End caps and sealers for leather-wrap grips

[ChipNRun]

I have located a set of Spalding TopFlite Synchro-Dyne irons from 1953. By chance, this was the model of irons I played through high school and college back around 1970.

 

The heads and shafts are in good shape. But if I get them, the leather grips need replacing. Through the hobby and crafts area I have located some thin leather stripping: 1/8- or 1/16-inch  thick and 1 inch wide. Some use it as for leather grips on golf clubs and tennis rackets.

 

A challenge is where to find some of the assembly parts used in the old artisan wrap-around grip application.

 

The end caps can probably be gotten, if the current ones are too beat up.

 

But I'm not sure where one gets the seal caps that go on the bottom of the grip. I'm not even sure what they are called.

 

As a caddie in the late 1960s I saw the pros doing some wrap leather grips - by then mainly putters and wedges. Some used some sort of plastic cap to seal the bottom of the grip leather. Others would use a couple of wraps of black plastic electrical tape and melt-seal it (?) with a cigarette lighter.

 

So, my questions:

• Where does one find end caps for butt of club?
• What is the proper term for the sealer caps (?) at bottom of grip, and are they still available?
• Does anyone know of how-to videos for putting on leather-strip wrap grips?
• Would the 1/8- or 1/16-inch leather strips be best to use?

 

Thanks to all. CNR

[Mudpack]

I believe the proper term for those pieces you describe in your second bullet point is grip collars.

 

I haven't ever tried sourcing any grip collars myself. But when I had some original grip collars starting to deteriorate on a couple of clubs, I needed to figure out how to replace them. I thought that electrical tape might eventually become brittle or lose its adhesion after prolonged exposure to weather, so I thought I'd try using whipping. Whipping holds the end of the grip in place just as securely as a grip collar does. And if you use waxed linen thread, you can then rub down the whipping so that the wraps in it are a little less apparent. It yields sort of a rustic appearance, but that works for me.

 

The photo I've attached (I hope this works; it's the first time I've tried it!) shows two examples. The whipping club on the club on the right is longer because I hid a little bit of lead tape underneath it. (I wanted to increase the deadweight of the club by a few grams without changing the swingweight, and adding lead tape just beneath the bottom of the grip was just the place for that.) I think I whipped these two grips back in 2013, and they're still holding up decently.

 

For what it's worth with respect to end caps, I've cannibalized a few of them from donor clubs. You can do that with ferrule rings sometimes too.

[Stephen8802]

I make my end caps with moldable plastic, as I described in this post from a few years ago.

 

For grip collars, I actually have some that came with a lot of repair supplies, but I just use black shrink tubing, available on Amazon or any hardware store. As long as you cut it square, it looks good, does the job, and is easy to replace. Like grip collars, it has to go on the shaft before you put the grip on, but unlike grip collars that do not shrink, you get a little more margin of error.

[AdamMH]

Some great suggestions so far. If I had to reproduce end caps or collars, I'd probably fire up my 3D printer and design something to fit. ABS would be a good material for the collar, since you could shine it with acetone like a ferrule. End caps would be a hardish TPU material. Totally feasible, but probably hasn't been done before.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Interesting post.  I have a set of '54 Spalding Synchro Dyneds that need a few of those end caps replaced.  I had success restoring my grips on the '54s.  Replacing them I've heard is tough.  Interested to see how this all goes for you.  Best of luck!

[Coletrain]

I've herd wintergreen oil is an excellent rubber softener, maybe the best. I haven't seen anyone try this on endcaps or grip collars but i would think its worth a try, might even be able to save an underlayment. i may try it for myself if i find an inconsequential club.

[AZBandit]

Sorry - posted the previous in the old thread - can't figure out how to delete

[bcstones]

47 minutes ago, AZBandit said:

Sorry - posted the previous in the old thread - can't figure out how to delete

you can always ask admin...