Blonde WB Texan

[freddiec]

2 Others owned by Wrxers w/ History updated

Here is a real nice natural stained Texan I just purchased. I think I got the deal of the Century on this. The face profile seems a lot different than most I've ever seen, very very similiar to the shape and depth of a M85W. It has a graphite shaft right now, which I most likely will switch out for a steel shaft. This is the only one I have that has the "WB" on the skirt.

[persimmonpal]

Hey Fred~
Nice club!! Removing a graphite shaft from a persimmon head is really tricky.. You cant heat the head enough to break the epoxy bond, so you actually have to drill out the shaft.
I love the natural stain!
Congrats!

[freddiec]

John,
I figured it would be tricky. I got some great instructions from one of the best sources on how to do it.

[freddiec]

btw- I won't be in any rush to remove the graphite shaft, I might end up keeping it in if it feels good. I've never hit a persimmon with a graphite shaft, might be a great match, who knows..

[persimmonpal]

[quote name='freddiec' date='19 March 2010 - 08:45 AM' timestamp='1269002732' post='2326847']
John,
I got some great instructions from one of the best sources on how to do it.
[/quote]

Dave?? Is he selling anything these days?

[freddiec]

I spoke to Dave about this one. I got it from somebody else. He told me..: (btw- No he is not..)

I would suggest very carefully pulling the shaft.
1. Use a heat gun with slow and gradual heating to not pop, or burn the finish and leave the whipping on to support the neck from not cracking.

2. Clean out the hosel with a slow speed tapered reamer, or better yet, use a round file.

3.Check the head weight. If heavy you might think about lighter weight steel, or do some counter balancing in the butt section (Nicklaus always did this).

4. Measure the profile of the removed shafts tip dimensions with caliper or micrometer. At WB we used reduced tip graphite shafts, they were parallel but emulated taper tip. This will tell you whether or not the neck needs to be reamed for a tapered steel shaft.

[drewspin]

Fred -

 

Sweet pick up!

 

Could you ask Dave if he knows anything about the orginns of this custom?:

 

 

 

[freddiec]

Drew,
Yes I definitely will do that. I'll also ask about Astaam's M43 style Texan as well.

[persimmonpal]

Nice driver, Drew!! Looks like it was resealed, and reshafted. I really like the nice deep face, much deeper than a standard Texan. Nice white fiber insert too!
Hey Fred do you have a red phone down in the golf room with a direct line to Dave? Sweeeet!

[drewspin]

It's heading your way for a refresher. You'll get to see it in its full glory!

[astamm8]

thanks freddie, i'd really appreciate it. i'm also curious about the details on the wb that norman used, if that's possible. that's really great that you're in touch with dave wood about all of this.

drewspin, i love the look of the face on that one and those scoring lines.

so, are the dynamic golds in wood bros woods typically the tapered ones? since mine has a sandvik, i'm guessing it's already parallel, but if it's not, i might think about a tapered shaft if i do a shaft change.

[84425]

Drew, i described your driver to Dave once, can't remember if I forwarded what he said your way. Anyway. I can't find the old e-mail, but I recall that he stated that he had made a couple of those deep faced drivers in a natural finish with white 4-screw insert for Nick Price. This could be one of them. I wonder where that lot came from you bought (that also included the 2 WB's that are now somewhere over the Atlantic on their way to the Netherlands).

[drewspin]

Nick Price would be cool, Jurren. I will try to track down the guy who sold it to me (I bought it on Ebay).

That could also explain the shaft change to an X-100 shaft, because IIRC Price played wicked X=stiff shafts due to his quick tempo.

[freddiec]

Drew and Astaam,
Here is what Dave Wood just told me about your drivers..
(Drew, btw.. will send Dave the pic of the top of yours to show him the grain, to verify what he says about the "U")

Hi Fred,

No problem, its interesting and great to see.

The Blonde with the white insert is very interesting. It looks a lot like a few Drivers that I made up for Hal Sutton. Hal was a big fan of both Byron Nelson and Jimmy Demaret. He liked the shape and deepness of an old Nelson 4393 that he had. Also, I had a set on display of Demaret 693's with a 4 screw white insert and opaque maroon finish (one of a kind- Mr. D loved flash). Hal liked the white 4 screw.

We agreed to combine features from both, to make up a model of his own. Being blonde, highly visible and golf's golden boy at the time, I made a few of his clubs with the blonde finish. Can't really see from the picture, but I'll bet the grain is an outstanding and tight U (he also liked a little carbon). Also, notice the insert channel is routed more vertically on the toe and angled slightly forward on the face, I did this to make the club appear more upright in his address position. The face also has a few extra scoring lines, this look came from his Nelson. I'm not saying for sure that it's one of Hal's Texan's, but it looks terribly suspicious... Would love to refinish it.

Fred, the Driver with the red fiber 4 screw, would also be a custom make up. But it would not be one of Norman's as Greg loved the oil hardened stamp with the Texas tower. In the picture, the heel side sole shape appears more rounded, like your Langer driver.

This wood also shows a brass Texas sole plate with no loft designation on it. Brass plates were occasionally used when a player wanted a lower CG for dual purpose use from off the fairway. Also, when someone chose a particular block and shape, but wanted the club built out with a light weight graphite shaft. It is possible that this particular head may have had a graphite shaft in it. Only judging by the photo, I don't feel the current shaft in it, is the original.

All the best

Dave

[drewspin]

Fred,

That is outstanding. If Dave wants to refinish it, then I would gladly pay for his services to have him do it. I will PM you for details.

As it turns out, when I was starting out in golf in the early 1980s Hal was my favorite player to follow.

[Gawfman123]

What a gorgous driver. JEALOUS!!!!!

[astamm8]

Thanks for the great info. If Dave is doing refinishing, I'd love to send mine his way.

Funny, the only thing I'd change is to add the oil derek. Like I said before, I got mine from a Nike tour guy who designed it with Tommy Wiesnenbaker in 1993 shortly after he won an event. I don't think the shaft is original either although I didn't ask.

[MoaningM]

Fantastic thread guys and love those drivers! Texan is defaintely on the list now......!

[freddiec]

Here is the Texan I posted above, which I received today. Its really in Mint shape. The head is fairly small for a Texan, but its got a great deep face and awesome overall shape. I had one years ago that had the "WB" on the crown that had a very similiar head shape. This one I think was probably custom. The head profile reminds me of a MacGregor M75W or a Toney Penna. Its got a Proforce 9700 graphite shaft. Can't wait to hit it.