Vintage Golf

Voyager EMH

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As we are talking about the history of Maxfli Australian Blades, I would like to point out the "red dot" which was associated with Maxfli clubs and balls for many years prior to the emergence of the Australian Blade clubs.

Earlier than the Australian Blade, there was the Maxfli International model.
The one pictured below is not the earliest model so was contemporary with the Australian Blade, but it still has the red dot.

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I have an early set of Australian Blades that features the red dot

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Later models of the Australian Blade feature a black dot. Why this change occurred, I don't know.

The ones in the above video seem like an early version and may have had a red dot originally and perhaps that was painted black by a previous owner. I'm merely speculating.
 
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Crow

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The red and black dot are a bit of a puzzle, I've not been able to discern any difference between the two iron heads other than the colour of the dot.

Below is an advert from March 1978 which clearly has a red dot, the earliest advert I've seen with a black dot is from July 1979. Whether they just decided to change the colour, or if it means something to do with lie angle I don't know, but I class the heads as the same model.

Were red dots imported directly from Australia as finished clubs? Were black dots made/assembled in the UK? Who knows.
One might have been made earlier than the other, they might have run concurrently, it's all a bit of a mystery.

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RichA

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Sorry - haven't watched your video yet. They're spookily similar to my "original" Mizuno Pro irons from the 80s. Was there a relationship between the Aussie forgers and Mizuno or was it just a style that was in favour?
 

Crow

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Sorry - haven't watched your video yet. They're spookily similar to my "original" Mizuno Pro irons from the 80s. Was there a relationship between the Aussie forgers and Mizuno or was it just a style that was in favour?

I'm not aware of any connection, but all brands will take on board a successful design from another company, some styles are repeated by just about every manufacturer, and this was one of those.
Dunlop had and still have a big presence in Japan so there might have been some relationship.
 

Dando

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Sorry - haven't watched your video yet. They're spookily similar to my "original" Mizuno Pro irons from the 80s. Was there a relationship between the Aussie forgers and Mizuno or was it just a style that was in favour?

I had the pro original and tp original irons. Don’t think the soles were as thick but the back view is very similar
 

Voyager EMH

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Played my first game with newly purchased PGA persimmon woods earlier this week. Had a game with @Crow and two chaps from my club all playing with classic vintage clubs.
The ebay seller really did not do these clubs justice with their photos so I've taken three of my own shots.
Greatly enjoyed playing with these and an absolute bargain price paid. Too embarrassing to post how little that was.

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OK then.
Less than £10 each is all I'm prepared to say.
 

Voyager EMH

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As I was able to collect in person, I simply could not resist these,

ping eye 2 woods set.jpg

I already have a set thanks to @RichA, so I'm going to offer them to a newly recruited vintage player at my club. I'll give them a thorough clean and varnish first.
Driver has an ordinary Lamkin grip, but the 3 and 5 have fairly posh Nexus grips.
 
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RichA

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As I was able to collect in person, I simply could not resist these,

View attachment 44466

I already have a set thanks to @RichA, so I'm going to offer them to a newly recruited vintage player at my club. I'll give them a thorough clean and varnish first.
Driver has an ordinary Lamekin grip, but the 3 and 5 have fairly posh Nexus grips.
Are you still cheating with that "vintage" graphite shafted Eye 2 driver? ?
 

RichA

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Only joking of course - I'm firmly in the whatever works best camp. I just still haven't found what I'm looking for.
 

Voyager EMH

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The shaft of the newly acquired driver is KT-M and matches the 3 and 5 you got for me.
The newly acquired 3 and 5 have ZZ-Lite shafts.
Fairly obvious to me what needs to be done now.
I think my mate will like the graphite shafted driver and the two recently purchased 3 and 5.
Imagine, "That's £8 for the driver and 33p each for the 3 and 5 please." That might boggle his mind for a while.
 
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RichA

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20 year-old MP-60s are in for a loft/lie check so I took the 40 year old Mizuno Pro MS-5s out this morning. Hit some of my best shots of 2022.
Hoping a guy a the club buys the Ping G425 irons from me today so I can stop being tempted to just keep bludgeoning the ball, as that's all they make me do.
 

Voyager EMH

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An ebay seller was very patient with me and I picked up a purchase from 8 weeks ago whilst on my holiday travels.

Slazenger Bobby Locke ADL. Woods are persimmon 1,2,3,4,5 and irons are 3 to 8 then W and S. That's 13 clubs. Was there ever a 9-iron, I wonder? Maybe not?

ADL = Arthur D'Arcy Locke. He preferred the nickname "Bobby".

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Whipping has come loose at the head end on the of 5-wood. Grips are playable.
Seller chucked in a bag as well.

bag.jpg

Not exactly in keeping with 60+ year old clubs, but stops them from rattling around in the boot for the mo.

Cost? It was an ebay auction so fair and square.
Well, if I had seen the headcovers in a shop for what I paid for the lot, I would have 'ad 'em at that.
 

Crow

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If you measure the lofts that should give you an indication of whether or not there was a 9 iron in the set.
A big gap between 8 and wedge; there probably was a 9.
 

Voyager EMH

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From post 1037 above, the 5-wood was the ropiest. The whipping had come undone.

I've re-done the whipping and cleaned it up - before and after shots...

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Face insert is very slightly sunken-in from the face and you can see a bit of a gap at the bottom of the face to the sloeplate.
Nothing wobbly however - so playable as is. Got that soleplate nice and shiny now.
The other 4 woods (yes, a set of 1,2,3,4,5) are better condition, so pretty chuffed with these.
 
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