Unbranded milled putter...any ideas on origin?

[Sporting chance]

Hi everyone...this is my first post, so be gentle with me!

 

I purchased this putter for a song off eBay in England and am curious to see if anyone in the USA can suggest who the maker is? I was attracted by the angular design and obvious high quality of the production.

The head is carbon steel and has no markings apart from 'made in USA' and 'computer milled .001', both on the face. The head was rusting and had the remnants of a torched finish when I got it, so I've removed the nicks and bead blasted to the condition in the pictures. I'm looking at either re- torching or black oxide ( undecided yet!).

So...can anyone in the USA recognise the maker? I thought it looked a bit like a Tad Moore design?

 

If its a long lost Cameron I'm open to substantial offers!!!

[Arafel]

[quote name='Sporting chance' timestamp='1365942637' post='6837675']
Hi everyone...this is my first post, so be gentle with me!

I purchased this putter for a song off eBay in England and am curious to see if anyone in the USA can suggest who the maker is? I was attracted by the angular design and obvious high quality of the production.
The head is carbon steel and has no markings apart from 'made in USA' and 'computer milled .001', both on the face. The head was rusting and had the remnants of a torched finish when I got it, so I've removed the nicks and bead blasted to the condition in the pictures. I'm looking at either re- torching or black oxide ( undecided yet!).
So...can anyone in the USA recognise the maker? I thought it looked a bit like a Tad Moore design?

If its a long lost Cameron I'm open to substantial offers!!!
[/quote]

I have no idea who it is either, but like you, I was thinking Tad Moore or maybe even some sort of Spalding TP Mills. I have a MaxFli TM 4 putter and the neck design looks very similar to yours. Tad Moore posts here quite a bit, he might have some useful information.

If you changed the title of your thread to "Is this a Tad Moore putter?" maybe he would see it and chime in.

[502 to Right]

It's either an unmarked Tad Moore or a copy of one.

Tad posts here as majicman so you could send him a pm.

[Sporting chance]

Wow...thanks for the prompt response guys! I'll pm him and let you know the outcome...and I'll change the post name as suggested.

[finchi5]

I nearly bid on that....looks very much like a Tad Moore to me

[Sporting chance]

Finchi...I have to agree - but if it is a Tad Moore design why the lack of 'branding'? I've pm'd him so hopefully I'll get a definitive answer. Could it be some kind of prototype?

[Golfer4Life]

Could it be some type of earlier prototype? It almost looks like a TM9.

[indyvai]

That could be the missing link... The 001 that eventually lead to the 009!

[Sporting chance]

I think the .001 reference is to the degree of accuracy with the face milling? This post is getting interesting...does anyone know if Tad Moore produced any 'un-branded' designs? It surely would have to be a prototype or a one-off design for someone?

Anyway, out of interest I've finished it in black oxide and it looks great!

[MixedBag]

I don't think he will give you a definite answer. I also have a blank that I believe to be a Tad Moore Maxfli, but there was no way for him to confirm 100% (which I totally understand). His response for mine....

"

from your pic's i would say this was not done by me. I always tried to be sure nothing left my shop without my mark. It is possible however back in the Maxfli days someone might have gotten their hands on a blank. Some people did this at every opportunity they could and sold them as their hand mades. Tad"

[bigmoneyp]

[quote name='Sporting chance' timestamp='1366182521' post='6862967']I've finished it in black oxide and it looks great!
[/quote] Post a pic of it.

[RookieBlue7]

MGS did a contest with guessing who made this putter last year or the year before. The one they had was bronze. Ill see if I can find it.

[MixedBag]

[quote name='indyvai' timestamp='1366152872' post='6860195']
That could be the missing link... The 001 that eventually lead to the 009!
[/quote]

indy,
Is that a twisted PN in your sig? We need more pics of that bad boy. sorry for the thread hijack

[RookieBlue7]

Dick De La Cruz made them. Likely prototypes for the Cobra Married Metal he did. Found the post on MGS lol. Course lots of his designs have computer milled engraved on them. This one has similar lines to the CP-1.

[Sporting chance]

Thanks everyone for your responses...it does look likely that this may be a TM Maxfli blank that was 'liberated' before it was branded! I'll update if the great man responds.
I've uploaded a couple of pictures of the putter after a black oxide finish. Prep was bead blasting and polishing with steel wool. Apologies for dark pics...we still have dark evenings in the UK and my flash is naff...

[RookieBlue7]

It's not a Tad, its a De La Cruz. I'm positive of that.

He's the first to ever CNC mill a putter. Was for Callaway and was called the Bobby Jones Billet Series. Had a hickory shaft with steel rod center. He's who started the CNC craze.

[RookieBlue7]

The putter you have was probably bought unfinished during the bankruptcy auction of De La Cruz putters. He was well ahead of his time.

And nearly every one of his putters have computer milled stamped or engraved on them.

Here's the CP-1 head shape he did:

http://www.golfdiscussions.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=38733.0

[indyvai]

[quote name='MixedBag' timestamp='1366214876' post='6864853']
[quote name='indyvai' timestamp='1366152872' post='6860195']
That could be the missing link... The 001 that eventually lead to the 009!
[/quote]

indy,
Is that a twisted PN in your sig? We need more pics of that bad boy. sorry for the thread hijack
[/quote]

I sent a handful of heads to Slighter for work, and there was one head that had the topline ground down accidentally on the heel side... I thought the head was ruined. I told Tom he had Carte Blanche and I got these teaser photos... I haven't been excited about an individual putter in years so it's good to feel that rush again! I'll post photos after finish and paint... for sure.

[Golfer4Life]

[quote name='indyvai' timestamp='1366230421' post='6866495']
[quote name='MixedBag' timestamp='1366214876' post='6864853']
[quote name='indyvai' timestamp='1366152872' post='6860195']
That could be the missing link... The 001 that eventually lead to the 009!
[/quote]

indy,
Is that a twisted PN in your sig? We need more pics of that bad boy. sorry for the thread hijack
[/quote]

I sent a handful of heads to Slighter for work, and there was one head that had the topline ground down accidentally on the heel side... I thought the head was ruined. I told Tom he had Carte Blanche and I got these teaser photos... I haven't been excited about an individual putter in years so it's good to feel that rush again! I'll post photos after finish and paint... for sure.
[/quote]

That looks super cool for sure. Tom, is a master, he salvaged and old Tour Cameron that I found on Ebay and it looks awesome. Not surprised of such a good job! Nice and thanks for sharing those pictures.

[MixedBag]

Indy,
that is sick....... I always wanted to see your putters with a PN. can't wait to see the end product... congrats

[Joe85]

So what happened with your putter? Did you confirm what it was? I just found this today at a thrift store:

[Joe85]

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[golfluvzme]

Rookie is 100% on the spot. Dick DeLaCruz had a ton of designs that nobody ever realized were his. I recall rolling a "JB Model" by DeLaCruz that was gorgeous, milled and had a sweet black oxide finish. The lines were softer than on either of those pictured in this thread, but the construction was the same, down to almost every detail.
The reason for the similarities on these putters, to Tad's work was that it was a VERY popular style back in those days. Tad's reference to "Some people did this at every opportunity they could and sold them as their hand mades." cracked me up. Some of us know who this refers to, others may never know.
The putter may not be a buried treasure, but it is a solid piece of milled putter history and will look very cool if you have it restored to original.
Best of Luck,
LaMont in AZ

[Sporting chance]

Thanks everyone for the replies to this thread - it does seem that the mystery has been solved. And it looks like LaMont may have opened another!!!!

Who was the phantom Maxfli handmade liberator ????!!!!!!

I'm sure we'll never know.

[Joe85]

Putter is in fact a Tad Moore design. I had it on eBay and listed it as a De La Cruz but he emailed me (with his eBay ID) clearing it up that this putter is one of his designs (by Rick Cooper, or something like that).

 

 

I saved the emails from Tad Moore (tadaroo) if you guys wanted me to copy/paste what he wrote to me.

[hrmgolf72]

Putter is in fact a Tad Moore design. I had it on eBay and listed it as a De La Cruz but he emailed me (with his eBay ID) clearing it up that this putter is one of his designs (by Rick Cooper, or something like that).

 

 

I saved the emails from Tad Moore (tadaroo) if you guys wanted me to copy/paste what he wrote to me.

 

yes

[Joe85]

Putter is in fact a Tad Moore design. I had it on eBay and listed it as a De La Cruz but he emailed me (with his eBay ID) clearing it up that this putter is one of his designs (by Rick Cooper, or something like that).

 

 

I saved the emails from Tad Moore (tadaroo) if you guys wanted me to copy/paste what he wrote to me.

 

yes

 

 

 

Tad:

Where did you ever come up with the idea Dick Made this putter. This putter was machined from my TM4 tooling by Rick Cooper who I worked with to develop the first production CNC milled putters

Tad Moore

 

 

As I said the CNC company-Cooper Machine,Rick Cooper of San Narcis California made the heads for me and Maxfli. One of his abilities in making the heads was his plus or minus .001 tolerance that in turn made my putters so consistent from one to the other. As I said look at the TM4 model we did. Rick made 16 different models from 1990-1996 for me and Maxfli

He made heads to show potential customers of his work. This was one of those

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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By the way, I just put my putter up on eBay. In case anyone is interested in buying it.

[smeech8000]

Interesting that Rookie/Lamont's and Tad's accounts differ... they are probably the most knowledgeable guys to post here.

[golfluvzme]

You have to remember, I am operating on what I have gathered over the years from stories, putters passed on to me and opinions that I have formed. Tad was THERE when it was happening.

I have no problem admitting that my idea was not correct. Dick did a ton of design work, but if Tad says this was his, I'll bow out. I know from many conversations with Tad that Rick did a ton of the milling back then and even with a lot of similar designs in the market, Tad would know his work when he sees it.

The very cool part? The necks on these putters were friction welded and are amazingly clean. That first one in this thread looks a lot like a model of Tad's that my older brother used to have in his collection. It seems like it was a Japan-intended piece, but that might be incorrect, as well.

Tad's stories of the days when milling was starting to really get a hold on the putter world are priceless and full of very cool little details.

Enjoy the opportunity to get those stories straight from Tad, himself. The value is immeasurable.

LaMont in AZ

[Joe85]

I was shocked (and really happy) that the actual Tad Moore was in communication with me (albeit small and limited).

 

It was nice of him to clarify for me the origins of the putter that I found some years back.