Lurehead03 Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 Ok Guys i bought these off ebay they have TT inside a circle on the bill so I assumed Tenn Tuffy but they look nothing like any thing they are making now so my ? is how old would they be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I am not an expert on TT baits. But they look like originals to me. It is my understanding that the guy that originally made them got himself into some tax troubles over selling them. He sold the rights to the baits to Manns. They made the Tuffy for a while. Now Sission is making them. The wire in the lip is done by hand. The only thing that I see different is that the wire use to be twisted once it passed through the lip before it was bent back to the end of the lip. I have seen an original Tuffy lip and there was a large single hole in the middle for the glue to pass through to help hold the lip in place. From the looks of the pictures..... I can see this hole. The paint is allot better than the ones that I have seen in the past. But the clearcoat looks like it was applied by hand. The only thing that really bothers me is the wire. The wire in the pictures looks like steel wire. The ones that I have seen have a softer wire that was used. Plus the wire is not twisted. I really couldn't tell you what year they were made. But they very well could be originals. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Iam almost certain that the first one is an oriinal.The rear hook eye is crossed @90 degrees.It is a repaint also.Look where the shad dot used to be.One thing for sure is Sisson didn't build this one nor did the guy in Tenn.build it either. I have painted alot of immitations in the past meaning that they were built by neither Lee or Steve or whoever is building them and marketing them on the site below. Check out this current site www.tn.tuffy.com Phone # 865-471-6868 maybe call this guy and ask him. Obviosly the trade mark (if ever was one is no good anymore) Skeeter knows more about the lip than I do but I can tell you that altough Lee's lip is cofin shape it is molded different. The other two I just don't know but have seen some of about every lip(wire and hole) and hook eye configuration in the world. It's unclear to me about the second two but I don't believe the guy making them now made it and am positive Sisson didn't Blackjack and I have had several conversations about TT lures.Maybe he could put his two cents in How bout it Blackjack Blades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullin8s Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 does the one on top have a rattle in it? if so thats what the part that looks like a painted over shad dot could be. They look good whoever made them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I had the same thought as cullin8s. I thought that the top lure had a rattle in it. That is the way it would look if someone got in a hurry. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuff-Tackle Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I'm not sure about the other two but the baby bass is an original if it has a circle with TT inside. The first ones had that style lip before the ones with the twisted wire came along. I used to have one of the originals in that same baby bass pattern. Tuff-Tackle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurehead03 Posted January 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 i to notice the spot on the one but it's just on that side i thought it might be a rattle at first glance but no rattle the other two had the cross way hook eye but they where kind of loose and i tightened them a little. I was just wondering i'm gonna fish with em regardless Thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...