Item JB39
This Item was Sold on 24 February
2014 for $74
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This is a collection of 4 left handed miniature concept lap joint boomerangs made by Rusty Harding and kept in his personal collection. All of these were made in 1979 when Rusty lived in Vero Beach, Florida. The first lap joint is a half scale Concept 70 made out of Purple Heart, an African hardwood also called Amaranth. This one appears to be unsigned, but this species of wood can absorb ink with time, so maybe I just can't see the writing? The remaining three are made out of Walnut and they are all signed and dated 1979. The Concept angles are 90, 70 and 60 degrees, so you get the full spectrum of angles from Rusty's concept series. These are the only miniature Concept lap joint boomerangs I have ever seen. All of these are decent flyers and in very good condition. It is puzzling to me as to why Rusty never mass produced the half scale lap joints. Maybe working with plywood is easier? It is probable that these are unique and that makes them very collectible. 1/2 Scale Walnut Concept 90 1979 ; Specifications: Left Handed ; Tip-to-tip Span = 21 cm ; Weight = 10 gm 1/2 Scale Walnut Concept 70 1979 ; Specifications: Left Handed ; Tip-to-tip Span = 17 cm ; Weight = 9 gm 1/2 Scale Walnut Concept 60 1979 ; Specifications: Left Handed ; Tip-to-tip Span = 15 cm ; Weight = 10 gm
Rusty Harding is one of America's best known boomerang manufacturers. I first met Rusty in 1979 when Rusty and I lived in Florida only 30 miles apart. Rusty was already an experienced boomerang thrower and manufacturer. I had been throwing longer than Rusty, but Rusty put a lot more effort into making premium boomerang products. The quality products that I made and sold in the 1980s and 1990s was highly influenced by my association with Rusty. Rusty was left handed and his lefty booms were exceptional. He made a large number of sporting and competition boomerang models. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Rusty made boomerangs from his home in Vero Beach, Florida. In the early 1980s, Rusty moved to Lebanon, Tennessee where he continued to make boomerangs until the late 1990s. Rusty's old classics, especially those from Vero Beach, have become valuable collectibles. The boomerangs that have the highest collectable value are the Concept models that were made out of lapped hardwood boards and with angles of 70 or 90 degrees. These were sometimes weighted. His Hurricane Hook and Contender [omega] designs are the most popular sporting models. Rusty died in November 2010 after a lengthy battle with coronary disease, so his models continue to grow in demand. |
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