Why are blade irons so expensive?

[DataDude]

We keep getting told the other clubs are expensive because of all the technology. To my knowledge there is nothing new in making a forged muscle back iron. In fact the main draw to playing them is that they are the same as they've always been. Maybe they have better shafts than they used to, but with the new Titleist release they are just as much as the new T irons and those are totally redesigned. I bet they have made an iron exactly like this years MB before. Nothing ever changes except slight changes to the shape of the muscle.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Supply and demand will dictate price. If they put them up for $10000 and they sell, more power to them. If they don't, then they'll eventually have to lower the price to a point where they will sell. Where that ends up is where it should be. All things in life should be this way.

 

[Jman]

Because they don’t sell. Contrary to how many on the internet talk about them. And with that, companies really don’t make all that many sets of them.

 

[Danimal]

That makes a lot of sense. I don’t see very many MB sets in the wild at all. Never really thought about it that way.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

One thing to remember with blades is that the manufacturing of them is a lot more labor intensive because they are typically forged instead of cast. Forging is a much more labor intensive process than is casting because there are several steps in the forging process that requires the club to be heated and then stamped into shape, whereas with casting you just pour the metal into a mold.

 

[Jman]

One thing to remember with blades is that the manufacturing of them is a lot more labor intensive because they are typically forged instead of cast. Forging is a much more labor intensive process than is casting because there are several steps in the forging process that requires the club to be heated and then stamped into shape, whereas with casting you just pour the metal into a mold.

Blades aren’t the only forged irons though, so that part is pretty moot here. Reality is, not much demand, so not much supply, and that means a higher price.

 

[JB]

Blades aren’t the only forged irons though

Combine that with a number of new technologies that are even more labor intensive. Think about multi material, suspended weighting and hollow body and it’s a lot of steps.

I remember when one of the sets was coming out last year, the number of steps to completion was astronomical.

 

[Jman]

Combine that with a number of new technologies that are even more labor intensive. Think about multi material, suspended weighting and hollow body and it’s a lot of steps.

I remember when one of the sets was coming out last year, the number of steps to completion was astronomical.

Yep, reality is blades are probably one of the most simple irons to produce now. Forging and all.

 

[DG_1234]

Blades aren’t the only forged irons though, so that part is pretty moot here. Reality is, not much demand, so not much supply, and that means a higher price.

I think this is the correct answer.

 

[3_putt]

Supply and demand will dictate price. If they put them up for $10000 and they sell, more power to them. If they don't, then they'll eventually have to lower the price to a point where they will sell. Where that ends up is where it should be. All things in life should be this way.

100%......

 

[McLovin]

prestige, and perception. i don’t think you can convince me that anything in the manufacturing process can justify the inflated prices of a blade.


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[Chisag]

... 1% of sales belong to MB's. They make few sets and keep them priced high because they will most likely sell out of the few sets they make. Even in the Chicago suburbs the few stores here rarely have MB's on the shelf. I suspect the only set they have is the one on display and when that sells, they order one more to replace it. I also suspect most MB sales are special order and not a stock item.

 

[HackerFish]

I suspect that people would be nauseous if they found out what the mark up on golf clubs are. The prices have little to do with the manufacturing cost. Its what the market is willing to pay. If golfers were willing to go en masse to no name brands, prices would collapse.

The real issue is that extra quality control that comes along with a name brand is worth a ton to a golfer but it doesn't cost that much to the manufacturer.

 

[Tenputt]

Blades are an example of what an economist would say is a product that has little price elasticity relative to demand.

 

[wubears71]

I suspect that people would be nauseous if they found out what the mark up on golf clubs are. The prices have little to do with the manufacturing cost. Its what the market is willing to pay. If golfers were willing to go en masse to no name brands, prices would collapse.

The real issue is that extra quality control that comes along with a name brand is worth a ton to a golfer but it doesn't cost that much to the manufacturer.

Cost of Goods sold may be low relative to retail price but from a cost accounting standpoint, golf clubs are not a high margin item.

 

[M2Giles]

Demand is not really there. They are a niche product in golf. Despite that, manufacturers still make them due to demand from the tour and as a halo item for the range. People that want new blades likely wont care too much about the price while those that are price conscious will have no issue looking at the 10+ years of modern blades and 50+ years of the modern blade and find one that suits their eye.

 

[OtterMan]

I never really noticed that. Most quality forged irons are all around the same price. There is a difference in price between cast and forged but that's more or less across the board. I don't think there are many, or any cast blades however.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I don't think there are many, or any cast blades however.

I have a set if you should be interested.

 

[OtterMan]

I have a set if you should be interested.

I have a set of Wilson forged blades I picked up on clearance a few years back. I really like playing them. I'm good, what brand are they?

 

[OGputtnfool]

I have a set of Wilson forged blades I picked up on clearance a few years back. I really like playing them. I'm good, what brand are they?

They're Dynacraft 1030b. I think I have 3-PW, maybe SW. I also have a set of the 1030cv. I had planned on making a combo set of them someday. They were made from 2001-2003 a few years before Hireko bought out Dynacraft. I used to play a whole bag of Dynacraft clubs. Still have some irons that I play most of the time. They make good stuff. I think the weight manipulation capabilities of the OEM stuff nowadays is the main thing that brought me over. If Dynacraft had a driver head with moveable/replaceable weights similar to the M5 or EFSZ, then I could easily see me playing it now.

 

[DataDude]

What do you think of this statement: Brand does not matter when it comes to blade irons?

 

[OGputtnfool]

What do you think of this statement: Brand does not matter when it comes to blade irons?

I don't know about "does not matter", but there are definitely other factors that matter much more.

 

[golfunfiltered]

Companies can also technically stamp "forged" on an iron as long as the clubface is forged. Doesn't have to be the entire head.

 

[jim54]

Cost of Goods sold may be low relative to retail price but from a cost accounting standpoint, golf clubs are not a high margin item.

I am not so sure about that, I bought a set of irons from a former Mizuno rep direct from the factory at the price they sell to the big box stores and it was just about half what they charge (pga ss, etc). So the cost to manufacture has to be half of that +/- so i think the margins are very high relatively speaking.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Blades aren’t the only forged irons though, so that part is pretty moot here. Reality is, not much demand, so not much supply, and that means a higher price.

Its not moot at all and low supply and low demand = higher price really doesnt make much sense from an economics standpoint. Even if you buy into the argument about the complexity of modern cast clubs, forgings still have the cost of all the steps and the cost of the hammer forges and the cost of training people to run them. Anyone can be trained to take blanks out of a cast but it takes real skill to run a forge and it takes time and money to train people how to correctly complete all the steps. Ive worked in manufacturing for over 20 years and after watching some of the videos that Mizuno has released showing their factories in Japan, Im not sure that its a job Id want to do.
You are certainly right about supply/demand though. The sheer number of clubheads that the factories in China churn out, combined with the number of sets that the OEMs sell makes for cheaper prices.