Wedges: Scratch and Fourteen

[relentlesswhitey]

Hello all.
I am creating a Christmas list and I am in need of a new 56 degree wedge. I am thinking of trying something new and I have seen adds and many great reviews on these two "smaller" companies. I don't think Scratch is that small, but I haven't heard of Fourteen before.
Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had experience with either of these wedges. Price is not a major issue, but preferbly something around $100. I don't need any customization, just a clean looking wedge with some badass grooves, and about 10* or more of bounce

Thanks for all replies. Happy holidays.

-Whitey

[wrx_junki]

You probably haven't heard of Fourteen golf since its not that big in America. It's pretty big in Asia since its based in Japan. I got a chance to try a custom one that was made for my aunt and they felt really soft. If you want to stay around the $100 range you won't be going the Fourteen route. Scratch 8620 wedges can be had for $100 but not their 1018 wedges. I've only tried the 8620 wedge and found it to be nice but not wow'ed to upgrade over the Vokeys at the time being.

[kurisu]

as wrx_junki said, Fourteen is big in Asia. Being resident here in Tokyo, I've come across quite a few players with Fourteen irons and wedges. (haven't seen anybody yet playing their woods, though)

What is written in small letters on the Fourteen website is that the forging is done in China, but the clubs are _assembled_ in Japan. Not that it matters much (their quality seems top notch), but something that should be known prior making the purchase, if part of your decision is based on buying something "made in Japan".
I have hit their newest wedge model (MT-28 V5) and it feels very soft, but the very thick topline is not my cup of tea, and shaft selection is very limited, for the price they are sold at.

I prefer the looks, sound and feel of the Scratch wedge, and because of the strong yen, I bought two 1018 models (53º and 58º in DD) for a very good price. But for someone living in the US, that means buying Japan made clubs at the moment is a very pricey proposition...

[WUTiger]

Might look at the Callaway X Forged line. Since Jaws arrived, Callaway cut the X Forged to $69, and appears to be trying to unload them.

Have seen clusters of them here and there during summer. This afternoon Sports Authority had a new batch, featuring standard 56.14, and several 56.15 with MacDaddy grooves and C-grind sole.