Lot # 205: 1890s Forgan Putter w/Ultimate Pistol Grip. ex FX Fry

Starting Bid: $100.00

Bids: 13 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring 2021",
which ran from 3/3/2021 12:00 PM to
3/20/2021 8:00 PM



Bearing an "R Forgan" stamp and Prince of Wales plume on the crown, this 1890s splice-neck Robert Forgan putter sports a fabulous pistol grip if ever there was one! When the putter is addressing the ball, the top three inches of the grip angles sharply back towards the golfer, and the front of the grip below the angled portion is flat to accept the golfer's thumbs. To the auctioneer, when actually holding this putter and taking a stroke, the grip fits that hands extremely well and feels fabulous! It really does.

This grip is identical to the grip illustrated in and covered under Lawrence Gray's 1911 British Patent 26,976.  According to his patent the angled end of the shaft could be formed as part of the shaft or it could be a seperate piece of wood spliced onto the top of the shaft.   Because this club bears Forgan's price of Wales plume, we know it was made prior to 1902. In 1901, Prince Edward became King Edward VII and Forgan stopped marking their clubs with the POW plume.  Also, because the shaft is stamped "R. Forgan and Son, St. Andrews," the shaft is most likely the original shaft and the owner had the pistol grip spliced in place and a new leather wrap grip installed.  This 35" shaft is also stamped "Fred X Fry."

The leather grip itself shows excellent craftsmanship.  It was cut special so that it would cover the grip smoothly, with no gaps or raised portions.  It remains tight and shows little use.

This putter is from the historic Fred X Fry collection and bears his inventory label on the shaft.  Fry, the dean of American golf club collectors, was busy building his collection forty years before the Golf Collectors Society (now The Golf Heritage Society) was formed in 1970. Collecting with great passion, Fry amassed approximately 450 clubs, mostly putters. He cataloged, displayed, and cherished his treasures. A Copy of Fry's inventory page is included with this lot.  A number of national magazines ran articles about his collection of putters between 1936 and 1963. For more on Fry and to view some of the articles, Click Here.

 

 

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