Cheap knock offs and cloning of clubs

[Davemason]

To many times on ebay do I see cheap knock offs and clone clubs there should be a law against it and if there is , some one to enforce the law.
All they are doing is ripping of the R&D of the club manufactures .

Take this ebayer for example ebayers TM r7 clone (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36211&item=7167203600&rd=1)

I guess buyer beware

[3oneday]

Dave,

As long as they don't use the same name, nothing no one can do. A prime example would be the new Adams drivers, with the adjustable weights, same clubs as the R7 and R5.

I think if you had a good look around, anything with composite in it is a ripoff mate, just about EVERY manufacturer has a comp driver, so who is ripping off who ?? I guess you can't say the OEMS can do it to each other, but the T7 producers can't ??? Tough gig, everyones making a buck, one way or another.

Pete

[markTHEblake]

Does anyone get upset at TM for stealing the idea of adjustable weights?

[ben]

To many times on ebay do I see cheap knock offs and clone clubs there should be a law against it and if there is , some one to enforce the law.
All they are doing is ripping of the R&D of the club manufactures .

Take this ebayer for example ebayers TM r7 clone (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36211&item=7167203600&rd=1)

I guess buyer beware

Dean, I hope you're using an original IBM computer, and when you buy perscription drugs you ALWAYS buy the brand name and not a generic brand! You better ALWAYS buy Panadol and not Herron.

Everywhere you look there's generic/clone version's of things, don't know why golf equipment should be different.

And please, don't talk about R&D, most R&D is done by the foundries these day's based on a "general" idea from a company.

You know what there should be a law against? TM putting SHIT shafts in their drivers. Advertising a premium product and selling JUNK. Thats what there should be a law against. Like the NV shaft marked R flex that cycles out at a Ladies flex (208 cycles for anyone who wants to know). Or the R7 TP speeder marked S that comes out at XX (300 cycles exactly). There should be a law that says if you want to charge someone for whats ment to be a "premium" product that it SHOULD be a premium product and on spec.

[goughy]

I was under the impression that the foundries often own patents on the designs, or something to that effect. Hence they can do whatever they like. Is this the case?

[ben]

I was under the impression that the foundries often own patents on the designs, or something to that effect.  Hence they can do whatever they like.  Is this the case?

For smaller companies the foundries will own the design as if you want to buy the brass master outright you'll be paying a shitload :)

Then the foundry can use that master to make other products. BUT, the good component companies (like SMT, Alpha, Wishon etc) use foundries that don't do this, pretty much as long as you are paying them to make heads, they will not allow others to use the design.

The smaller foundries will knock off everything they can. There's only around 4 foundries that actually make the OEM stuff, these places don't pump out clones as they are over run by the OEM stuff from a production point of view, but they also get their bread and butter from OEM's. Now a lot of the work is also outsourced to smaller foundries, that's where it really starts. But having said that we only need to look at the brand names and how they've been ripping each other off. Scotty Cameron is an obvious one. Cleveland just recently knocked off the Wishon Hybrid, Callaway knocked off the Fusion from Integra, but this was a knock off of the Golf Smith Power Link from 1995, Ping knocking off the hosel adapter to adjust lie and face angle...

You only need to read through this list to see how just Tom's designs have been re-engineered:

http://www.wishongolf.com/tech_talk/firsts/tw/#12

[Fishman Dan]

Does anyone get upset at TM for stealing the idea of adjustable weights?

What about Titleist and their simple putter design? :?

[Anonymous]

Ben said,

Dean, I hope you're using an original IBM computer, and when you buy perscription drugs you ALWAYS buy the brand name and not a generic brand! You better ALWAYS buy Panadol and not Herron.
Fair point Ben but at least the clones you sell should be advertised with a bit more integrity. For example, it is a bit rich claiming the Power Play System Q (R7 clone) is a new :shock: benchmark in titanium driver technology. Clones have their place in the market but we shouldn't pretend they are something they are not. :roll:

[ben]

but we shouldn't pretend they are something they are not.

that can be said for pretty much any new golf product :). Again, go read the list of tom's first and then make the same judgement against clones as you would the brand names. I'm not saying clones are just as good, its a fact that they are not. Most of them use cheaper titanium's, the tollerences are shocking etc etc. All I am saying is if you want to draw a line in the sand then you need to look where its being drawn.

[AndyP]

What about this sort of stuff?
Any good? Or risks involved?

http://www.alternativegolf.com.au/irons.htm

[BrisVegas]

The Henry Hatton and SMT stuff at the bottom looked ok, but the other stuff looks like rubish. Very nasty looking clones. :shock:

Raven and Wishon etc. make nice, original forgings for good prices. why bother with knockoffs? :wink:

[ben]

What about this sort of stuff?
Any good?  Or risks involved?

http://www.alternativegolf.com.au/irons.htm

I'd be more concerned that the credit card payment page is not secure.... now wheres my packet sniffer...

[3oneday]

What about this sort of stuff?
Any good?  Or risks involved?

http://www.alternativegolf.com.au/irons.htmyou used to be able to pay $20 and get one sent out to try. Chris also used to play quite regularly at Northlakes, he has demo nights there I think.

Pete

[andylo]

What about this sort of stuff?
Any good?  Or risks involved?
you used to be able to pay $20 and get one sent out to try. Chris also used to play quite regularly at Northlakes, he has demo nights there I think.

Pete

Also in Oxley range at Wednesday

[BrisWesty]

I got my set from Chris at Alternative Golf. Very happy with it.
(But then I'm not a golf ho, so don't know much about much :wink: )

[3oneday]

I got my set from Chris at Alternative Golf.  Very happy with it.  
(But then I'm not a golf ho, so don't know much about much :wink: )BW, Chris is where my ho'ing started mate :wink:

:shock: :lol: :lol:

[BrisWesty]

No 3oneday, say it isn't so. Is there any hope for me, or is this just the start of the slippery slope until one day ... :shock: :shock: :shock:
I have to enter the 12 step-tee programme.

"Hello, my name is Mark and I'm a golf ho." :cry: :cry: :cry:

Apparently you have to trust in (a) higher power. Will that make the ball go further, or will I need a new driver to do that. Oh hell, it is happening!