The story
The AMF Strikeline is one of the most unusual pieces in your collection. It features a rubberized cork core with a polyester blend plastic cover—a construction method that appears nowhere else in mainstream bowling ball manufacturing. Cork is lightweight and compressible, which would have dramatically altered the ball's dynamics compared to the dense rubber or polyester cores used in most balls. This suggests AMF was experimenting with core materials to achieve specific weight distributions or feel characteristics. AMF was a major player in bowling throughout the mid-20th century, manufacturing both pinsetters and balls. The Strikeline appears to have been an economy or mid-range offering, but its unconventional core makes it a fascinating artifact.
The rubberized cork core is unique. No other major manufacturer used cork as a core material. This ball represents a failed experiment or a budget-driven innovation that never caught on. It is a reminder that bowling ball technology has many dead ends, not just successful innovations.