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Three More Valuable Old Hickory Shaft Golf Clubs - Rake Iron - Cran Cleek
- The Urquhart Adjustable Iron
These three irons dating back to the early 1900’s are amongst some of the
most interesting to collect and of course hold quite a value.
The Rake Iron, Cran Cleek and The Urquhart Adjustable Iron are amongst
a group of clubs known as Patent irons. That means that they are different from
the normal run of the mill iron by design or function and that the maker or inventor
applied for a patent to protect the design. Often if the patent was unpopular
with golfers and suffered poor sales or even in some cases later proved to be
an illegal aid to golf, production was stopped. So it is possible that not too
many were made, making them rare and highly desirable to the collector and of
course valuable.
Rake Iron Golf Club
The first iron shown is a rake Iron or water iron. It was designed to play shots
out of sand, high grass and even water This model, featuring ornate scrollwork
around the vertically slotted, open face, is known as the “Major” and
was invented by James Brown a blacksmith based in Montrose, Scotland. He took
out his British patent in September 1903. The company of James Winton also of
Montrose, manufactured most of the irons for him. These irons had limited popularity
and were only in production for about 3 years. But they are rather elegant looking
clubs and command a high price at auction realising over £2000 each.
Cran Cleek Golf Club
The Clan Cleek was one amongst a number of clubs around the 1890’s whose
makers were beginning to experiment by fitting face inserts to metal iron heads.
It was granted a USA patent in 1897, and this unusual but visually interesting
club has a wood face inserted inlaid into the metal head, retained by two screws,
which are visible from the rear of the blade.
Produced for many years by Spalding, this cleek, equivalent to today’s
driving iron or hybrid club, offered the golfer “as sweet a shot off the
face as if using a wooden head club”.
Whilst not one of the rarest clubs to be found, as they were produced for many
years, finding one in good original condition with a good face insert and clear
makers stampings to the head, will enhance the value. At auction you would expect
to pay around £400 plus for a good example.
The Urquhart Adjustable Iron
The golfing public shunned quite a number of early adjustable clubs because they
looked clumsy or were difficult to use. But the Urquhart proved to be most popular
Invented by Scotsman Robert Lish Urquhart, it was granted it’s British
patent in 1895. It soon became a firm favourite as it could be adjusted to the
loft of any iron club in the bag. It could also be altered to a straight face
putter. So it removed the need to buy the usual number of clubs with various
lofts needed to play a round of golf, by having them all in one club. It probably
did not go down too well with the caddies of the time because if every golfer
used one they would become redundant!
As holds true in collecting generally, even though the Urquhart was produced
for a number of years not too many remain, particularly in good condition. So
if a good example can be found in auction they often fetch as high as £1000.
Adjustable golf clubs were later made illegal for play by the games governing
body, the R & A at St. Andrews.
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