Today I’ll just take a quick look at the new MB-5000WC forged wedge from Miura Giken. I have them as heads only so unfortunately I won’t be shafting them up, so this will be more a look at their design and aesthetics. Miura is not one to release new models at a rapid pace here in Japan, each model is carefully thought out and tested before going into production. The last wedge they released, the WMF-06 which I took a brief look at here, was in itself quite a radical design for Miura, stepping away from the traditional. Ten months later, Miura Giken has unveiled the MB-5000WC which on the surface looks much more simple than the WMF-06.
At first glance, the placement of the logos and branding seems much cleaner which makes the beautiful satin finish stand out even more. While the WMF-06 was a chrome brushed satin head, the new MB-5000WC appears almost white satin like. The finish looks great. On closer inspection though what really stands out is the smoothly curved back face of each wedge which is what Miura dubs its Hollow Back Design.
Miura designers tried to think of a new way to optimally distribute the weight in a wedge head without radically changing the wedges design. For many the simplest looking wedges is the most appealing and Miura was keen on keeping the looks of the MB-5000WC simple but with its unique design aspects subtly hidden away. A closer look at the back face shows this Hollow Back design which allows Miura to push weight both lower AND higher in the head. The heads are forged with a much larger than usual concave in the back and Miura craftsmen then need to grind the inner portion of this concave flat which as you can imagine is not very easy considering the tight space. The center is the thinnest which pushes much of the weight lower in the head. At 16.2mm, the largest thickest portion of the wedge head is where the ball strikes the sweetspot. Because the mass is low, its easier to pick the ball at this spot and its also where the feel is most pure. In order to balance the weight down low, the top blade of the wedge retains a thicker section than the area just below it at 5.5mm vs 3.8mm.
The tear drop shaped head allows better players to work the ball up the length of the face for maximum spin control. As you can see from the photo I took above at address, the top line is not thick in anyway even though it is reverse tapered which goes to show how thin the concave area below the top line on the hack face is. The straight neck flows great with the head shape and a slightly rounded leading edge adds a touch of forgiveness. I can’t stress enough how much I like the finish. It actually reminds me of the double nickel satin from Yoro Craft. I should also note that in line with all Miura irons and wedges, the MB-5000WC is W.D.D. (Weight, Dimension, Density) Accurate Forged from premium JIS S25C for perfect balance and consistency.
The MB-5000WC is available in 52/7 and 57/9 which is relatively low bounce by JDM standards. The sole however is a touch on the wider side and rounded to prevent digging. Its wider dimensions can be attributed to the weight distribution as a result of the Hollow Back design. From a visual stand point the MB-5000WC looks great, clean design, balanced and flowing lines and a very nice finish. Look forward to shafting one up for a test on the course! Like many of the newer Miura designs, the price of the head isn’t cheap but for those who believe in Miura quality and performance, the MB-5000WC looks to be a great choice! You can find it here in the pro shop.
