8620 vs 1020: Will The "Real" Forged Iron Please Stand Up?

[GolfSpy Barbajo 9,254]

Been researching online - always a dangerous thing to do - about carbon steel, alloys and forgings.  Have some questions....

 

1. Learned the difference between 1020 carbon steel and 8620 carbon steel.  The xx20 indicates the carbon content of the steel in hundredths.  Both 8620 and 1020 have the same amount of carbon - .20%.  

 

2. The first two numbers tell more of a story.  The 10xx represents a simple carbon steel that is not alloyed.  86xx indicates an alloy, with a few more ingredients.

 

3.  Apparently, the biggest difference is in hardness - 8620 is a little harder, therefore more durable.  From what I was able to find, a golf iron made of either can still be bent the same.

 

The question is - a "forged" iron made from 8620 carbon steel - is it really forged?  From what I've read, 8620 can be forged at temps between 1800 and 2200 degrees, but are they typically cast and then stamp-forged? 

 

Another question - does it matter?  Can you feel the difference?  

 

My two cents - yeah, it counts as forged, no, it doesn't matter to me that it's called "forged" when it's cast first and then forged and no, I doubt I could feel the difference.

 

What say youse guys?

[RookieBlue7 1,677]

You can feel the difference in a Scratch 8620 vs a Scratch 1018 wedge.  1018 is almost virtually identical to 1020, and there's actually a rather lengthy thread on here back when TourSpec golf claimed to have tested a Scratch 1018 and it came up as something other than 1018 steel according to his test.  Lots of back and forth and a lengthy discussion on different types of forged steels.

[BIG STU 7,135]

I remember that contriversy on here. Confused the heck out of me. I think some folks with exceptional feel can tell the difference. Honestly I can tell the difference in the feel of a Japanese forging versus others but absolutely do not know about anything about the properties of steel or the process of mixing the steel for carbon properties etc. I don't worry too much about it I just use what feels good to me

[fozcycle 11,600]

So 1020 is softer than 8620?

[BK in TEXAS 190]

So 1020 is softer than 8620?

Yes.

[SPY ZINGER 411]

I thought the 8620 irons from scratch were cast?

[Kenny B 23,072]

I'm reshafting Macgregor M685 forged irons 5-8 with UST ProForce V2 95 graphite just to see if they feel similar to the SCORs. The 7-8 are 1025 carbon steel and the 5-6 are 4140 carbon steel. The 4140 irons are also hollow body with the face connected to the hosel. According to SCOR, these UST shafts are very similar to the Genius 9 which I have in the SCORs. If they don't feel right, it's just a few shafts and the Hogans are coming, the Hogans are coming!

[whiskey golf 61]

The question is - a "forged" iron made from 8620 carbon steel - is it really forged?  From what I've read, 8620 can be forged at temps between 1800 and 2200 degrees, but are they typically cast and then stamp-forged? 

 

Another question - does it matter?  Can you feel the difference?  

 

 

If an iron has undergone a forging process and is made from 8620 carbon steel then it is really forged in my opinion. If the iron came from a casting and was then forged, I consider it forged, technically speaking. Yes it wasn't forged from a billet like a lot of irons are but it still went through the process.

 

It's like my Wilson 8882 that I have. By a golfer's definition, it's not a milled putter however, it did get milling on the face so it technically was "milled" in that aspect even though the putter came from a casting process (I believe) and not from a solid block of metal like a 100% milled putter. I just started learning about manufacturing processes in engineering school so I'm taking the terms "forged" and "cast" here in a literal sense. 

 

As for feel, I'm not sure I can tell a difference when it comes to the material. For wedges, I can feel a difference in a Vokey vs SCOR but that may have something to do with the shaft. If you gave me two identical wedges that were both created the same and had the same specs except one is from 8260 and the other one from is 1020, I'm not sure I would be able to tell a difference.