Forged irons are not hard to play, they just tend to be more of a players iron. Meaning usually less forgiving then GI clubs. But Blades (MB) are much hard to hit consistently then a perimeter weighted iron. Heck if your a solid low single digit handicap I say go for it. They sure do look the best with less offset and the like but they will be hard to shoot good scores if your a mid to high handicap player. JMO. Get Fitted

MB-muscle back, a term to make the clubs sound like a super club. Actually "Game Improvement Blade" is much more descriptive.

The mb lowers the center of gravity, which is the number 1 GI feature, and spreads the weight out evenly from heel to toe.

If you look at the sole of the old blades you can see most of the metal is in the center of the club, the heel and toe are much thinner than the middle, this is where people get that blades are hard to hit, not from todays mb's.

Sure cb's are much more forgiving if you hit way out on the toe, but if your misses are close then it won't matter, if your misses are close to the center of the face then you may find you play much better with the blades.

BTW  "forged" has nothing to do with the forgiveness of the club design. Forged does remove vibration. On the down side of softer forged club, the metal is softer and the grooves will close faster than cast.

I have forged blades dynamic gold shafts, feel great.

I have 962's put sensicore in the shaft and they feel good.

I have(currently use) 990B's, have rifle shafts and have no problem with vibrations.

todd,

here's my opinion based on my own experience.  on a whim, i switched to blades from my old 762's and honestly, i've never hit my irons more solid in a long time.  i'm sure it's all in my head, but i don't think i've ever hit my 762's as solid on the screws ever.

i think with technology these days, blades aren't as difficult to hit as cavity backs.  my misses aren't any worse with my blades as they were with my 762's.  they do sting if you really put a bad swing on them, though.  I also think blades will make you concentrate more on the course.  I think cast irons make you lazy sometimes.  if you like the looks of blades, try them.  don't be intimidated.  and once you hit one on the screws, you'll be hooked!

just make sure you get fit for the right shaft.  also, from my experience, shaft length is important.  mine are .25" shorter than what's standard these days and they feel really comfortable for me.

Forged are the most solid, but there is a diffrence between "Blade" and "Cavity" back forged irons.  Forged simply means a one piece made head of metal.  Obviously the "Blade" is much harder to hit.  With that in mind...

I Agreed on the Handicap part...depends on what type of player you are.  For me, I'm a feel player and have a super advantage by playing bladed irons (feel wise).....I know exactly where I hit that ball everytime after the shot.  I can tell you that for most players I don't recommend them...they are harder to hit soldily.  You'll have more forgiveness on all the other type of clubs.

Best advice is to split up the set like I do.....

For instance:

2 Iron=Hybrid

3 Iron=Cavity Back Forged

4 Iron=Cavity Back Forged

5-PW=Blade Forged

Since the MB's are forged, they are going to show a lot of wear. Not necessarily on the face right away, but bag chatter will make them look beat on the backs. They will look worse, quicker, than your ap1s. I use iron covers to prevent the bag chatter, but a lot of people hate irons covers because they can get lost/be a hassle, and a lot of people just like the sound of their clubs clanking for some reason.

I've taught golf for 11 years and get new irons every 2 years or so.  The wear on the irons are obviously more than a cast iron, but it doesn't really do anything to the face of the club, which is really what matters.  Unless you hit a giant rock square in the clubface you should be ok.  I like the older looking blades anyway.  The MB's are some of my favorite clubs, for the feel.

You mentioned your handicap was 6.6 which is just exactly where I'd put a forged blade player, so you should be ok.  BUT, please consider this.....and I urge all my students to do it.

#1 Make sure you are properly fit by your nearest PGA Professional who is proficient in fitting.(this makes a huge difference, even with the putter. i.e. Standard off the shelf putter is 35"-36" which is way to tall....I'm 6' and I use a 33" putter)

#2 Consider mixing your bag (especially at a 6.6) meaning Driver, 3-wood, Hybrid or two, Cavity Back, then blades for the lower irons.

#3 Look online at the PGA Tour Players bags.....obviously the best players in the world.  RARELY do they have all blades in there 3-PW set!!!!!!!

As a PGA Professional, I concur. You absolutely must be properly fitted for any new club you put in the bag, including the wedges.

Depending on how your fitting goes, I would suggest a mixed set of MB and CB irons. I personally use a mixed set of 4,5,6 in the CB and the 7-PW in the MB. Both give you great feel and the MB gives you a bit more forgiveness in the longer irons. I have replaced my 3 iron with a 21° 910H and I would sugest that to any player. The 910H is so much more versitile than a standard 3 iron. They are alos a lot easier to hit, it almost feel like it should be against the rules!