Odyssey has done something I never thought they would or even could do: releasing a line of irons milled from Damascus steel.
Shooting enthusiasts usually fall into one of two groups when it comes to steel preference. I have witnessed many a 19th hole debate between Camp Carbon Steel and the Stainless Steel Squad. Each side believes their preferred steel is better than the other, never wavering from their metal dogma.
The only time these groups agree on anything is when someone brings Damascus Steel to market.
“Damascus steel is bad” echoes in unison from both sides of the table.
Damascus steel shooters are the stuff of legend. Typically, you’re looking at a 1-on-1 shooter where the mix of mild and hard steel ultimately yields a unique shooter.
Damascus steel bands are the antithesis of mass production. Each Damascus forge produces a different looking steel cover. Uniform manufacturing and tight tolerances, both of which are strengths of Odyssey manufacturing, become extremely difficult to maintain due to the material’s inherent variability.
Yet here we are today, taking our first look at the new Odyssey Damascus Milled machines. Somehow, Odyssey’s manufacturing powerhouse has managed to limit the inherent chaos of Damascus Steel.
The new introduction of Damascus Steel by Odyssey
The new Odyssey Damascus Milled tools are not fully milled from Damascus steel. Odyssey milled the main tire body from more conventional stainless steel. Only the insert is constructed from Damascus steel.
This is probably a good thing. If Odyssey milled the entire barrel from Damascus Steel, the price would be in the four figures.
Hey, let’s play a quick game. Without skipping a beat, guess the price of a Damascus milled shooter. We’ll see how close to the actual retail price you got just a little bit.
In terms of design, the Damascus insert is similar to that found on the Odyssey’s AI-ONE Grinding shooters. Although you’ll never see it, the back of the Damascus steel insert was formed using artificial intelligence. The distribution of material at the bottom of the insert normalizes the distances in the off-center strokes.
While much of the history of Damascus milling joints is one of cosmetics and embellishments, Odyssey was still able to slip some assistive technology into the mix.
Summary of a Damascus reader
Let’s take a quick moment to talk about Damascus Steel. If you’re not familiar with metal, check it out Forged in Fire on The History Channel.
Although Damascus Steel takes its name from Syrian sword forgers around 100 AD, the steel itself originated hundreds of years earlier in India.
Damascus steel is characterized by layers upon layers of different types of steel. Before final shaping, it is not unusual for a Damascus steel billet to consist of hundreds or even thousands of layers.
For reference, Odyssey estimates that the Damascus steel insert has about 800 alternating layers of hard and soft steel.
Damascus steel objects usually receive a final chemical treatment to reveal the unique wave-like pattern created by the layers created during the forging. This signature look is iconic and impossible to replicate as the folding and forging process results in variations each time it is completed.
Ultimately, the pattern change is seen as an asset, proving the special status of the Damascus steel item.
Returning to the Damascus insert
The result of the Damascus forgery process is twofold. First, each insert will have a unique appearance due to the variables in the forging process. The general pattern of light and dark waves will always be present, but the exact wave pattern will vary from shooter to shooter.
Basically, every Damascus Milled putter has its own fingerprint insert.
The second part of the story is that mixing steels produces an insert with its own hardness profile. The impact produces a satisfying “thunk” sound and the ball accelerates towards the target.
I think it delivers better spin than the new Ai-DUAL insert, but I also have a well-documented steel face bias.
Maybe I’m blinded by the beauty, but I think Damascus Milled Seven is the most sensitive Odyssey I’ve done in a long time.
Bottom line: the Damascus Steel insert deftly combines a premium look with legitimate performance.
Seven Milled Damascus CH
For the first of many hopefully Damascus Milled releases, Odyssey went with their iconic #7 head shape. How do you know this is a premium Odyssey version?
They wrote the name “Seven” instead of just using the number.
Players have two options for the Damascus Milled Seven stature. You can choose the truly classic double-twist single-spindle shaft or go with the more modern crank-neck clutch.
(Note that I’m not even giving Odyssey grief about the crankcase vs. the plumber’s neck thing. That’s how cool this shooter is.)
Since it’s the best fit for my shot, I went with the Damascus Milled Seven CH.
Ignoring the intro, this is a great version of Seven. If all they did was deep grind the stainless steel face, I’d be a fan. In the address, points and lines are perfectly connected to the insert geometries. I’d play a non-Damask version without protest.
But it is one Damascus Seven ground
The face is a show stopper. Even if you don’t know anything about the time and effort it took to make those wavy lines in the insert, you can still find them interesting, if not beautiful.
I wish I had five of these mags in front of me so I could see how the pattern varies from player to player.
Even the weights at the end are decorated. The ends of the weights look like they should be on the crown of a fancy watch. They remind me of the ornaments found around lovers’ balls EXO Odyssey 2-Ball.
The Damascus aesthetic extends to the single plate. That plate is Damascus aluminum. I didn’t even know you could make Damascus aluminum. I would have thought it was too soft to survive the folding process.
Not only does the sole look amazing, but the use of aluminum also increases the MOI by repositioning the weight on the perimeter. Once again, the Odyssey has paired stylish and functional.
The Damascus Milled price surprised me
For the shooter lover, there is embellishment, and then there is Ornate damask. Damascus throws are the centerpiece of thrower collections and are usually very expensive. If you buy one, you’ll probably need to add a rider for it to your homeowner’s policy.
That’s why I was so surprised to learn that the MSRP for these limited edition devices was only $699.99. Yes, I said “just”.
How much did you think they would cost?
If Odyssey had priced these at $999, I would see that price as expensive but acceptable. “Damascus Limited-Edition” is not a budget item designation.
$700 is surprising to me. How is that only $100 more than the $599 stock Odyssey Square 2 Square Ai-DUAL HS?
In addition to the fully milled stainless steel barrel with Damascus inlay, you also get a new tour-inspired grip, Stroke Lab shaft, and velor-lined headstock.
This may go down as one of the most reasonably priced limited edition makers ever. By the way, I have no information about production flows. My guess is that the use of Damascus steel makes these really limited in number.
No, I didn’t forget White Damascus
By the way, some of you may be wondering why I failed to mention Odyssey’s 2016 White Damascus steel line earlier. It’s true that Odyssey has dabbled in Damascus Steel in the past, but this line seems like the first time they’ve gotten it right.
Using Damascus Steel in the White Damascus line seemed trickier to me. The insert looked very cool, but the White Damascus line sole had a “Damascus Finish” compared to the Damascus Milled Seven’s Damascus Aluminum sole.
Damascus Milled bands are designed to showcase Damascus steel. The incorporation of Damascus steel is not just a talking point; is the central story.
If you are interested in one, do not think for days about the purchase. I don’t expect these to be in stock for long after they hit stores on May 5th.
Rumor has it that even PGA Tour players are trying to get one.
Find out more about the new Damascus Milled Seven at Odyssey.CallawayGolf.com.
