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"Hand Made"! Do You Have The Talent?

Nippon Shafts
One-T, there are several sites that are pretty much devoted to putters and break things down to specific builders like Mills, SC, Nead and others.

I can send you links, but hate to promote other sites on this one other than PutterZone.

Hope that answered your question?

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no thanks man, I just found it very interesting the amount of info you had on these putters and the backgrounds and stuff....
 
Duey's got the perma-putter-freak itch lol, isn't it wonderful Duey?

I'm seriously teetering on contacting Gene, but, I know I need to wait for a while...
 
One-T said:
no thanks man, I just found it very interesting the amount of info you had on these putters and the backgrounds and stuff....
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I seriously doubt I hold a candle to others like Jman and JB when it comes to putter knowledge. It's just something very interesting to me, so I try to learn as much as possible.

I hope to own a Mills similar to the one shown by the op here. They make a ton of great putters and I would love to toy with sound slots on different material putters. But, so many putters and so little time/money, lol.

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thedue said:
Mills has some fantastic putters, one of the true masters of the past for sure. Not sure if I'm a sound slot fan or not, but you can't go wrong with a Mills putter if fit for you.
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I agree that TP (Truett) Mills was one of the true pioneer's of handmade and milled putters, but he has been gone for sometime now. Mills putters are made today by his son David, like the one I pictured.
My question is why do todays makers feel they must stamp something like "Hand Forged" on a putter that was without a doubt, NOT hand forged. I just don't get it. There is another Mills out there that was stamped "Tour Forged". I just find this type of marketing a huge turn off.
 
Depends on your version of what a true forged is. A lot of these companies have forged material in the make up of the putter so they can call it forged.

Someone was talking about this before, might have been Jman. They use forged inguts or something?

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Very true. Truett Mills often used cold forgings when he handmade putters in the sixties. All of the Spalding putters designed by TP were also cold forged. The question about the Mills pictured was asked in another forum and the Mills sales rep confirmed that the putter was not forged, but that the stamping was just a play on the fact TP did use forged heads as his starting point many years ago.
That is why I would class that one as nothing more than a clever marketing scheme. Either the putter is hand forged or it is not. If not (as is the case), then why stamp it as such.
To me it is no different than taking a head completely milled on a CNC machine and stamping it as a handmade or in the case, hand forged. To me it is a false statement and not a selling point at all. It is a turn off if anything. So why do they do it?
The prices being asked for these "special" putters is very high in some cases so I think the makers, in this internet, sharing of information, electronic era we live in, have to be more accountable than ever before.
A few guys, Gene Nead being one, LaMont Mann another and Tad Moore another have here and in other forums addressed this issue in the recent past. If I'm going to pay $600....$800....$1000 for a putter, I want to know how it was made, and I expect an honest answer in return.
I have worked on a lot of putters and I know how difficult it can be to make one, and I know how easy it can be to do certain things to one as well.
 
Great info HG. I wouldn't know just looking at the pictures. Some things you have to rely on the manufacturer to tell you and this seems like more than a play on words. Deception comes to mind if really not forged, yet has it stamped right on there.
 
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Hand Made #9 from Gene Nead This putter would likely be my all around favorite to putt with as well as show off. Very simple, yet sweet flowing lines and look. This "Mini" should be a great putter on the green's.
 
This is a 100% Handmade aluminum Bronze Mini with a wide flange and a bullet bottom that was cut with a die Grinder and polished smooth.

I put this one together and did some carpet putting and this is a tremendously good feeling putter,
I have always liked the feel of aluminum bronze but never really liked the sound, with the with the radius in the back of the putter all being filled in with weld (a lot of welding) it changed the sound of the putter for the good.
I have to say this is one of the best feeling putters and sounding putters ever with a very wide sweet spot.

Gene
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Duey,
Im assuming Gene is saying these things correct? Please make sure to use quotes or ask Gene to put up his thoughts on these. Pictures are fine, but we never like people to use words unless quotes are used and people are getting the proper credit.
 
Sure JB!
 
Question for Gene : Would Silicon Bronze make a good putter , or would it be to soft of an alloy ?
By the way I am enjoying these pics Duey & Gene !!
 
gnead said:
I would make a great putter
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Well... we know YOU make a great putter, but a little modesty never hurt :act-up:
Hehe
 
RxGus said:
Well... we know YOU make a great putter, but a little modesty never hurt :act-up:
Hehe
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Just guessing his "t" didn't catch.
 
thedue said:
Just guessing his "t" didn't catch.
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Oh. I am well aware (happens to me all the time)... just couldn't pass up the line, is all.
 
RxGus said:
Oh. I am well aware (happens to me all the time)... just couldn't pass up the line, is all.
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I do to, it's my hen pecking.
 
Another question for Gene on this last putter . Why did you cut the rear flange so thin then build it up with weld , instead of cutting it thicker and die grinding it to your required thickness ?
Did you want the heat of the welding to change the properties of the putter ?
Just asking , if its a trade secret you can just say so .
 
I am also curious about the welding in picture 3 of post 160. Not the long weld that appears to be joining two bits of material. Rather, the two short ones near the top of the image. Start of the sweet spot perhaps? Hardening for the stamp? Curious morons (ME) want to know.

thedue said:
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By welding filling the back in with weld it does 2 things it changes the sound and I really fill the corner in with a lot of weld so with all the heat
applied in that area it will curve the sole of the putter up at the back of the flange about 1/8 so I do not have to grind or sand as much to get
the shape i am looking for in the sole, as far as the welding in picture 3 that was just filling in little pits that were over ground and the long one
was for blending.
 
Thanks Gene . Its cool you manipulated the metal to your desire , I used to do alot in doing body work , but as cars have changed to different types of high strength sheet metal we have to be very careful of the welding and the heat from the grinding we do now days .
Some panels we can not even grind or hammer and dolly on as it requires a new panel instead of a repair .
I was just curious with your method on this model .
Thanks again !!
 
Due,

I am almost positive this is the case but just to be sure, the putter in post 159 is the finished putter and the photos in 160 were taken during the process of making it, correct?

If that is the case, then Gene must have put some sort of finish on the Al/Bz material...yes?
 
jnug said:
Due,

I am almost positive this is the case but just to be sure, the putter in post 159 is the finished putter and the photos in 160 were taken during the process of making it, correct?

If that is the case, then Gene must have put some sort of finish on the Al/Bz material...yes?
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The finish, it is first polished to get all of the scratches out and then just lightly brushed with a 3m pad
 
jnug said:
Due,

I am almost positive this is the case but just to be sure, the putter in post 159 is the finished putter and the photos in 160 were taken during the process of making it, correct?

If that is the case, then Gene must have put some sort of finish on the Al/Bz material...yes?
Click to expand...

gnead said:
The finish, it is first polished to get all of the scratches out and then just lightly brushed with a 3m pad
Click to expand...

Thanks Gene, I was dinking around and didn't see his question. Hope that answered for you Jnug, I started with the finished product, yes.
 
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