What makes BeCu special?

[plainsman]

I have a BeCu sand wedge with a slightly bent S300 shaft. It was a garage sale purchase for a few dollars. The only thing special about it is the BeCu material. Otherwise, it's just a no-name, cavity back, sand wedge with a decent shaft.

Can someone tell me what makes BeCu special in an iron golf club? I've searched and found no clear answer.

Is it reasonably possible to straighten the shaft? I may just use it as a test case to learn about reshafting clubs.

[glebert]

I think there is a mystique about BeCu just because you can't get it anymore (and it looks kind of cool). Stuff is carcinogenic, one of my old bosses had worked with it as a teenager and had a brain tumor in his 30's.

It isn't harmful in wedge form, but don't try to do any custom grinding on it, okay?

[ks8829]

My first set of irons were the Ping Eye 2 Becu, and that was suppose to give you a softer feel and sometime referred to as the soft alloy. I still have the set of irons but don't play with them.

[Timothy D Watson]

Polish beryllium copper with Brasso and it looks like gold. This only lasts to full affect for about a day. BeCu alloys can be VERY soft or VERY strong depending on the exact formulation and way they're worked. The common carbon steel used in golf has about a 275 MPa yield strength. BeCu can have a yield strength as low as around 85 MPa. The common titanium used in golf has a yield strength of about 860 MPa. BeCu can be made as strong as 1520 MPa! Don't be fooled, though. BeCu is very dense, so its strength to weight ratio is not as good as the common 6-4 titanium. It will not make a stronger golf club, but can make a very hot face insert.

[goblue107501]

Back when they made them, I would get Cleveland 588 wedges in copper. I couldn't tell any difference in the play of them vs. the chrome model. The main reason I bought them was the glare. Copper clubs won't have any glare from the sun like chrome will. So for me, it was more about being able to look at the club on a sunny day than any sort of performance issue.