jimmieboi

I was informed by Epon about this driver a while back. Not only it's adjustable, it will play true to its shaft length. Meaning if you have a 46 inch shaft installed it will play like a 46 inch shaft even when measured to be 45 inch. That's thru-bore tech. I should get a hands on next month.

Definitely not recycling the old mold. This P3 is spectacular. This is made for better player seeking for distance and control with signature Epon feel. 7 iron can go easy 190 yards. It's AF 703 in Tour CB form factors.

I'm not in golf biz but I'm so into it that I have my own golf fitting studio. Also I happen to know lots of guys in golf business, distributors and touring pros. That's how I have some insights on some of the topic we are discussing here. Mizuno doesn't own a forging factory. It has a forging house in Hiroshima do the forging for them exclusively for Mizuno. The casting version are made in China. That forging factory also do parts of high speed train and cars. Same as Endo forged manufacture medical products (not exclusive to just golf).

If I recall correctly Honma has its own factory in Sakata, Japan. Mizuno doesn't have its own forged factory but uses a company that manufacture bullet trains exclusively for Mizuno in Hiroshima.

Back in the day, most main stream JDM brands were forged by Endo and advertised as such. When new releases came out back in the day, the first thing you see in advertisement was "forged of S20C by Endo". Now those words are gone. My best guess is all are forged in China same as those USDM Taylormade.

endo is not made in Japan. It's made in Endo factory in Thailand, then ship to finish and QC in Japan. Most main stream JDM are made in China.

Tourstage 703 is Endo forged. JDM in the days that were forged by Endo were superior than today's. JDM as a whole (non boutique ones) starting to become like USDM. Feel and finished is quite indistinguishable between two. I'm getting pushed away from JDM cuz they are starting to have their products forged in China, not Endo. Qualities wise just not the same anymore. Tourstage VS Bridgestone. Brands that still retain true JDM qualities just to name a few are Mizuno, Miura and Epon. Take the Onoff Kuro for instance, it's still considered one of the best JDM.

Money and cost most of the time affect quality. JDM brand in the past that uses Endo forged were so distinguished from others. Epon has a new adjustable driver in the works. Coming out Q4 this year. This will be the game changer for Epon.

Not sure if stamping more than 1000 times would deteriorate forging quality. It happens to vinyl in which a premium limited vinyl is limited to only 500. More than that sound starts to distort. If so then kudos to Epon for making such a high quality product.

Endo forged is in Thailand. The factory itself is very near to where I live. I believe most JDM brands are now forged in China to cut cost. You can tell how the club feels then and how it is now. Endo's feel can never be replicate.

It can never be personal. I have nothing to do with Epon. This may very well be that the sources regarding Endo leaving golf biz is false. What I have been told by those that still working with Epon, it's still strong. Their future lineups are very promising as well.

I'm not making anything up. It's all speculations and opinion. From how and what Epon is doing right now, it seems they are doing just fine. So to say they are ditching golf biz and closing down their golf forged factory is highly doubtful.

I'm not saying Epon is the only company that do well. I don't know and don't really care. What I'm saying is they did have some ups and downs, like the departure of Niimi. Second, Kobayashi-design or not I don't know. All I know is their latest offerings is much much better than Kobayashi was head of Epon. AF 105 proves this well. Without Kobayashi as a lead designer, that in itself makes Epon has a new lead team. So Personal produced at 1000 (500 Japan domestic and 500 worldwide) really make this limited line up more valuable. They sell at a lost just to keep the quality supreme.

Of course there's Kobayashi's DNA in Epon line up. It wouldn't be Epon if there isn't. He built Epon. AF 101 is a good driver but AF 105 is far superior. They may look aesthetically similar but perform way way better. The P1 and P2 have nothing in common at all. Personal 3 I can tell when I get to hit it. The new Epon design team is doing a fantastic job here. Nothing wrong tweaking the good old design and make it even better. TM does it too so did Titleist, Scotty putters, Also 1000 produced and breaks even, I don't see anything wrong there either. They did not go cheap by re-naming the old model. Others adopt that scheme as well. Epon is heading toward the better way so let's see how it will do. Time will tell.

The Personal 3 line up is indeed limited to 1000 worldwide. Other series are not, the 703,503,303,tour CB and AF tour. Will they make the first gen Personal again!? Never. Their new line ups the AF 105 is one of the best driver out there. I was skeptic about Epon at first. Never like their AF tour or the first gen Zero. Until I have demo the P2. Kobayashi designed was never my thing. His Zero is too unforgiving and short, the P1 was too short and unforgiving. It's a good thing for Epon to have him out. I'm not a die-hard Epon fan. I have many many JDM products but Epon is just unique. To say that Epon uses the "limited" or "prototype" propaganda is very wrong. Their limited line up is truly limited. Again the P3 is indeed sold out from Epon Japan. Epon will make more of their limited stuff if they can get 500 order or more, that's not gonna happen though.