METAL TEST
These six better player irons all
feature carbon steel mixed with
assorted metals. But what's so
special about
carbon steel?

Club manufacturers like to use carbon
steel in their
irons because it transmits soft feel and can be bent to
various lofts and lies.
The "1020" designation
tells you exactly
what kind of metal
has been used in
the manufacturing
process. The prefix
"10" designates "plain"
carbon steel, which
simply means that
there are no alloying
elements of real
significance besides
carbon. The last two
numbers indicate
the actual carbon
content: a "20"
means that the carbon
content is 0.20%, while
"25" indicates 0.25%
carbon. (More carbon
makes the material
more brittle.) The "10"
series of carbon steels
is designed for forging,
while the "86" series is
designed for casting
(the "86" prefix means
that an alloy steel is
being used, instead
of plain carbon steel).
The full chemistry
spec for 1020 is
carbon (C): 0.18-0.23%,
manganese (Mn): 0.30-
0.60%, phosphorus (P):
0.040% max, sulfur (S):
0.050% max, and iron
(Fe): 99% or so.

You'll have a chemistry test
in the morning.