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MANUFACTURER
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C.W. Gagwer & Sons
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Mr. C. B. Cunningham and Harold Phillips created a successful baseball
bat business in Rising Sun Ohio, that
brought major league players to their
door. Rocky Colavito, of the Cleveland
Indians, would occasionally stop there
because this company was able to custom
manufacture bats that would be just the
right size and weight. In the late
1950s the business was sold to C. W.
Gangwer when Mr. Cunningham retired.
The bats were made of ash, hickory and hackberry and he would buy the wood
directly from local forests. The wood
was cut into lengths of 44 inches and
he could make anywhere from 5 to 10
bats per section. It would only take
minutes to shape the bat. Then it would
be sanded and hand dipped three times
in grain filler and lacquer. Once it
was dry, the bats were branded with the
C. W. Gangwer & Sons, IDEAL, Rising
sun, Ohio, center brand. The only
center brand used by the company.
"The famous Ideal bats manufactured by C. W. Gangwer & Sons" as advertised
in local newspapers in 1962 offered
baseball bats for little league teams.
But eventually, business dropped off
because of the preferred use of
aluminum bats. Factory direct Little
league bat cost $1.75, Softball bats
$2.25, and full size baseball bats
$2.50 each. The C. W. Gangwer & Sons
baseball bats were also sold as late as
1976 in Gibson discount stores.
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C. W. Gangwer & Sons
Ideal Baseball Bats |
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
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