Thomas Stewart (St. Andrews) 1862

圣安德鲁斯的Thomas Steward 可能是世界上最著名的胡桃木杆制作者。在1893年到1932年间，他生产了数以百万计的杆头（他只制作杆头而不是整个杆）。他追求完美的眼光也是传奇性的。世界上许多最佳球手都使用Steward铁杆（老Tom Morrie, Bobby Jones, Francies Quimet 等）。Jones 在他赢得1930大满贯的时候，有200个不同的Stewart铁杆作为选择。Stewards的杆通常在杆的背部有他标志性的烟斗标识。他的杆直至今日，都被收藏家广为推崇。

Thomas Stewart, born in St Andrews in 1862, made irons with his own name on them and, indeed, for most of the top makers and players of his time (Auchterlonie, Robert T Jones, Harry Vardon etc.) Stewart was one of the most respected club makers in Scotland and his early irons were used by Old Tom Morris himself. He served an apprenticeship with Robert White and started in business on his own in the mid-1890s in Market Street, St Andrews, but also took over premises in The Pends where Robert White had his business. For quite some time irons were forged in The Pends then taken across to Market Street for finishing. St Andrews is not huge but that could not continue as the business expanded so he took premises in Greyfriars Gardens before moving to the address in Argyle Street where the business remained until his death and beyond.

His own maker's mark was a clay pipe (for the sound business reason that his brother, an engineer in Dundee, smoked such a pipe) but you will also see a stylised spider-like star on heads which he himself rejected on grounds of quality but sold on to other makers. In 1905 he registered the pipe mark as a trademark and post-1905 clubs contain this trademark information below the pipe.

In addition to his clubs his patented iron hole liners and cups were used on the Old Course at St Andrews.

He retired around 1930, his business carried on by his sons, Thomas, John and Malcolm and he died in 1931. His obituary in the Dundee evening paper claims he was the first man to make a matched set of clubs. My understanding has always been that honour went to George Nicoll of Leven with the Indicator series in 1926 but I will check it out.