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Question: Why are Dark Irons Desired?

SuperStroke
pmm21 said:
I've always understood it as simply as it's something different. Whenever I get a client who sends me a set of irons it's always "make it unique." I understand that unique can come from all different directions, but no one asks me to make their clubs more silver and shiny.

I firmly believe that is the extent of it for most. It is for me
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Different animal though. The custom route is different than OEM offerings which make up nearly 100% of all sales. Seeing more companies have this offering is interesting, considering the number one knock on softer clubs is bag chatter (which shows more on darker finished irons) and the first question everybody asks is “how will it wear” because they prefer less.

So to ask about the first thought, is it different if just about every OEM offers it now?

So with those elements known, what is the attraction?
 
I think it generally just comes down to a bit cleaner look. Would you rather have a black car, or a silver car? Sort of the same thing.

I remember the Burner 2.0 irons that were dark..... man I wanted them. When it came time to buy them though, I bought the HP model (high polish).
I figured initially that the dark iron looked amazing, but the more I thought about it, I thought possible scuffing would turn me off.
 
I don't like them. It's hard to tell where the leading edge is.
 
McLovin said:
i don’t really know. but i love it. maybe because it’s a little different than the norm, so your equipment can pop against others’ bags. maybe it’s the slimming effect. it just looks mean and i like that.
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I’ll echo this thought and add on and say that for so long, irons have been silver. Black and grey are a relatively new style and change can be SO attractive sometimes ;)
 
I believe black tends to frame the ball well, looks cool in the bag and is different. Very few players at my club have “black” irons, I am actually only aware of 1 from my regular group of 30.
 
Black is slimming. I had this talk with the Callaway guys a while back and it seems like the combo of looking smaller than they are and being different was the main selling points.
 
I just recently picked up a DBM version. It catches my eyes since I seen Kucher using his. And Fowler more recently. Something about it just speaks to me more that standard chrome or satin
 
For me it’s just a matter of aesthetics. Whether it’s the wheels on my truck, the exhaust on my motorcycle, or the heads of my golf clubs, I think black looks better than chrome or any kind of silver finish. I don’t have any reasoning behind it...I just like it.
 
I like it just cuz I do. No real good reason. I like the worn look that they end up with, and I think it looks good.
I think satin can look good too though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
JB said:
The recent trend (not so recent) of dark or black finished irons being desired got me thinking this morning about why? Not as in “why would anybody want that”, but a bit deeper thought on it. Super minimalistic clean irons come out in chrome and the responses are “those are sexy” or in satin with similar thoughts.

Yet the dark finished seems very popular online. Is it the near unicorn to have one that doesn’t wear (outside of DBM)? Is it the slimming effect? Thought it would be an interesting discussion to hear not only if its a preference, but what it is about them that makes it a preference.
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Because the darker alloys look great, don't cause glare, and hit the ball hard with great feeling. Ever since Ping Eye 2's, more-so now.
 
I know they look cool but I typically dont buy black heads for two reasons:
1. The finish tends to wear off.
2. I like to aim the club heads/face and the dark heads are just a bit more difficult to see. Especially if you are in some healthy rough.
 
I'm always a fan of a club that doesn't have sun glare, if the darker finish helps that, then I'm in favor of them.
 
Looks... to me, my Hogan’s are gorgeous.
Also, I find, as well as some others have mentioned- the ball looks bigger at address because of the contrast. Maybe it’s a psychological thing about a bigger ball is easier to hit


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I just really like the dark look (and the way they frame the ball). Although I’d prefer the finish last, I don’t mind the wear spot (as long as it’s close to the center!).
 
I think it's just deviation from the norm. Chrome and brushed have been prevalent for almost a hundred years. Now we have finishes that are actually durable enough to use daily with minimal wear.
 
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JB said:
Is there a lot of glare on satin finishes? I’m asking genuinely, as I have not really encountered that. Chrome for sure.
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No glare issues for me with Hogan PTx (original or Pro) of the wedges.

To the OP question, I used to think that I wanted black irons bit now not so sure. Actually switched back to the chrome (nickel or satin or whatever) wedges because I am more accurate with those than the black Equalizers. The only thing I can figure since they are the exact same wedges, aside from the finish, is that maybe I align the faces to the target better with the chrome.
 
I like the fact that they're different and the contrast against the ball at address is something I enjoy.
 
JB said:
Different animal though. The custom route is different than OEM offerings which make up nearly 100% of all sales. Seeing more companies have this offering is interesting, considering the number one knock on softer clubs is bag chatter (which shows more on darker finished irons) and the first question everybody asks is “how will it wear” because they prefer less.

So to ask about the first thought, is it different if just about every OEM offers it now?

So with those elements known, what is the attraction?
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I think, in terms of OEM offerings, they're just late to the "cool factor" game. I remember 5 or 6 years ago when Callaway had the Razr Black irons. I was immediately drawn to them as they were unlike anything I had ever seen (I was also very new to the game.) They wore like crap, and looked terrible after a while, but they were still better looking (read: more unique) than anything out there.

People looked at various, and sporadic OEM offerings over the years, as well as custom jobs they saw on tour or on social media and were excited about them. It was only a matter of time before the OEMs picked the idea up as a standard offering. I think this plays into what I was getting at before. They're still different. The clubs that the average joe player sees during his weekend trip to DSG are still covered in chrome and filled with plastic in the cavity. When that same person sees a set of black AP2s on social media, or in a fancier shop, they're immediately drawn to them. It's sex appeal.
 
JB said:
The recent trend (not so recent) of dark or black finished irons being desired got me thinking this morning about why? Not as in “why would anybody want that”, but a bit deeper thought on it. Super minimalistic clean irons come out in chrome and the responses are “those are sexy” or in satin with similar thoughts.

Yet the dark finished seems very popular online. Is it the near unicorn to have one that doesn’t wear (outside of DBM)? Is it the slimming effect? Thought it would be an interesting discussion to hear not only if its a preference, but what it is about them that makes it a preference.
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Unless it's DBM, it's eye candy and 'no effin way' in my books.

Although some of these refinishing companies have got my eyeballs hooked on some crazy finish variations.
 
Won’t lie, never had a club with a darker finish long enough in the bag to see the wear that people are talking about.


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For me it’s strictly looks. It looks truly amazing, and you don’t see very many in the wild so it’s got that unique factor too.
 
I prefer satin, and I love the look of dark chrome, but really when it comes down to it, what I really dislike is finishes that don't wear well over time. It seems like the issues with black finish wearing quickly seems to have lessened, if not disappeared since I was last following closely. I've always really liked bronzed clubs as well.

If anything, maybe if I was more of a club-addict, I'd have more chances to play with the different fashion choices.

Except rust wedges. I dunno about them things, just seem untrustworthy. :unsure:
 
I have only played black wedges, and I know they will wear more than irons, but I wasn't a huge fan of it, so I will stick to a satin finish from now on I think
 
Not sure, think part of it for me is that they are more muted in color and don’t flash in the sun; this would reduce distractions before and during swing for me...
 
They are nice to look at on the internet but when I get them in my hands I do not like them as much. Irons are silver, the end.
 
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