"How Golf Clubs Are Made" - (The Forging Process)

[GolfSpy_X]

 

There are many steps in the production of one of these clubs once its actual design has been accepted by the Master designer.

Step 1

The head starts life as cylindrical stick of mild iron, which is then heated to 1200 degrees Celsius, so that the iron maintains its chemical integrity. Note that this is the structure for the head and not the hosel, which is added later.

 

Step 2

The heated cylinder is then struck with a massive forging hammer, which creates the initial rough shape of the head.

 

Step 3

The edges are now trimmed and the rough head is now pounded again with the forging hammer. The force used is very precise, and along with the head of the rough head this creates the molecular structure of the head.

 

Step 4

The head is hit a third and fourth time, by which the head is now well defined and is in a smooth and unblemished state. Once in this state, the score lines and any artwork and iron numbers can be stamped into the head.

 

Step 5

The hosel now comes into the picture. The hosel cylinder is now spin welded onto the head in a very precise manner to make sure lofts and lies are of an exact nature.

 

Step 6

At this point we have a raw but technically advanced head, ready to be finished off by the Master Craftsmen.

 

Step 7

Grinding and polishing now takes place to make sure each head is taken to its specified weight. Each iron has its own designated weight which will generally see a 4 gram increment between irons, which allows for very tight swing weight matching.

 

Step 8

A final polishing is done in a purposely-built polishing barrel, which is capable of producing any sort of finish required via a variety of techniques. Now plating is applied, using either Nickel Chrome or W Nickel for a Satin Finish to the face with a touch of copper to the chrome for the rest of the club head and hosel.

 

The face now requires a light sandblasting to give it a bit of grip for the ball to munch on. The chrome is taped over here, allowing only the face to be blasted.

 

 

Now the club is ready, apart from painting in the number and model stampings.If any of you are lucky enough to own one of these works of art, enjoy them each time you take them out.

by Paul Smith

[Moecat]

Awesome info!!!

 

I never knew the hosel was spin-welded separately. Very interesting!

[GolfSpy Dave]

Great info. NOt quite the burly blacksmith with a hammer that I expected, but by Crom the steel looks amazing.

It is amazing that the hosel can be attached so precisely and strongly. I guess it would have to be second, or the stamping would smash the hosel closed.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Understanding the process does help people understand why forged clubs are a bit more expensive. All of the handiwork that goes into a set of good forged irons is amazing.

[Matt Saternus]

Very cool info, thanks for posting all that. It makes you really appreciate the work that goes into a good forged club.

[Golfware]

Excellent information. Just excellent. Seems to reason why forgings sound and feel so pure.

[GolfSpy Dave]

It becomes very obvious what the forging difference is when you compare this thread to the casting one. Compressing the metal into the shape you want seems more powerful than pouring it in and letting it cool. The compressed metal just seems angrier or something. Non-scientific opinion only, of course

[Black Label Johnny]

Pretty cool stuff... How much difference is used in a cast head?

[Shambles]

The spin welded hosel worries me. I'd be afraid to adjust loft and lie of those irons.

 

 

Shambles

[GolfSpy Dave]

The spin welded hosel worries me. I'd be afraid to adjust loft and lie of those irons.

 

 

Shambles

How do you take this into account? My understanding is that the forged wedges need semi-frequent adjustment to ensure correct loft and lie. Would forged irons be the same? Is the risk of snapping the weld high or low?

[Jack aMMo]

interesting. so, this is how they do the Miura irons?

[jamo]

The spin welded hosel worries me. I'd be afraid to adjust loft and lie of those irons.

 

 

Shambles

 

Don't all forged irons have spin welded hosels?

[GolfSpy Dave]

Don't all forged irons have spin welded hosels?

That is what it says in the OP above. Shambles was expressing concern with the adjustment of those hosels more than the presence of those hosels.

[jamo]

That is what it says in the OP above. Shambles was expressing concern with the adjustment of those hosels more than the presence of those hosels.

 

Oh. To Shambles: I have forged irons and I've never had a problem with lie and loft being bent.

[Matt Saternus]

That is what it says in the OP above. Shambles was expressing concern with the adjustment of those hosels more than the presence of those hosels.

 

I've heard clubmakers express concern about bending cast clubs, but never forged. My Mizunos have been brought back in line a few times and I've never had any problems (knock on wood).

[GolfSpy Dave]

I've heard clubmakers express concern about bending cast clubs, but never forged. My Mizunos have been brought back in line a few times and I've never had any problems (knock on wood).

My clubmaker said that he bends forged wedges all the time because play knocks them out of true. He tried to bend my TM TP from 58 to 60 and it would not go. He said cast wedges like that are great because they stay true to loft, but they are not really adjustable.

[myndcraft]

Very cool stuff! Thanks for the info =)

[Tony Covey MGS]

My clubmaker said that he bends forged wedges all the time because play knocks them out of true. He tried to bend my TM TP from 58 to 60 and it would not go. He said cast wedges like that are great because they stay true to loft, but they are not really adjustable.

 

It really depends on the steel used. The Dynacraft Prophet Tours we reviewed, as an example, are made from 304 stainless steel. I found them exceptionally easy to bend (similar to a soft forging like Mizuno). I have a 56 degree Vokey Wedge that I recently bent to 58 without issue (although not as easily as the others I've mentioned). Bending a cast club is certainly a more risky proposition, and in most cases I'd be afraid to go beyond 2 degrees. Occasionally the casting process can leave brittle areas, which can snap during bending.

[GolfSpy Dave]

It really depends on the steel used. The Dynacraft Prophet Tours we reviewed, as an example, are made from 304 stainless steel. I found them exceptionally easy to bend (similar to a soft forging like Mizuno). I have a 56 degree Vokey Wedge that I recently bent to 58 without issue (although not as easily as the others I've mentioned). Bending a cast club is certainly a more risky proposition, and in most cases I'd be afraid to go beyond 2 degrees. Occasionally the casting process can leave brittle areas, which can snap during bending.

He specifically said that he bends vokeys all day long, but a little pressure on the TP and he quit immediately. said he didn't want to have me a new two piece wedge.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Our clubmaker has told me that casting will sometimes leave the hosel with sides that are not equal width, or one that is thinner, thus leading to a break when pressure is put on, like a bending bar.

[Shambles]

I have not had a set adjusted since the early nineties and that was my set of Eye 2's which I was inclined to experiment on even when they were new and attractive to the market. It takes some real effort to move that steel and the possibility of breakage is real. The pro made me give a waiver. I also realize that forged clubs, being made of softer steel, are often bent. However it was only now that I learned that the hosels were friction welded and the head is not one peice. I've never really trusted any kind of weld in an item that goes through regular impact but I suppose that given the number of clubs adjusted without incident, it must be a reasonably safe operation.

 

 

Shambles

[DJNiich]

Seems simpler than I expected. Those are some purty irons there...

[jamo]

He specifically said that he bends vokeys all day long, but a little pressure on the TP and he quit immediately. said he didn't want to have me a new two piece wedge.

 

I wonder how a 2 piece wedge would work on a 2 piece ball? <_>

[golfasaurus]

How do you take this into account? My understanding is that the forged wedges need semi-frequent adjustment to ensure correct loft and lie. Would forged irons be the same? Is the risk of snapping the weld high or low?

 

The above process is what Miura does. The guy in orange happens to be Katsuhiro Miura. No worries about the weld breaking. I have Miuras bent 9 degrees flat. They hold up very well. That said, few clubs allow you to bend them 9 degrees

[GolfSpy Dave]

The above process is what Miura does. The guy in orange happens to be Katsuhiro Miura. No worries about the weld breaking. I have Miuras bent 9 degrees flat. They hold up very well. That said, few clubs allow you to bend them 9 degrees

Wow 9* that is impressive. Thanks for the info.

[JohnBarry]

Wow impressive wield to stand up to that!

[MGBesa]

Not all forged irons are forged in two pieces. The traditional way of forging irons is a one piece forging that includes the hosel. Mizuno makes their irons this way. In fact they had a video of their process on the Mizuno Europe website.

 

I think a one piece forging would be stronger all around that two pieces that were welded together. Just my opinion.

[JohnBarry]

I agree, the one piece forge must be stronger just from a physics view.

[PingManKMB]

bending clubs can be a tricky task..... most forged clubs are like butter and you can bend them however you like in any which direction... most cast clubs you can deal with as well, as long as you don't get too crazy... but, sometimes you get a situation or two where you kinda scratch you head and go, "huh... okay, wow..." (this usually happens after trying to bend something and it snaps in half or you start to bend and you realize it's not gonna move for you)