Anyone else have an affinity for clubs from the "lesser known" manufaturers?

I agree 100 percent. I work at a golf academy, and we see so many people come in with brand new " big box" clubs, that they were fit to and the clubs are all over the place..( shaft flex, frequency, lies. lofts..) the quality is just sometimes pretty poor. I know its because the big companies just cant have the same tolerances as the little guys. I like Henry-Griffitts the best, its what we use. They have a cart with 4500 different club combinations, and they measure everything to a gram. They invented the lie board, and interchangeable club system. I also like Edel putters. If your going to get custom fit clubs, I think the best people to go to are the little guys, because they can have that quality control. 

I love the Hogan irons you mentioned...  I can't speak to many of the other smaller companies you spoke of, but I definitely like looking at all of them when I run across a shop that has them.

 

God bless,

Ryan

MacGregor and Wilson/Wilson Staff

I like Wishon and Miura. 

Bobby Jones fairways and hybrids

Epon Irons

Vega Wedges

Edel Putter

 

The only major OEM is the driver -- Ping

 

Over the years, I've done it all. I like my bag. But thinking of a Miura K Grind 56.... the tweaking never ends...

I've got a Scratch putter. I like the irons, wedges, and putters, but I've yet to see a hybrid, fairway wood, or driver from a non-OEM that I like the looks of. I remain hopeful, but I haven't seen one yet. 

I have Alien fairway woods that I like a lot.  My driver is a Callaway and the rest of my clubs were custom made. 

The 2 companies I liked best are no longer in business-Nickent and Sonartec,  I also like Eidolon,Feel and Solus wedges,

See my sig, although my Staffs are from back in the day when Wilson was big. The Joe Powells are still made; one of two American companies still making persimmon, the other being Louisville Golf.  My other bag has an Orlimar fairway that I like very much.

What are the modern balls doing to the face of your woods?
 

 

If I hit it well I don't care it's made by Taylormade or Tesco.

 

A perfect example would be the Yonex 3W I bought a while back; really heard very little about Yonex (other than the obvious Monty and Ishikawa connection) up until I tried the Nanospeed but immediately loved it.

I love that Wilson Staff has been coming up quiet a but in these forums, I think they deserve better recognition. They were once viewed as a top brand nothing has changed about their clubs they just don't spend as much on marketing as say Callaway or TM. I think you brought up another great brand which is Tour Edge, their Exotics collection is high end golf clubs that most people probably didn't know about.  

Sometimes companies presence varies considerably by country.  I suspect Wilson and Yonex are bigger players outside the USA. I have been very satisfied with my Wilson  and Tour Edge clubs.  I am carrying Cleveland wedges and a Taylor Made putter so I hope that is because I am open to what works for me at my budget level and not anything else.

I like the irons to a bit different to the the big names

My current KZG
Miura Blade
Haku
Scratch
Some Japanese forged blade

Putter too if can


But for driver wood hybrids wedges , titliest is the brand

 

Loved my Zo Blades.... My new Mizuno MP 63's knocked them out of the bag though.

Im a believer that marketing and tour presence doesnt make a club great.  Im a fan of Wilsons, Hogans, Miuras and Adams.

Agree.  Have a driver from now-defunct Nickent, love the Wilson Staff Fybrids.  Used to game Yonex irons.

 

Although i must admit my "affinity" for less popular brands is in part due to the fact that brand-new clubs from models from the prior year (or older) can often be had at crazy discounts online, as opposed to the big brands (TM, Nike, Titleist, Callway, etc) where even the models from a year or two ago don't seem to drop that dramatically in price!