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Chronicle of custom Lajosi BM3 – Smooth & Damascus Custom


EdGolf

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Guys, thought I would share a cool putter project I'm now getting done from Lajosi in Australia.

Tired of ‘off the rack’ and been having this idea to have a customize putter for the last year or so and have been reading and searching many different forums for ideas.

There are many name brands out there that does great customization today, compare to couple years back and the many choices only create more confusion as each brand are a beauty in their own rights with each seem to specialize in certain type of style and finished.

Was undecided for a long time which style or brand I prefer until one day I bump into someone with a Lajosi putter and it was ‘Love At First Sight’ and I knew immediately who I wanted to design my first custom putter.

I then started to register myself in PT and start looking at their threads on the other putters he have created and in my mind, without a doubt, “This is the man” as each of his work is like looking at an Art Display.

There are so many great Lajosi designs that I like, it was hard to decided on one so I went with TWO custom instead.

:tsg_smiley_heart:

Edited by EdGolf
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BM3 - Smooth

First on the list was a BM3 – Smooth. Love the original version of BM3 but the newer version with the more rounded flange just seem to flow with the toe much better.

Also decided to go with the unique lizard face milling.

KLP401Damsmooth004.jpg

Not sure on finish yet for this but have shortlist Antique Silver or Gun Metal.

Wanted also some of my personal initials on the putter as well (so hopefully it will stop my putter hoo…!) and the initial idea was to have this logo of a ‘Monkey’ done in a Chinese brush stroke.

ScreenShot2012-03-16at110607AM.png

Alternatively (should the Monkey proof too difficult a challenge to blend into the whole putter design), I also came out with this:

ScreenShot2012-03-23at12555PM.png

What you guys think? I think the name should suit this sexy baby…. but at the same time the Chinese brush stroke Monkey in black is also very unique, especially since I was born in the Year of Monkey and now my work have brought me to China for the past 12 years.

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Damascus

For my next custom, I wanted something special….. So I decided to give Damascus steel a try to see what’s the fuss is all about.

EC_1.jpg

You can see in the background my BM3- Smooth, which is already 80% done.

After looking at all the wonderful putters, I have in my mind what I wanted that would suit my eyes so I got in touch with Kari and after a few e-mail exchanges, he agrees to modified one of his standard model to my requirements.

Dealing with Kari was pleasant and he was super efficient (and patience) in answering all the endless stupid questions I have. Thanks Kari….!!

Stay tune for more updates….. :tsg_smiley_drool:

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Looks like a work of Art!!

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Love the Chinese characters...Face of the BM3 a bit busy, but as long as it puts the ball in the hole! Love custom putters

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Looks like a work of Art!!

Thanks Dale, that's one of the reason I choose Kari to do my first custom. His work is just amazing and from what i gather over in PT, they roll as well as they look too.

Can't wait to see what he can do with that block of Damascus steel.

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Love the Chinese characters...Face of the BM3 a bit busy, but as long as it puts the ball in the hole! Love custom putters

Yeah the lizard face might not be for all but I thought it was so unique, instead of the normal deep milling you see around on most putters.

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Love the Chinese characters...Face of the BM3 a bit busy, but as long as it puts the ball in the hole! Love custom putters

I like custom putters too, but for me it's how it feels in ya hands, kinda hard to do off the Internet!!

My search continues!!:(

I think it will be a Scotty Fast back!

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That is art! The face is pretty but is not designed for performance.

Thanks Chris.... IMHO I honestly doubt the milling will be much more different than the other deep face milling out there as it's so dense together and completely flat.

Face milling IMO only help gives the the putter a 'softer' feel versus a flat face.

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Decided to go with KL4 but modified with a flat top line. Kari call this model KLP4A. However, I also wanted a clean look with no sight line but instead to add a pocket/ cavity to the back, which will help me in aligning the ball.

OK, after we finalized all the standard requirements, Lie Angel, Loft, Length, Weight, etc, I received those in my e-mail.

KLP4A-WC-1.jpg

KLP4A-WC-2.jpg

KLP4A-WC-3.jpg

The cavity looks a little too squarish for me and I e-mail Kari the below if he could rounded the edge off a little more

ScreenShot2012-03-31at103055AM.png

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After a few days, Kari came back with the revised CAD

KLP4C1-A.jpg

KLP4C1-B.jpg

KLP4C1-C.jpg

KLP4C1-D.jpg

I love the look of this revised cavity as it seems to flow with the flange….

Decided not to go with any face milling, as I wanted the Damascus pattern to be more visible and the cavity back should soften the feel of Damascus a little.

:tsg_smiley_drool:

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can you ask if he will sell me a damascus billet? i have been looking for one for ages and ages.

thickest i can find are blanks for knives.

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can you ask if he will sell me a damascus billet? i have been looking for one for ages and ages.

thickest i can find are blanks for knives.

Will try..... meanwhile, you can try this website http://www.metalpenblanks.com/order_blanks_mokume.html

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I'm 100% that the face milling has a lot to do with roll and not just feel. Try putting horizontal milling vertical it really screws with everything. The ball needs to make contact with with a surface area that is flat be it in the milling or on a flat face. inconsistent heights of milling on the face along with shapes are the main reason why there are not that many different milling designs available that actually work over the years.

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If you're talking about grove technology, in the likes of Yes C-groves, iIke Method and Rife that are design their groves at a certain upright angle, I would say maybe it helps getting the ball roll forward faster but even that many (if not most) major putter makers doubt it really works but instead they focus on promoting a flatter surface (i.e. Bettinardi Honeycomb face) or feel of their putter with different milling depth (i.e Scotty, TP, Pings, Byron, etc)

Here a latest article just posted in WRX on Scotty http://golf wrx/forums/topic/645274-the-inside-track-scotty-cameron/ Makes an interesting read but for those who haven't the time, below is a quote from a part of the article:

Quote "One of the trends that Cameron has resisted throughout the years is creating putters with plastic and rubber inserts. Cameron has made putters with inserts out of metals such as German Stainless Steel and Teryllium, but he has shied away from plastics and rubbers out of fear of what can happen to the materials over time.

“Plastics and rubbers sometimes fail,” Cameron said. “They can crack, chip and delaminate. What happens when [putters with plastic and rubber inserts] are in the trunk of your car after a round in Palm Springs, and then are transported back home in the belly of an airplane. I don’t want to get into a situation where I have to replace a failed insert.”

Quote "One of the most prominent features on the Select line, as well as Cameron’s trendier California line, are deep mill marks on the putter faces. How they change the feel of a putter is simple – deep mill marks impact a smaller surface area on the ball, which creates a softer feel that meshes better with the harder-feeling golf balls that are currently dominating the professional tours. Cameron’s once popular “beached” putter models achieve exactly the opposite feeling."

Quote: "Cameron has also stayed away from “groove inserts” in his putters, which he said do not offer the benefits that many manufacturers are touting.

“All the groove putters that we have tested have one-to-two degrees of loft,” Cameron said. “We’ve found that groove technology drives the ball into the ground. We want [the ball] along the ground, not into the ground … if there’s a better way to [putt], we’re looking at it. We have the robots and the high-speed video technology."

Apart from the above article, if you do a search in WRX and Putter Talk, there are many topics discussing this and so far some believe it works, which others believe the millings are more for looks or feels.

But what do I know?? I'm just a humble golfer lol. IMHO I think the length, loft, lie angle, shaft offset and how the putter set-up in my eyes are the most important thing that gives me confident in putting that darn ball into the hole.

:tsg_smilie_smile2:

Edited by EdGolf
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OK, Kari have programmed the Monkey and received the initial trial engraving of my Monkey logo….

EC_2.jpg

There is nothing this man can’t do….

The initial trial engraving of the Monkey turn out much better than I expected but was not 100% happy with the way it look with the name position so decided to ask Kari if he could give it another try.

Not decided yet is the logo placement and paint fill finish. So guys, where do you think my logo should be at?

:tsg_smiley_crazy:

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I wouldn't put your name on the putter. I would go with the initials ED in the circle look on a previous pic. Then I would have the monkey jumping aroung the entire putter along with my initials but not on the putter face. I'd leave that untouched.

But anyway you decide - it simply looks fantastic with that damascus piece of metal.

Great work of art - really.

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Thanks Zwan - a few email exchange between Kari and me was done on the logo and I believe I should have a new logo picture later today or tomorrow.

Cheers, Ed

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Love the whole creative process. Also something tells me you will putt better with a putter you built vs something off the shelf

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Totally agree. For me (at least) if a putter set-up comfortably to my eyes already give me 70% confident and hopefully the right specs will help the the remaining 30% to get the ball in the hole lol

Edited by EdGolf
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Revised engraving logo is in and it’s looking GREAT.

KLP401Damsmooth003.jpg

Also got the same engraving at the center sole of my BM3 – Smooth

KLP401Damsmooth007.jpg

Progress looking good so far….. :tsg_smilie_smile2:

Edited by EdGolf
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I adore the milling logo. Yep, it's beautiful! Great work and I'm sure you'll put better and even if you won't. Who cares with such a spectacular putter in hands ;-)

P.S.: Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I'm I really seeing what I'm seeing? Check out the "smiley"!

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P.S.: Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I'm I really seeing what I'm seeing? Check out the "smiley"!

There 'edited' - Took me a while to see what you see lol

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