ESPN dot Com has an article on the pending death of the 1 iron. Apparently, it was used only 50 times on tour in 2005, and Joey Sindelar accounted for half of those. Worse, you apparently can’t find one from any of the major manufacturers.
The culprit: hybrids.
Still, there is a sort of romanticism associated with the “cleek.” Hogan at the 1950 Open at Merion; Nicklaus at the 1975 Masters; and countless other similar miracles.
I actually have a 1-iron, though I built it from components. I have it mainly for the novelty factor. But when I want to play mind games with an opponent, I put it in my bag in place of the three iron. Then, on I take it out on the first tee and swing it around warming up. Inevitably, my partner asks what I’ve got. The 1-iron never fails to impress.
I can hit it off the tee, too. Not nearly as far as my driver, but it goes straight.
I’ve got a couple of 1 irons and I also have a Hogan 2 iron that I hit great. Much easier off a tee though… You know your swing is in the groove when you can hit those puppies.