Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Clubmakers

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Clubmakers

J P Cochrane
Edinburgh

Began around 1895 as a golfball producer and, although some production of clubs took place, this was not a serious element of the business until about 1910. They became one of Scotland's major exporters of clubs to the Empire and the United States.

They bought other businesses Harrower in Carnoustie to provide iron club heads and James Pringle Cochrane invested in Gibson of Kinghorn when it became a limited company.

Even during the First World War the firm was busy, with an advertisement in the Edinburgh evening paper in 1915 ‘Girls Wanted – just left school to learn golf ball making’. Whether this was because of the shortage of men because of the war, cheaper labour or perceived better skills is not clear.

Famed for their giant niblicks in the 1920s (some more than 4" x 3") and the patented Everlasting bulger driver which used a combination wood/metal head, their clubs can be recognised by a knight cleek mark from 1910 onwards and a loose knot (described by authorities variously as a bowline or a reef knot but not quite either) in the 1920s. They are also one of the manufacturers where you may find an inspection mark on their irons: a small, personal mark made by an inspector doing quality assurance within the factory.

A longer article (which will get longer still!) is in the History section.

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