ping beryllium copper irons

[GolfClubbas]

why did ping make irons out of beryllium copper? does this improve feel, distance, or forgiveness and why so expensive

[vangator]

I always thought it was because BeCu is very hard and looks cool.  I have a knockoff set of them.  Problem is that Be is poisonous.

[Mr. Desmond]

I thought it was a feel thing, like the nickel irons they once made - I owned a nickel iSi set in 96-97 or so - felt solid yet sweet from memory.

[Lihu]

BeCu is a material that was used in electrical contacts that required some sort of spring action. It has since become rare because RoHs mandated not using it. Most commercial products have eliminated it.

As far as feel. . .

Quote

Beryllium copper is frequently used in the manufacture of professional-quality percussion instruments, especially tambourine and triangle, where it is prized for its clear tone and strong resonance. Unlike most other materials, an instrument composed of beryllium copper will maintain a consistent tone and timbre for as long as the material resonates. The "feel" of such instruments is rich and melodious to the point that they seem out of place when used in darker, more rhythmic pieces of classical music.^[

Not sure how this translates to a putter?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium_copper

[jamo]

I've never played them myself, but they're supposed to feel softer than steel.

BeCu itself as a finished product isn't poisonous, but the dust that is expelled during machining is. It's not hazardous for the end user, but you need very tight controls over the manufacturing process, so it's not really worth the hassle. It's also generally more expensive than steel.

[vangator]

2 hours ago, jamo said:

I've never played them myself, but they're supposed to feel softer than steel.

BeCu itself as a finished product isn't poisonous, but the dust that is expelled during machining is. It's not hazardous for the end user, but you need very tight controls over the manufacturing process, so it's not really worth the hassle. It's also generally more expensive than steel.

I agree.  I think as a compound the BeCu is not poisonous.  Be is very poisonous.  I remove heads using a propane torch, so I'm sure that's not in my best interest.

I always though BeCu is harder than steel.  I know any mishits with those clubs felt horrible.

[rhetzel]

On 1/15/2016 at 4:44 PM, Mr. Desmond said:

I thought it was a feel thing, like the nickel irons they once made - I owned a nickel iSi set in 96-97 or so - felt solid yet sweet from memory.

Still game a set of the ISI nickels and have yet to find anything newer that is better. I also owned a set of the copper ISI's and they were on par with the nickels. I had my ace with a Ping BeCu 7 iron BTW. Great sticks. 

[Dave2512]

The Tommy Armour Golden Scot BC's are sexy as hell. I tried the Eye 2 BeCu's a couple season ago no magic in them. Just old tech that had me using my newer more forgiving clubs after a few rounds.