#ThePimpList – The Best Looking Wedge in Golf

In recent years the common wedge has evolved into a canvas. Performance has merged with art as personalized finishes, grinds, and stamping have become commonplace.  More than any other club, the wedge has become a platform to showcase your individual style. With the rise of niche wedge companies like Hopkins and Scratch, and the evolution of custom programs from Cleveland, Vokey and others, the golfer has a multitude of options at his disposal when he wants to show off his PIMP Style.

Unfortunately, what’s available to the consumer often only scratches the surface of what talented designers…wedge artists really… are capable of. So we thought it would insanely cool to show off some of most pimped out wedges in golf, and have our readers vote for the best looking (or most pimped out) of the bunch.  We contacted nearly every company that produces a wedge and told them we were interested in featuring their best custom wedge work. We wanted to create an opportunity for the wedge guys behind the scenes to show-off  some of their unique (and awesome) creations.

As is usually the case, not everyone agreed to participate. If a big name is missing, it’s almost certainly by their choice. All we can do is ask, right? Not everyone has true Pimp Style.

Those who did send wedges created some absolute masterpieces, and while much of what you’ll see here is to be expected given the reputations of some of craftsmen involved, there’s little doubt in our minds that some you might never have expected to absolutely kill it absolutely brought their A game. Prepare to have your mind blown.

The pimp hands are strong.

The Parameters

We asked companies to submit wedges for The Pimp List.  As the name suggests, we asked them to pimp those wedges out with stampings, paint-fill, finishes, grinds, etc..

“Show us your Pimp Style“.

Of course, we didn’t want to pigeonhole anybody either, so we gave no additional guidance giving each company carte blanche to showcase its individual Pimp Style.

My god did some of them go all out.

Now for the most important component of this article and ultimately #ThePimpList.  We’re asking you, the  MyGolfSpy reader, to vote for The Best Looking Wedge in Golf.  Have a look at all the wedges, read about the designs, and then decide which wedge should be our Pimp List Winner.

Somebody queue up the Jay-Z because we’re Big Pimpin’, baby.

Wedge Model:  Chikara Designs V1

Loft:  57º
Grind: Polyhedral grind
Finish: Raw
Metal: S25C Japan Forged

Stampings (significance): The finish that is married to the raw head is a torrid immersion oxidation. It is a custom finish that penetrates into the metal and supports the forging and grinds produced by our master craftsmen.

Designer/Grinder: Masahiro Nakanishi (original one designed by Carlton Masui) but this version, grinder is Masahiro Nakanishi.

Other Details: This is not your typical run of the mill sand wedge. Everything about the club is performance oriented, from the forging process it’s made from to it’s pronounced sole grind and head shape. Looking over the wedge and the most prominent feature is the impressive sole grind. The combination of heel, toe, and trailing edge relief allow for the club to lay flat on the ground even if the face is wide open. Also, the CNC milled channel cut into the sole allows the club to play with minimal bounce when square but still keeps the full width of the sole intact for times when more bounce is needed.

Wedge Model: 588 RTG Tour model

Loft: 56°
Grind: Toe & Heel Relief w/ straight leading edge
Finish: RTG (Raw/Rust)
Metal: 1025 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance):  MGS (My Golf Spy)
Designer/Grinder:  Adam Sheldon

Wedge Model:  588 RTX Precision Forged

Loft: 56°
Grind: Low Bounce (•) V-Sole
Finish: Black Pearl w/ Digital Camo skin
Metal: 1025 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): “Heroes” – Dedication to our heroes
Designer/Grinder: Adam Sheldon

Wedge Model:  588 RTX Precision Forged

Loft: 58°
Grind: Mid Bounce (••) V-Sole
Finish: Black Pearl
Metal: 1025 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): “Money” It’s what you win from your playing partners when you use a pimped out wedge like this one
Designer/Grinder: Adam Sheldon

Wedge Model: Tour Trusty

Purpose: Full Design Capability with Exotics Metal
Loft: 56°
Grind: K-Notch Grind 100% Milled
Finish: Damascus Steel
Metal: Damascus Steel
Stampings: Custom Cobra Snake Engraved
Wedge Shape: Doug Roberts/Jose Miraflor
Wedge Graphics: Cameron Day/Brett Viboch
Machinist: Matt Johnson

Wedge Model: Tour Trusty

Purpose: Full Design Capability with Standard Metal
Loft: 54°
Grind: K-Notch Grind
Finish: 2K Weld Torch Flamed
Metal: 303 Stainless Steel
Designer/Grinder:  Brett Viboch
Wedge shape: Doug Roberts
Wedge Graphics: Cameron Day/Bret Viboch
Machinist: Matt Johnson
*100%  Milled Body, sole smoothing by Luis Hernandez

Wedge Model: Tour Trusty

Purpose: Full design capability
Loft: 60°
Grind: Custom C-Notch grind with Perimeter Chamfer
Finish: Satin Brushed
Metal: 8260 Carbon Steel
Designer: Brett Viboch
Wedge Shape: Jose Miraflor
Wedge Graphics: Cameron Day/Brett Viboch
Grind: Jose Miraflor

Wedge Model: Tour Trusty

Purpose: Enjoy Golf Execution
Loft: 56°
Grind: Custom C-Notch Grind with Perimeter Chamfer
Finish: Satin Brushed
Metal: 8620 Carbon Steel
Designer: Brett Viboch
Wedge Shape: Brett Viboch
Wedge Graphics: Cameron Day/Brett Viboch
Machinist: Matt Johnson
*100%  Milled Body, sole smoothing by Luis Hernandez

Wedge Model:  Edel

Loft: 60°
Grind: Digger Grind 27 degrees of Bounce
Finish: Circle stamped with a machined Perlage finish.
Metal:  304 Stainless Steel
Stampings (significance): Hand-stamped circle design with Perlage finish achieved on manual milling machine.
Designer/Grinder: Neil Oster

Wedge Model: Edel

Loft: 56°
Grind: Driver Grind 18 degrees of Bounce
Finish: Engraved by Edel Master Engraver Clyde W., finished by torching to a deep blue color
Metal:  Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): Hand engraved by Edel Master Engraver Clyde W.
Designer/Grinder: Hand Ground by Neil Oster, Hand Engraved by Clyde W.

Wedge Model: CJ-1

Loft: 52
Grind: Heel/Toe
Finish: Black Satin
Metal: 8620 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): HARD OUT HERE FOR A PIMP…Just playin’ with the theme.
Designer/Grinder: Randy Romberg designed on website (just like anyone can). Assembled by UPS.
Other Details: We used our proprietary OTM (On The Money) Black Onyx wedge shaft, purple Lamkin grip and matching ferrule.

Wedge Model: CJ-1

Loft: 56°
Grind: Channel
Finish: Black Satin
Metal: 8620 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): My Golf Spy and Clover symbol. Wishing good luck to MyGolf Spy.
Designer/Grinder: Randy Romberg designed on website (just like anyone can). Assembled by UPS.
Any other narrative details: Used Project X 6.0 shaft, yellow Lamkin grip and matching ferrule.

Wedge Model: CJ-1

Loft: 60°
Grind: Heel
Finish: Satin Chrome
Metal: 8620 Carbon Steel
Stampings (significance): HOPPY $$ and $ Stamping in snow pattern. Money goes with Pimpin’ and we offer Hoppy Dollars for our Referral Program. (Self Promotion)
Designer/Grinder: Randy Romberg designed on website (just like anyone can). Assembled by UPS.
Other Details: Used our proprietary OTM (On The Money) Frost White wedge shaft, green Lamkin grip and matching ferrule.

Wedge Model: Miura Raw

Loft: 56°
Grind: The wedge was given a C-Grind and a pre-worn leading edge for maximum playability. This enables the user to have limitless options as to the shots they can create.
Finish: The wedge was given a torch blue finish. This finish has tremendous character and great depth of color while maintaining the softness of feel only an un-chromed wedge can attain.
Metal: Forged from soft carbon steel with Miura’s industry best proprietary forging process.
Stampings: The stampings commemorate the recently formed partnership between Cool Clubs (Scottsdale, AZ) and New York Golf Center (NY, NY).

Designer/Grinder: Co-Designed by Joshua Chervokas (New York Golf Center) and Aaron Valdez (Cool Clubs) and Ground, Torched, Stamped and Filled By Valdez at Cool Clubs state of the art facility in Scottsdale, this Miura wedge is truly a collaboration between two industry heavyweights.

Other Details:  This is a heavy raw finished wedge made to enable custom grinds to be added while still maintaining the desired finished head weight.

You will see the AZ stamp is paint filled in the Arizona state Flag colors and the NY stamp is paint filled in the NY state Flag colors. The dots are a nod to the old map makers marks for the route between locations. On this route you will see that interstate I40 is leaving Arizona and interstate I78 is leaving NY just like it would if you were taking the road trip across our great nation.

This wedge is just a small sample of the custom capabilities, technical knowledge and attention to detail that is produced by these shops every day.

Wedge Model: Armory Custom

Loft: 58°
Grind: SLT (equal amounts heel/toe relief along with trailing edge relief, slight camber, approximately 11-12 degrees effective bounce) Finish: Custom Blue Oxide
Metal: Forged 1018 carbon steel
Stampings (significance): Simple
Designer/Grinder: Jeff McCoy

Other Details: We wanted the grind work in the back of the wedge to highlight Jeff’s hand work and otherwise kept the wedge pretty clean and simple.  The raw head this project started from had around 70g of weight ground in the process and was plain in the back, all the lines in the back of the wedge were cut by hand using his grinding wheel.

 Wedge Model: Armory Custom

Loft: 58°
Grind: 14 deg bounce full sole
Finish: Barrel Black
Metal: Forged 1018 carbon steel with 24k gold inlay
Stampings (significance): All the markings on this head were engraved completely by hand rather than hand stamped, the process is similar to what you would find on a high end custom firearm (our putter maker James Ingles did this step of the process).  There is some scroll work on the back along with a hand engraved “S” along with 24K gold inlay.  The toe of the wedge also features some scroll work along the edge.

Designer/Grinder: Jeff McCoy…..Hand engraving: James Ingles
Any other narrative details: Like the other submission the back of the wedge was completely shaped and ground by Jeff.

When we thought of “pimp” this was the result; from the elaborate muscle shape, intricate hand engraving and 24K gold inlay this wedge was to us the definition of opulence.

Wedge Model: FG Tour Black

Loft: 56°-14°
Grind: Traditional
Finish: Black PVD
Metal: 431 Stainless
Stampings (significance): Masters Wins. Each number signifies the years PGA Tour players have won the Masters with Wilson Staff irons.

Designer/Grinder: Duffy Callahan. Duffy helps out with custom designs but primarily works as the Mobile Fitting Tour builder. He travels the country with our tech van visiting three golf specialty stores each week from January-July, where we do grassroots custom fitting and on-the-spot building for consumers. They’re pre-promoted events at retailers like PGATSS, Golfsmith, Edwin Watts and regional accounts. He has begun working with tour players as well on gaining feedback on prototypes. (follow him @DuffCal).

Other Details: weight ported out – Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft

Wedge Model: FG Tour Oil Can

Loft: 60°-10°
Grind: Traditional
Finish: Oil Can (prototype)
Metal: 431 Stainless
Stampings (significance): Homage to the brand’s centennial anniversary.
Designer/Grinder: Duffy Callahan
Other Details: Prototype finish with 100 year ferrule – Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shaft

Wedge Model: VW-08

Loft: 60°
Grind:
Finish: Satin/One-Off Black; gives a luminescence type iridescence quality to closely resemble that celestial influence of the VEGA brand.  After the one-off black finish is applied it goes through a process to apply a phosphorous treatment to outline the stampings & help accent the stars.
Stampings (significance): Once the finish & treatment dry, the club is polished and prepped for paintfill. We used a custom gold and silver paintfill for this club that had a bit more luster.
Designer/Grinder: Made in Japan
Other Details: We invite you to experience for yourself the unique VEGA concept we pride ourselves on when completing a custom wedge like this. We hope you’re inspired by our design and hand craftsmanship. Be true to your stars. The reach for the perfect star, the pursuit of the perfect golf club continues at VEGA.

Vote Now

Now that you’ve seen what our wedge designers brought to the table it’s time to vote. Tell us which of #ThePimpList contestants rises above the pack.