Forged Iron Scars

[fixyurdivot]

For those of you who play forged irons and have any degree of "club cleanliness/keeping them looking new" disorder, how is that working out?  I'm not going to lie, I have this problem.  I was just looking at used forged irons to serve as reference, fairly new models at that, and see quite a lot of them wearing what many call beautiful patina, well earned and loved battle scars. I'm considering my first set of forged irons and this (dumb as it may sound), is something I'm thinking about.  PING's Indestructotanium has ruined me. 

[yungkory]

All you need to remember is this:

"Tools, not jewels"

Then you learn to live with the battle scars. The majority of us on the forums are such gear nerds, we're constantly thinking of the next set anyways. You might as well get some good use out of them before you have to sell them at 1/8th of the cost.

[silver & black]

Tools not jewels is the way I see it too.

I love my old hand planes with the years of work and patina they have acquired. I look at them as "experienced"...lol.  My MP 64's  are looking experienced these days... I just embrace the patina and think of all the fun I've had with them.

[Shapotomous]

Kinda like a new car... I worry about getting that first scratch then I let the paranoia drift away.  I actually put iron covers on the set of used JPX 900's I bought last winter because they were still pristine when I got them.  I wanted to hold off the bag chatter for a while.  I will probably ditch the covers this season because the irons have a scratch or two on them from normal play and I am past that stage.

[heribertomaya]

i think if a person is concerned about irons "scars",  they shouldnt be playing forged irons and rather use cast irons.  It will much easier, as is impossible to prevent Scars on blades or other one-piece irons.

[fixyurdivot]

51 minutes ago, heribertomaya said:

i think if a person is concerned about irons "scars",  they shouldnt be playing forged irons and rather use cast irons.  It will much easier, as is impossible to prevent Scars on blades or other one-piece irons.

Pure honesty and to the point.... I appreciate it.

2 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Kinda like a new car... I worry about getting that first scratch then I let the paranoia drift away.  I actually put iron covers on the set of used JPX 900's I bought last winter because they were still pristine when I got them.  I wanted to hold off the bag chatter for a while.  I will probably ditch the covers this season because the irons have a scratch or two on them from normal play and I am past that stage.

Good analogy. I've been looking at the bags that are principally designed to reduce bag chatter/rash. I suppose head covers are an option at the front end to help stave off, for a time anyway, the inevitable.  This might help ease me into the new look. 

For those of you gaming Srixon (Z585's and Z785's), how are they holding up in comparison to any other forged irons you've had?  

12 hours ago, yungkory said:

The majority of us on the forums are such gear nerds, we're constantly thinking of the next set anyways. You might as well get some good use out of them before you have to sell them at 1/8th of the cost.

I'm not there yet... and not sure I want to go there .

[Middler]

I'm the most anal person I know when it comes to caring for my stuff, but even I don't expect my (forged) irons to stay like new. I go to great lengths to protect them, bag with individual slots, iron covers on every other iron, clean with water & toothbrush and dry once a week or more. I've posted pics (link below) of my 20+ year old Wilson Staff RM Midsize irons I sold a couple years ago, in shockingly good condition according to everyone who ever saw them and the thrilled buyer. They had a few micro-scratches and dings but most people thought they were new until they looked closely - after 20+ years. With just a little care consistently, your clubs can stay in excellent condition for years. Most people don't choose to take care of their clubs, and that's perfectly fine with me. They all make kid me, and yet they all marvel at how good my clubs look... YMMV

 

[fixyurdivot]

4 minutes ago, Middler said:

I'm the most anal person I know, but even I don't expect my (forged) irons to stay like new. I go to great lengths to protect them, bag with individual slots, iron covers on every other iron, clean with water & toothbrush and dry after most rounds. I've posted pics (link below) of my 20+ year old Wilson Staff RM Midsize irons I sold a couple years ago, in shockingly good condition according to everyone who ever saw them and the thrilled buyer. They had a few micro-scratches and dings but most people thought they were new until they looked closely - after 20+ years. With just a little care consistently, your clubs can stay in excellent condition for years. YMMV

 

I knew I wasn't alone .  Holy Hedoublehockeytsticks, those are like new!  You did actually use them right?  So this tells me that, with some extra care, the affliction can be manageable.  

[juspoole]

I have forged Mizunos - MP 18 SC and I've had them not 2 full seasons.  I'll be honest, it's tough to see some of the WITB and how shiny those are looking in the bag.  I clean mine after every round, but have traveled with them and there is a ton of bag chatter.  However, the feel and consistency I get from these far outweigh the look factor.  They have some dings and scratches but still look good to me.  Also to note - I usually have them in a bag with 14 dividers.

 

[MmmmmmBuddy]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

For those of you gaming Srixon (Z585's and Z785's), how are they holding up in comparison to any other forged irons you've had?  

Z785's

Admittedly, I don't care what these end up looking like.  They are tools used for hitting stuff... Kinda like a hammer, or a socket wrench (when my wife has lost the hammer).

These have been in play for approximately 75 rounds and hours of range/sim time.  I have new irons on the way, but would continue to play these for at least another year. 

Compared to other forged irons that I have owned, these have approximately the same durability. 

[yungkory]

3 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Pure honesty and to the point.... I appreciate it.

Good analogy. I've been looking at the bags that are principally designed to reduce bag chatter/rash. I suppose head covers are an option at the front end to help stave off, for a time anyway, the inevitable.  This might help ease me into the new look. 

For those of you gaming Srixon (Z585's and Z785's), how are they holding up in comparison to any other forged irons you've had?  

I'm not there yet... and not sure I want to go there .

Whenever you're ready, we're all keeping the water warm for you to jump right in! #clubhos

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

For me as long as I’m not causing the damage off the course I’m good. Toothbrush with soft bristle for cleaning and on course wet towel and no hard brush. Wearing from playing is what it is 

[RobotDoctor]

This is my MacGregor Muirfield 20th 8 iron after many years of game play.  These are at my brother's place and will soon be heading back home to me.  The face reveals a real "Tale of Two Cities" in terms on impact marks.  There is a distinct pattern high toe center and one low just inside towards heal center.  The low heal/center is my impact mark when I was a 6 to 2 handicap golfer.  The high toe-ish impact marks is from my brother.  When I get these back I would like the faces to be sand blasted so I can leave the battle scars alone.

[Cbfodalo]

I do not keep clubs long enough to really beat them up too bad.  I do take care of them. Clean and polish them while watching TV at night. 

I also buy a ton of clubs. Clean them up and sell them. 

I am currently chrome stripping a set of.mizuno mp-59's.  They where are scratched and dinged up. Chrome looks like he'll when its all beat up so I acid dipped them, wire brushed, sanded with 400,800 and 1000 grit belt sander. Polished up on buffing wheel then hand polished.  See pic after dip and almost finished sanding. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

These are my irons. There are many like them but these are mine.

Take Dead Aim

[BNewton51]

On 2/11/2021 at 8:12 PM, fixyurdivot said:

For those of you who play forged irons and have any degree of "club cleanliness/keeping them looking new" disorder, how is that working out?  I'm not going to lie, I have this problem.  I was just looking at used forged irons to serve as reference, fairly new models at that, and see quite a lot of them wearing what many call beautiful patina, well earned and loved battle scars. I'm considering my first set of forged irons and this (dumb as it may sound), is something I'm thinking about.  PING's Indestructotanium has ruined me. 

I don't think it dumb at all.  For those of us who suffer OCD with our clubs and insist on them always being clean forgings tend to cause a little bit of angst.  However, that is quickly gotten over when you feel that lovely contact of club face to ball.  THAT makes all that "scaring" concern go to the way side while you just clean them off and get ready for the next shot. 

Jump on in, the water feels fine! 

[BNewton51]

On 2/13/2021 at 7:48 PM, RobotDoctor said:

This is my MacGregor Muirfield 20th 8 iron after many years of game play.  These are at my brother's place and will soon be heading back home to me.  The face reveals a real "Tale of Two Cities" in terms on impact marks.  There is a distinct pattern high toe center and one low just inside towards heal center.  The low heal/center is my impact mark when I was a 6 to 2 handicap golfer.  The high toe-ish impact marks is from my brother.  When I get these back I would like the faces to be sand blasted so I can leave the battle scars alone.

These are like a work of art!  What beauts!

[Sparky14]

I use iron covers religiously. Then at night, I wrap my whole bag in bubble wrap. And my new 70" TV came in a nice padded sleeve which fits right over the bubble wrapped bag.

[ZenGolfer]

On 2/11/2021 at 8:12 PM, fixyurdivot said:

For those of you who play forged irons and have any degree of "club cleanliness/keeping them looking new" disorder, how is that working out?  I'm not going to lie, I have this problem.  I was just looking at used forged irons to serve as reference, fairly new models at that, and see quite a lot of them wearing what many call beautiful patina, well earned and loved battle scars. I'm considering my first set of forged irons and this (dumb as it may sound), is something I'm thinking about.  PING's Indestructotanium has ruined me. 

To me, the dings and bag chatter marks just add character.  Theres nothing cooler than an old set of forged irons that are well worn-in.  Its been said that you should never trust an old golfer with squinty eyes and well-worn irons who wants to bet on the first tee.

Id have to say that rings true because everytime I put my vintage Wilson persimmon woods, my pyratone shafted Spalding irons from the 1930s and my AG Spalding putter in the bag; people seem to just assume that Im a scratch player.  Truth be told, I just really dig vintage clubs. LOL

[fixyurdivot]

These will be adorning the new irons. I've now played several rounds with various folks who use iron head covers. Clearly the stigma associated with these is waning and folks are jumping aboard the #keepemdingfree movement .

[ncwoz]

I don't get too worked up about normal nicks and dings in clubs, bag chatter, etc. I did hit a pretty sizable rock underneath the grass at a cheap range last week that gouged my new 54° wedge, that had me a little annoyed  I guess the "you get what you pay for" adage holds up for cheap driving ranges as well.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

8 minutes ago, ncwoz said:

I don't get too worked up about normal nicks and dings in clubs, bag chatter, etc. I did hit a pretty sizable rock underneath the grass at a cheap range last week that gouged my new 54° wedge, that had me a little annoyed  I guess the "you get what you pay for" adage holds up for cheap driving ranges as well.

If your handy you can fix this yourself with a little work. If you have a metal machinist file and follow the contour of the club and work in even strokes you can get the gouge out. Then follow up with abrasive pads by hand or carbide hair on a Dremel tool to polish it up. I put a before and after picture from a hit from a fairway with a hidden rock my son found during one of his high school matches. I even saw this happen so I know he wasn't doing something stupid. PS: Don't try this with chrome plated irons.

      

[ncwoz]

2 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

If your handy you can fix this yourself with a little work. If you have a metal machinist file and follow the contour of the club and work in even strokes you can get the gouge out. Then follow up with abrasive pads by hand or carbide hair on a Dremel tool to polish it up. I put a before and after picture from a hit from a fairway with a hidden rock my son found during one of his high school matches. I even saw this happen so I know he wasn't doing something stupid. PS: Don't try this with chrome plated irons.

      

That looks great! I could get my hands on some tools from work without much trouble, but it's a "nickel chrome satin" finish on the club. Would filing the club done remove the finish and expose that portion of the club to rust?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

2 minutes ago, ncwoz said:

That looks great! I could get my hands on some tools from work without much trouble, but it's a "nickel chrome satin" finish on the club. Would filing the club done remove the finish and expose that portion of the club to rust?

The club I fixed had the a satin finish and it has no signs of rust two years later. Remember this is the sole of the club which will always be making contact with the turf. Rust on this surface shouldn't be a factor to worry about. 

I used Scotch Brite for the final polishing. I just went down to my work shop and looked.  

[ncwoz]

20 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

The club I fixed had the a satin finish and it has no signs of rust two years later. Remember this is the sole of the club which will always be making contact with the turf. Rust on this surface shouldn't be a factor to worry about. 

I used Scotch Brite for the final polishing. I just went down to my work shop and looked.  

Ah, got it that makes sense. Out of curiosity, why wouldn't that process work with chrome plated irons?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

10 minutes ago, ncwoz said:

Ah, got it that makes sense. Out of curiosity, why wouldn't that process work with chrome plated irons?

Once you get through the hard plating you now will have an opening for moisture to get under the plating. Eventually the plating will just start to peel off and work its way around the entire club head. 

[doctorgriffo]

I have 3 sets of forged irons - Nike pro combos from 2013, x forged/apex mb combo from 2018 and a set of mp20 mmc/mb combos. There is no way I can play cast or fake-forged again (hollow ones or ones with forged faces - even the apex irons felt harsh to me). As many have said, the feeling of hitting a solid forged iron is worth the scars (both on the clubs, and to your dignity when a slight mishit falls 10 yards short).  From my observation, the forged cavity backs hold up a lot better cosmetically, with the blades appearing a little more dinged up, but the 2018 apex MB is the prettiest iron for my eye and I can live with a few bumps and bruises. Once the face starts browning, though, it is time to move on.

[Sevefan]

I recently bought a set of mp-32s for under $200.  They have bag chatter all over the place but no browning on faces.  They have a few minor gouges that don't affect play. I look forward to putting some wear on the faces.  It's kind of liberating to know that they really can't get much worse from the bag chatter, and I enjoy thinking that all those marks show some of the set's history. 

As for iron covers, I used to use them.  I caught a bit of grief for it, but my opinion is that if you can remove them and put them back on without delaying anyone (which really isn't too hard), then who cares?   

[DontGoLeft]

If you are slamming them into the turf at 70-100mph as you should be then the scars will come often and early. IMO also having a little dark wear spot on the face where you make impact is an amazing look. 

[Cbfodalo]

I bought a set of Calloway neoprene covers, and I thought they looked great,  but I found it to stressful worrying about losing them. My solutions was to get a founders club cart bag with the 14 molded dividers. Works great, every club has a spot so it's really easy to find correct club and I never have to wonder if all clubs are there. I picked up an older used model bag for $70. The newer ones  have a better top layout, but I like the one I have. 

I love the look of mizuno forged irons, but I especially the muscle back blades. I will buy and sell a couple sets a week. Sometimes I strip the chrome, but I most times I just use a wire wheel to take shine off, and I the only way I hand rub them with oil and fine scotch brite, I find it very therapeutic to hold those little prices of forged steel in my hands an bringing out the natural beauty of the metal. I polish the faces to re. I've brown spots and use brasso to polish them up, it's purely cosmetic as the chrome is gone. To me, it is that spot tells me someone played them well or at least struck sweet spot consistently. 

On my players the wear mark is like a battle scar, I am proud of it.