Classic iron set collection - need advice

[ezgoer]

These 76 Mini Bullets are my favorite Staff’s so far. I’ve had and sold 2 Line Over sets. Just not the same as these. I have a set of 69 Bullet Back heads needing shafts so can’t wait to try them. I may loose a little Wilson credibility here now cuz I’m not digging the set of 71 Button Backs I picked up late last year. Crap grips on them so jury’s still out but I did rescue an FG17 8 iron out of a trash can with a grip you barely could hold onto and it still felt amazing. Someday I’ll have some 60’s Dynapower’s also. 

[EvanH]

1 hour ago, sheepdawg said:

60s Wilson Dynapowers or Haig Ultras.

 

Nothing looked cooler in a bag when I was young. 

+1 for early Dyna-Powereds.  

1958s (red arrow on hosel) or 1960-61s

If only because of the man who made them really famous and was the first superstar of televised golf.

[I love my 1959s - they just don't have the arrow like the 1958s]

[bcstones]

Lots of fancy names mentioned above....do you have access to Kaplan's guide for MacGregor, Hillerick & Bradsby, &/or Wilson....the catalogues go back into the '30s (maybe '20s...but steel shaft). Each, if you're really interested in Classic, cover to the '60s well...and they also include some of the store/general/retail lines also. They are relatively inexpensive to pick up on the web at various sites. I'm not one of those people who look down their nose at retail clubs - playability is more important to me than ego trip of having pro-shop clubs. The fun part would be to play pro-line vs retail from the same year or era....well, that's my macabe sense of humor at work.

 

As to brands, I'm partial to Hogan's and Hillerich & Bradsby, Hogan's are pro-shop only but H&B have excellent retail lines. H&B is one of the most undervalued/overlooked company's in the golf world (the same Family owned H&B from 1916 to ~2000something. 

A fun source is @Jiggered 's Youtube site "Classic Golf Clubs", he's from England so the focus is more on across the pond. However, he researchs & give the history of clubs, then goes out and plays them, it's a fantastic site.  I had no idea that Hogan had a deal with Slazengers for 20 years to make/build his clubs over there (I actually have a Slazenger Hogan Bounce !+ SS set)

 

If you really want to go "Classic"....start looking into hickory clubs to play...now that is one slippery slope to enjoy.



 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

2 hours ago, T_Golf_23 said:

What are your top three from this list?? 

 

Ooh, tough one!

FG17*    Love the short irons, and overall just great to play

Mac Muirfield 20ths  Beautiful soft feel, and compact heads

For my third choice, off the original list I would choose the Nike OG MB, but I prefer the RAM Tour Grinds (which I added later) to the Nikes, though there's not much in it.

 

I didn't include my favourite Mizunos on the list because they're pretty hard to find. My favourites are the "Directed by T Ohara" irons.

 

I also like the TP Originals, which appear to be the same head as the MS4 iron that was released in the USA.

 

 

*I don't actually have the Wilson FG17s; I have a set stamped FGJ8, which I think was made for the Japanese market (I've only seen one other set on the 'net with this stamping). However, I've compared them with a FG17 head, and they appear identical, so I'll include them here.

 

Wilson FGJ8s:

 

Mizuno Directed By T Ohara

 

And the TP Originals (mine have different stampings) and MS4s (again, different stampings)

Edited March 14 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[T_Golf_23]

33 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Ooh, tough one!

FG17*    Love the short irons, and overall just great to play

Mac Muirfield 20ths  Beautiful soft feel, and compact heads

For my third choice, off the original list I would choose the Nike OG MB, but I prefer the RAM Tour Grinds (which I added later) to the Nikes, though there's not much in it.

 

I didn't include my favourite Mizunos on the list because they're pretty hard to find. My favourites are the "Directed by T Ohara" irons.

 

I also like the TP Originals, which appear to be the same head as the MS4 iron that was released in the USA.

 

 

*I don't actually have the Wilson FG17s; I have a set stamped FGJ8, which I think was made for the Japanese market (I've only seen one other set on the 'net with this stamping). However, I've compared them with a FG17 head, and they appear identical, so I'll include them here.

 

Wilson FGJ8s:

 

Mizuno Directed By T Ohara

 

And the TP Originals (mine have different stampings) and MS4s (again, different stampings)

I would love to see all the stuff you have hanging around ….. don’t lose my DM if you are ever looking to lighten up 

[bcstones]

34 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Mizuno Directed By T Ohara

who is T Ohara? Or is it O'Hara?

[T_Golf_23]

39 minutes ago, bcstones said:

Lots of fancy names mentioned above....do you have access to Kaplan's guide for MacGregor, Hillerick & Bradsby, &/or Wilson....the catalogues go back into the '30s (maybe '20s...but steel shaft). Each, if you're really interested in Classic, cover to the '60s well...and they also include some of the store/general/retail lines also. They are relatively inexpensive to pick up on the web at various sites. I'm not one of those people who look down their nose at retail clubs - playability is more important to me than ego trip of having pro-shop clubs. The fun part would be to play pro-line vs retail from the same year or era....well, that's my macabe sense of humor at work.

 

As to brands, I'm partial to Hogan's and Hillerich & Bradsby, Hogan's are pro-shop only but H&B have excellent retail lines. H&B is one of the most undervalued/overlooked company's in the golf world (the same Family owned H&B from 1916 to ~2000something. 

A fun source is @Jiggered 's Youtube site "Classic Golf Clubs", he's from England so the focus is more on across the pond. However, he researchs & give the history of clubs, then goes out and plays them, it's a fantastic site.  I had no idea that Hogan had a deal with Slazengers for 20 years to make/build his clubs over there (I actually have a Slazenger Hogan Bounce !+ SS set)

 

If you really want to go "Classic"....start looking into hickory clubs to play...now that is one slippery slope to enjoy.



 

When I was helping my dad move, I found some hickory clubs. But all the shafts were cracked and splintered and the heads were rusted to sh*t…. I mean … just ruined. 
 

 

[bcstones]

Just now, T_Golf_23 said:

When I was helping my dad move, I found some hickory clubs. But all the shafts were cracked and splintered and the heads were rusted to sh*t…. I mean … just ruined. 
 

 

maybe not as bad as you think....various people here can give you how they "derust" & new shafts are easy to get. 
Personally, I spray w/PB Blaster to loosen the surface rust & then either by hand w/440 grit wet/dry or that soft abrasive thingy on the Dremel tool....just to see what's under that surface rust. Can't hurt if it's beyond help, but perhaps it might not be as "ruined" as you think...

[sheepdawg]

2 hours ago, Hickory4ever said:

 
Great minds think alike. I would also choose any 70’s Wilson Staffs….

 

I had a set of 67 or 68 DynaPower Staffs in the 70s. Bought them from Bert Weaver, a PGA tour winner who became the pro at Colonial C.C. in Memphis. They had the little foil wrap around on the shafts with his name and address on them. They were so perfect. Traded them for a set of Hogan PCs. Wish I hadn't.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

28 minutes ago, T_Golf_23 said:

I would love to see all the stuff you have hanging around ….. don’t lose my DM if you are ever looking to lighten up 

 

You call it "hanging around"...my wife calls it "cluttering up the place"...😅

 

I'm sort of going through what I have at the moment, taking photos of stuff I haven't photographed yet. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

30 minutes ago, bcstones said:

who is T Ohara? Or is it O'Hara?

 

It's Ohara, though I keep wanting to type O'hara. 

 

The "T" stands for "Toshiyuki". Toshiyuki Ohara was in charge of Mizuno's club design and prototype section at its Yoro plant. 

 

He was the designer behind the TN-87. At the time, Mizuno had craftsmen making woods who were in direct contact with tour pros to get feedback, but no one in iron design was getting direct feedback from the pros. Any advice or recommendations pros had went through Mizuno's sales division first, before making its way to the design guys.

 

Ohara didn't like this because he wanted to hear exactly what the pros wanted, and he ended up being chosen to work directly with Tommy Nakajima, who was one of Japan's top pros. 

 

Unfortunately, Tommy didn't tell Ohara much about what was wrong with the prototypes he designed, and Ohara had to learn what sort of club Tommy wanted by watching him. 

 

Eventually, he got it right, and that club became the TN-87.

[elwhippy]

Apex PC. MP32, 33. TP14 and TP29. TN87. FG17s. Founders Blade. DP30/40. John Letters Master Model Mk2. Slazenger Seve Forged. Ben Sayers Mentors. Maruman SPSS or CX. Plenty of choice, For sheer playability TM ICW5s. 

[SnowbirdTom]

What's more iconic than the 1974 Haig Ultras? Even the ferrules are classy.

 

[bcstones]

55 minutes ago, SnowbirdTom said:

What's more iconic than the 1974 Haig Ultras? Even the ferrules are classy.

 

ABSOLUTELY the best designed Haig Ultra....btw - I believe it called Haig Ultra 66 (have no idea why the "66" cuz it came out in '74, as you stated).....I have a set of these 1 thru SW (maybe even a set of heads only....maybe)

[Soccerrick10]

On 3/13/2024 at 9:21 PM, Hickory4ever said:

 
Great minds think alike. I would also choose any 70’s Wilson Staffs….

 

Those Haig Ultras were my first set of clubs I bought myself at the age of 13.  I still have them after 57 years.

[elwhippy]

Class is permanent. A shame someone can't make a modern spec set of Hagen forged irons. 

[BIG STU]

On 3/13/2024 at 7:41 AM, Bad9 said:

 

If you want a collection of classics that had a big influence you HAVE to have a set of Eye 2's in it. It likely had more impact on the design of clubs than any forged mb, regardless of how well regarded the mb may be.

Even though I am a dyed in the wool Macgregor blade man I must honestly admit you are spot on with this post. Karsten was a genius and IMHO it influenced things even to this day. And even to this day in the classic world Eye2s command good prices and do sell quickly

[NRJyzr]

On 3/13/2024 at 7:23 AM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Oh, how could I forget:

RAM 1980 Tour Grinds

(sorry, @NRJyzr!)

 

Catchy, this gave me a laugh   😁

 

 

Quote

Classic iron set collection - need advice

 

Decided to finally intrude myself on the discussion...

 

Collections are an interesting concept.  There are far too many potential paths to take; follow one or two manufacturers, look for specific period in time, clubs that merely interest/intrigue you, etc.  There's no lone way to get it done.

 

Personally, I went two routes.  I rode the Ram train quite a bit, picking up a set of most Ram Tour Grind blades over the years, along with several persimmons.  And, I threw in sets that interested me, such as the Wilson Staff 78 Tour Blades or the MacGregor Muirfields, for two notable sets in my possession.

 

I'll also add, over the years, I've set all these up to play them.  Shafts that fit me, grips that I prefer using, etc.  Personally don't find much merit in maintaining period specific grips, or the shafts that came in them if they don't suit me.  As I've aged, this reduces my bag choices; many of my sets are still set up with heavy stiff or even Xstiff shafts.  I just don't have the X swing in the bag any longer.

 

I will say if you look to Wilson product lines, there is a LOT of quality to choose from.  Though, there is a lot of quality in many others, as well.  Our own Cold War Era Golfer has demonstrated this; he is quite the Spalding collector, and the vintage Spaldings are a far cry from 2000s era Top Flite irons.

 

Edited March 18 by NRJyzr
typos are not just for breakfast anymore...

[charliebrown]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:56 PM, T_Golf_23 said:

This is for all the iron ho’s out there. 
 

I am destined to create a classic collection of irons. I just love the experience of trying them all out and playing them. 
 

they can even be some unique game changing irons … 

 

These are ones you want to hang onto and keep pulling out time and time again.
 

What needs to be in this collection? 

If I were building a collection:

All of the Ram blades Tom Watson won with.

MacGregor VIP by Nicklaus blades. They just look nice.

Wilson FG-17s

1990 (approx). Wilson Staff Fluid Feel irons

Ping Eye 2 (and +) irons

Mizuno MP-14. Easiest to hit among all I owned. 

1992 Lynx Parallax irons. Because Fred Couples and Ernie Els.

There's more but I'd be typing here all day. 

 

 

[bcstones]

On 3/16/2024 at 10:50 AM, NRJyzr said:

Decided to finally intrude myself on the discussion...

Collections are an interesting concept.  There are far too many potential paths to take; follow one or two manufacturers, look for specific period in time, clubs that merely interest/intrigue you, etc.  There's no one way to get it done.

  @T_Golf_23    thought Imight step in also......I took it from your original posting that you were interested in "collection to play" mostly (watch it, it's a slippery slope 😂 one I fell down & finally "woke up", looked around & said "Where the blazes did all this come from!!! 🥸🤣 ). You might ask yourself just how many sets do you think you could get away with....also, do you want to focus on one or two manufactures...or perhaps an era...or both?
 

I noticed in all the above postings a couple of things - an absense of one company for sure & the absense of an era. The era I'm talking about is the pyratone shaft/painted shaft of basically the transition from hickory to chromed steel shaft (1930s thru 1940s), Spalding Kro-Flite Robert T Jones Jr clubs come to mind as an excellent example. @Jiggered has a couple of video's on his website that talk about this era, if you haven't already seen & watched his videos. Keep in mind that WWII chopped up the '40s pretty well, so some of that era might extend into the early '50s.

 

imo, the most overlooked, underrated golf company is Hillerich & Bradsby (family owned from 1916 to, I think 2000 or around 2010), their professional line was the PowerBilt and had many names for their retail/general line (not all that different from Wilson & MacGregor who had both). Just for a focus, the 1950s H&B line up provided excellent irons & fantastic persimmons, equal to the lineups of MacGregor, Spalding, or Wilson.

just a couple of passing thoughts...if you're going to collect to play, then does it really matter if the clubs were originally purchased at the pro shop or Abercrombie & Fitch or Marshall Field or Gibson's or......? If they feel good, then it doesn't matter does it. As a number of posters, whose experience I trust, have mentioned that one year's Professional line, following a style change, would end up in the retail/general line...so I can't see that it matters. 
...And consider a small set aside section somewhere to hold a "small" collection of, say, 1 irons, wedges & putters.

{I haven't mentioned the Hogan line up....to me, they are the "apex" (pun intended) of clubs, especially the first 13 years}

have fun....above all, ENJOY

[twidener]

I have a set of near mint, not rechromed, 64 and 65 Wilson Staff DynaPower irons. I also have a set of 67 Hogans and a set of 73 Hogans that I played from 73 to 79. Gamers are MP-32's that I bought when they were released.

[Hickory4ever]

It is easy to get carried away and I have seen many collections get out of hand. It is a lot easier to acquire than to liquidate classic clubs. 
 

My suggestion is look for a couple good sets with your appropriate flex and try them out. I personally find three or four sets of classic irons to be my maximum since they will all be played. If they are unsuitable for me, I find them a new home.

 

My hickory collection is larger because of the diversity of clubs and club makers. We run several events and more demand for them. I personally find them far more interesting than the classic era clubs that were mass produced and are a bigger temptation.

[bcstones]

@T_Golf_23  forgot to mention...I have a couple of sets of the '74 Hogan Director (I arranged them from the club number, not by registration number), so if you might be interested to start - PM me...open to anyone, for that matter.

[TheDeanAbides]

On 3/14/2024 at 12:04 AM, ezgoer said:

  If you’re budgeted and gonna actually play them I wouldn’t pick just one brand. Keep your eyes and mind open and see what falls into your lap. There’s so many good ones to choose from. I’ve found lots of sets from 50’s-90’s for $25-$75 and often still in fantastic condition. Often just needing grips. The sets I searched out cuz I had to have a certain club I paid as much as $150 for. Be careful though buying partial sets figuring you’ll just be able to pick up an orphan club for cheap to fill out set.
  I have quite a few favorites from different eras and different brands now. 
 

  Now if money isn’t an issue I think it possibly could start right here. 1958/59 Hogan Saber/Starburst’s. Unmistakably copied through the years and could/should be sold today. While I like Hogan’s I’m not a Hogan only guy but these are shocking to me. Realistically pretty unattainable to most though. I think in more original but excellent condition they are better looking. These are incredible but too perfect and I’m not a patina guy either. 

They are making me drool. I had a set of Slazenger Starburst which I polished up and repainted, and I loved the feel of them, but these are ART. 

[SnowbirdTom]

 

11 hours ago, bcstones said:

@T_Golf_23  forgot to mention...I have a couple of sets of the '74 Hogan Director (I arranged them from the club number, not by registration number), so if you might be interested to start - PM me...open to anyone, for that matter.

Started downsizing my hoard at the other place.  Changing locales to a much smaller living space, so they're departing for better homes.  Mine are all good playing condition.  🙂

Edited April 21 by SnowbirdTom