Stainless Steel vs. Carbon Steel
Mainstream golf club manufacturers are experimenting with a variety of materials to help players find the edge that will take their game to the next level. Whether it be designing with exotic materials like titanium or carbon, or experimental manufacturing techniques like 3D printed materials, intended to shape the trajectory of the ball as it leaves the clubface. For the majority of the clubs in a player's bag, these material advancements have had a significant impact on a player's score, but one club that many players seem to favor tradition over technology is the putter. With putters, the tried-and-true material options seem to rarely change, and many players are making a return to the retro-styled steel blade putters, choosing to leave their carbon mallet putters in the bag.
Introducing Metal Clubs to Golfers
Iron, a base component of many grades of steel, was first forged into "Niblicks", or wedge-shaped clubs that were first hammered out by blacksmiths in the 1750s. The durability of metal offered a significantly improved lifespan over the traditional hand-carved wooden clubs that preceded their introduction. By incorporating other alloying materials into Iron like Tungsten, Manganese, and Chromium, Iron has given way to modern-day carbon steel. Increasing the chromium content of the iron alloy improves the corrosion resistance, and hardness, of the steel and is how many grades of stainless steel are manufactured. This durability improvement is the fundamental difference in the raw material choices between carbon and stainless steel.
Metal Golf Club Fabrication
There are a variety of ways to fabricate steel or stainless steel putters. Manufacturers of all sizes have created putters using forging, casting, CNC machining, and manual machining to name a few. Each fabrication method has its own characteristic benefits and players continue to place their confidence in steel putters made with each of these methods. At Legacy Goods, I fabricate all of my custom putter designs for CNC milling. The process requires the creation of a 3D model for each of my putter shape designs. Those digital designs are what is known as the CAD model (Computer Aid Design). From there, the CNC machine must be instructed on how to cut the raw material, and that is known as the CAM (Computer Aid Manufacturing) process. Both processes must be adjusted based on the material selection to fit the specific goals of each customer, but because the club design is digital in nature, those adjustments can be made in real time and allow me to hit very specific weight and geometry requirements with precision.
One of the first questions many potential customers have when considering investing in a custom-milled putter is "How much do they cost?". While the answer to that question depends on a variety of factors, typically I start with the price difference between a carbon steel putter head and a stainless steel putter head. Due to its higher raw material cost, and difficulty to manufacture, stainless steel putters have a 20%-25% price increase over carbon steel putters. While both types of steel can be CNC milled on the same machine the rate at which the machine cuts, and the wear on the tooling, must be adjusted when dealing with the increased hardness of stainless steel. Once fabricated, the geometry and visual design of the putter will be identical between the two varieties of steel.
So, how do they perform?
The performance of the materials can be classified in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Due to the significant similarities in the composition of the steel alloys, the physical performance between the two materials is almost imperceptible. Some players remark that at impact, a smooth-face carbon steel putter has a "softer feel" and transmits more impact information through the grip. Players that prefer stainless steel can increase the "soft feel" at impact with a process called face milling which imparts a circular pattern into the metal and decreases the surface area that makes contact with the ball at impact. Other face milling techniques, such as custom pattern designs or artwork, can be designed into the face of the putter during the 3D model phase.
Durability and aesthetics are likely the two areas where players will notice the most significant differences between carbon steel and stainless steel putters. Due to its incredibly high corrosion resistance, putters manufactured with stainless steel will require significantly less maintenance between rounds. Players opting for carbon steel should be very diligent about cleaning any debris and moisture from their club after each round, and would likely benefit from the use of silicone-based coatings to deter the rusting effects of moisture. A common product used to protect carbon steel and stainless steel clubs alike is Putter Butter. A potential aesthetic benefit of the corrosive effects of moisture on carbon steel is the ability to create "rusty" putter finishes. These finishes give a player's putter a unique look and require minimal maintenance as rust is integrated into the design aesthetic.
