Irons Forged in USA

[tdooley]

I looked around the forum and didn't find exactly what I'm looking for

If I missed something and there's another forum similar to this topic please link it

 

I've recently gained interest in building a set that is 100% Made in the USA

I'd like them to be forged in the USA with USA steel

Side note - I'm left handed so that limits my options a little bit

This is the first step in this journey so any advice is appreciated

 

1. Are there any rules of thumb when looking for Made in USA irons? Example - irons made between this year and that year, irons from a specific manufactured between this year and that year

2. What are the best Made in USA forged irons you know of?

[Foozle]

19 hours ago, tdooley said:

I looked around the forum and didn't find exactly what I'm looking for

If I missed something and there's another forum similar to this topic please link it

 

I've recently gained interest in building a set that is 100% Made in the USA

I'd like them to be forged in the USA with USA steel

Side note - I'm left handed so that limits my options a little bit

This is the first step in this journey so any advice is appreciated

 

1. Are there any rules of thumb when looking for Made in USA irons? Example - irons made between this year and that year, irons from a specific manufactured between this year and that year

2. What are the best Made in USA forged irons you know of?

I will jump in and answer your second question and say the Ram Tour Grind series from the 1980's.

There were various models, Frequency Matched, Vibration Matched, Tom Watson Custom Grind and other specific model variants such as 276 & 282. However, for me, 80-82 Tour Grinds are supreme.

Brother @NRJyzrhas previously posted detailed history including where and by whom the heads were forged. A search on here should yield that information but hopefully @NRJyzrwill jump in to help and share the Ram love!

I am sure the Mac Guru's and Hoganista's will proffer other views but Ram in that era were pure class. 

[NRJyzr]

12 minutes ago, Foozle said:

I will jump in and answer your second question and say the Ram Tour Grind series from the 1980's.

There were various models, Frequency Matched, Vibration Matched, Tom Watson Custom Grind and other specific model variants such as 276 & 282. However, for me, 80-82 Tour Grinds are supreme.

Brother @NRJyzrhas previously posted detailed history including where and by whom the heads were forged. A search on here should yield that information but hopefully @NRJyzrwill jump in to help and share the Ram love!

I am sure the Mac Guru's and Hoganista's will proffer other views but Ram in that era were pure class. 

 

There was a thread started some 10 years ago now that asked this very question, Who Forged Ram Tour Grinds.  In it, Tad Moore responded that Hoffman did the forging, he'd personally witnessed them working on Rams during a visit he'd made.

 

And, for @tdooley's interest...  Golden Ram Tour Grinds were famously made in left hand.  It was a specific discussion topic in 2000, when I was contemplating my first set of blades.

 

Because they've been gone as a company for 20 years, it might be a bit less easy to find a set, but they're out there.

 

I would also recommend avoiding the featherlite options...

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by NRJyzr

[rgk5]

None made now.Wilson Staff, certain MacGregors, older Top Flites, older Hogans, and the very fine Golfcraft Continentals and Staff models.

[bcstones]

Quite a quest & you're a lefty....I'd say almost any Company pre-1990 might fit your requirements. I'd say any Hogan, or MacGregor, or Wilson Staff, or H&B PowerBilt, or even Ping would fit. 

Also are you looking for just heads & you'll build from there, or complete ready-to-play set, or a set in good/ok shape that can be reshafted/regripped custom to you. So it might help to think, to yourself, just how much you're willing to spend. 
 

A couple of weeks back, I came across a set of left handed set of Harvey Penick Master irons (3 ,5 thru 10 & SW, LW...missing the 4 iron), shafts Percision FCM 5.5 (R) shafts & Chamois grips. 

There is a posting somewhere here from 8 years back, turns out they were designed by Tom Wishon, while he was at Golfsmith, w/input from Harvey Penick himself. 

It all depends on what you're looking for...I've had a couple of Harvey Penick sets & they were just fine. I'm a duffer, so the differences between retail/general vs pro-shop are beyond me. 


 

[cold_war_era_golfer]

I may offend those lovers of 1980s Ram and the 1980s MacGregor Muirfields or 1980s Wilson Staffs but I think the 1950s and 60s forgings were higher quality.

 

You can’t go wrong with Top Flite, Wilson, Hagen, or MacGregor from 1959-1969. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by cold_war_era_golfer

[ezgoer]

17 hours ago, cold_war_era_golfer said:

I may offend those lovers of 1980sRam and the 1980s MacGregor Muirfields or 1980s Wilson Staffs but I think the 1950s and 60s forgings were higher quality.

 

You can’t go wrong with Too Flite, Wilson, Hagen, or MacGregor from 1959-1969. 

Interesting thread, often see people asking about Japanese forgings.

Yeah those Rams sure frame up a ball nicely. If you can find a set shouldn’t cost a ton. If it says Wilson Staff or MacGregor Tourney even non informed people try asking bigger money for them.

 

Can’t speak on overall performance but basing on looks and coolness I like this 59-69 era. Quality sure seems extremely high. Wilson and Hagen are cousins but the individuality between manufacturers was great. 

[ezgoer]

Sorry meant to do this as more of a general not a response to Cold War Era, although I agree with his thoughts 

Edited July 4, 2023 by ezgoer

[ALIF]

My late 1940’s TA Macs 985 are amazing!!!

[tdooley]

On 7/3/2023 at 4:21 PM, bcstones said:

Quite a quest & you're a lefty....I'd say almost any Company pre-1990 might fit your requirements. I'd say any Hogan, or MacGregor, or Wilson Staff, or H&B PowerBilt, or even Ping would fit. 

I see some H&B PowerBilt Levelumes on ebay that look pretty sweet

I also see a couple threads on here discussing some of the history of H&B

Looks like this could be exactly what I'm looking for if I can get them at the right price

[03trdblack]

I'm pretty sure Browning irons were all forged in the USA.

[Pepperturbo]

FYI: Keep an eye out for Smith & Wesson and Vadersen Design.  A while back, I read they were in contact to make Vadersen club heads.  I'm not sure what that mean, just that Ernie knows his stuff and S&W makes outrageous club heads, and I believe in the USA.

 

I also agree with others Ram Tour Grind.

[ezgoer]

12 hours ago, tdooley said:

I see some H&B PowerBilt Levelumes on ebay that look pretty sweet

I also see a couple threads on here discussing some of the history of H&B

Looks like this could be exactly what I'm looking for if I can get them at the right price

H&B did make some good stuff. Another not real common brand but not rare either. I’ve read people say the Citation and Scotch blades are most commonly praised. Powerbilt was the Pro Line of H&B. 

I picked up these 1966 H&B Louisville Slugger Levelume’s for cheap. Levelume was their chrome plating process I believe. I like them, they look great, but definitely don’t feel as good as a forged club should feel. Could be cuz these are the department store line of H&B and probably have lower quality shafts. Possibly lower quality of head I suppose also. Really not sure on either of those statements. Maybe a shaft swap would do the trick?? Pinned shafts are gonna add a step or two to your swapping though. 

[ezgoer]

More I think about it a really safe bet would be any Hogan 1973 up to early 1990’s club. Pretty sure not a bad forged model in that time frame and the Apex shaft is sought after by more than Hogan guys so you probably wouldn’t even have to mess with swapping unless you really wanted to be different. 

[bcstones]

11 hours ago, ezgoer said:

H&B did make some good stuff. Another not real common brand but not rare either. I’ve read people say the Citation and Scotch blades are most commonly praised. Powerbilt was the Pro Line of H&B. 

I picked up these 1966 H&B Louisville Slugger Levelume’s for cheap. Levelume was their chrome plating process I believe. I like them, they look great, but definitely don’t feel as good as a forged club should feel. Could be cuz these are the department store line of H&B and probably have lower quality shafts. Possibly lower quality of head I suppose also. Really not sure on either of those statements. Maybe a shaft swap would do the trick?? Pinned shafts are gonna add a step or two to your swapping though. 

The "Grand Slam" clubs from the '50s & '60s, the Louisville Slugger from that same time line were all the general/store/retail line. Here's a fun thing - the Louisville Grand Slam & the Louisville PowerBilt are both in the Professional linel. Seems a good number of Pro golfer's signature in that time line were also in the general line. Also, in Kaplan's the back of the Slugger shown doesn't seem to have a similar club in the Professional line. What I remember of the my first set ('57 or '58 Grand Slam Mars 70) was that it was a pure blade similar to a couple of the Professional line in those years...I still don't know (and don't have the expertise to) how to differentiate between general vs pro. Could be as you suggest just a lower quality shaft. I believe Jiggered in his videos, shows that a cheaper model w/same head but different shaft. 

The Levelume was the patented chroming process specific to H&B. 

 

I think that Hillerich & Bradsby are the most underrated vintage clubs.  fyi -in 1916 H&B decided to expand their shoe last & baseball bat (yeah, that Louisville Slugger company) into golf. The same family maintained ownership for around 100 years, selling off PowerBilt to another concern. Contrast that to the many upon many changes of hand that Wilson, MacGregor, Hogan & others went thru. 

[Shallowface]

On 7/6/2023 at 3:08 PM, 03trdblack said:

I'm pretty sure Browning irons were all forged in the USA.

If you're referring to the 440s or 500s, those irons were cast.

  

 

[tdooley]

On 7/7/2023 at 1:15 PM, bcstones said:

The "Grand Slam" clubs from the '50s & '60s, the Louisville Slugger from that same time line were all the general/store/retail line. Here's a fun thing - the Louisville Grand Slam & the Louisville PowerBilt are both in the Professional linel. Seems a good number of Pro golfer's signature in that time line were also in the general line. Also, in Kaplan's the back of the Slugger shown doesn't seem to have a similar club in the Professional line. What I remember of the my first set ('57 or '58 Grand Slam Mars 70) was that it was a pure blade similar to a couple of the Professional line in those years...I still don't know (and don't have the expertise to) how to differentiate between general vs pro. Could be as you suggest just a lower quality shaft. I believe Jiggered in his videos, shows that a cheaper model w/same head but different shaft. 

The Levelume was the patented chroming process specific to H&B. 

 

I think that Hillerich & Bradsby are the most underrated vintage clubs.  fyi -in 1916 H&B decided to expand their shoe last & baseball bat (yeah, that Louisville Slugger company) into golf. The same family maintained ownership for around 100 years, selling off PowerBilt to another concern. Contrast that to the many upon many changes of hand that Wilson, MacGregor, Hogan & others went thru. 

 

This is a really cool story!

Especially since I'm a baseball guy... didn't pick up a golf club until I finished college baseball

[blades_are_life]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:18 PM, cold_war_era_golfer said:

but I think the 1950s and 60s forgings were higher quality.

in terms of feel or visuals?