longer blade length.

Christen_The_Sloop · January 15

Just now, Christen_The_Sloop said:

I think NCN is right on the ID. They look pretty dead on for the MS-3. The MS-5 is similar, but the the 3 had a longer blade length.

If you'd like a smaller picture, just holler.