Lajosi DD201 vs MannKrafted MA/66

[paulman21]

I'm looking at getting a custom putter to celebrate/commemorate my son's birth. For a variety of reasons, I've narrowed down my choices to a Lajosi DD201 or MannKrafted MA/66 with a welded plumber neck.

 

This might be like chosing a favorite child but I'd love some discussion/feedback on why you chose the model you did. If you have pics of your DD201 or MA/66 I would love to see those with some comments about any handwork you had done. I think this decision will likely come down to which shape I like most from address so those pics will be especially helpful. A lot of the pic links in the individual MannKrafted/Lajosi threads are broken so it's been hard to really nail down what they look like at address.

 

Thanks!

[MattM97]

Cause you want a welded neck go with the MannKrafted he's a bit better at welding than Kari.

 

[tleader]

For me, they have different styles entirely.
 

Lajosi is modern, CNC, meticulously milled, any engraving possible.  Sure, he can weld and hand stamp, but his strength is the milling. 
 

Mann; “old school”, welded necks, hand milling, hand stamping.  Truly look hand built opposed to “perfect” CNC. 

 

It’s really a preference.
 

Here’s mine. 

[Jace_bkr]

2 hours ago, MattM97 said:

Cause you want a welded neck go with the MannKrafted he's a bit better at welding than Kari.

 

Agreed. Both are excellent dale heads but the fact you are wanting a weld neck makes it a really easy choice. Kari’s welds (or whomever welds) leave a lot to be desired. 

[Rosco1216]

Agree with what others are saying. I have a lajosi but the weld was “sloppy” and got rust built up inside and came loose when adjust lie

[5hort5tuff]

I prefer Lamonts work. The ma/66 is a great shape, and I prefer his torching/finishing and stamping to Lajosi. Both make great putters. 

[MattM97]

And OP and anyone else reading this I don't think anyone is knocking Kari's work, his putters are amazing especially for the price. Just specifically for OPs wants Kari is the lesser option. 

 

If people want a well priced 1 pieced putter his name always comes up as one to look at. 

[Jace_bkr]

3 hours ago, MattM97 said:

And OP and anyone else reading this I don't think anyone is knocking Kari's work, his putters are amazing especially for the price. Just specifically for OPs wants Kari is the lesser option. 

 

If people want a well priced 1 pieced putter his name always comes up as one to look at. 

^^^this^^^ 

 

Wasn’t knocking Kari’s putters at all.  Simply letting the OP know that if a welded neck is his preference, weld necks are not his strong suit. 
 

that said my old 201 was a thing of beauty and his one piece flowneck is excellent (if you like a lot of toe hang). 
 

 

 

[putt_for_dough]

4 hours ago, Jace_bkr said:

^^^this^^^ 

 

Wasn’t knocking Kari’s putters at all.  Simply letting the OP know that if a welded neck is his preference, weld necks are not his strong suit. 
 

that said my old 201 was a thing of beauty and his one piece flowneck is excellent (if you like a lot of toe hang). 
 

 

 

I know this is off-topic, but what finish is that? Really cool look that I haven't seen on other stainless Lajosi putters posted here

[Jace_bkr]

5 hours ago, putt_for_dough said:

I know this is off-topic, but what finish is that? Really cool look that I haven't seen on other stainless Lajosi putters posted here

Didn’t come from Kari as you see it there. I hand softened it quite a bit & refinished (Came to me Glass Blasted).  It’s a Torched /oil finish.

[LionGolfer]

I've attached some pics of my Lajosis and my Mann for your reference.  To comments of welding, at least on my Lajosi Damascus, I don't find the welding sloppy at all.  That is the best close up my phone and myself are capable of unfortunately.

 

I think you can't go wrong with either and I think you have shortlisted a pair of the finest custom makers available today.  One is not better than the other, just different.  In Mann, after the likes of Gene Nead, and many here will argue Byron as well, you have one of the OGs in custom handmade putters. Do place emphasis on the hand made aspect as there are very different and light definitions of hand made in today's custom putter landscape.  Lamont's work like Lumpy of Xenon (maybe less garage than Lumpy) has a bit more of a rough edge but that is what hand made will bring you.  Some perfect imperfections.  Is it for everyone?  No.  As far as my GSS is concerned, I'm not sure what Lamont has done with it but the feel is fantastic and its not a GSS thing.  Its a maker thing. 

 

In Kari, I think you have a fantastic maker who started out maybe 1.5 to 2 decades ago?  My first carbon putter from him cost about USD$200 and if you've been in the custom putter game for long enough, you'll know how far back that goes.  I digress.  Kari has stuck to his guns, his own style, his own feel and is better for it.  Sans ex-Machine, Kari now is still the best Damascus guy for my money.  His non-damascus is also not shabby and with my SS CU insert, I'm happy to see some of the design cues I worked on with Kari make it to his work bench range.  Kari, I feel makes great solid putters, just in a different vein from Lamont.  Again, not better or worse, just different.

 

So at the end of the day, go with whoever you think can best create what you want.  The reality I think is, you'll end up with one from each anyway and then some.   Enjoy your journey.

Edited February 20 by LionGolfer

[paulman21]

Thanks all for you input. I didn't take any of the posts as slighting Kari. The weld quality is definitely something I hadn't considered. Each maker has their strenghts and weaknesses, right? I do have a Lajosi Sensor right now so I think I'll be getting an MA/66

[putt_for_dough]

Not that it makes a big difference, but as more of a fun fact:

 

I recently ordered from Kari, and in one of the updates he mentioned that my putter (as part of a big batch) would get back from his welder at a certain time. It sounds like Kari outsources the welding. Welds on his putters could vary over time due to the fact that he has less control over them, given they’re outsourced. I don’t know if this has always been the case, but he emailed me a couple weeks ago with this information. 

Edited February 21 by putt_for_dough

[Phabs]

Im sure the same guy has welded his putters forever.  Kinda doubt he drops a 1k putter off to a guy and wishes him the best with it 

[eddiebigeddie]

I’ve had a Ma-66, currently rolling a DD201 and my second putter is a Ma-55.  I’ll echo what everyone else has said. Both guys are great to work with and prices vary competitively with each other depending what you’re looking for.   To me the Mann’s are more like the rugged let’s do some work putter you know is gonna be there and get the job done, while the Lajosi is the clean cut show business and also get the job done putter. Both different but both get the job done. Again not a slight towards one or the other…currently own a putter from each of them. 

[putt_for_dough]

19 hours ago, Phabs said:

Im sure the same guy has welded his putters forever.  Kinda doubt he drops a 1k putter off to a guy and wishes him the best with it 

Agreed. I mainly shared this because I found a few pics of his putters on Instagram with welds I wasn’t too impressed with and asked if it was a common occurrence, and he shared that it’s out of his hands to some degree. He’d offer feedback to the welder, but he couldn’t personally “weld more carefully” (or something along those lines) since it’s outsourced.
 

 

I ended up going with the standard one piece since I didn’t want to pay extra for the welded neck…at the end of the day, I don’t think a slightly messy weld would’ve bothered me; if anything, the imperfections are cool and remind me that someone else actually made the thing.