Ben Hogan experts - What are these?

[MattIsenburg]

Hello everyone! I was hoping a few of you Ben Hogan experts could give me a little more information on these... They have Ben Hogan script logo on the sole and APRX II on the toe as you can see. Are they a japan version? forged?... does anyone have any lower or higher singles kicking around? thanks all!!!  

 

[AdamMH]

Hey Matt, I'm no Hogan expert, but those are definitely JDM models. I casually browse the auctions from time to time and I see them pop up now and again.

Any specific singles you're looking for? I can keep an eye out for you.

[MattIsenburg]

57 minutes ago, AdamMH said:

Hey Matt, I'm no Hogan expert, but those are definitely JDM models. I casually browse the auctions from time to time and I see them pop up now and again.

Any specific singles you're looking for? I can keep an eye out for you.

Hey Adam! thank you... I've seen them around and I just really like the style and didn't know what to search for. I always got info on the Cameo's when I searched APEX II

 

I found a set on Ebay - shipping from Japan - but its 5-SW. I would love another 3i or 4i or even another E to make into a gap or a SW to turn into a lob... or all of the above LOL

 

I was also thinking about moving 5i into a 6i (one club up - like my last build) and adding in a 3-5 of the modern Hogan PTx  (image attached) -- they kinda have the same look. I would weld everything up so no branding and re-punch all the numbers again, but I think it would be a nice blended set of old and new - what do you think?

 

I guess I'm just looking for a way to make these work without a huge gap between woods and irons 🙂 

 

[AdamMH]

53 minutes ago, Matt Isenburg said:

Hey Adam! thank you... I've seen them around and I just really like the style and didn't know what to search for. I always got info on the Cameo's when I searched APEX II

 

I found a set on Ebay - shipping from Japan - but its 5-SW. I would love another 3i or 4i or even another E to make into a gap or a SW to turn into a lob... or all of the above LOL

 

I was also thinking about moving 5i into a 6i (one club up - like my last build) and adding in a 3-5 of the modern Hogan PTx  (image attached) -- they kinda have the same look. I would weld everything up so no branding and re-punch all the numbers again, but I think it would be a nice blended set of old and new - what do you think?

 

I guess I'm just looking for a way to make these work without a huge gap between woods and irons 🙂 

 

 

Heck, I'm sure your plan would work, mostly because we've seen you do it before! 😄

I will confirm for you right now that there are sets that go up to 3 & 4i, so those do exist. I had a look around and did find one available 3-E set, one 5-S, and saw another couple sets that sold recently. You'd have to know your way around japanese proxy sites in order to get one, but they're out there.

I haven't, however, seen any singles pop up since I found out about this model. Your best bet may be to buy a full set instead of the ones on eBay - although it sounds like you own them already.

(Looking forward to the build thread... 😉 )

[MattIsenburg]

thanks Adam, I'll look into the proxy sites... Would be good to learn how to do it, lots of great looking JDM stuff... plus I like telling people they were only available in japan LOL

 

I haven't bought them... yet LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:14 AM, Matt Isenburg said:

Hello everyone! I was hoping a few of you Ben Hogan experts could give me a little more information on these... They have Ben Hogan script logo on the sole and APRX II on the toe as you can see. Are they a japan version? forged?... does anyone have any lower or higher singles kicking around? thanks all!!!  

 

 

Yes, Japanese model launched when Hogan was owned by a Japanese company (Cosmo World, or something like that). From the Nineties, I think. There was also an Apex III model. 

 

 

[MattIsenburg]

13 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Yes, Japanese model launched when Hogan was owned by a Japanese company (Cosmo World, or something like that). From the Nineties, I think. There was also an Apex III model. 

 

 

Very cool, thank you... do you know if they were forged or cast? Have you hit them? 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

12 minutes ago, Matt Isenburg said:

Very cool, thank you... do you know if they were forged or cast? Have you hit them? 

 

I've not hit them...but I have been tempted to buy them. I see them crop up from time to time, but my guess is they are pretty rare. I believe both the JDM Apex II and Apex III were designed by or with input from relatively famous Japanese pros. Their names escape me at the moment, however.

 

I am pretty certain they are forged.

[MattIsenburg]

23 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I've not hit them...but I have been tempted to buy them. I see them crop up from time to time, but my guess is they are pretty rare. I believe both the JDM Apex II and Apex III were designed by or with input from relatively famous Japanese pros. Their names escape me at the moment, however.

 

I am pretty certain they are forged.

Well I'm sold

Thanks again guys! ...  I just bough that set 🙂 shipping from Japan will be 3 weeks tho -- torture! haha 

[AdamMH]

2 hours ago, Matt Isenburg said:

Well I'm sold

Thanks again guys! ...  I just bough that set 🙂 shipping from Japan will be 3 weeks tho -- torture! haha 

Let us know how you like them... I might hunt down a full set of them or them III version...

[MattIsenburg]

On 5/19/2023 at 11:29 AM, AdamMH said:

Let us know how you like them... I might hunt down a full set of them or them III version...

The III looks great too... yes will do adam, thanks for the help as always 🙂

[AdamMH]

On 5/20/2023 at 11:34 AM, Matt Isenburg said:

The III looks great too... yes will do adam, thanks for the help as always 🙂

Curious if you got yours and what you think? I just pulled the trigger on a 3-Sw set in decent condition.

[MattIsenburg]

23 hours ago, AdamMH said:

Curious if you got yours and what you think? I just pulled the trigger on a 3-Sw set in decent condition.

I never got them 😕 ...  but congrats on yours tho! Where did you find these? 

[AdamMH]

2 minutes ago, Matt Isenburg said:

I never got them 😕 ...  but congrats on yours tho! Where did you find these? 

Picked them up from Mercari in Japan. I have a load of putters coming my way so the temptation got to me when I spotted them - combined shipping savings and whatnot. I really don't need another set of irons... but then I don't need a load of putters either so 😅

Edited November 29, 2023 by AdamMH

[MattIsenburg]

21 hours ago, AdamMH said:

Picked them up from Mercari in Japan. I have a load of putters coming my way so the temptation got to me when I spotted them - combined shipping savings and whatnot. I really don't need another set of irons... but then I don't need a load of putters either so 😅

well send some pictures when you get them! id love to see what you got...putters too! 

[MattIsenburg]

On 11/29/2023 at 12:40 PM, AdamMH said:

Picked them up from Mercari in Japan. I have a load of putters coming my way so the temptation got to me when I spotted them - combined shipping savings and whatnot. I really don't need another set of irons... but then I don't need a load of putters either so 😅

Hey Adam! did you get these yet?!? 

[AdamMH]

2 hours ago, Matt Isenburg said:

Hey Adam! did you get these yet?!? 

 
I picked the sloooooow boat option from Japan to save some cash. Likely to be another 3 weeks, maybe more, hopefully less!

[AdamMH]

I guess I owe some photos now. Very, very nice looking set of clubs in person. I thought maybe they'd be stainless based on the finish but the Equalizer from my set is just worn enough on the leading edge to show a little rust, meaning these are probably forged, brushed finished and chrome plated. Maybe 1 or 2mm offset max on the 3i which goes down to NO offset on the equalizer, with slight onset on the sand wedge. These came with red shaft bands that say:

"Authorized by Hogan"

"Apex FM (3)"

Ferrules have a registration number on them (10721 for my set).

 

The 7i is pictured below.

 

Edited January 19 by AdamMH

[bcstones]

1 hour ago, AdamMH said:

"Authorized by Hogan"

"Apex FM (3)"

So where are they from? Do you have any idea who forged them?

[AdamMH]

9 minutes ago, bcstones said:

So where are they from? Do you have any idea who forged them?

Well the clubs are from Japan, which is the only place I've ever seen them for sale. Safe to assume JDM only and might have been made under license by another manufacturer, but unfortunately not something I can confirm or even find evidence for/against. The "Authorized by Hogan" label probably only relates to the shafts as they're cross-branded, being both an Apex and a what I imagine is a stepped Precision shaft. The "3" would be reg flex here, as with other Apex shafts and not an FM flex number.

If I had to guess a time period I'd say they're from 1988-1992, being that those were the years that Cosmo World (of Japan) owned the company. Brunswick stopped producing shafts in 1996 so that makes sense.

If anybody has the step patterns for the Brunswick/Precision shafts at the time I might be able to confirm exactly what they are, not that it matters all that much.

It's worth noting that there is also an Apex III model with a differently shaped muscle.

[elwhippy]

Stunning set of irons. 

[MattIsenburg]

On 1/19/2024 at 6:36 PM, AdamMH said:

I guess I owe some photos now. Very, very nice looking set of clubs in person. I thought maybe they'd be stainless based on the finish but the Equalizer from my set is just worn enough on the leading edge to show a little rust, meaning these are probably forged, brushed finished and chrome plated. Maybe 1 or 2mm offset max on the 3i which goes down to NO offset on the equalizer, with slight onset on the sand wedge. These came with red shaft bands that say:

"Authorized by Hogan"

"Apex FM (3)"

Ferrules have a registration number on them (10721 for my set).

 

The 7i is pictured below.

 

GIVE MY BACK MY CLUBS!!@ HAHAHAHA