coops1967

oooh, memories of the Cleveland VAS clubs come flooding back.... they were out back when i bought my first really good set of clubs. I did NOT demo the VAS irons just in case i liked them! a

Leather is best - in the wet or the dry. I've used Gripmaster in the past - very good. The cheapest of theirs the 'non wrap' players grip is the tackiest in wet weather. I now use and love BestGrip Microperf leather grips, less taper for the right hand and also cheaper and good service. (If you're especially worried, ask them to include a small bottle of their solution they use to infuse the leather for tackiness...). No need for a glove in heat and humidity or rain.

My 301's were originally in the black finish - and in hot, humid Bangkok they developed small rust spots quite quickly, by that i mean in a few weeks. Not major rust, and careful use and wiping down with a wd40 soaked cloth etc would no doubt help...but i use golf clubs, not baby them. Only use covers when they go on a plane ride. I had the irons refinished by Epon to the copper-chrome played finish - some magic is done to the under plate which would normally be a nickel based one, and then a chrome coating/plating is what i'd guess because: the copper finish is as corrosion resistant as the regular nickel chrome plated finish. Initial wild purple flame like shiny highlights on the gloss copper-chrome gradually dull slightly with time, as oxygen can diffuse very slowly through the chrome plating. Stainless steel doesn't require any special finish or coating as it is inherently corrosion resistant ( but NOT corrosion proof), but treatments can always be applied or a good flame job for a stainless putter etc ;-) Both stainless steel clubs or chrome plated clubs can rust if 'abused' - practice on a seaside beach and you'd better rinse them down afterwards in fresh water.

I haven't hit the 903, but have been using and loving my 19deg 901 since not long after getting my AF-301 irons - so it must be more than 6 or 7 years of use without any likelihood of ever being replaced... Unless Epon agree to make one in copper chrome for me, ha. I too like the 4 iron, and since it's 23 deg the 19 degree 901 fits very well - i actually had it made 1 inch longer than the 4 iron rather than my usual 1/2", and i used the exact same steel shaft i use and like in the rest of my irons. The Epon US page also seems to recommend using your normal steel shaft rather than some lighter graphite, and i can confirm it works great. Here in Thailand, the previous Epon distributor Golfcraft does not carry them any more - seems Epon are looking to keep it in house in Thailand by setting up their own shop in Thaniya Plaza. Imhaven't been to see how far that's got but curious to see how they change things elsewhere...

My copper 301's have been bent without any problem - think a piece of brass shim sheet was used to protect the hosel area. Any GOOD club fitter etc will be able to do it without issue - the copper is not a 'finish' really... any more than a regular nickel chrome is a 'finish' (which it is strictly speaking, haha). Same kind of plating but with magic sauce.

Sounds excellent, thanks for the reciew. I'm very tempted to get the 16 deg as a 3 wood replacement - well, i don't have a 3 wood in my bag due to my 3 wood yips... So this would fill that gap. It looks like it should be bendable for lie, same as an iron, right? Would be a nice progression from the 16 deg to my 19deg Epon af901. can tourspec do Nunchuk 370 hybrid shaft in it?, or head only... Thanks Chris

The bag has changed, and the putter... But the clubs remain the same

There's a difference between cost and value... I'm going on for 5 years with my copper-chrome Epns, and still don't see any need or time when i will have to replace them - this, to me, makes them excellent value I once used a set of Mizuno Tp-21's ( a British model) for well over 8 years... And it's dsign is still recognizable, as it had a hump of muscle in its cavity... Just like modern Mizunos or indeed my current Epons. It wasn't only JDM that offered this kind of value - in the US Ping used to be like this... Somewhat less than glitzy looks but were bombproof, you can see second or fifth hand sets of Ping Eye clubs that are in perfectly good nick. now, sadly you'll see reports of doodads and bits falling off and plateing peeling... Quite sad. My vote for current or recent past usdm product that is outstanding value ( as long as a bit of open and deep face suits your eye) is the one, the only Adams 9015d driver. I still keep mine, just so my lovely little Mizuno 611 knows it can be replaced...

Had to check the date - it's not april fool's day. You, or they, are joking right? A weld line within the steel right in the middle of the face.... Bwahahahaha. finish and grind it away all you like - still a terrible, laughable idea. How deep do you think this weld goes in to the material, at the sole for instance? it's a joke, right?

They're made to be used - all the corrosion protection of nickel chrome plated irons with extra lashings of beauty... And as mob above says, they age and wear beautifully ( my 5 year+ copper chrome 301's are just fine...)

If you have to say 'masterpiece' on an item... it very, very probably isn't. Especially when the medallion stating it's a masterpiece doesn't sit properly flush and level on the indent machined for it. Sorry for the b*tchiness... looks good apart from that - especially if it was stainless steel so unplated and rust wouldn't be a problem.

Don't bother with Puffin, Flash deserves to die already... ( i would recommend atomic browser for ipads as it can identify as desktop safari, so no more awful mobile sites, has ad blocker built in, tabs , full screen and more) Instead watch the video on youtube... Of course youtube likes to throw a flash spanner in the works occasionally, just for fun it seems, so :- get 'mctube' from your ipad app store, and search for 'yururi tataki' and you'll be able to view it just fine ( and no ads with mctube either)

Leather is best. More expensive but way better value, since they last for years ( and can be saved and resused with an air compressor just like rubber grips) and you can save money by not needing to use a glove... Two main companies, i've used both and both are great. Gripmaster are the bigger name. I've used the player's stitchback, and the pittard wrap. another is Bestgrips from Texas. https://bestgrips.com/ i'm switching over to these - the microperf grip. It has a reduced taper so is bigger under the right hand - very nice, and a bit cheaper than gripmaster. They are also very good at shipping internationally. Try one and see for yourself on your favourite, most used club.

Get a Nunchuk shaft, and if still too much spin put it in an Epon zero head. If that's still too much spin... see a Pro or take up tennis

Yes, on Pattanakarn Rd... plenty of bags on my last visit - and Epon baseball caps etc. shocking lack of Epon in your long "What's in the bag" list

Looks great - and removing the face finish won't affect performance in any way. Maybe some black paintfill on the inpres on the sole and in the face grooves... Very nice matte blasted finish - thing is Titanium, while very strong, is not very hard so scratches fairly easily... so use your headcover! (Or find an Engineering company who does Nitriding and get it nitrided - will give it an extremely hard surface.)

Vanla's pics of the shop and bags are from Golfcraft in Bangkok - they've moved from their old location on Ekkamai road. Shame no pics of all the iron, hybrid, FW and driver heads in their display case... or all the ready to use/borrow demo clubs They're good for club building too - and can make ribbed/reminders for your grips too. http://www.thegolfcraft.com/about_us.html

Looks closely related to the MP Craft 611 driver.... Which is a very good sign

No doubt Epon could do the copper chrome plating... But whether they would is another matter. Seems a little odd to plate stainless steel in the first place.

I'm just wondering what they can do to the 901 to get a new driving iron (other than renaming it)... the 901 is fabulous as it is. Apart from adding a copper-chrome option, haha. Oh, and a 16degree option for the 3 wood yippers (or just plain mad, one-iron reminiscing fantasists) out there.

How easy are they to find in Japan? I know one place in Bangkok - a club fitter at the All Star driving range. They have some FW's, woods and irons - several years ago I saw RC had a beautiful cavity back iron set out. Very understated/classic and a particularly pretty heel (!)... as in, the flow from the hosel to the face at the heel was notably smooth and good looking. Can't spot any pics on google to show them sadly... The sole channel got them rave reviews for FW woods, and may well be great also for drivers for those it suited - i'd guess the stronger/better player, since it looks like a higher COG design (a la Slider...) , then couple that with almost invisible retail presence... and they'd be ok as a niche brand but .... they went from understated and quietly well regarded by those in the know, with irons that used to look like this to new cavity backs that would make a traditionalist ( and old school RC owner perhaps) throw up in their mouth a little...

Tungsten is roughly twice as dense as steel - useful in darts, but not much use in a golf club head that even with steel tends to the smaller side of things... Titanium on the other hand, does make sense. Even then they manage to contradict themselves:- "- Newly designed titanium filled core (18grams of titanium) at the bottom of the club for lower CG." - errrm, no. If you put lower density titanium at the bottom, it doesn't take a rocker scientist to realise the COG would be higher. A mistranslation or purely some marketing wallah with no idea whatsoever about what he's saying combined with bad wording. Titanium at the core, allowing more steel to be placed at the bottom thus lowering the COG etc etc. They do get it correct later:- " titanium filled core allows for 18 grams of less dense titanium material to fill the center. By putting titanium between a forged head, it has allowed the CG to be brought down and moved farther back" - put the lighter density titanium at the centre, and you do indeed allow more heavy steel to be placed lower, so that makes sense I think we can safely say the "Tungsten Core" next to the picture is just a massive, and rather embarassing, mistake

I've wondered whether the old copper underlay in old Mizunos was responsible for that... A slightly different sound. I'm only 46 but remember what a wound golf ball sounded and felt like... How about a new, modern wound ball with all the latest dimple aerodynamics and improved materials... But actually wound, not solid with a urethane cover.

I'm pretty much your size ,6ft and 195 lbs, and do like a bit of Muji... Thing is only their largest size they have fits me, even then some shirts are still too tight across the shoulders. Very hard to say from brand to brand on top of everything else, you'd be best to try before buying if at all possible... But minimum one step more...more like 2 minimum compared to US sizing, ie Medium US would be XL for a lot of Muji clothing. I'm assuming Uniqlo will be changing their labelling when they go in the US market... And buying more yards of cloth.

Stainless steel can certainly rust - take it for a practice on the beach for a few weeks without rinseing the club in fresh water after and test it ;-) StainLESS stains less than 'regular' alloy steels but is not 'never'stain steel - marine grades will be most corrosion resistant, while food grade stainless can not be so corrosion resistant due to the need not to taint foodstuffs. Not sure why stainless steel would be considered to feel 'softer' than carbon steel, as it obviously isn't , at least before the thin nickel- chrome plating on a carbon steel head... But a golf club's feel is more than just the material.