Springvale Gutta Percha Bramble Golf Ball

Springvale Gutta Percha Bramble Golf Ball

£350
£20 Shipping to
Reference

30877

Antique Gutta Percha Golf Ball, Springvale 27.
A very nice example of 'Springvale 27' gutta-percha golf ball with moulded bramble pattern manufactured by Hutchison Main & Co., Cowlairs, Glasgow, Scotland. The gutty golf ball is with the ball name 'Springvale 27' in raised lettering on a flat circular band on both poles of the ball, inner circle containing seven brambles. The DWT number (27 on this ball) on old gutty golf balls refers to pennyweights (dwt), a unit of weight from the apothecaries' system. In the 19th century, golf balls-particularly gutta-percha ("gutty") balls-were sometimes marked or described by their weight in dwt, a standard gutty ball often weighed around 26-28 dwt (≈ 40-44 grams). Since consistency of size and weight was a big issue before standardisation, these markings helped golfers know what they were getting.

The ball is approximately 4.3 cm in diameter.

Hutchison Main & Co. were took over by North British Rubber Co., Ltd. Edinburgh, in 1912.

The solid gutty golf ball replaced the feathery ball because of its cost effectiveness, as a gutty could be rolled in a matter of minutes, and slowly the game of golf became affordable to the masses. The 'Gutty' era lasted from around 1848 well into 1900's.

To make a gutty golf ball first the gutta-percha was heated and loosely rolled into a ball shape. The ball was then put into the mould and then placed into a press. The press would imprint the pattern onto the ball and the excess would squeeze out of the sides. The seams were then trimmed when cool, leaving a hard and non-brittle "Gutty" golf ball. The durability of the gutta along with its lower costs and better play rejuvenated the game of golf.
Gutta-percha is the evaporated latex produced from a tree, mostly found in Malaysia.

Dimensions:

Diameter 4.3 cm / 1 "
Period

1900-1949

Year

Circa 1900

Medium

Gutta-percha

Country

Scotland

Collections

Wolfgang Roennebeck

Condition

Good solid, intact condition, retains nearly all of the original white paint.

RELATED ITEMS