Top 10 JDM Brands

[lhahn]

I've hit/owned a decent amount of JDMs including Miura, Shinegawa, Epon and Yuyuri irons but wonder if I'm missing out on anything.

In your opinion, what are the top ten JDM brands by popularity, not including brands that are already available in the US/Canada (ie. not Mizuno, Vokey cold forged, etc).

Of the ones I know and see around Vancouver I would rank as:

1. Miura

2. Epon

3. Shinagawa

4. Yuyuri

5 -10? ...JBeam? Kyoei? OnOff? A Grind? PRGR?

 

 

[LionGolfer]

I'm not saying these are or are not top 10 as its personal but there are so many other jdm brands like roddio, a-grind, Itobori, grind works, kamui, grind studio, mystery, gtd, Orion, modart etc... Miura and epon are possibly that 2 two brands that started the JDM trend and are still good but by no means are they the standard any more for me at least.

[coops]

You missed a couple of major ones - Yamaha and Tourstage (even if Bridgestone did bizarrely decide to ditch the Tourstage brand for their best golf equipment).

 

Maybe add Fourteen to those two with OnOff & PRGR.

 

A-Grind should get more love but is a bit less known - its designer was the main guy at Royal Collection before, and RC have made some very pretty irons in the past when he was there... and the woods at that time were sold under Sonartec's brand in US - quite a legendary 3 wood design.

[xxio]

Miura and Epon have dealers in the US.

 

 

[theothertwo]

Honma should be in there?

[Kingcat990]

It would be tough to get a top 10 as very few forge their own heads. Quite a few come from the same foundry. That being said; Epon, Miura, Kyoei.

[tsupo]

 

popular for who ?

what do u want, a name no one near you plays ?

theres trillions of them.. literally , but they are not popular at all

u want an OEM that isn't in the US theres prob only PRGR , Yamaha or fourteen , everyone else has a foot in the door nowadays id think.

if u want bespoke the lsits above cover it well but to ad to that..

yonex....masda....muziik...fujimoto....buchi....XXIO..... these guys make decent gear.

popular here, is popular there..

 

titlesit/ping/Tm/cally/srixon/mizuno/onoff/..etcetc........

 

go small.. its more fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lhahn]

I guess by top ten most popular I meant by name recognition. For example, if you asked 10000 average golfers in America to name all the JDM brands they know, which names would pop up the most.

[95124hacker]

> @lhahn said:

> I guess by top ten most popular I meant by name recognition. For example, if you asked 10000 average golfers in America to name all the JDM brands they know, which names would pop up the most.

 

10k AVG golfers would only say Mizuno. Some may say Bridgestone and Srixon.

I would guess only 5% would say Honma, Yonex, Fourteen or Miura.

0.1% would say Epon, Yamaha, OnOff, PRGR or others.

 

 

[Steelhead]

Drivers. Hybrids. XXIO is a great product line.

[golfinguru11]

Miura is still the gold standard in forging to me. Family owned and operated. Just wish they made some new sticks for lefties (been using the CBs for over a decade now).

[andrieddle]

Honma, Epon, Fourteen, Kyoei, Miura, Yamaha, XXIO are the mainstream ones

Then you have the smaller ones like A-Grind, Romaro, etc

[Christen_The_Sloop]

It really depends who you ask.

Popular?

Mizuno

Srixon / XXIO (Dunlop, Maxfli)

Bridgestone (Tourstage) - A teammate from my college team was shocked I used Bridgestone. Didn't know they made clubs.

After that you probably won't find too many outside of this site who care.

Miura

Onoff (Daiwa)

Honma (Chinese owned)

Yamaha (still not all that famous, except for golf carts, guitars)

Tenga (Their air-tech line is surprisingly popular here)

After that it's pretty hit or miss.

Epon

Fourteen

PRGR

And then you have your boutique brands

I have a store down the street that has a selection of Japanese clubs - Basically everything listed above and Golden Ratio, Baldo, Jean-Baptiste and I've got a be forgetting something

 

 

 

[Kevinnz]

Epon is overrated, tried their irons, just so so compared to miuras, i mean real miura not the later semi faked.

[Therealpatgiles]

> @Kevinnz said:

> Epon is overrated, tried their irons, just so so compared to miuras, i mean real miura not the later semi faked.

 

You have taken too many drugs Danny.

[LionGolfer]

well, not sure about miura but he's not far off about Epon. They are good but indeed overated.

[tsupo]

true , best and truest specs of any club there is spec wise and made at endo...definitely over rated

seriously...

[LionGolfer]

yes.. seriously

And you think all are forged in endo japan these days... Not saying Thai manufacture is worse just that Epon is no more what many still think it is.. and part of that is Made in Japan. Some heads still are of course BUT NOT all.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

> @LionGolfer said:

> yes.. seriously

> And you think all are forged in endo japan these days... Not saying Thai manufacture is worse just that Epon is no more what many still think it is.. and part of that is Made in Japan. Some heads still are of course BUT NOT all.

 

They manufacture work they do for OEMS in Thailand. The house brand, Epon is entirely made in Japan, from what I understand. I've never been disappointed by any Epon club or Endo forging. Not sure how people can say they are overrated. Mizuno trusts them to make their most state of the art iron. What more do you want?

[coops]

> @LionGolfer said:

> yes.. seriously

> And you think all are forged in endo japan these days... Not saying Thai manufacture is worse just that Epon is no more what many still think it is.. and part of that is Made in Japan. Some heads still are of course BUT NOT all.

 

 

The point is Epon is forged in an **ENDO** plant - not subcontracted. It is wholly owned and run by Endo - for a long time finishing was done in Thailand, now forging has been moved also to Thailand.

 

My 301's were still forged in Japan - and say so on the clubhead.

The 302's do not say Japan forged because they are not... and there is no mystery or obfuscation unlike Honma's latest irons.

No need just for some screenshot - all you have to do is google, it's not hidden or deceptive.

http://endo-mfg.co.jp/eng/biz_forging/

 

http://endo-mfg.co.jp/eng/company/network/

[LionGolfer]

Must have touched a raw nerve.... good that everyone is aware that Epon is not necessarily MIJ. Fine that its not over rated for some but it is for some others...

[easylittle5wood]

Mizuno Yoro Craft (also Mizuno Pro)

Miura Giken

Akira (prototype heads)

PRGR Tune

A-Grind

Daiwa/OnOff

Yamaha

Maruman

RomaRo

 

Also Bridgestone and srixon have some things not available in NA. I believe with Endo you can get the same heads as Japan. The Callaway legacy black irons also need to be listed as all timers for JDM.

[JD3]

Overall: Miura

Wedges: Yururi

Mass market: Mizuno

Going downmarket: honma

Irons: Srixon

Shafts: Mitsubishi, fujikura, nippon

Clothes: bloodshift

Balls: Bridgestone

 

Fourteen for wedges deserves an honorable mention, but they're not on same level as yururi, more like vokey (since vokey's gotten better)

 

[tbowles411]

We sell a LOT of JDM stuff. That's how we got started selling JDM only before we began selling OEM stuff.

 

For us, Epon is our top JDM brand, and it's not even close. Then it's Srixon, Miura, Mizuno.

[Tzoid]

> @golfinguru11 said:

> Miura is still the gold standard in forging to me. Family owned and operated. Just wish they made some new sticks for lefties (been using the CBs for over a decade now).

Miura sold a few years ago.... Just a heads up

http://www.golfwrx.com/421704/miura-golf-sold-new-owner-plans-significant-investment/

 

[tbowles411]

> @Tzoid said:

> > @golfinguru11 said:

> > Miura is still the gold standard in forging to me. Family owned and operated. Just wish they made some new sticks for lefties (been using the CBs for over a decade now).

> Miura sold a few years ago.... Just a heads up

> http://www.golfwrx.com/421704/miura-golf-sold-new-owner-plans-significant-investment/

>

The family is trying to buy them back. They didn't like the direction where the company was headed and the quality began to lack a bit.

 

[Tzoid]

Interesting thread and before it turns into a Ford VS Chevy debate with Endo and Miura I'll throw my 2 cents in. I personally have only had 1st hand experience with a handful of true JDM irons and wedges ... Mizuno JDM , Miura Giken , OnOff , Scratch wedges ( forged in Hemiji Japan ) and Fourteen wedges.

For feel I prefer the Endo forged OnOff Kuro 2015 Irons and Scratch wedges but as most can attest "Feel" is personal and all of these brands are exceptional.

[Kingcat990]

I hope they get the capital to buy them back. Miura has been releasing some strange models since the buyout, albeit, I got really great numbers with the IC601 heads.

 

In continuation of the thread; my masda fast blades have one of the most unique feelings I have ever felt in an MB chassis in comparison to Miura and Kyoei. But they are nowhere near a "popular" JDM brand.

[JD3]

> @Kingcat990 said:

> I hope they get the capital to buy them back. Miura has been releasing some strange models since the buyout, albeit, I got really great numbers with the IC601 heads.

>

> In continuation of the thread; my masda fast blades have one of the most unique feelings I have ever felt in an MB chassis in comparison to Miura and Kyoei. But they are nowhere near a "popular" JDM brand.

 

Let's face it though, w/ new tech coming out I don't think just a better quality forging is enough to stay ahead anymore.

[ivygynonc]

miura is 1 in my book due to the multiple offerings. I have the BB, MB001, and 501s but if I had to say a single iron that was the best feeling, looking and playing, the kyoei MB raw blacks are the best single offering around. I recently switched to ping BPs but change back to the kyoeis a lot especially for range sessions.