Stamped “The Spalding Span” on the back of its head along with the patent date, this cleek has an insert of wood inlaid in the face. The 38 3/4" shaft and wood insert are original, but the original grip was covered with some kind of tape back in the day, with a built-up, thick wrap under the left hand, near the butt of the club. The grip modification is actually kind of cool. It shows the lengths a golfer would go to back in the day when he or she wanted to make a grip alteration. It's quite different that what would be done today, that is for sure.
Designed to offer the golfer an iron that had the feel of a wood, this club was produced under an 1897 US Design Patent issued to James Cran. It was the 10th US patent issued for a golf club. From top to bottom, this is a most interesting example of this popular collectible. TCA2 V1 p393