Ok so with the advent of the almighty Youtube and the ability to go back and watch old PBA matches before I got into the sport ( probably about 1998) I've noticed a ton of balls that I flat out don't know what they are or even who made them in some cases.

Now I've figured out some of them by going through the old approved list based around the year they were used, but that doesn't really give me a ton of info on what people thought about them at the time.

Like today, just found out Norm Duke used to throw a ball from a company named Champion that apparently had them poured by Faball.

So ok really what I'm after is those odd little tidbits about how things were, how balls reacted, who threw what when, why they no longer throw it or what ball you wished the would completely reintroduce.

On a side note I've spent the last day or so looking at the matches from the change over from urethane to reactive urethane and the difference it was. Norm Duke wheeling it across the lane in a match or two blew my mind lol. I've pretty much only seen him throw more down and in so it was a bit of a shock to the system.

Yeah I had a couple in our league who both used one, and talked about how much he wished he had bought a couple more. The people that liked them really seemed to like them, while others were rather meh on the whole ball.

One thing is for sure it looked  damn good, and I think the Quantum series of balls still has one of the best logos ever used.

Now here is another question or at least thought. You look at alot of these old balls and it says it for " heavy oil" but I'm guessing the would be more like a medium pattern today?

Really depends. The oil really hasn't changed that much. Todays big hooking ball are stonger then those from the late 90s early 2000s but those bowling balls will still hold there own very nicely.

Surface makes a big difference.

Thanks really don't have much of a comparison from a personal stand point because I've just never really seen a " heavy" lane condition, about the heaviest I've seen is a medium-heavy type. Certainly wouldn't have a clue compared to the older balls because I never bought them, just way too much ball for the lanes around here.

loved my clear wolf.  did anyone else ever throw a gem star mine was clear slight gold tint and the core was shaped like a gum drop.

the Brunswick T-1, T-2, and T-3 were Tracmasters that were, indeed made in about 1965.  It was a hard rubber ball that came in gun metal blue.  They also used that shell on the Automatic Scorer ball from the same era.  I remember them so well because I won my first scratch match play tourney with a T-1 in 1966.  By the way, I was told later that the only difference in the balls was the weight block placement.  The stronger hooking T-3 had more positive and finger weight if drilled on the label.  Nobody dodo scaled balls for most of us back then, so who knows.   

I heard from a guy who bowled on tour at the time when Brunswick was coming out with the LT-48 and I believe the LT-51 they gave Tommy Hudson the choice of which ball he wanted his name on.

He chose the LT-51 and Johnny Petraglia the LT-48. Of course the LT-48 turned out to be hugely more popular.

I never could throw the soft rubber balls of the time (LT-48, KE-21) they simply rolled way to early for me.

Raiderh2oboy has a NIB EUI Tank in his shop.

I have a second drill right handed JPF Black Axe. As reported, this was the first patented asymmetrical ball but I understand Brunswick manufactured the Phantom before John Fabinich (of Faball fame) could reach production. I've never thrown it.

I loved the Neo-Tac Khameleons.  Super adjustable cover (tweaked version of pk 18) and great mushroom core.  Rumor was they had a second ball in plans, but it never materialized.  I think I've had 6 of them...