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I don't know the answer to your question since I don't have a ball compression tester and have never been able to find information of a gutta percha ball's compression. Gutta percha balls sure sound hard when hit or bounced. Many long-nose style (pre-1885) clubs broke when playing gutta percha balls back in the day. But weighing the original gutta percha balls compared to the new gutta percha balls, which are made of synthetic GP, the new balls are a lot lighter. The originals weighed very close to modern balls. I believe that the combination of weight and hardness damages the clubs. There is much anecdotal evidence that limited flight range balls that have been remoulded to look like old balls have been wreaking havoc on clubs. So, in summary, my guess is that gutta percha balls are very hard, but since they are light, there is less chance of damage than a heavier hard range ball.

Thanks. I haven't noticed a difference in feel. I will need to hit a lot more balls to know if it makes a difference in yardage (while praying it doesn't crack). The pegs are are a very easy addition. You could even add some weights into the back of the hole and then plug it up with the dowel, although that would bring the COG up compared to a sole weight.

Thanks. I would guess that I know of your clubmaker friend since we have a small circle.

@@practicalclubmaker6152 It is an incredibly small circle, I'm sure. His first name is Barry.

@@billbris Ah, BK

Thanks. For some reason, the sound was delayed when filming the weights dropping on the wood. But that was the actual slow motion sound.

I just tried your suggestion and it seems to work also. I hold on to the club with my right hand on the backswing and start to let go at the transition. I guess anything to change the routine seems to work. A golf instructor told me that for his yips, he eats potato chips. I'm not sure how that routine works. Take a couple practice chips not from the bag but as a swing, then grab a chip from the bag, not the golf bag but the potato chip bag, start chewing the chip and then chip making sure to avoid the chili-dip!

Glad I could help

Thanks!

Nice pickup!

I bought the vise at a tool sale. It is a golf clubmaker's vise made in the 1970s to 80s. The benefit is that the workpiece is elevated and you don't need to bend over much. I've since used it to cut dovetails and it works well, so no need for a Moxon or twin screw vise that sits on my bench, although the latter would be ideal since there is no vise screw in the way. Another benefit of the vise above the bench is that it doesn't get in the way when angling a rasp or spokeshave. It would be a rather simple vise to make if you could find or make the hinge. The hinge at the bottom is like a door hinge but one plate is longer and that plate is bent 90° midway through with the bent section attached to the front "jaw-post".

Thanks. Agreed.

Based on what I have read, distances for featheries in the old days were about the same as the gutta percha. Perhaps 180 to 200 yards with roll. The problem that the Lanes explained to me is that as the ball gets harder, one could gain some distance, but it becomes less durable. So, the business model in the old days geared the game to the wealthy because the ball often didn't last even one round. But there would be huge stakes on some matches, so sacrificing a ball might have been worth it. I like the Lanes line of thinking to sacrifice distance for durability so we can all enjoy the game. You are correct that the first few flights will go further, but after 9 holes, the ball softens enough that it is difficult to achieve shots over 150 yards, unless the turf is very firm and dry.

I don’t get it. So the balls busted apart every time you hit it back then? Or is he just incredibly strong? Doesn’t make sense. Why did they use them for so long?

@@kirchy510 That is all they could think of technically for all of those years. One would think there was something better. But I can't think of anything ball that could fly 200 yards with the natural materials they had back then. The game, unfortunately, was mostly for wealthy people until the gutta percha ball came along.

Yes. Hard maple. I prefer beech, persimmon or apple, but am have trouble finding it in adequate thickness.

What's the minimum thickness you like to start with? @@practicalclubmaker6152

I have not. At least for me, the lead always has to be shaved down a bit, so any pattern made by the clay would probably have to be at least part way removed.

Totally makes sense. And like that medieval cathedral builder stated, 'There is no decoration, only proportion!' Great work!@@practicalclubmaker6152

It got attached to a mid-1800s long-nose style club, can't recall which one though.

@@practicalclubmaker6152 featherball Era. Nice! I'm slowly getting into gutty ball. Been messing with 20's and early 30's mostly.

Pine nuts and dill sound good. I think pound for pound, pine nuts are more expensive than feathery golf balls! This was a homework assignment for a favorite recipe for a French class.

Pretty cool, I'd give you an 'A'!@@practicalclubmaker6152

You bet!

You bring up some good points. In fact, even a couple of the master templates have a seam running down their length indicating they themselves were cast. I found a lot of the clubs in advertisements that match the masters exactly. Some were made of wood and some aluminum. Maybe you are correct that they made wooden versions.

@@practicalclubmaker6152 Just noticed, I didn't include the link! th-cam.com/video/gRC3rNFOj6Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=LPJBoCkXcKbQhnnQ

I should be there...with some pastrami !

Merci !

Well, the old-fashioned mark a line and plane to the line can be accurate if accompanied with patience.

Good idea. Did you check out Hickory Hacker? He does something like that. But in this case, we would need a What's Under the Arm since there weren't bags in the 1850s.

Thanks. I just uploaded a bunch of videos on TH-cam of historic replica long-nose golf clubmaking today. I primarily use Instagram.

@@practicalclubmaker6152 that is exciting! You’ve got a new subscriber in me. Your workmanship is beautiful. I hope you have lots of success in both platforms.

I don't think there is one. This type of test probably is not as accurate as the Janka test because the tip of the probe is pointed and can be lower if it lands in a pore and higher of it is elsewhere. The Janka test uses an 11mm steel ball that gets a broader idea of the hardness. That doesn't mean that the Shore D durometer isn't useful. You can take multiple readings and get an average or take the median.

Swiss or European pear was one of the traditional woods for clubheads in the pre-1850 feathery era. Much of the pear in the USA comes from the Bradford pear, aka callery pear. Bradford pear is softer than other slower growing pears. I think some of the pear clubs I made, while having a beautiful color, did not hold up well in play with gutta percha balls or modern low-compression balls, and were likely Bradford pear. Walnut and cherry are too soft for a hitting club but they could work as a putter. The most commonly used wood for heads in the gutta percha era was European beech. While not as hard as some other woods, it is not as brash or brittle, making it a tough wood. Woods that you could consider that were not used in the gutty era (or used late in the 1890s) are hard maple, persimmon, dogwood, ash, black locust, holly, apple (holly and apple are a little brittle), American beech, hawthorn, and hickory. Hickory and ash are ring porous and split along ray lines or the grain, so the grain needs to be just right. Congrats on trying your hand at making a couple clubs. I would love to see some photos.

That is a slip of bovine horn.

@@practicalclubmaker6152Very interesting thanks for letting me know

Making it yourself is the cheapest. You might be able to find one at a golf collectors meeting, but they are not common. Have you tried contacting K Leonard Hickory Gold? He might have a club with a cosmetic issue that he could sell for a lower price.