X-Forged, need some advice

[Travis13]

I just sold my X-20's and will be buying some X-Forged irons. My only question is about durability. I will most likely buy a used set off ebay, and am not sure about how these irons hold up? How long can you play with the X-Forged irons and how are the wear of these compared to the Mizunos?

[tonyy]

I think the life of any irons are at the mercy of the owner. Someone that has had irons for 10 years and has taken meticulous care of them would be in better condition than someone who treated their irons like crap in a year.

So when you're looking around, make sure they've been well taken care of and not abused. I'm sure you know all this but when comparing to just Mizuno and Callaway, both I can assure of were made with top quality.

[Release]

Forged metals are softer than the cast ones. I have both forged and cast sets of irons.
No difference if you take good care of them.
The X forged is not going to be as forgiving on missed hits like your X20, I'd recommand trying it before you purchase.

[Magnus]

It may not be the sexy thing to do, but put some of those neoprene iron covers on them. It keeps the bag chatter down, the chrome finish stays intact, and if you re-sell them, they will be no worse for the wear.

Typically a forged chromed set of irons won't last as long as some cast ones. Cast stainless steel just lasts a long time, and doesn't show tons of wear, while the softer forged steel will.

[tonyy]

I've actually been contemplating purchasing iron covers. It's probably not the coolest thing to do, but hey, we're protecting our investments right???

Magnus has a good suggestion, the OP should also consider this option.

[Release]

Make sure you take off the iron covers, storing or just sit in the garage for a day.
This will prevent rust on the forged irons, especially on the grooves and any small scratched you might have from playing.
Wiping the face clean after each shot with a towel is also a way not only to keep it clean but prolong the life span of the grooves.

[Jake H]

I think there's a common misconception about the durability of forged vs. cast irons. The manufacturing technique used to make a set of irons (forged vs. cast) shouldn't have much of an impact on durability. The hardness of the steel is what determines how durable a set of irons is. The hardness of the steel is determined by the amount of heating and quenching, not by how it was manufactured (forged or cast).

With that said, I think that the manufacturers of forged irons (mizuno, callaway etc...) generally tend to leave the steel softer than a lot of cast iron companies. This is probably because a soft iron feels so good on well struck shots. Titleist may be an exception to this rule though because their forged irons seem to be pretty hard. I personally play Mizuno MP-60's and they seem to be pretty soft, but they still look fine after a lot of use. As long as you keep your irons away from sand and rocks they will last a long time.

Jake

[Travis13]

Well sounds like a forged club will take more strokes off my score since I cant hit off sandy, or rough surfaces. I will just better my lie!!!