![]() ![]() So, if you see a rubber grip, you can be assured that it is a steel shafted club. Manufacturers began using rubber grips, like those on these Spaldings, later on. Grips can be a little bit more difficult to distinguish because early pyratones still used the flat leather wrap grips. The ferrules in pyratones tend to be longer than modern ferrules, and they are flush against the pyratone coating. Hickory clubs do not have ferrules because the hosel fits flush against the bell curve of the hickory shaft, so when you see a ferrule you know immediately that it is a steel shaft. The tips of pyratone irons are more closely comparable to modern tip size than hickory.įerrules. Pyratone shaft size is smaller, so when you pick up a pyratone and compare it to hickory you can see the difference in tapering. What should you look for when trying to determine wood, or steel? There are a couple of things I look at, especially when I am looking at clubs online or in pictures. ![]() There are examples of the pyratone which are very similar to hickory in both color and grain, like these Hillerich and Bradby Louisville Grand Slam irons shown in the picture. Once steel manufacturing processes allowed for building strong, light, and dependable shafts, steel became the standard.Īfter you have spent a good deal of time collecting hickories and pyratones, spotting the difference is easier, but when you are just starting out it can be difficult. Examples are the Macgregor Duralite series and the Spalding Kro-Flite series, among others. During this transition period many manufacturers would offer certain club lines in both hickory and pyratone. The USGA officially legalized steel shafts in 1924, with the R&A following suit in 1929. It is also the year that the Society of Hickory Golfers uses as the cutoff for SoHG events any wood shafted club made before 1935 is allowed. When we think of the official transition from hickory to steel, we often think of 1935 because it was a fairly clear point when golf pros began to convert to steel shafts. It would take several years for manufacturing processes to produce a steel shaft that was light and dependable. Variations of steel shafted golf clubs have been around since the early 1900s, but the thin steel was unreliable and the quality/consistency could not match the hickory shafts of the time. Pyratone golf shafts became popular in the 1930s, because of their resemblance to the traditional hickory shafts which dominated golf until the mid-1930s. ![]() Commonly referred to as “pyratones,” these early steel shafted golf clubs led the transition away from hickory by making the steel look like wood. If you have spent any time collecting vintage golf clubs, you have been faced with determining if a club is a wood shaft, or a steel shaft with a faux wood coating – otherwise known as pyratone golf shafts. ![]()
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