Classic Blades vs. Modern Blades

[bladehunter]

Aren't we actually comparing classic blades to modern muscle backs (not modern blades)?

 

 

Blade MB is 99% interchangeable... depending on your outlook there are no modern "blades"...either that or they are all blades and the 50s long hosel flat back irons are butter knives... lol Its all in the COG.... how much junk in the trunk... more and its an MB less and its a "Blade"... in my opinion

[BIG STU]

Aren't we actually comparing classic blades to modern muscle backs (not modern blades)?

 

 

Blade MB is 99% interchangeable... depending on your outlook there are no modern "blades"...either that or they are all blades and the 50s long hosel flat back irons are butter knives... lol Its all in the COG.... how much junk in the trunk... more and its an MB less and its a "Blade"... in my opinion

If it aint got "hole in the back of the head" (Ben Hogan saying) then it is a blade. I agree FTR with Mr Hogan on that one

[Nard_S]

Yeah I don't buy into CAD and advancements in metallurgy when it comes to blades. Miura has been offering premium feeling clubs for decades and they base their technique off the Samurai sword methodology. Any BB fan would be at home swinging 90's vintage Maruman's. They're Miura made.

The goodness of modern is in the movement of CG to center face. The MP-5 even utilizes Tungsten in the toe to augment this. I have Mac-Cobra's, an updated version (early 90's) of 1960's era Macgregor's. Find that sweet spot that is high and heel side, they are the softest irons you'll ever hit. Vast majority of blade offerings these days gets done for a slew of OEM's by Endo. They are quite good at hot forging, couple that with centered CG and stronger lofts (46*PW not uncommon), throw in lighter and better fit shafts, modern come off superior to many.

 

Bingo. I've not hit a cad designed blade yet that equaled my 2003ish hand worked titleist set. And anything Miura as for workmanship is bar none the best. I've built around 50 sets of blades in my life. Miura will have exact progressive head weights. The lie angle and lofts will be to spec and the hostels slightly small so that you can sand or ream to a very tight shaft fit. My goodness. The i500 I built required a shimmed feral to take up the 1/2 inch of slack in the bore. Was like putting a taper tip in a hybrid hosel.

 

Hand work wins every time. Machines are made by man and left to their devices are very Much limited in their exactness by the mass production process itself.

 

So you have the "Proto T's"..........................you are a blessed man.

 

 

better than that .. I have a Tour set of no stamps..... Blank no T or 681... beefy all over

 

WOW! :swoon:

[bladehunter]

Yeah I don't buy into CAD and advancements in metallurgy when it comes to blades. Miura has been offering premium feeling clubs for decades and they base their technique off the Samurai sword methodology. Any BB fan would be at home swinging 90's vintage Maruman's. They're Miura made.

The goodness of modern is in the movement of CG to center face. The MP-5 even utilizes Tungsten in the toe to augment this. I have Mac-Cobra's, an updated version (early 90's) of 1960's era Macgregor's. Find that sweet spot that is high and heel side, they are the softest irons you'll ever hit. Vast majority of blade offerings these days gets done for a slew of OEM's by Endo. They are quite good at hot forging, couple that with centered CG and stronger lofts (46*PW not uncommon), throw in lighter and better fit shafts, modern come off superior to many.

 

Bingo. I've not hit a cad designed blade yet that equaled my 2003ish hand worked titleist set. And anything Miura as for workmanship is bar none the best. I've built around 50 sets of blades in my life. Miura will have exact progressive head weights. The lie angle and lofts will be to spec and the hostels slightly small so that you can sand or ream to a very tight shaft fit. My goodness. The i500 I built required a shimmed feral to take up the 1/2 inch of slack in the bore. Was like putting a taper tip in a hybrid hosel.

 

Hand work wins every time. Machines are made by man and left to their devices are very Much limited in their exactness by the mass production process itself.

 

So you have the "Proto T's"..........................you are a blessed man.

 

 

better than that .. I have a Tour set of no stamps..... Blank no T or 681... beefy all over

 

WOW! :swoon:

 

I’ll post you a pic later when I get to my laptop. Built originally for Matt Jones. Either were backups or off casts he didn’t play much. When I bought them form a friend of his caddie through here , I gave $170 shopped for them. They’ve bested severs $2k sets of irons. I’ve worn the faces on the short irons down to nubs.

[Nard_S]

I'll post you a pic later when I get to my laptop. Built originally for Matt Jones. Either were backups or off casts he didn't play much. When I bought them form a friend of his caddie through here , I gave $170 shopped for them. They've bested severs $2k sets of irons. I've worn the faces on the short irons down to nubs.

 

And to think $2K for proto's is considered a bargain,so so awesome. Those clubs are my holy grail, I keep my 681's fresh, "me love them long time" -LOL :)

[Sir edward of putternut]

Id say there is a substantial difference between true hogan blades(pc, redline, 73s, etc) and modern blades.

The older ones is where the term blades is accurate, while the modern version is truly a muscleback. I dont recall a muscle on my hogans. The 99 hogan is more in line with the modern mb shape. Id also say on the older blades, the leading edge was sharper.

However, one is not better than the other. Give me a good hogan, macgregor, or wilson blade most any day....and ill take a more forgiving mizuno on the other.

Id say the more modern blades have a fuller feel while the older have kind of a iron more high pitched thwack that is equally addictive.

[BIG STU]

Id say there is a substantial difference between true hogan blades(pc, redline, 73s, etc) and modern blades.

The older ones is where the term blades is accurate, while the modern version is truly a muscleback. I dont recall a muscle on my hogans. The 99 hogan is more in line with the modern mb shape. Id also say on the older blades, the leading edge was sharper.

However, one is not better than the other. Give me a good hogan, macgregor, or wilson blade most any day....and ill take a more forgiving mizuno on the other.

Id say the more modern blades have a fuller feel while the older have kind of a iron more high pitched thwack that is equally addictive.

You nailed it in the last sentence--- Remember the older blades like I play were made in the balata days and they still sound good when you pure a balata ball but still sound good when you pure a modern softer ball. For me the Bridgestone Treo Soft which they do not make anymore has close to a balata sound. FTR not starting an argument but curious Which Mizuno blade do you find forgiving? I have a set of 68s and played 33s in the past and neither one of them are no more forgiving than any of my Macs or Hogans.

[Nollster]

I just picked up a set of 69s for $118, so I'm excited to try them. They're coming with C-Tapers 130s which I doubt I'll be able to get in the air, but can probably sell for a decent price and make it look like an even better deal! Can't wait to do a comparison between these and my Rams. Regardless, I think I've heard enough from you guys to feel good about getting rid of a few set of irons that I thought would help me out but have been largely disappointing.

[dubbelbogey]

I just picked up a set of 69s for $118, so I'm excited to try them. They're coming with C-Tapers 130s which I doubt I'll be able to get in the air, but can probably sell for a decent price and make it look like an even better deal! Can't wait to do a comparison between these and my Rams. Regardless, I think I've heard enough from you guys to feel good about getting rid of a few set of irons that I thought would help me out but have been largely disappointing.

 

Great find! Let us know how it works out!

 

Isn't it amazing that you can find a full set of high end Mizuno irons for less than the price of three boxes of Pro V1s? :rofl:

[KRW59]

Being old enough to have played ( and still own ) 3 types of blades that cover

30 years of the " progression of blades " , I'll add my .02 cents worth....

 

'88 Hogan Redlines : classic " butter knives ". Sharp leading edge , low bounce,

high cog , heel biased sweet spot...bring your A game

 

'99 Hogan Apex : new age " muscle back " . A more forgiving mid cog , sweet spot

just a bit towards the heel...ahead of it's time in blade design for playability.

 

Ben Hogan FTW 15 : " modern blade " low cog , high bounce , high launch , sweet

spot center faced , mid sized , easy to play.. GI model for blade players.

 

 

[Nollster]

Took the MP-69s out for the first time last night. I'll post some comparison pics, but the heads are definitely bigger than my Rams, but not obnoxiously so, and was surprised at how thin the soles look. The overall performance was fantastic for the first few holes, but these came with C-Taper 130s -- waaaaaaay to stiff for me!! I was working so hard to get these in the air by then end of the night. I definitely found a winner here and I think will work quite nicely when I get the Nippons installed. If I can get a good price on the C-Tapers, then I really got these for a steal!!

[Sir edward of putternut]

Id say there is a substantial difference between true hogan blades(pc, redline, 73s, etc) and modern blades.

The older ones is where the term blades is accurate, while the modern version is truly a muscleback. I dont recall a muscle on my hogans. The 99 hogan is more in line with the modern mb shape. Id also say on the older blades, the leading edge was sharper.

However, one is not better than the other. Give me a good hogan, macgregor, or wilson blade most any day....and ill take a more forgiving mizuno on the other.

Id say the more modern blades have a fuller feel while the older have kind of a iron more high pitched thwack that is equally addictive.

You nailed it in the last sentence--- Remember the older blades like I play were made in the balata days and they still sound good when you pure a balata ball but still sound good when you pure a modern softer ball. For me the Bridgestone Treo Soft which they do not make anymore has close to a balata sound. FTR not starting an argument but curious Which Mizuno blade do you find forgiving? I have a set of 68s and played 33s in the past and neither one of them are no more forgiving than any of my Macs or Hogans.

Not forgiving, but i think the modern design and cog placememt(particularly in the 33s. 690s. Etc...makes them easier to hit.) The leading edge on the older sets can be a killer too on certain courses.

The hogan pc was, and is, still the hardest blade ive experienced followed by the redline look alike hogan released a few years later. However, the pc became one of my all time favourite clubs.

 

[bladehunter]

Pics of my 681 Tour issue Blank ( no model number or T) Protos... sorry i forgot ..lol

 

Very beefy set , easily best ive owned... completely relevant compared to todays MB

[Nard_S]

Nice! That's a slab of Kobe beef right there. If you ever go vegan let me know. :)