Oct 21, 2013 MannKrafted Fresh Inspiration with Materials [PICS] MannKrafted handmade brass Rattler MannKrafted hand turned brass ferrule Is there a material that is being overlooked in the putter world, for use in milling custom designs? Recently, I have started to look at materials other than 1018 CR Steel and 303 Stainless Steel, as starter materials for my putters, handmade as well as CNC/handkrafted blend putters. The ease of milling that you find with aluminum makes it a good candidate, but the lightweight of the 6061 makes using this metal somewhat challenging. Either you have to mill heads that are substantially larger than standard, or design the heads with thread-in or press-in weights of a denser material, to make up the difference. While not impossible, if I am hand milling a head, the addition of weights definitely adds some thinking and planning. Not to mention, the additional work in manufacturing the weights, also adds a new dimension and man-hours to the projects. Copper comes to mind, but when it comes to milling that gorgeous metal, speed and feed rate are very key and wear on the tooling is a factor. Pure copper is gummy and tends to build up on the tooling, instead of clearing the piece and falling away. Though pretty, copper is more of a headache than I think is expected. That leads me to brass, as a putter material. If you have been in golf for 20 years or more, you have probably owned and rolled a Bullseye putter at some point. The feel of that narrow, cast brass blade is one of the best feelings you will get in the game of golf, IMHO. It is soft metal and tends to show the use or non-use of a head cover in the very first round that it is in your bag. I rolled a Bullseye very early on in my golf life and to this day, I have affection for that style. In fact, as I type this page, there is a line-up on my bench, not 24” from my hands, of six Bullseye or Bullseye style putters, resting and watching me. Brass, it seems, might be my next material for use in some of my handmades. It mills very clean, polishes very nicely and is a joy to work into the shapes and contours that sometimes elude me using steel and stainless. Is there a material that is readily available in the marketplace that you know of, but have not seen put to any great amount of use in our industry? Feel free to comment on any aspect of my ramblings and let me know what you think the best material might be to try in the coming months. I look forward to hearing from anyone who might have some constructive input. Keep rolling them at the cup! LaMont in AZ MannKrafted Custom Milled Putters
