(VB) COLLECTION, Part 1 (Lots#1 19) Dec. 15 th, 2014 RARE & UNUSUAL CLUBS 1. Dame Stoddard & Co., Boston, Ma. A deep smooth face gun metal Putter, with an original shaft & period suede leather grip, in excellent original condition. (VB #103) Estimated value @ $250 300. Sale price @ $175 Photo #3071, Lot #1 Photo #3074, Lot #2 2. A.G. Spalding & Bros., Spring face Putter, the rarest of all the Spring Face Clubs, circa 1902 1909, all original, the markings on the back of the putter head are not visible, corrugated steel face held in place with (6) rivets that are visible along the top and bottom edges of the face, a bore thru hosel, and a stamped shaft that is only partially visible below the period suede leather grip, In excellent condition. (VB #105) Estimated value @ $1,500 1,600.. Sale price @ $850 3. Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Louisville, Ky., Approach Cleek 1AC, musselback, dash/dot face, beautiful stamped original shaft with a small ¾ crack vertically up the shaft from the top of the hosel, with a superb condition 1
Kork grip, all original, in excellent condition. (VB# Approach Cleek) Estimated value @ $125 150 Sale price @ $90 photo #3079, Lot #3 Photo #3081, Lot #4 4. The Crawford, McGregor & Canby Co., Dayton Ohio Willie Dunn, New York stamped on the top of the head of this one - piece Dunn Driver, The shaft and head were all cut from one piece of wood, the shaft stamping is partially covered by the original listing and what remains of the original suede leather grip. The club is in just good condition, but sill a fine example of a unusual and rare one piece driver, circa 1900. (VB #27) Estimated value @ $1,400 1,600 Sale price @ $750 Note: When Golfers began to realize that a one piece wood did not drive the ball any farther and that once broken it could not be repaired, they rethought the virtues of the club. The price for replacing a broken shaft or head on a traditional club was far less than the one-piece club. One piece clubs were made by BGI, MacGregor and Slazenger. 5. William Brown, clubmaker Ivory insert, socket head Brassie, with original shaft and grip, in good + condition, an early fancy face wood, circa 1915 1920. (VB #29) Estimated value @ $275 300. Sale price @ $190 (SOLD) 2
Photo #3085, Lot #5 Photo #3088, Lot #6 6. George Forrester (1847 1930) An early LH, Semi Long nose splice neck putter with G. FORRESTER in block letters on the wood head, with a replaced shaft and suede leather grip, circa Late 1880 s or early 1890 s, in vg condition. (VB #94) Estimated value @ $350 500. Sale price @ $225 George Forrester was acknowledged by his contemporaries as one of the most innovative club designers of his time, he patented many types of wood and iron clubs. Note; Golf Club walking sticks were used upside down. The head served as the handle, like the head of a cane and the grip end touched the ground. 7. Golf Club Walking Stick With a Silver club head cigarette case that opens, the case is engraved with the letters TBB in script on the outside of the silver club head. The walking stick is completely original and in vg condition, the clasp holding the cigarette case is worn and not able to stay in the closed position at this time, Circa 1910 s (VB #169) Estimated value @ $350 500.. Sale price @ $220 3
Photo #3095, Lot #7 Photo #3093, Lot #8 8. Golf Club Walking Stick With a semi Long Nose putter head and a decorative twist cane stick all original, circa 1900 1910, in good vg condition. (VB #170) Estimated value @ $250 400.. Sale price @ $190 Photo #3114, Lot #9 9. Wm. Park Stamped Long Nose Putter, circa 1870 s, 5 ¾ Long, x 2 wide x 1 1/16 deep, this putter is similar to the putter shown in the book by Jeffrey Ellis The Clubmaker s Art page #76. The shaft and head appear original. The grip is a re - placed brown suede leather, a fine example of a Willie Park Sr. long nose putter in vg condition. (VB# Wm. Park) 4
Estimated value @ $3,000 5,000. Sale price @ $950 (SOLD, Nov. 2014) 10. The Giant Cardinal Niblick, BY Hendry Bishop Ltd. Edinburgh Scotland, (4 ¼ X 3 ¾ ), dot punch face, circa 1920, steel head, original shaft and grip, in vg condition, Mitre CM, in vg condition. (VB #65) Estimate value @ $1,250 1,600 Sale price @ $850 Photo #3129, Lot #10 Photo #3138, Lot #11 11. Rut Iron,? Co. Ltd., Edinburgh Scotland, smooth face, 4 ½ hosel, 2 3/8 x 2 face, early replacement shaft and period grip, circa 1890 s, in good condition. (VB #107) Estimated value @ $350 450 Sale price @ $225 12. Early Blacksmith made Rut Iron, unknown maker, very small head 2 x 1 ¾ with a 5 long hosel, the smooth face head is very thin and there is a 5
2 crack in the hosel, replacement shaft and loose replacement grip, circa 1870 1880 s in poor condition. (VB #64) Estimated value @ $500 750. Sale price @ $280 Photo #3150, Lot #12 Photo #3153, Lot #13 13. Fairlie, Peter McEwan, Southport, Smith s anti Shank iron, Niblick, with Warranted Hand Forged McEwan Special on the back of the head, original shaft, with a unique Holdfast India Rubber Grip, circa 1910, in vg condition. (VB #73) Estimated value @ $175 275. Sale price @ $120 14. Otto Hackbarth, Patented #687539 Aluminum putter with forked hosel (repaired) circa 1901, Coathanger Shape two tined hosel, weight strip in sole of the putter, with the original shaft and grip in vg condition. (VB #79) Estimated value @ $350 450.. Sale price @ $225 6
Photo #3158, Lot #14 15. Foster Brothers, Ashbourne, England The Bogee Model Putter with a square hosel, rectangular head with a broad sole, flat lie, bore thru hosel, circa 1910 s, original shaft and grip, in vg+ condition. (VB Bogee Putter) Estimated value @ $195 225 Sale price @ $125 Photo #3179 &3180, Lot #15 16. H & B, Hillerich & Bradsby, Louisville Ky., brass head putter, with a mustard color coated steel shaft with a very unusual hand carved wood putting grip,circa 1930, in just good condition. (VB #169) Estimated value @ $225 275.. Sale price @ $145 7
Photo #3189, Lot #16 Photo #3202, Lot #17 17. Cann & Taylor, Winchester England A partnership of Open Champion JH Taylor & club designer George Cann, a gun metal heavy blade putter, reshafted with a greenheart shaft, with just the wool listing as a grip, in just good condition, circa 1900. (VB #160) Estimated value @ $150 250 Sale price @ $90 Photo #3211 & 3212, Lot #18 18. John Gray smooth face concave lofter, (LH) with a replacement shaft and period suede leather grip, Long 5 hosel, 4 long and slightly concave face, in good + condition, circa 1875 1880. John Gray worked in Prestwick (1852 1890) as one of the pioneer club makers and was one of the 1 st to regularly stamp his name on iron clubs, his 1 st name was stamped Jn. Or J. (VB #45) Estimated value @ $1,500 2,000 Sale price @ $450 8
Photo #3219 & 3221, Lot #19 Item (Modern remake -COST JEU DE MAIL HARDWOOD IRON-BOUND CLUB) (Photos #3219-3222) 19. A modern remake (Circa 1970 1980 s) of an extremely rare Coste Jeu De Mail Hardwood Iron-Bound Club, French, from the mid 18 th Century with a 42 shaft, and white leather wrap grip. Coste is referred to as a maker of Jeu de Mail clubs in Montpellier in Le Noble de Mail de la Ville de Montpellier avecses Reglements par M. Sudre, 1772 p.iv. The game of Jeu de Mail and its rules are described in Monsieur Lauthier s publication of 1717, in many ways the game bears a remarkable similarity to golf as illustrated in this extract from a translation of Lauthier s work by Harry B. Wood in Golfing Curios and the like, 1911: It is suitable for all ages, from infancy to old age. Its beauty consists not in making great strokes but in playing truly, neatly and without peculiarities, and when to that are added force and certainty in measuring the extent of the stroke, the player becomes perfect. To attain this degree of perfection, seek the most approved method of playing well, conforming to that of the best players. Place yourself easily by the ball, not too near it nor too far away Swing gently backwards and from the waist upwards to the head, taking great care at the 9
same time not to lose sight of the ball; For a full description of the game and rules of Jeu de Mail, see Steven J.H. van Hengel, Early Golf and Henderson and Stirk s Golf in the making and The Club Maker s Art, page 414 by Jeffery Ellis (Also see Southeby s A Sale of Golf and Sporting Memorabilia, Musselburgh, July 13 th, 1992) Lot #45 & 46. Estimated value @ an Original, COST JEU DE MAIL CLUB @ $5,000 - $10,0000).. Sale price of this remake, Circa 1970 1980 s @ $500 10