Is it an Original Wilson 8802 or a Remake?

Lots of folks are unsure about what constitutes an "Original" Wilson 8802 putter. While the vast majority of those selling these putters on eBay, via Craigslist, and even in golf shops specializing in used equipment are well intentioned, many putters claiming to be real "original" 8802's in reality are not the genuine article. Here are some tips:

A) If the putter has the word "original" on the bottom of the head, then it isn't an original 8802.

B) The Bottom of the club should only have "The Wilson 8802" with "Wilson" in RED. The word "The" and the "8802" will be in BLACK.

C) The head of the club was done in a chromed satin or frosted finish. It should not be like a car bumber bright chrome.

D) The shaft should have 5 steps with the first step measuring 8 to 8 1/2 inches from the end of the putter head hosel.

E) If the shaft is original and the label is still present (not usually the case after 45 years or so), The shaft band should be a head speed band with two green triangles with the words "Head Speed" within each of the triangles.

F) The original grip is a black leather grip with a silver thread spiraling the entire length and should have a specific logo on the cap that consists of two flags. One flag is red and the other is blue.

G) The face height of the putter head measures exactly the the diameter of a nickel (13/16"), not just close...exactly. Remakes of the original 8802 have a face height slightly larger than a nickel (between 1/16" and 1/8"). It is quite easy to place a nickel on a remake and make it appear to be the same dimension, so do not be fooled.

H) When Arnold Palmer left Wilson in 1963, Wilson took his name off the putter and renamed it The Wilson 8802. The number 8802 was simply the putter's item number in the Wilson catalog at the time. Thus we have The Wilson 8802 produced and marketed in 1964. Also note: The Wilson Arnold Palmer putter (1962) and the Wilson Designed By Arnold Palmer putter (1962-1963) are not identical to the The Wilson 1964 version of the 8802 or later vintage models.

I) While it has been widely circulated that left-handed models of the putter weren't available when the club first was introduced, this is not true. Reports of left-handed models have been found as early as April of 1964 (of course, left-handed models were not made in the same quantity as right hand putters).