Mark, thanks for the post. Here are the Kren bats that I have and am confident are game used. They are all Kren's Special models and only the Glossop is a "Hand Turned" model. I will work on getting pictures over the weekend:
Curtis Walker (Walker in block letters, side writing)
Rabbit Warstler (H. Warstler in block letters, side writing)
Frank Gilhooley (Gilhooley in block letters, H&B shipping label and side writing)
Jimmy Walsh (JW stamped on knob, side writing Dick Porter, Baltimore BC)
Harry Topel (H. Topel in block letters and side writing)
Ben Bedford (Bedford in block letters w/side writing)
Larry Boerner (L Boerner in block letters with side writing)
Eddie Gallagher (E. Gallagher in block letter and H&B mailing label)
Hank Sauer (Sauer in block letter, 36in and 40oz, with Chick Hafey knob)
Wattie Holm (R. Holm in block letters)
Bill Kelly (Billy Kelly in block letters, with shipping label)
Al Glossop (Glossop in block letters w/side writing)
Lee Dunham (Dunham in block letters)
Bing Miller (Bing Miller in block letters)
Name scratched off (Model 24EM w/eligible side writting)
As you can see, not many big names but that has been part of the allure for me collecting these bats.
The guy I met who claimed to work at the Kren factory was really old...he'd have to be since they closed in the early 1950's. I asked if Hand turned models were made for professional players or if certain model numbers were and how you can tell the difference from retail models. He said that they would take a Dick Porter model (26DP) and put Art Hord's endorsement on it. He said there was no pattern to separate pro and retail bats. Not sure how credible he was.
BigJJ, thanks for the post as well. I have seen a few pictures of pro players with Kren's but never a player hold a Kren Style bat. Again, I thinking that these Style bats were made for retail.
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