Forged stainless vs forged carbon steel

Beeez

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Hello all. I am still rocking a set of Titleist 704 CB forged stainless irons from ~2005. I do enjoy them but I will finally be upgrading them this year. Is there a major difference in the feel and performing of a forged stainless iron vs a forged carbon steel iron? I assume durability goes to the stainless. Thanks
 
Hello all. I am still rocking a set of Titleist 704 CB forged stainless irons from ~2005. I do enjoy them but I will finally be upgrading them this year. Is there a major difference in the feel and performing of a forged stainless iron vs a forged carbon steel iron? I assume durability goes to the stainless. Thanks

The style will determine feel as much as the material and/or process. Then add the different grades involved. Stainless as a generic is softer, but that can be misleading. I know THPer Philly V can answer the steel question as well as anybody.
 
The style will determine feel as much as the material and/or process. Then add the different grades involved. Stainless as a generic is softer, but that can be misleading. I know THPer Philly V can answer the steel question as well as anybody.

I always thought it was the other way around. Absolutely no expert knowledge, just from reading comments and such about putters.
 
I always thought it was the other way around. Absolutely no expert knowledge, just from reading comments and such about putters.

Its not : )
People flocked to that because it was written out there...in some marketing materials.
 
I might be the odd guy out but I prefer the feel of forged stainless over carbon steel! :)

I played the 704's for quite some time and loved them! Great clubs!
How would you describe the difference in what you feel?
 
This isn't to suggest one is better over the other, but is pertinent to the discussion and comes from Mizuno:

"In a 1025 steel the "25" represents 0.25% carbon in the steel. This will be a softer steel metallurgically than 1035 (0.35%) and 1018 (0.18%) steel is metallurgically softer than that. What that really boils down to though is the softness to bend and the softness to forge, not necessarily the softness a player feels in their hands. As the carbon content goes up, the metal is more brittle and thus easier to crack, and as it goes does, it is less brittle, and almost more "liquidy" if that adjective makes any sense in that it's easier to bend and manipulate. With that being said, a 1018 isn't going to last as long or hold its specs as long (a forged iron will tend to flatten out over time). The 1025 is a good combination of strength and durability.

Where the soft feel of a Mizuno really comes from is the Grain Flow Forging along with the Sound Design Engineering. By precisely controlling the grain flow from heel to toe, and ensuring long, tight, consistent grains, the soft feel is maximized. Think about the ding test....the grain flow forging along with the design of the head (strategically reinforced areas) are what make the head vibrate as it does and feel how it does. It's not just the literal softness of the material. "
 
Just my observation, but I went through a fitting earlier this year and tried several MB designs.

The Titleist 716mb, Srixon Z965 (1020 carbon), and Mizuno MP-5 (1025E) all felt similar to me and very soft. I'm not sure what the Titleist 716mb's are made of.

The Ping iBlade's are made of 431 Stainless which I guess is a softer metal than the carbon options. But the Pings felt hard and honestly like garbage compared to the others.
 
In my observation from hitting different clubs.....

Forged irons are usually softer than steel. But there are forged irons I hit that felt harder than Ping I200.

A few weeks back, I hit the Mizuno MP5. After a few hacks at it, I told the Mizuno rep that this Mizuno felt hard. Definitely not as soft as the Mizuno MP68 I play with. Then he switched the shaft from Dynamic Gold to some Nippon shaft. Whoa, the MP5 suddenly was much softer. But still not as soft as the MP68s.

So to make a blanket statement that forged irons are softer is. of always true.

Go hit a few forged irons and steel irons with different shafts....you might be surprised.

One last note, with forged irons with the correct shaft, you will feel where the impact point is in the face of the club. Yes the Ping I200s are soft, but I could faintly tell where the impact point is.
 
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