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Author Topic: Original Faball???  (Read 5817 times)

Doug Sterner

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Original Faball???
« on: March 01, 2009, 04:38:17 AM »
I was at a local bowling center this morning and I ran across this ball on the rack. Is there anyone out there who can tell me if this is one of the original Faball bowling balls before they wre called Hammers???

I mean the trademark "target" is there, the scripted Faball is there (that was later shortened to Fab) and it looks just like a Black Hammer.

Any ideas???

http://www.dougsproshop.net/images/usedballs/faball.jpg
http://www.dougsproshop.net/images/usedballs/faball1.jpg
http://www.dougsproshop.net/images/usedballs/faball2.jpg

Thanks guys!!!!
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Doug Sterner
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
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TWOHAND834

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2009, 12:40:32 PM »
When you look down into the holes, do you see a cork-like substance?  Just curious.  Chances are it did come out before the Hammer line.
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Doug Sterner

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2009, 12:45:06 PM »
No cork...just 2-1/2" of black coverstock then a lighter color core...looks just like a black hammer inside.
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY

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Fighting to uphold the Constitution of the U.S.

Doug Sterner

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2009, 04:03:14 PM »
ttt
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
http://dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY

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Juggernaut

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2009, 04:26:37 PM »
Doug,

  You might contact Jason Wonders from Visionary concerning this ball. His family bought the Faball company from J.P. Fabinich way back and he might have some historical insight on the ball for you.

  I also heard that Jason's dad John was the person who designed the original Black Hammer ball, but that before they actually named the ball HAMMER, they were still called Faballs.

  Part of the original deal was that the company retained the Faball name, so they were naming the ball to give it a unique identity instead of being just another Faball, since it was so different.

  Just from the looks of it, it would appear to be one of the early ones from before they started calling them HAMMER.
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laneman

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2009, 10:08:59 PM »
That is the original PLASTIC Faball.

They were made in the hometown I live in.
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Doug Sterner

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2009, 11:08:15 PM »
I don't think it is plastic....the coverstock is too thick to be a solid plastic ball with a core. I don't think they had the technology back then to get the ball to cure without being soft or brittle.

Anybody know Jason Wonders' email so maybe I can contact him and see if he can help?
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Doug Sterner
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scotts33

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2009, 11:16:33 PM »
Jason - VBPadvertising@aol.com

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laneman

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2009, 11:17:30 PM »
They were a 2 piece plastic.
Faballs were the first 2 piece ball ever made and expensive back then..$80

A couple of guys still have some around here(a white one and blue one)
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laneman

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2009, 11:25:10 PM »
John Fabinich had a polyester ball company in Ohio in the 1970s. (Actually the first ball was red rubber with a 4 digit serial number.) He was not selling many bowling balls.  James Wonders, John Wonders, and Earl Hindman approached him to buy the company. John Fabinich said yes, but they had to keep the name Faball.

Earl Hindman designed the "hammer" weightblock and called it Hammer. Faball now owned by the Wonders family and Earl Hindman made a two piece urethane ball, and after the non compete agreement was over, John Fabinich came out with the Axe calling the company JPF. Ther market was already flooded by that time so he folded again
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scotts33

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Re: Original Faball???
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2009, 11:37:31 PM »
quote:
Earl Hindman designed the "hammer" weightblock and called it Hammer. Faball now owned by the Wonders family and Earl Hindman made a two piece urethane ball, and after the non compete agreement was over, John Fabinich came out with the Axe calling the company JPF.


FYI.........it is Earl M. Widman.  Earl was chairman of the board of Faball and also a Harley Davidson dealer in St.Louis.

John Wonders and Earl Widman started Hammer in '78.  They were the first to put a logo on the side of a ball.
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