In order Honor to be more of an under-the-radar brand than it already is, it should be underground.
In fact, Honma is so far off the radar (at least in North America) that calling it an “underground” brand would not be an understatement. It’s actually kind of intentional. The brand has tried like hell to be a leading brand of background in North America, but it has never been able to find its footing. Missteps, bad luck and an already crowded market all conspired against Honma.
A couple of resets later and Honma is now re-emerging as a luxury niche brand. How luxurious? How about a limited edition 5-star collaboration with Bugatti (yes, the car manufacturer) that exceeds $72,000?
That’ll put some sauce on your cheese curds, right?
This, however, is not that. The updated Honma T//World forged irons and wedges for 2027 have hit the fairways. We haven’t seen it in the flesh yet, but there’s one thing we can say pretty confidently. Honma’s under-the-radar market share in North America has little, if anything, to do with the quality of its equipment. Always bring high-quality, solid equipment to the picnic. As usual, Honma also brings a curve ball or two to the table that is compelling enough to make you wonder why everyone else isn’t trying the same thing.
So here are three quick thoughts on Honma’s new T//World forged irons and their forged wedges.
Quick First Thought: More of the same but very different
While the names for the new Honma T//World irons remain the same, there are enough differences in the new models to matter.
The Tour V and Tour Vx are forged in one piece. The Tour V is described as a semi-cavity-back while the Tour Vx is more of a classic cavity-back with internal tungsten weighting. In contrast, the Tour Px features two-piece construction with a high-strength L-cup face in the long irons with variable face thickness and a forged carbon steel body. It fits the distance category of the player better than anywhere else.
What makes these models different from what came before is the design intent. For Tour V and Tour Vx, Honor has partnered with Nippon Shaft to co-engineer a proprietary line of NS Pro Modus3 shafts to work specifically with each iron.
The Tour V features a unique bounce designed for golfers who clear the club at impact and hit aggressively. It uses what Honma and Nippon call the Modus3 Black tree. The company says it plays similarly to Nippon’s Modus3 120: mid-high launch, mid spin that offers control without feeling boardy. The big difference? It is only 108 grams.
The Tour Vx features a much lower bounce than the Tour V and is designed for golfers with a shallower attack angle. Its stem is the Modus3 Red. It weighs only 106.5 grams and features a mid-kick point. Honma says its performance is more similar to the much heavier Modus3 130, one of the most unique barrels in the Nippon line. Despite its weight, it tends to be launched higher and spinning higher than the 120.
If you want to be too cynical, you can dismiss them as watered down facts. That doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, though. Honma has long made its own proprietary trees and, moreover, there has never been any indication that Nippon is, or wants to be, in the watered-down business made for business.
Sometimes things are what they are.
Quick Thought Two: Forging and heat treatment are big parts of the story
Honma is still proud of its craftsmanship and its forges. As mentioned, the new Tour V and Vx irons are both forged from one piece made from S15C carbon steel (the Japanese equivalent of 1015 carbon steel).
The main difference is a new private thermal treatment process that Honor he says increases the overall stiffness of each clubhead. The stiffness in a forged head does a couple of things, both good. It gives a single-piece forging a ball-speed kick not often seen in single-piece forgings. At the same time, it reduces vibrations which improves the sensation.
The new Tour Px iron is a two-piece construction. The 5 to 8 irons feature a high strength chrome molybdenum L-Cup face while the scoring irons have a flat face made from the same material. Chromium molybdenum is very similar in makeup to Mizuno’s Chromoly steel. It allows engineers to design thinner, variable-thickness faces with larger unsupported areas. In the multi-piece construction, this allows a greater flex of the face which translates into the speed of the ball.
This thin and flexible face is, by design, less rigid which brings excess vibration into the equation. Honma solves this with a rear badge that absorbs vibrations, leaving the body itself free of foam or goo. The company says it produces a pleasant sensation on impact. We can’t say for sure, but we do know that previous Px irons have offered that signature Honma feel.
Quick Thought 3: Simplify wedge selection
Thankfully, Honma is dropping the T//World nomenclature for their wedges (seriously, what’s with the “//”???). They are simply to be known as “Honma Wedges”.
Simple, right?
Wait, that’s better.
With HonorYou can get any wedge grind you want, as long as it’s a C-sole or an S-sole. Hey, if you want to make wedge selection simpler, don’t offer so many choices, well?
Technically, there are only three grinds, but only two you can choose. The 46 to 52 degree gap wedges come with what Honma calls their “I-sole”. The “I”, we assume, stands for “iron” and the sole is in line with the Honma irons as those wedges are more often used for full swing.
S- and C-sole grinds are available in 54 to 62 degree models. The S-sole is a full sole with a slight toe relief. It is ideal for full-face square or three-quarter swings and for golfers with moderate to steep angles of attack. If you don’t manipulate your face much, this is for you.
The C-grind is more versatile, with aggressive heel and toe relief (you literally see a “C” from the bottom). That relief makes it easier to open the face without lifting the tip. It’s the more versatile of the two grinds, especially if you like to hit flop shots, cut-spinners, tricky pitches and shots from tight lies. It is a little less forgiving on errant shots and is definitely not for you if you tend to take deep dives.
Also, Honma says the new wedges are made from what it calls HMSS, Honma Soft Stainless. Unlike the T//World irons, these wedges are cast from stainless steel. The company says they still feel very soft and, in the raw finish option, they won’t rust.
Honma T//World irons and Honma wedges: Final thoughts, specs, price and availability
Honor it’s not going to put a dent in anyone’s market share, but that doesn’t mean the equipment isn’t worthy of your attention. The downside is that if you want to demo Honma, you have to work for it. For most of the United States, it’s Club Champion or bust.
All three Honma T//World iron sets are sold in sets of five clubs (6-10 iron – Honma does not believe in pitching wedges). Irons 4 and 5 are sold separately. The five-piece Tour V and Tour Vx sets sell for $875 with standard co-designed Nippon shafts. Single clubs run $175 each.
The Tour Px irons come with Nippon’s new NS Pro 950GH shafts, specially developed by Nippon to work with strong players’ distance irons. It’s $950 for the set of five clubs with a single iron going for $190. Also, the Tour Px has a graphite option, Honma’s Vizard Iron Lite. That will run you $1,150 for five pieces and $230 for a single club.
Honma wedges are available in lofts from 46 to 62 degrees in a raw finish without plating or a slick copper look. For no obvious reason, Honma offers crude wedges with the NS Pro Modus3 wedge 105 shaft while the copper models come with the NS Pro 950GH neo shaft.
Earlier versions sold for $160 each. The copper models go for $180 each.
The new Honma irons and wedges are on sale now. For more information, click on the Honma’s website.
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