Wilson 4300’s… year?

[SteelieD]

Hey all - in a fit of nostalgia, I tried to recreate my first bag from when I began playing in the mid 80s. I got the irons right… Wilson Staff Tour Blades FG17’s. Hit them tonight and they are amazing! 
 

I’m off on the woods but kinda close I think but I got these for a song on the auction site. They are in excellent condition (likely refinished). I’m not exactly sure of what year they were made but from what little I can find, I’m thinking 1971?

 

Anyone have anything more concrete? It’s not all that critical to know… I’m mostly just curious. Appreciate any help!

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by SteelieD
Typos

[Foozle]

7 hours ago, SteelieD said:

Hey all - in a fit of nostalgia, I tried to recreate my first bag from when I began playing in the mid 80s. I got the irons right… Wilson Staff Tour Blades FG17’s. Hit them tonight and they are amazing! 
 

I’m off on the woods but kinda close I think but I got these for a song on the auction site. They are in excellent condition (likely refinished). I’m not exactly sure of what year they were made but from what little I can find, I’m thinking 1971?

 

Anyone have anything more concrete? It’s not all that critical to know… I’m mostly just curious. Appreciate any help!

 

That insert pattern appears in the Wilson catalogues 1966 - 1970. Can't be more specific I am afraid.

They look sweet so hope you enjoy them as much as your FG17's!

[Stephen8802]

You called them "Staff 4300's" in the title. 4300 isn't the model number, its the length; Staff woods had 4300 or 4350 on the sole for many years to distinguish the length of the driver. The irons also came in two lengths. In both woods and irons, the standard was the shorter of the two and fewer longer versions were produced.

 

Those clubs are model 21s. Unfortunately, that also doesn't narrow it down because the model number was used for many years...matching the insert like Foozle did is the only way to do it. Since the pictures in the Kaplan book are pretty bad, and the catalogs don't show he sole plates every year, I just end of thinking of my various Staff woods as mid-60s to mid 70s without a firm date. I have 3 or 4 sets and they play the same.

[elwhippy]

These are a match for my father's old woods. He bought them in 1968 or 69. Very good clubs and plenty of power. 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Original grips or shaft labels may help me get you closer in the ballpark as far as dating them goes.  
 

This is an earlier model.  But I like to keep this image around for the persimmon vs laminate discussions. 

[SteelieD]

7 hours ago, Foozle said:

That insert pattern appears in the Wilson catalogues 1966 - 1970. Can't be more specific I am afraid.

They look sweet so hope you enjoy them as much as your FG17's!

Awesome. Very helpful!

[SteelieD]

7 hours ago, Stephen8802 said:

You called them "Staff 4300's" in the title. 4300 isn't the model number, its the length; Staff woods had 4300 or 4350 on the sole for many years to distinguish the length of the driver. The irons also came in two lengths. In both woods and irons, the standard was the shorter of the two and fewer longer versions were produced.

 

Those clubs are model 21s. Unfortunately, that also doesn't narrow it down because the model number was used for many years...matching the insert like Foozle did is the only way to do it. Since the pictures in the Kaplan book are pretty bad, and the catalogs don't show he sole plates every year, I just end of thinking of my various Staff woods as mid-60s to mid 70s without a firm date. I have 3 or 4 sets and they play the same.

This is great! Thanks for the clarification on the model number. I know it doesn’t make all that much difference on the year like I said, just curious. 
 

the ones I owned in the 80s didn’t have that extended sole plate with the back weighting. I was always under the impression that they were a little newer than these. 
 

Edited December 10, 2021 by SteelieD
Typo

[SteelieD]

1 hour ago, elwhippy said:

These are a match for my father's old woods. He bought them in 1968 or 69. Very good clubs and plenty of power. 

They do go! Little tougher to get a higher ball flight but I’ll definitely keep at it. Can’t wait to get them out in the course! 

[SteelieD]

33 minutes ago, cold_war_era_golfer said:

Original grips or shaft labels may help me get you closer in the ballpark as far as dating them goes.  
 

This is an earlier model.  But I like to keep this image around for the persimmon vs laminate discussions. 

Thanks. Unfortunately no shaft bands or original grips. Shafts are a little “whippey”. As I mentioned, I’m quite certain they’ve been refinished. 

[Forged Hack]

I learn something every day here, I had no idea that the 4300 was related to the length? For reference here are my Laminated 4300’s Staff  II ‘s with the back weights. Incidentally, they are also the same size as my Staff JP 4300 Tour Block Persimmons. 

[Cameron Tankersley]

I still have a Wilson Staff-41 5-wood clubhead (identical to 21s except for the number) from a set of clubs my brother got for Christmas in 1973 and handed down to me. I can only say that they were used when my brother got them, but only lightly used. Mid-60s to no later than 1971 is a safe guess. 

I had the club stripped, stained, sealed and re-shafted 30 years ago, as to why it's just the clubhead now, but it's still in my bag. It's a perfect piece of wood, with the knot of the wood directly behind the sweet spot. In my prime I could pop that sucker so long and straight that I'd sometimes tee off with it all day and never unbag my driver.