Post by: da Shiv on March 10, 2012, 06:03:05 PM
This post is primarily for fans of the original Faball Blue Hammer. All are welcome, but this could get long.
Part One
I missed out on the original Blue Hammer back when it originally came out. I had a Black Hammer, which I liked a lot, but never obtained a Blue Hammer. Throughout the bowling media world, I always heard great things about the Blue Hammer--well into this century. Sometime around 2005, I was browsing around in an all-around sport shop in St. Clair Shores, Michigan (my home town). This shop sold equipment for all sports, but seemed to be primarily aimed at hockey and baseball players. They had a perfunctory bowling department, and as I meandered through it, what did I see on the shelf, but an original Faball Blue Hammer--new and undrilled! I decided that I had to have it. Their price included drilling, but I had no intention of letting such a place drill my ball, especially since I had--and have--an excellent ball driller. They would not reduce the price, even if I wanted the ball undrilled. After arguing unsuccessfully, I bought it anyway. Even after buying 6-8 reactive balls a year for many years, this Blue Hammer is still my main ball. In several centers (old wood, AMF synthetics, Brunswick synthetics) over the last 7-8 years, this has remained my benchmark ball and the one I use more than any other.
Part Two
Sometime ago, the new Ebonite incarnation of Hammer released a couple of balls that played on the fame of the old Blue Hammer. These were not even urethane, and, to me, bore no resemblance to the original Blue Hammer. Now, Hammer has once again released a new Blue Hammer, and this time it actually is urethane. Even though it has the Vibe core, I couldn't resist a new urethane release and I bought it. It is a fine ball, and I don't regret the purchase. On the other hand, once again, it bears absolutely no resemblance to the original Blue Hammer. I find that the new Blue Hammer requires about a 10 board move right with my feet (I'm a righty) and a four board move right with my mark just to get it into an approximation of the pocket as compared to my Faball Blue Hammer. I fully expected the new ball to be different than the old one, and for a different condition, so I'm happy with this result since it will allow me to stay with a urethane ball when the lanes dry out too much for my old Blue Hammer. I don't regret the purchase.
Part Three
Here's what I don't understand. Hammer obviously understands that the original Blue Hammer has a huge fan base. So....why don't they just release a new urethane Blue Hammer that actually IS comparable to the old Blue Hammer? The original's core was essentially, perhaps even exactly, the same as the core used in the Blade series. The same formulation of urethane must be available at least in a known chemical formulation that can be duplicated. I may be hopelessly retro, but I know what works for me. I'm a stats fanatic, and I can see what I bowl with my Faball Blue Hammer. I appeal to Ebonite. Please stop messing around with balls that have the APPEARANCE of the original Blue Hammer. I will continue to buy urethane balls in any case. But I tell ya, if you were to release a ball that actually IS like the original Blue Hammer, you can put me down for a case of four of them--at least.
Listening to the monotonous staccato of rain on my desk top
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 10, 2012, 07:28:52 PM
They may not be able to because of legal reasons. Although the Hammer brand name was sold, it may not have included any of the old copyrights on the old Faball balls. Some of the people who were part of the old Faball company formed Visionary and are pouring their Visionary balls in one of the old Faball plants in St Louis.
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Post by: dougb on March 10, 2012, 09:38:59 PM
Post by: Juggernaut on March 11, 2012, 01:09:44 AM
I totally agree.
With a Blue, a Black, and a Pink HAMMER, I could cover almost any condition we could've imagined back then.
Post by: Doug Sterner on March 13, 2012, 11:58:03 PM
I totally agree guys....I have been picking up each and every urethane Hammer I have been able to get reasonably.
The Pink, Black and Blue are essentials but I do think that the original Navy RESIN Hammer would be a well received piece.....weaker resin cover and a smooth, arcy core....
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
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Post by: kingbaldo on March 14, 2012, 04:46:49 AM
Doug, if I remember correctly but didn`t that series suffer from early core seperation??
Post by: dougb on March 14, 2012, 03:36:46 PM
I bought a NIB Faball Norm Duke Hammer off eBay last year, and while they substituted out the grenade core with a lightbulb in this one, the weak reactive cover makes this a stroker's dream. This ball has become my secret weapon, because when the crankers are all standing in front of the gutters and burning up the shot I can move far right, break the wrist, and strike all day down the outside. That reactive gives me a little bit of an edge with the corner pins.
I would love to get a Burgundy Pure Hammer!
Post by: PLM on March 14, 2012, 04:20:25 PM
Ditto on the comment about the Pink Hammer. I missed out the first time around and would love to get one as a spare ball/dry land ball..
Post by: kidlost2000 on March 14, 2012, 06:26:57 PM
"1 of 1."
Post by: Doug Sterner on March 14, 2012, 11:57:57 PM
kingb....the core separation issues were with the Red Resin not the Blue.
They went to a new core design with the Red and it didn't pour well.
The Violent Violet with the lightbulb core was a great piece as well.
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
RotoGrip Star Pro Shop
Turbo XTreme Dealer
Post by: r534me on March 27, 2012, 07:42:16 AM
How many pin outs blues have you seen?
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 27, 2012, 05:58:20 PM
r534me, I thought the Blues were a bit lighter in color? Is that about a 3.5 inch pin out?
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Post by: Track900 on March 27, 2012, 06:15:34 PM
Some of the color differences in the original blue depended on whether it was poured in Baltimore or St. Louis
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 27, 2012, 07:09:13 PM
Thanks for the info, Track900. Makes sense.
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Post by: raiderh20boy on March 27, 2012, 09:32:56 PM
I have a couple of the firsts ones and the pin is the same color as the ball!
Use "IT" and BOWL UP A STORM!!
Post by: raiderh20boy on March 27, 2012, 09:34:55 PM
I have a couple of the firsts ones and the pin is the same color as the ball!
Just curious, what is the serial # on the pictured ball. First 2 #'s is the year of production and the letter is for St Louis, Utah, orBaltimore
Use "IT" and BOWL UP A STORM!!
Post by: r534me on March 27, 2012, 10:52:28 PM
I haven't measured the pin but I think the box says 2-3" pin. The color is lighter than the picture. My punched out blue hammer is darker than the one in the pic and I think it's lane oil soaked into the cover that changed the color.
I checked the box and it's a 2 3/4 inch pin. The serial number is F90356. Not sure where that's poured at.
Edited by r534me on 3/27/2012 at 8:57 PM
Post by: MI 2 AZ on March 28, 2012, 05:18:30 PM
Thanks. I don't remember seeing too many pin-outs, but back then I wasn't really noticing things like that.
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Post by: r534me on March 28, 2012, 10:10:11 PM
Post by: Doug Sterner on March 29, 2012, 12:03:42 AM
Back when the Blue Hammer was king of the lanes they did not understand the importance of the pin and cg NOT being right on top of one another. I have seen many balls with pins out 1-2" but getting one out 2-4" was rare. In fact the concept of pin out was so foreign that they did not even note pin distance on the boxes. Many of us never even noticed because the pins were the same color as the ball. It was not until later pours (after they learned that pin outs offered something special) that they started using a different color pin.
I have a Black Hammer from around 1990 that has a 4-1/2" pin. When my driller at the time drilled it, he never even looked for the pin, he just did a basic label shift and put 3 holes in the ball. The ball did have unique flare characteristics and that 4-1/2" pin out was the only explanation he could muster up at the time....
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
RotoGrip Star Pro Shop
Turbo XTreme Dealer
Post by: dougb on March 30, 2012, 03:36:14 AM
I have a 14lb OG Blue Hammer with a pin that measures a little over 2". It's still drilled with the classic 1 o'clock label drill. I'm taking it down to my pro shop tomorrow for him to sell it!
Post by: r534me on March 30, 2012, 03:55:49 AM
How much do you want for that guy? You're in the bay area?
Just saw your post in the for sale section. Don't take a trip to your guy yet. I might be able to save you a trip.
Edited by r534me on 3/30/2012 at 2:34 AM
Post by: dougb on March 30, 2012, 02:30:26 PM
YGM
Post by: JBracer2 on March 31, 2012, 10:48:11 PM
I checked the box and it's a 2 3/4 inch pin. The serial number is F90356. Not sure where that's poured at.
Fs were made in St. Louis. F was for first. B was Baltimore. U was Utah.
Post by: da Shiv on April 04, 2012, 03:24:46 PM
Just since I started this post, I managed to get my hands on an old Burgundy Hammer. It's badly beat up and has cracks and chips around the finger holes, but I don't want my finger holes where the ones presently in the ball are anyway. I think it can be repaired and resurfaced and should be just fine. I don't really remember how the Burgundy compared to the Blue in ball reaction, but I seem to remember that the Burgundy was supposedly the most aggressive of all the old urethane Hammers? Is that true?
Whatever it may mean, the serial numbers on both balls are long. The Blue's starts with 097K, and the Burgundy's starts with 098D. Does anyone know what that means? The pin in the Blue is the same color as the ball. The pin in the Burgundy is yellow.
Listening to the monotonous staccato of rain on my desk top
Edited by da Shiv on 4/4/2012 at 1:26 PM
Post by: Greazygeo on April 04, 2012, 03:41:18 PM
I picked up an old Burgundy a couple months ago. It is the earliest rolling urethane. The pin is in the center of the Fab target thing....It was around 1000 surface....moved it to 1500 probably going to go higher with it. It hooks a ton and hits very hard as long as it's thrown correctly. I have a new Blue urethane which goes much longer....but it's 4000 polished and pin up.
I like both alot.....now to find something to fit in between the two.....
2011-2012- avg 185
Current arsenal....Faball Burgandy Hammer, Hammer Blue urethane / Cherry Vibe/ Onyx Vibe, Black Widow Bite, Track 300T/ 718A, Storm 2 Furious / Tropical and Lightning Storms, Maxim spare ball.
Edited by Greazygeo on 4/4/2012 at 1:42 PM