gocchin

I will post photos of all the putters when they are done!

I'll try and have part 2 up in the next few days... part 3 actually takes place on Monday when Craig and I meet again.

No but they have a very strong presence in Korea... its one of their biggest markets.

And here is the photo taken by Sasaya-san of Craig and I at lunch!

<a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/slide.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23582" alt="slide" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/slide.jpg"></a> It's always interesting to meet TSG customers when they come to Japan. Many of these customers I have dealt with for years and finally seeing them face to face is always a pleasure. Craig is as hardcore a golf enthusiasts as they come and I have always known this. He appreciates quality and is very loyal to the brands that perform for him. So it was only natural when he told me a few weeks ago that he was flying in for a weekend of golf that we head out to Itabashi to visit Master Sasaya and Gold's Factory. Afterall, Craig is the proud owner of no less than 4 unique re-works done by Sasaya-san over the last 6 months alone. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23584" alt="1" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1.jpg"></a> I met Craig around 9:30am just outside Daimaru at Tokyo Station. Surprisingly traffic coming in from Kiminomori was very heavy for a Friday morning. Craig and I then hopped on the JR and headed out to Nakajuku in Itabashi for a morning session with the Master. Nakajuku as I have mentioned before is an older part of Tokyo with narrower streets and tightly crammed businesses and homes. It probably wasn't what Craig had expected as the home to Gold's Factory. Craig had brought along 4 more putters for modification and refinishing by Gold's and we also discussed some ideas for an all new original Gold's creation putter. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23586" alt="2" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2.jpg"></a> We arrived at Gold's just after 10:00am and after introductions and a quick perusal of the workshop Craig pulled out an Epon Zen, Epon i33, Gold's Factory DWD, and an older brass Hiro Matsumoto Tour putter. We stood over the putters trying to decide on the spot what to do with each one. Craig had been very happy with the suggestions I had made on previous putters so he left the finer details up to myself and Sasaya-san to decide while he let us know his thoughts on each putter, ie "The Zen feels too light, and looks too plain... the Hiro feel is not up to par with the others, the i33 got rusted in transit and needs an overhaul..." We came together on ideas for each head and Sasasya-san began pulling the shaft off the Zen and DWD putter so that he could get to work on the putters immediately since Craig was only here for a few hours. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/3.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23587" alt="3" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/3.jpg"></a> There is no doubt that when it comes to workmanship and finish, there are few in this world that rival Gold's Factory. Craig got a chance first hand to see exactly how hands on everything is at Gold's. There are those who think a lot of what Gold's does is about looks and aesthetics, and of course it is, who doesn't want their putter to look good? But much care is taken to make sure that each putter, whether a Gold's original or not is as good as it can be manufacturing wise, performance wise and of course looks. Craig had requested a sight dot be placed on the top line of the ZEN so Sasaya-san immediately placed the Zen on a balance point which shows us exactly where the sweet spot or CG is placed in the head. Many putters and brands assume this spot is in the center of the putter and place sight lines and sight dots accordingly. However as Sasaya-san showed us and explained, with a lot of the weight of a putter being in the neck, the CG is almost always towards the neck. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/4.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23590" alt="4" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/4.jpg"></a> Sure enough on the Zen, the actual sweet spot of the putter was just under a cm away from the center towards the heel. Now placing a sight dot or line here would look weird and as Sasaya-san put it "not very beautiful". This was especially the case because the Zen has a circular patch of face milling right in the center of the face. Craig had noted the head felt a little lighter than he would have liked so we weighed the head and it was a very healthy 357g. But since Craig wanted a heavier head and feel, it gave us to opportunity to play around with the weighting. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/5.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23592" alt="5" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/5.jpg"></a> Sasaya-san and I decided on 2 weights in the sole but heavier towards the toe to help edge that CG over towards the actual center of the putter more. That would allow for a sight dot in the physical center of the putter right above the center of the circle area face milling. With the small and narrow sole we decided on a 4g mini "G" weight flat in the heel sole and a 9g tunsten insert with little brass inserts (look almost gold to match he Epon "e") on the front part of the toe bringing the weight up to 370g. As I have mentioned before, Gold's machine's all their own weights and as you can see in the photo above, they still have to insert 8 small brass pins into the weight. As Craig discovered visiting Gold's, there is lots of intricate little details all done by hand. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/7.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23594" alt="7" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/7.jpg"></a> There was lots going on in the Gold's Factory workshop as we moved our attention to the Hiro Matsumoto Tour putter Craig brought in. The black dyed head was fading and edges of the brass putter were coming through. Sasaya-san sand blasted the head to remove the bulk of the finish and then came the work to begin refinishing this gamer. Scratches, dings were to be removed and this putter restored to a new look with its original brass material as the base. The putter was placed in the CNC machine and the un milled face checked. Gold's Factory does this for EVERY putter, regardless of whether it is a Gold's putter or other brand, regardless of whether it is new or old. As you can imagine, its quite important to have a perfectly flat face when it comes to putting and you will be surprised to discover how many brands or retail putters do not. They are able to measure and machine to fractions of a mm (they were machining the face of a putter before the Matsumoto at a depth of 0.04mm. Yes 4/100th of a millimeter which is half the width of human hair. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23596" alt="8" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8.jpg"></a> Comparatively speaking the Matsumoto was pretty good overall for a flat face though Gold's was able to detect a slight concave dip towards the center at 0.05mm. This was easily corrected by machining the face with a very fine milling. Two passes heel to toe then toe to heel and the a second check of the face showed the Matsumoto was now perfectly flat. Gold's factory dubs this a very fine milling. You can clearly see the mill marks but running your hand along the face, it feels smooth! At this point the face can be left like this or polished which will remove the mill marks for a polished finish. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/9.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23598" alt="9" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/9.jpg"></a> Next up was some light grinding to remove rough edges and damaged portions of the putter. The grinding process is quite a tedious job and is usually done over the span of several days. Grinding is done with different grit of sandpaper depending on the wound 0r damage and then slowly the grit becomes more fine as the putter becomes more and more smooth. It was very cool to see this done as the black finish came off to show the brass. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23599" alt="11" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/11.jpg"></a> Sasaya-san's goal is to polish the brass and then allowing it to oxidize. Through the oxidation process the color of the putter will continue to darken and antique over time. The oxidation actually serves as protection for the putter against corrosion. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/12.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23600" alt="12" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/12.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/131.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23603" alt="13" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/131.jpg"></a> As the putter was grinded and polished over and over, it transformed into a completely different looking head from just a few hours earlier. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/14.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23605" alt="14" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/14.jpg"></a> Craig was soaking up all the activity around the workshop since his putters were being worked on all around and like me was shooting photos of everything and learning a lot of new things. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23606" alt="15" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15.jpg"></a>'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15.jpg"></a> In Japan because a round of golf is a full service activity, you rarely handle your own bag as course staff do all the bag handling. It is essential to have a clear name tag on your caddie bag so I asked Sasaya-san to make a Gold's Bag Tag for Craig who would be spending the weekend golfing around the Mount Fuji area with Stew (supo67). Craig chose blue as its his favorite color. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/15.jpg"> </a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/16.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23607" alt="16" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/16.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/17.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23608" alt="17" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/17.jpg"></a> The bag tags are done on the hand mill, the same machine that does PZ Milling for gold's putters. A template is used and coordinating both hands, any pattern can be cleanly machined. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/18.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23609" alt="18" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/18.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/19.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23610" alt="19" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/19.jpg"></a> Paintfill is done afterwards just like on any putter or club. Craig asked me to choose the paintfill for him and I decided on RED for his initials and the rest in white which I think looks very cool. Personally I own 2 of these bag tags myself and always get nice compliments from the staff at different courses as to how cool it looks! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/20.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23611" alt="20" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/20.jpg"></a> Craig's tag was fresh off the press as we carefully put it in plastic since the paint was still wet. Next we drew our attention to the Epon i33 putter. Unfortunately when the i33 was shipped to Craig from another member of TSG, the soft S20C carbon steel head, suffered some water damage causing terrible rust along the leading edge and bottom portion of the face. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/21.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23617" alt="21" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/21.jpg"></a> This of course gave Craig the excuse to bring it along to Gold's for a compete overhaul. We decided on bringing the weight up with two orbit around G weights, remilling the face with the original Premium Zone horizontal milling and then refinishing the head in a tour teflon black with red accents. This is going to be a one of a kind Epon i33 putter! The fourth putter that will be worked on is the Dance With Dragon original Private stock No.1 along with the fifth putter which is an all original Gold's Factory putter that Sasaya-san and I will design for Craig with a special no offset welded short neck and Damascus insert! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/23.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23619" alt="23" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/23.jpg"></a> Overall it was a fun morning at Gold's Factory, not only for Craig but also for myself as every time I go, I still learn something new. Sasaya-san's dad was machining and grinding what I thought to be a putter neck but then I found out that he was making tools. Yes, Gold's Factory even makes their own cutting tools! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/24.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23620" alt="24" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/24.jpg"></a> As Sasaya-san put it, "We need tools to make putters, so before we can make putters, we need to make tools!" You can see an assortment of machined cutting tools made by Gold's themselves above! Finally lunch rolled around and Craig and I were taken out for lunch by Sasaya-san at a local Tsukemen (ramen noodles dipped in soup broth) shop that he frequents regularly. Lunch was delicious. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/22.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23625" alt="22" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/22.jpg"></a> I think its safe to say Craig had a one of a kind hands on experience at Gold's Factory, watching, learning and understanding what they do and can do. A final photo of Craig and the master above as well as one more photo below of a really cool putter I saw them making... you'll hear about that later! Stay tuned for Craig's Excellent Japan Adventure Part 2: Crazy Factory! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/25.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23627" alt="25" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/25.jpg"></a>

Koga-san, If you like a hot more crisp feel off the face, typically that is what the ONOFF Type S/Black FW's give. I haven't had a chance to try this one yet as it was just announced but I've gamed their better player FW on several occasions over the years and have not been disappointed.

Yururi has released a new Muscle back iron called the PDG or Pocket Dancing Grinding as you saw from the video Chris posted. Kyoei forged and with a very thin top line and sole, it's aimed at the better player. To clarify what Pocket Dancing Grinding is: The pocket of an iron is an essential part of every iron's design. This pocket determines how the neck of the iron flows into the face and head. Because the area is curved, it is the most difficult part of an iron to grind beautifully. When grinding the pocket, the craftsman's hand moves up and down and left and right like little dance. Only the most experienced craftsmen can grind the pocket to perfection using these find movements. All Yururi PDG irons have the pocket grinded by a single top craftsman in Himeji. The Pocket Dance is the key to the beauty of this head!

Richard I'll post the CB a little later today. Duc for the toe area, face on it is reasonably square as I had requested but at address it still looks quite round. A little more squared and straight like the X-Blade 909.

If a Crazy shaft breaks, 100% of the time it is a clean breakage or snap above the ferrule/socket. This can be due to a miss hit or excessive pressure on the neck. Splintering like that or cracking in numerous places up the shaft is not typical Crazy breakage as a matter of a fact this is the first time I have seen it. It appears more to be mishandling or perhaps damage during shipping ie pressure or weight on the shaft during transit?

The XV is legal like the Metal factory driver at around 250. There are drivers in our shop that are non conforming and are in the 270 to 290 CT range... The difference in Ti is in their strengths/durability, melting points which is important for manufacturing especially forging and elasticity. A lot of times the design of the head and manufacturing process (as well of budget of course) will dictate what material is used.

50 to 60* in loft. I still have to play them to see how they compare to the bold but the attraction of these wedges is the customization to each golfer's specs.

Honestly i took those photos and I looked carefully at the product back at the Japan golf fair. I was originally going to visit their operations but the drivers did not impress me that much, As for the COR and CT the guarantee over 0.826889 COR which is legal limit. And CT over 250 which is nothing. We have many drivers in the shop that blow those numbers away. Unique in looks... for sure. Performance... I can't judge but its pretty much one driver model made with all different colors and it only uses standard 6-4 Ti which by Japan standards is not considered premium or exotic by any means.

Tabuchi-san's custom wedges are now available through TSG. We had them make a satin 56 and a raw black 60* which they sent to my house this week. We removed all the unecessary stampings and reduced the offset. The grind is already very versatile so we left it at as. Options include, grind, offset, finish, stampings. As always I'll work with you on your custom needs so like the muscle back and driving iron just send me an email! Here is the original: And the ones we had custom made:

I'm pretty sure 950GH and S200 and KBS Tour that also come from Mizuno and are sold here in Japan are the same flex as in the US. There are many JDM brands that are stiffer in flex than US shafts. In the case of some OEM stock shafts, many of them have much higher torque which translates into more feel and many dub this as whippy. But again every brand varies. As for the difference between JDM and US MP-69, if you are talking about Yoro vs off the shelf US models, there is difference. Retail off the shelf are mass produced, less attention to detail and workmanship. Yoro, each head is handpicked and worked on by a top Yoro craftsman, checked many times during the process for accuracy and workmanship. You can see the processes here: US retail models do not get the same treatment.

yes all the original protos were non conforming.

Yesterday I was in Tokyo to visit Gold's Factory to talk to Master Sasaya about some future putters and how things in general are going. Gold's is very busy with a queue of jobs from all around the world and as usually many beautiful putters are being produced and modified. Instead of doing a usual long write up, I thought I would make this more of a photoblog since I snapped some photos while I was there. Pictures can tell a whole story so I will just add a few lines here and there. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1145.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1145.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23486" alt="DSCF1145" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1145.jpg" ></a> Before heading over to Nakajyuku in Itabashi, I thought I would swing by Shinjuku and check out some cameras. I brought along my Fuji X-Pro1 which I use for all my photos on this blog along with a 35mm f1.4 and a 18-55mm zoom. All the photos at Gold's are with the 35mm and the outside shots the zoom lens. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1138.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1138.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23484" alt="DSCF1138" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1138.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1141.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1141.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23485" alt="DSCF1141" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1141.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1161.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1161.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23487" alt="DSCF1161" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1161.jpg" ></a> I fiddled with a bunch of cameras including the Nikon D800, D600, Canon 5D MKIII, 6D, Leica M9, Sony a99 and RX-1 but in the end I decided my X-Pro1 didn't really need updating. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1173.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1173.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23488" alt="DSCF1173" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1173.jpg" ></a> Elections are coming up and just outside Shinjuku station I was surprised to find Yamamoto Taro an actor and celebrity campaigning for votes to commuters outside the station. He is actively involved with the anti-nuclear movement here in Japan especially after what happened with the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1315.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1315.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23522" alt="DSCF1315" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1315.jpg" ></a> I arrived in Nakajuku, a suburb in the Itabashi area of Tokyo which is home to Gold's Factory. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1185.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1185.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23489" alt="DSCF1185" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1185.jpg" ></a> As always Master Sasaya has his signature black tee on! After talking about different putters in production. I got the chance to watch him do his next generation premium zone milling for a customer of ours in Thailand. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1195.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1195.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23490" alt="DSCF1195" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1195.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1201.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1201.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23491" alt="DSCF1201" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1201.jpg" ></a> The first thing Master Sasaya does with all putters including those he manufactures as well as other brands he modifies is to make sure the face is perfectly flat. You would be surprised to find out how many big name putters do NOT have flat faces at which point Gold's has has to mill the face flat first before milling grooves. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1208.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1208.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23492" alt="DSCF1208" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1208.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1224.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1224.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23497" alt="DSCF1224" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1224.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1237.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1237.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23498" alt="DSCF1237" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1237.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1242.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1242.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23499" alt="DSCF1242" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1242.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1278.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1278.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23510" alt="DSCF1278" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1278.jpg" ></a> Master Sasaya mills all his putters by hand using templates that he created. This includes engraving of logos and words as well as you see in the orange template above. <!-- This version of the embed code is no longer supported. Learn more: https://vimeo.com/help/faq/embedding --> <object width="640" height="360" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=69738160&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed width="640" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=69738160&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" /></object> I also tried to make a video of the milling process, some of you may have already seen some of the process in Tourspecgolfer's Gold's interview video. I shot this with the X-Pro1, in full manual, manual focus and handheld... hence quite shaky and out of focus! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1283.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1283.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23512" alt="DSCF1283" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1283.jpg" ></a> And here is the finished milled face. Carefully done it takes about 1.5 hours to 2.0 hours. I've tot lots of photos so will post many more below here. Customers of ours may recognize their putters being made! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1268.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1268.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23505" alt="DSCF1268" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1268.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1269.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1269.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23506" alt="DSCF1269" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1269.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1270.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1270.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23507" alt="DSCF1270" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1270.jpg" ></a> A special center shaft del mar style putter made for the president of DWD! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1260.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1260.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23504" alt="DSCF1260" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1260.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1257.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1257.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23503" alt="DSCF1257" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1257.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1244.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1244.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23500" alt="DSCF1244" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1244.jpg" ></a> Machining putters aside, Gold's knows that a putter has to be properly spec'ed and assembled. Special care is taken even installing the grip and checking the face angle of the heads. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1246.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1246.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23501" alt="DSCF1246" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1246.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1312.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1312.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23520" alt="DSCF1312" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1312.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1314.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1314.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23521" alt="DSCF1314" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1314.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1291.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1291.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23513" alt="DSCF1291" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1291.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1293.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1293.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23514" alt="DSCF1293" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1293.jpg" ></a> A new short neck anser style putter. A beautiful blue accents GF00A for one of our customers in China. A couple of modified Scotty Camerons at the bottom. <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1300.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1300.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23517" alt="DSCF1300" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1300.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1281.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1281.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23511" alt="DSCF1281" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1281.jpg" ></a> After Tourspecgolfer's Odyssey putter was modified to use a SUs303 face insert, replacing Odyssey inserts have been very hot at Gold's. Gold's uses a dual layer insert, an inner layer of aluminum and an outer later of JIS SUS303 machined with PZ Milling. The reason why they use aluminum as well is to keep the weight down. Adding just the SUS303 insert would be too much of an increase over the original feather light Odyssey insert. More shop photos below! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1217.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1217.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23494" alt="DSCF1217" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1217.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1218.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1218.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23495" alt="DSCF1218" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1218.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1221.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1221.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23496" alt="DSCF1221" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1221.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1294.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1294.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23515" alt="DSCF1294" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1294.jpg" ></a> <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1273.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1273.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23509" alt="DSCF1273" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1273.jpg" ></a> Overall it was another fun day at Gold's Factory. Just a reminder that if you are having a putter made at Gold's or have had one made in the past, you have the option of visiting Gold's Factory if you come to Tokyo. Just contact us and let us know! <a href="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1308.jpg"><img'>http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1308.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23519" alt="DSCF1308" src="http://www.golftoimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSCF1308.jpg" ></a>

Thats certainly rare for JDM to use 0.350 in their heads. I pretty much always assume 0.335.

YUP!

Those ones above are still current. The butterly was first, followed by the wings you see above but they all had slightly different grinds. Crazy has a knack of re-releasing some models over and over with slight tweaks anjd changes. The grinds in the bigger pic are harder to make out but probably benefit the digger as they are not as narrow as the very aggressive M grind in the smaller image. Toyoshima-san only grinded whatever is dubbed a CC-B 104. They also use the butterfly on other models like the CB01 and 02 but those are not Toyoshima-san.

They should all be 0.335 as far as I know.

Those are the original Crazy "prototype" wedges that were made before Toyoshima. There were at least a couple of variations with different grinds and shapes. The butterfly stamping would have probably been the very first followed by the Crazy wings. They were done at Kyoei, grinded by Kyoei craftsmen to Crazy specifications. They were available mostly in satin but there may have been raw as well. There were M grinds, crescent grinds as well as channeled grooves in the sole for some. I think the earlier ones were non conforming.

Koga-san yes, same options for wedges. Pricing is on a per quote basis depending on what you need but much of it is included in the base price already. Drop me an email if you want to discuss!

As you all have heard, Tabuchi-san who the brand is named after is a master grinder in Himeji and grinds all the clubs for Buchi and now with custom specs for TSG. When we stopped by his office and evaluated the Buchi models, they were all very nice but needed tweaking here and there. This is their current muscle back: It's a beautiful iron but we didn't like the stamping, blast art or the sheep so we worked with Tabuchi-san to do something much cleaner. We also wanted Tabuchi-san to reduce the offset and make the toe a tad boxier. For finish we experimented with a satin nickel plating BUT with the face left raw. This was quite difficult as the edges of the top blade and face and heel which are satin have to meet up with the raw face cleanly. Another option we considered is the nickel satin with copper underlay to soften up the impact. The blade with our requests showed up at my house today so I snapped a few quick pics (again please note it came as a head only so I just threw it on a shaft for photos). I think we could still square off the toe more and thin the top line and reduce even more offset. (this is the first go!) The MT201 is now available for custom order, you can specify offset, shape of toe and topline, grind of the sole, finish of the head ie raw, satin, black, head weights, lofts and lie as well as stampings or lack thereof. They can be ordered as heads only or shafted. If you email me I will work with you on your specs and options.

you can order now ... its more complicated as all clubs are custom so I will work with each customer

I am one who typically uses iron shafts (especially graphite) to go in my utilities to match the feel and performance of the shafts in my irons. They work well as long as you don't need to go overly long. MCI would be great in a UT as you discovered.