What are the major differences in determining....

[Vintagedeputy]

whether a vintage Louisville Slugger is a store model vs. a professional game bat. I know that store models had knob stamps like MM4 for Mickey Mantle but is there any other way to tell?

[Birdbats]

Many retail bats in the past said "Flame Tempered" instead of "Powerized." And most retail bats, I believe, were foil stamped, not branded, so you'll often see flaking of the lettering. Usually, the knob stamping is the most obvious clue.

[Vintagedeputy]

I was looking at a bat where the name is flaking off but I can see the impressions of the letters in the wood. The seller says that the knob has no markings so I'm confused.

[Birdbats]

The foil stamping process does leave a slight imprint in the wood, but nothing nearly as deep as a branding mark.

Another clue is the quality of the wood. Hard to explain what to look for in words, but retail bats used inferior wood; the best wood was (and is) reserved for pro bats.

If it's an older bat, the flaking is a bad sign. Adirondack pro bats were stamped and would flake, but LS pro bats were branded. Only recently (late '80s?) did H&B start foil stamping its darker-finished bats. Natural finished LS pro bats have always been branded.

Can't really explain the lack of stamping in the knob. If the bat is older than 1976, something should be in the knob... and if it's a retail bat of any era, it should have some indication of the length stamped in the knob.

[Vintagedeputy]

The photos I have seen look fairly deep but Im not familar with what foil stamping looks like when it flakes off. Its definitely a Powerized version. I just need to make sure of what the knob says.

[earlywynnfan]

If you're referring to the Bobby Adams bat, it really should have a model number. I was looking at it, too, and I'm pretty sure it's not a gamer.

Ken

[Vintagedeputy]

If you're referring to the Bobby Adams bat, it really should have a model number. I was looking at it, too, and I'm pretty sure it's not a gamer.

Ken

Ken - email me at deputy7621@aol.com please