Epon AF-505 Iron Review (Unofficial)

mr.hicksta · March 28, 2019

I've had the Epon AF-505s in my bag for about 6ish months now. Ironically enough I had read the excellent MGS article on Epon (https://mygolfspy.com/epon-golf-clubs-japan-2018/) around the time of my fitting so apparently the brand was etched into my subconscious because I did not originally plan to go JDM! Bottom line up front: these are some of the best feeling irons I have ever played, and they will be a mainstay in my bag for quite some time!

AF-505 description from https://epongolf.us/index.php/products/irons/

"With the new AF-505, EPON set out to create an iron that combined the unparalleled forgiveness and ball-speed of the 503 and 705 models with the traditional forged feel and workability of the AF-Tour models. By using a revolutionary new forging technique, they were able to meet that goal by producing an iron with the thinnest face of any 1-piece forging in the world that feels like a blade but performs like a super game-improvement iron. The addition of a new perimeter weighting system lowers the CG allowing for less offset and a shorter blade length compared to the AF-503 while still increasing overall MOI."

Specifications

Club	4	5	6	7	8	9	PW
Loft	22	25	28	31	35	40	45
Lie	60.5	61	61.5	62	62.5	63	63.5
Offset	3.6	3.4	3.2	3.0	2.8	2.6	2.4

Originally my set was bent 2 degrees up, but I had them bent back to standard and have enjoyed them much more since I made the change. My irons have Modus3 Tour130s hard stepped with standard Tour Velvet Plus4 grips and +2 wraps at swing weight D3 (4-9) and D4 (PW).

From a looks perspective, the AF-505s look very similar to the Srixon z565s at address and have a similar v-sole. Admittedly they look a little chunky in the bag, but at address I find the top line to be quite pleasing. I also like the unique look with a tasteful amount of screws () which can be swapped to adjust swing weight if necessary.

I'm not on that GCQuad or Trackman level so I don't have any hard data on the performance, but I'm compared to the MP-18 SCs I gamed for a few months, I'm seeing similar distances.

I don't use iron covers unless my clubs are in my travel bag, but the irons seem to hold up well to the usual bag chatter.

Overall I'm very happy with these irons, and I'm glad I took the plunge. As you might expect, they're not cheap, but if you're looking to go a different route for your next irons don't hesitate to give the AF-505s a serious look!

Feel free to post any questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer them.

All aboard the JDM goodness train!!!