Endo, Miura, and other forgings

[NGage]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I hear about Endo, Miura, Ping forgings, and Balliwick or Miller's that used to do some forgings in America......what's the difference? What differentiates one from the other?

 

For example, I know the new Callaway Razr X-Forged claim to be Endo forged. Also, I've seen sets of the previous versions of X-forged called Quad Dots that are supposedly Endo forged. Again, what would be the difference? For this example, if Endo did the Quad Dots....who did the others?

 

Just overall....what's the lowdown of the various forging houses? Processes? Differences?

[Golfmanufaktur]

Hi NGage,

 

some parts of the process are different in each of the well known forging houses. Miura does a two piece construction, where the hosel is spin welded to the blade. Otherwise, it's a two-step forging. Others go through a five step forging process from raw billet to finished clubhead. And some other do something that's called "form forging" where you first cast the clubhead and after that finish it by using a press to improve the grain structure in the material.

 

The major differences then appear in the finishing, plating, grinding of the clubheads and of course the quality control. There are a couple of forging houses in China, who will make a forged clubhead for a fraction of the price, you would pay at a Japanese factory. But most of the time, the quality will not be the same. The headweights, plating, lofts, lies, etc. will have higher tolerances compared to the well respected companies like Endo, Miura, Kyoie and probably Chou.

 

Regards,

Michael

[superlent]

Most of the forged iron heads aren't anymore made in Japan, but rather in Thailand (Endo, who works for lots of well known companies, including Callaway) or Taiwan (O-Ta who works for Titleist and Ping)

Due to environemental issues and employes costs less forging houses still are in Japan.

By the way, most of the value comes from the finishing, not from the forging technique

[brandern]

Most of the Mizuno irons are still forged in Japan, Chuo factory but the finish is done in China. So my bet? get Mizuno Irons...

 

P/S: I stand corrected though.