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 collectables. 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.

This boomerang is an early sport omega made by Rusty Harding for Ben Ruhe's boomerang catalog. This Napolean Hat was made in 1979 and it has " Ben Ruhe's Napolean Hat handcrafted by Rusty Harding , Vero Beach, Florida, USA , October 26, 1979 , #38 , RH ". It was purchased by Max Hoeben and it became part of his throwkit for more than 20 years. There is light wear and some scratches on the surface and there is damage on the edge of the dingle arm tip as shown in the photo. The damaged edge can easily be sanded down and coated with polyurethane. A great collectable!