"As Hugh Philp was to St. Andrews, so was the firm of McEwan & Son to Edinburgh and Musselburgh." (Golf 25, Sept. 1895, p51).  indeed, the McEwan family of clubmakers were central to the world of clubmaking from 1770, when James McEwan opened for business, to the end of the nineteenth century, when long nose clubs were rendered obsolete. Across that 120 year span, five generations of the McEwan family were producing long nose clubs of the highest quality.

The 43" McEwan long spoon spoon offered here dates circa 1870. It measures 1 1/16" in face depth,5 1/2" in head length, and 1 15/16" in head width.  The shaft and coated sheepskin grip are original.  Lower on the grip is a 2-inch whipping repair from back in the day.  To the auctioneer, this is a nice feature about this club.  It is not obtrusive, and it shows the clubmakers work that repaired the grip and made it ready to go again.  That adds personality to the club.  The finish is original but has a thick coat of varnish that has filled in the McEwan stamp so it is somewhat obscured.  It is all faintly there, however, under the varnish, which appears to have darkened over time.  

This club shows less wear than most long nose clubs and has a highly attractive shape.  The face has a pronounced curve from heel to toe, a trait often found on spoons from the featherball era.  The neck whipping is also original as is the lead and horn.  When it comes to 150-year-old long spoons, this McEwan is an excellent example! 

This club is second from the left in the accompanying group image.