273 replies to this topic

[scout35016]

Need some help from my fellow golfers of a certain age!

I grew up playing Wilson Staff Tour Blades (78-80 models) & have always loved the staff model irons. Over the years I have acquired every model back to 1954, so I now need another project.

My question to you guys is, if you could own one set of classic forged blade irons what brand & model would it be?

I already have a set of the following (each set is all original & lightly used):

Ben Hogan Apex II (black cameo) - 1980
Walter Hagen Haig Ultra - 1970
Founder Club Forged 200 Series – 1990’s

Looking for suggestions for Titleist, Golfcraft, Ram, Spalding, Maxfli, Macgregor, First Flight, H&B, etc.

Thanks!

['53 Precision]

1988 Hogan Redlines, best iron made by The Ben Hogan Company in the mind of many. Also, Hogan Precisions, Mizuno still pays homage to this model in their current offerings, maybe he knew something about iron design in the mid-50's that is still valid today. Ram Tour Grinds are solid and almost any MacGregor forging from the 40's through the mid-70's.

[NRJyzr]

Probably the one set of Golden Rams I haven't owned, not counting the TW282s, the 80-82 Tour Grinds.

If I discount my Ram obsession, I'd probably look to the any number of the late 60s/early 70s Wilson Staffs (68s, Bullet Backs, Button Backs), or the Muirfield 20ths.

[BrianL99]

scout35016, on 28 August 2012 - 05:31 PM, said:

Need some help from my fellow golfers of a certain age!

I grew up playing Wilson Staff Tour Blades (78-80 models) & have always loved the staff model irons. Over the years I have acquired every model back to 1954, so I now need another project.

My question to you guys is, if you could own one set of classic forged blade irons what brand & model would it be?

I already have a set of the following (each set is all original & lightly used):

Ben Hogan Apex II (black cameo) - 1980
Walter Hagen Haig Ultra - 1970
Founder Club Forged 200 Series – 1990’s

Looking for suggestions for Titleist, Golfcraft, Ram, Spalding, Maxfli, Macgregor, First Flight, H&B, etc.

Thanks!

I think the greatest blades ever made were the Dunlop Australian Blades.   A ton of PGA Tour Players were using them ... awesome golf clubs.

[Wknd_Warrior]

I play 83 Haigs.  Some of the old Haigs are realy nice. I like the old bullet back clubs a lot.

Those tour blades you grew up with are at the top of my list.  beautiful clubs.

[esketores]

No Wilson love?

My golf game is no longer what it once was. I'm not complaining. It is what it is.

But I do take my Wilson Dynapowers out for an occasional humbling experience. Far, far cry from my G15's.

[dpark]

You need to get a set of the 30th anniversary Hogan Personals. A modern update to the original '53 Precision irons. This is the set that Mizuno modeled their MP-14s after.

[Satang]

Titleist 681/T blades.

[Ironmaster Oddities]

Leaving out the collectibility factor, the original VIP by Nicklaus (1967&68) would probably be my #1. But a strong #2, maybe even a #1a, would be the original Golfcraft/Titleist irons from 1970 or 71.  Not the AC108 clunkers from 1972-4. But theGolfcraft Continental with a squared-off toe, which became the Titleist .

Obviously,we are making choices based on our own experience with irons. One of those 2 sets was in my bag from 1971 through 1987 or so.  During that time, I tried several other classics and they either didn't look good to me or I just couldn't hit them.  old MTs and Top Flites had too big of a toe;and the topline was too thick.  Most of the Armours had the big round toe thing going on.  Except for the 945; and I just flat-out could not hit that model.
Some of the late 60's staffs were pretty good.  They look great and feel solid. But I kept going back to my faves .

Edited by Ironmaster Oddities, 28 August 2012 - 11:07 PM.

[NRJyzr]

dpark, on 28 August 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

You need to get a set of the 30th anniversary Hogan Personals. A modern update to the original '53 Precision irons. This is the set that Mizuno modeled their MP-14s after.

Wasn't there also a set of MT irons from the mid 70s that look almost exactly like the MP14s?

I remember seeing a pic, but ironfinder doesn't have that set listed any longer  

[Tarkata]

Played Hogans for 20 years I guess. Redlines, PC, a 99 set, and the Apex IIs. My favorites have always been the Apex IIs with the black cameo. maybe not a pure blade as there's some muscle back to it, but ironically, I think they have a smaller sweet spot than the other Hogan I played, but it is the best sweet spot I know of in golf. And don't they just look stellar>? I mean, Ben F'ing Hogan looking at ya...man, such clasy sticks.. I still have two sets of Apex IIs and use them a few rounds every year. They rotate with my mp67's (since I sold the mp32's to get the 67's). My regular sticks are srixon z-tx, forged CBs with a bigger sweet spot and some toe hit forgiveness. (last two months my ball strike has edged out about a 1/2" away from dead center toward the toe and I have no idea why.)

I probably would snatch a fine set of titleist 681's if I stumbled onto them cheaply.
As a boy, the Wilson Staff fluid feel? (I forget what they called tham) with the red dot epoxy on the blade bottom were like the God Clubs. I never really got the groove on with those, for whatever reason, it was always Hogans for me. My loss I am sure.

[stage1350]

My Tommy Armour 986 Tour blades are always ready for action.

Best by brand:
Wilson- 71 Buttonbacks
MacGregor- 67 VIP or 84 M-85 Colokrom
Ram- Golden Ram Tour Grinds
Hogan- 88 Redlines
Titleist- 690 MB
Mizuno- MP33

If you can get a set, the Dunlop Seve blades were pretty awesome too.

[NRJyzr]

stage1350, on 30 August 2012 - 09:33 PM, said:

My Tommy Armour 986 Tour blades are always ready for action.

Best by brand:
Wilson- 71 Buttonbacks
MacGregor- 67 VIP or 84 M-85 Colokrom
Ram- Golden Ram Tour Grinds
Hogan- 88 Redlines
Titleist- 690 MB
Mizuno- MP33

If you can get a set, the Dunlop Seve blades were pretty awesome too.

Not trying to be a pain, but "Golden Rams" covers a huge period of time, and at least five different models, if you discount the assorted custom sets...

[teevons]

Ok , I'll bite
The question was if you could have one set..
I am huge Hogan fan but would have to go with Macgregor 1963 Toney Penna VIP with copper diamond scoring, the most beautiful set of irons I have ever seen.

[dpark]

teevons, on 31 August 2012 - 01:23 AM, said:

Ok , I'll bite
The question was if you could have one set..
I am huge Hogan fan but would have to go with Macgregor 1963 Toney Penna VIP with copper diamond scoring, the most beautiful set of irons I have ever seen.

I have the commemorative set of these. Very pretty, but that sharp leading edge would just kill me playing in the Pacific NW in the winter.

[FLOGMR]

Taylor Made Tour Preferred blades 1984.....I have a prototype set of them in my "Classic" bag....3-SW The proto set has no markings at all....just the numbers on the sole....sweetness

http://www.golfwrx.c...07277_thumb.jpg

[rex235]

Most of the irons spoken of here are my favorites to look at-

and most were RH only-

A set of first issue Hogan Precision irons...I found a RH 6 iron, and have kept it as a model for my CAD/CAM friend.

The MacGregor TP VIPs and Tourney Colokroms Teevons mentions are possibly the best looking irons ever made, but those leading edges on my  LH Tourney Colokrom "TP" model are very sharp..

But for me, the best RH/LH blade  iron I have ever seen is the Mizuno MP-4.

Edited by rex235, 31 August 2012 - 07:43 PM.

[SurfinTurf]

NRJyzr, on 28 August 2012 - 07:03 PM, said:

Probably the one set of Golden Rams I haven't owned, not counting the TW282s, the 80-82 Tour Grinds.

If I discount my Ram obsession, I'd probably look to the any number of the late 60s/early 70s Wilson Staffs (68s, Bullet Backs, Button Backs), or the Muirfield 20ths.

I understand the obsession. I have two sets of clean '80 TGs. One with the freq matched TT's and another I threw some KBS tours into. Love both sets.

I have some nice Aussie blades but they aren't really in the same league.

Edited by SurfinTurf, 31 August 2012 - 08:23 PM.

[Johnny Hack]

All you Classic Club Collectors may want to check out this web site   www.clubsofdistinction.com  as there are some really great clubs on it!

[SurfinTurf]

Johnny Hack, on 31 August 2012 - 09:18 PM, said:

All you Classic Club Collectors may want to check out this web site   www.clubsofdistinction.com  as there are some really great clubs on it!

This site has the Aussie blades going for $340 with mismatched ferrules. I did a hell of a lot better than that on eBay. I'd look elsewhere.

Edited by SurfinTurf, 01 September 2012 - 01:57 AM.

[Johnny Hack]

SurfinTurf, on 01 September 2012 - 01:54 AM, said:

Johnny Hack, on 31 August 2012 - 09:18 PM, said:

All you Classic Club Collectors may want to check out this web site   www.clubsofdistinction.com  as there are some really great clubs on it!

This site has the Aussie blades going for $340 with mismatched ferrules. I did a hell of a lot better than that on eBay. I'd look elsewhere.

I agree that prices might be high but I posted site just so people could see what is out there and look at some cool old stuff

[teevons]

This might be the set of MT irons you are referring to, very simple Muscle back design Tour Forged on hosel 2-10, Dynamic stiff shafts

NRJyzr, on 29 August 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

dpark, on 28 August 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

You need to get a set of the 30th anniversary Hogan Personals. A modern update to the original '53 Precision irons. This is the set that Mizuno modeled their MP-14s after.

Wasn't there also a set of MT irons from the mid 70s that look almost exactly like the MP14s?

I remember seeing a pic, but ironfinder doesn't have that set listed any longer  

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[NRJyzr]

Are those the 80 MTs?  

FWIW, those aren't the ones of which I was thinking.

Here's one on ebay that's close, though I don't know if it's the exact one I was thinking of
http://www.ebay.com/...c5#ht_500wt_930

['53 Precision]

teevons, on 31 August 2012 - 01:23 AM, said:

Ok , I'll bite
The question was if you could have one set..
I am huge Hogan fan but would have to go with Macgregor 1963 Toney Penna VIP with copper diamond scoring, the most beautiful set of irons I have ever seen.

He further listed 8 different manufacturers leading most of us to believe he wanted multiple suggestions for the one set to add to other 3 sets he listed as already possessing...

[Johnny Hack]

Either Jack Nicklaus Muirfield 20th Anniversary or Seve Sounder Blades

[JShaw]

Hogan Apex PC.  I like these so much I've sold my Mizunos.

The rest of the collection includes:

Wilson
76 Staffs
78 Tour Blades
Fg-17s

Hogan
72 Apex (2 sets)
80 Directors
Apex II black cameos
Apex Redlines

Titleist Tour Models 1-pw 1979 I think.

I'd love to have a Wilson Fluid Feel collection but I'm running out of room.

[scout35016]

From 04 September 2012 - 07:52 AM:

teevons, on 31 August 2012 - 01:23 AM, said:

Ok , I'll bite
The question was if you could have one set..
I am huge Hogan fan but would have to go with Macgregor 1963 Toney Penna VIP with copper diamond scoring, the most beautiful set of irons I have ever seen.

He further listed 8 different manufacturers leading most of us to believe he wanted multiple suggestions for the one set to add to other 3 sets he listed as already possessing...

The above is correct. Since I have 30 sets of Wilson Staff Blade irons, it would be tough for me (financially!) to collect all the models that the other manufactures have made over the years.

What I was trying to say was that if you could have one set of blades from each company, which model & production year would it be? Wilson can be excluded because I already have every model they have made.

[Gaijin_Golfer]

Mizuno MP-14.  Easily one of the best blades ever made.

[scout35016]

This is my collection of Wilson Staff Blades, starting with the 1954 Top-Notch Staff Model on the top left to the 2011 FG-62's on the bottom right. And yes, that is my current set of Ping i20's in the bag to left. The forgiveness of the cavity back is hard to ignore!

There have been 24 models (to my knowledge) of Staff Irons produced in the USA since 1954, in my pic are all those models plus:

- 2 sets of the Gooseneck's ('88 & '91 models)
- a set of Fg-59's, stamped with  "Tour Grind" instead of "Tour Blade" from the Wilson Tour Van
- a set of Fg-49 & Fg-55 model Staffs that were sold in Europe in the late 80's & early 90's.

Not included in the pic are my '71 Button Back collecters issue from the early 90's in the wooden display case.

Still looking for a set of '69 Bullet Back collectors issue with the wooden case & a set of the '65 collectors issue that were introduced in 1982. I also would like to get my hands on one of the 25 prototypes of the Fg-59's that were on tour in 2008. I think they were actually stamped Fg-58.

Now my goal is to have one set each from the other major brands, so please keep the suggestions coming!

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Edited by scout35016, 05 September 2012 - 02:45 PM.

[Ironmaster Oddities]

teevons, on 31 August 2012 - 01:23 AM, said:

Ok , I'll bite
The question was if you could have one set..
I am huge Hogan fan but would have to go with Macgregor 1963 Toney Penna VIP with copper diamond scoring, the most beautiful set of irons I have ever seen.

Tim,
i just saw a set of VIP/Toney Pennas I don't remember ever having seen before.  A friend has them. They are Toney Penna VIP 64's.  They have the VIP 63 club face, but do NOT have the copper Colokrom. I have seen the pyramid dot face on other Armours (AT 1 or AT 2 from the early 60's) but not on the VIP.  Also, I don't remember seeing the'64 model. I figured that if anybody else had a set, it would be you.
Bob