Another Barn Find, Guess Who?
Let me tell you a story about how I stumbled on my latest barn find, some Miura Giken CB-1007 irons…
Every now and then, a piece of golf equipment just hits you the right way. In theory you could have anything you want in your bag, but you keep coming back to the same thing. My irons are one of my greatest examples of this phenomenon. I’ve been playing Miura CB57s (review here) for quite some time now. I would say there have been three different sets of irons that were supposed to replace them, and while they were all great clubs that I still have stashed away (you never know), they just couldn’t stick like my Miuras have. Unfortunately, Miura hasn’t made the CB57 for quite some time. Finding a set in good or better condition is nearly impossible, let alone affordable. Largely because people hang onto them or play them into the ground because they’re so good.
So one day, out of curiosity I took a peruse through eBay to see what the CB57 market looks like. As usual, a lot of beat clubs and super high prices. Not surprised. While scrolling through the listings, I saw a picture of a bunch of heads with the familiar look of a CB57 at first glance. Sure enough, it’s a head only sale which is PERFECT for someone that might consider a backup set for when their faithful irons are finished. Just requires an easy shaft swap. As I look through the listing, I see these aren’t Miura CB57s but rather Miura Giken CB-1007 irons. Then I see it. The listing is none other than chipaputt himself, aka Chip Usher of Usher Golf. Time to send the King of Barn Finds an email…
The Miura Giken CB-1007 Iron
My email to Chip was basically, “hey, I think the Miura CB57 is their best iron I’ve played. I still love the set I got from you awhile ago, but I saw the CB-1007 on eBay. Is the CB-1007 basically the same club but was sold under the Japanese/South Korea-only umbrella years ago?” You may recall, we learned the difference between Miura and Miura Giken in another barn find post last year. Chip explains to me, that yes the Miura Giken CB-1007 is the MG version of the CB57 with some minor differences, but otherwise the same.
The first obvious difference between the MG CB-1007 and the Miura CB57 is that the cavity weighting is a little different. It’s the same basic principle, but has a little different appearance and, theoretically, spreads the weight a bit more along the bottom of the head. The other difference is the leading edge. I’m sure there’s a reason for it that I just don’t know (feel free to educate me in the comments), but Miura gave the CB-1007 a sharper leading edge. That said, it’s only slightly sharper so it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for you. Other than those differences, the shape, size, and offset are all the same.
Bonus Barn Find: Miura MB-5000WC Gap Wedge
I’ve been contemplating dropping my 5 wood and adding a gap wedge this season. So after I emailed Chip about the CB-1007s, I thought “if there’s anyone around with an interesting wedge supply, it’s Chip.” Sure enough, Chip had me covered there too with the MB-5000WC. In short, this wedge was from the family of gap wedges that were often paired with the CB-1007 back in the day. The MB-5000WC specifically has 7º of bounce with a higher CG for a lower ball flight. I decided that would be the right gap wedge to try with my current CB57s.
Sure enough, it went straight in my bag and it’s fantastic. I get a nice penetrating flight with it for that 105-120-yard shot and it’s great for low pitches into the green. Typical of Miura forgings, the feel is amazing. Safe to say, Miura makes a solid wedge.
Final Thoughts – Miura Giken CB-1007 & MB-5000WC “Barn Find”
I’m telling ya, you never know what Chip’s going to find in that storage space of his. Sometime, I’m going to go down to Savannah and just go play America Pickers in that second story of his shop. (Don’t tell him that plan.) Currently, I can’t tell you much more about the CB-1007 iron heads in terms of comparisons for feel and play. They are currently stashed away to be a fresh replacement for when my trusty CB57s are ready to retire. I’m sure there will be plenty of great new Miuras before then, but the CB57/1007 head is just so good, in my opinion. I can’t tell you how hard it is for me to not crack into them, though.
Of course, Chip has all the current Miura gear as well. You don’t just have to wait for the random barn finds. If you know what you’re looking for, give him a call. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
