In mid-October of 1971, Karsten Solheim discovered his PING Anser putter was being counterfeited in California.  The crooks had already sent a shipment to Japan, where they hoped their sales would go unnoticed.  With the help of law enforcement, Karsten broke up the operation, stopped the shipment dead in its tracks, and took the mold used by the counterfeiters. The mold happened to be a good one the counterfeiters made using an actual PING Anser.

A few years later, when Karsten was asked by Kawecki Berylco Industries (KBI) to provide them with a few hundred beryllium copper putters, Karsten decided to cast the BeCu putters using the counterfeiters mold. Because their mold was made from an actual Anser, the putters it produced would be slightly smaller than the putter used to create the mold.  This was perfect for the KBI job.  Because beryllium copper weighs more than manganese bronze, the berylium copper Ansers cast from the slightly smaller mold weighed the same as the manganese bronze Ansers cast from Karsten's original mold. (See The Putter Went Ping p 129-130)

On the beryllium copper putters Karsten made for KBI, he marked the heel of the face "BeCu" and the back cavity "KBI". These 200 hundred or so putters stand as the first golf clubs ever made from beryllium copper. Years later BeCu irons and putters became extremely popular.

This KBI BeCu putter has its original 35 1/2" shaft, "Heel Toe Balance" shaft band, and Ping pro only grip. The head is still in excellent condition and shows only minor bag wear. A wonderful and historic club!