Old School Putters - Blending Quality and Class

- For a unique gift that will be appreciated for years to come, consider an Old School Putter for the golfer in your family. Old School Putters will surprise the recipient with its classy looks and functionality.

According to club maker George Bastuba, signature Old School Putters are made of high-quality materials, including American hickory for the shafts, leather grips and brass or zinc heads. “I feel my putters are not simply display pieces, but very playable; in fact, I play with one myself,” says a modest Bastuba. “These aren’t just old putters,” he adds. “Old School Putters is about the marriage of modern technology with traditional materials.” According to the New York City-based club maker, most of the putters have the heavier swing-weight of today’s modern putters, and the hickory shafts are lathed with less taper, and therefore less flex in order to work in harmony with the putter heads.

Retailing for around $100, Old School Putters come in several models, including solid brass, blue steel, several stainless steel models and a left-handed putter dubbed the Lefty II, which is made of brushed silver and finished with zinc. Other putters in the Old School Putter line up are high-tech innovations, designed with a nod to golf’s grand traditions. The Brassie II and the Black and Tan II both fall into this category.

In his club making process Bastuba draws on his knowledge of the game, which spans nearly 40 years as a player and club maker. Also, Old School Putters doesn’t focus solely on putters. Bastuba is also a full-service custom club fitter and club maker.

For example, Bastuba offers a trio of CER 8620 matched oil-soaked wedges, including a 52 degree gap wedge, a 56 degree sand wedge and a 60 degree lob wedge. “These clubs are built to Old School Putters’ custom progressive lengths, with stepless steel shafts and tour wrap grips,” says Bastuba. “And, they look as good as they play.”

These stylish wedges are investment cast from 8620 carbon steel for excellent feel. According to Bastuba, the 52 degree loft has 4 degrees of bounce; the 56 degree has 12 degrees of bounce; and the 60 degree features 6 degrees of bounce. The sole is a consistent width grind, which provides more playability and utilizes the bounce angle when the face is rolled open.

The 8620 carbon steel is used because it has similar hardness properties to the carbon steel used in the billet-forging process. The CER oil soaked wedges are a raw carbon steel with the dark, natural finish of the raw material. The “oil soaked” refers to the protective oil that is put on the finish to prevent premature rusting. Once these wedges are ready to go in the bag the oil should be wiped off. The natural rusting that will occur over time provides the unique look preferred by many veteran players.

Also, if you have a great putter that you love, but would like to take it up a notch in the class column, Old School Putters is happy to help.

For more details about Old School Putters, visit www.oldschoolputters.com.