Raw vs Finished

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By Jason C

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  • 12 Replies
  1. What is the advantage to a raw wedge? I know that the raw will eventually rust, but does it give you any advantage in the playability of the wedge?

  2. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    I have a SM6 60 degree in chrome and a SM6 52 degree in raw.. IMO the only difference is the look.. I love the raw look.. Only got one b/c that's all i could afford.. If i had the money, all my wedges be raw...
  3. Rob_Roth1

    Rob_Roth1
    San Diego, CA

    People say it will increase spin but I have never seen that on any measuring devices.

    I believe it's just a look that you like to look at.
  4. Epic

    Epic
    Louisiana

    Agree, I have a raw and chrome and found I could spin it more with the chrome BTW the raw will scruff your proV.
  5. Thanks for the input!
  6. I've been hitting Vokey SM wedges since about 2006 and have always used the Tour Chrome finish and been pleased with the spin but would really love to try the raw. I just bought a new SM6 60.04 but they don't offer that degree and bounce in raw, sadly.

    I also agree when it comes to the price too. I may be ignorant but I don't think that it'd cost more in manufacturing for the raw than a finished club so the $40 difference is a little irritating. I'll always hit Vokeys but just a little frustrating.
  7. Gary D

    Gary D
    Cranston, RI

    I had a set of raw vokey wedges. Replaced them with nickel chrome vokey wedges. The strength and drawback to the raw wedges is they rust. The rust gets on everything, balls, gloves, bag, towels, hands, clothes, everything. Then you have to clean the rust off, I used naval jelly, just to try to keep things clean. Eventually I gave up. Raw vokey wedges are a nice idea in theory but in practice they're a real pain.
  8. Tim M

    Tim M
    Huntsville, AL

    I have noticed that raw wedges do not have a glare from the sun. I have not noticed any difference in performance between the two finishes.
  9. Kyle J

    Kyle J
    Woodinville

    Just an FYI to these posts if you purchase a jet black vokey and soak in CLR the jet black becomes "raw" saving some money on the additional charge for raw wedges. I think a major advantage of raw wedges are the reduced glare and the fact that you can sharpen the grooves without worrying about damaging the chrome or nickel coating again saving money from having to buy wedges all the time.
  10. Tom  C

    Tom C
    Romford, 0

    Ive got a set of the Raw SM6's and love them. Always loved the raw / rusted look over a chrome.
  11. zachcolburn

    zachcolburn
    Byron Center, Michigan

    I got a set of raw wedges after a wedge fitting with Bob Vokey. They feel great! I've had them since April, and they haven't rusted yet (I take really good care of them). If you are concerned about them rusting, make sure to clean and dry them after every shot/whenever they get wet and they won't really rust. Good luck!
  12. Ever since the vokeys came out in raw I have been using them over any sort of chrome or nickel finish. When the faces and soles of chrome or nickel wear, they will start to rust anyways. I play SM5 raw black wedges now and the finish has worn off on the sole and parts of the face, but they don't really 'rust' like the older vokeys or trusty rustys did. Even the wedgeworks SM5 raw and SM6 raw don't really rust all that much. I have found that the mild rusting is just perfect and does in fact increase spin rates slightly as the face milling and groves wear, and I have never found it to be an issue with rust getting all over the ball, glove, etc. as mentioned above. They require a wipe down with a wet towel and then to be dried after you play (which you should be doing to all of your clubs anyways) and they will last for years. I play in the early morning all the time and still have never had the issue mentioned above. To each his or her own, but I'd always choose some sort of a raw finish.
  13. A lot of how they rust is down to the quality of the steel - cheap steel - bad rust - good steel way less rust. If you wanted to stop them rusting you'd have to use a bit of WD40 or very thin motor oil off a rag. However if you want the rust to add some bite that sort of defeats what you are looking for - a rusty face. Chrome is extremely hard and that's whats adding to some of the lifespan of your grooves - so a raw club might wear a little faster - but the rust might add to your spin as its going to create a micro pitted surface - but we are talking microns not like sand paper.

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