How Often Do You Go Through Sticks

[EJB 488]

This isn't just warranty question, but just your norm on a stick.

How often do people/you really need warranty sticks? Responding to the "disappointing" thread, it got me thinking. In 10-11 years with my son, 5 years with my daughter & though I've been skating(S&P, coaching ect)for a bit, only been playing for a year. Only used warranty twice.

Both my daughter and I just get new sticks related to age, but my son goes through them. Though obviously not in warranty period. 2-4 months, sometimes longer. April 10th he received a delivery for a QR Pro, Bauer 190 & CCM 150. All he considered too soft, but he's waiting for a bunch of SherWood EK15s on their way.

Anyway, do you warranty sticks regularly due to breakage in warranty period, buying often due to what you consider soft but can't warranty or like my daughter and I, playing for a chunk and then buying due to just "seems like it's time"?

Son - 19 plays 3-5 times a week at high level & some drop in that is slower

Me - play 2-3 times a week rookie level & at a solid drop in with my son.

Daughter - Though slow now, 1ish time a week(season, 3-4 times a week, travel 10U boys, 12U girls)

Been thinking about this since we've seen the first $300 stick. I'm fine with a $100 QR4 or even sticks that my son thinks are too soft, they feel fine to me, so I usually take those. But crazy.... Just to qualify, my son is tough to give new stuff. He still wears his 11K elbow & shins and his TO pants had to be replaced due to his missing his belly pad, even though he kept saying, "they're fine". His new skates, same thing, I finally said, enough they're falling apart(seriously, pieces falling off). So he's not prima donna on gear.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

I've done 2 warranty returns in 15 years.

[EJB 488]

So - Cash for stick - Ice time(level) - need a new stick = ?

[starrzkyy 1]

One thing I can say is you're spoiling your son, haha.

[IPv6Freely 2087]

How often do I go through sticks? Only as often as I see something new I want :P

[JSK81 400]

I've broken 3 sticks in 6 years. Blade went soft on two of them and the third one snapped when it got caught between me and the boards.

[Stewie 721]

I've done 2 warranty returns in 15 years.

note that both of these returns were on sticks he broke after putting on them white gloves and becoming super snipe miller.

[Vet88 673]

I play / train every day but since I stopped hammering slap shots and taking face offs, my sticks are lasting me at least 6 months or more (my TO from last year is still going strong). But a guy on another team I know went thru 18 sticks last year (mainly Rbk 11ks or Nexus 1000's). It just depends on what you do with them though some models are / were notoriously weak, just looking at them and the blade would crack ie Warrior Widow!.

Btw your son has good taste in shins and elbows. I have tried every top end pad out there and still refuse to give up my 11k gear even though the straps are stretched and the lining in the shins is tattered and torn, nothing else fits like them or gives as good as protection, imho.

[z1ggy 81]

I play 1, sometimes 2x a week. I don't take ripping slappers. So far my current stick has lasted me since last December I think.

[MThockeydad 469]

I broke two last year. We cant slapshot in our league (well, cant backswing above the waist) so its due to my rookie mechanics trying to work within that restriction.

But I fixed em both and still using them

[bisons06 1]

From what I have seen, the rate at which you go through sticks is highly dependent on the league you are in and the amount of slashing and choppy boardwork that happens. Last year playing in a Midget AAA league in Canada and due to the competitiveness (Corner battles, heavy slashes), I found my self going through a ton of sticks. My sticks usually would get weakened by slashes and then would break off of a hard snapshot or snapper. To answer your question I went through 10 sticks last year and 4 were on warranty. The sticks I used last year were: 3 NXGS, 4 DT1s, 1 Reebok ribcore, 1 20k and then 1 CCM Ribcore. Since the season has ended, I have not broken any sticks. I am still on the ice about 3-4 times a week but I have mostly been working on shooting and puck handling. My stick is very soft and whipped out but it is still in tack and I plan to use it for the rest of the summer. The point I am trying to make is that I believe the reason that NHL and other professional players break so many sticks is not only because they shoot much harder than the average Joe, but also because of how much of a beating their sticks tack during the course of a game.

[chk hrd 164]

I agree with the higher the level the more sticks you go through. Things aren't as gentle in competitive hockey as in beer league. Everything takes more of a beating

[sammyg_16 2]

I normally rarely break sticks but this year I broke my widow and Bauer x7.0 blades almost randomly in the same week. I've had three widows and I've been very impressed with the durability of them

[Vet88 673]

I had 30 widows pass thru my hands around 18 months ago, purchased various bulk lots off hockey monkey on clearance. Lovely balance, nice shot but the blade never lasted more than 6 weeks regardless of who used it - me / son / daughter (and daughter never hits slap shots). And I stopped passing them onto team mates because they would destroy them equally as quick. You must have got a lucky batch to find the blade lasting a while.

[sammyg_16 2]

I had 30 widows pass thru my hands around 18 months ago, purchased various bulk lots off hockey monkey on clearance. Lovely balance, nice shot but the blade never lasted more than 6 weeks regardless of who used it - me / son / daughter (and daughter never hits slap shots). And I stopped passing them onto team mates because they would destroy them equally as quick. You must have got a lucky batch to find the blade lasting a while.

The funny thing is that all my widows DID break in the blades, but after at least 3 months lol (longest lasting a calendar year)

[Ibh44 2]

Went through ten last year

[Zorlac 22]

NOT counting the blade getting caught in the Zamboni door opening, while fishing out a puck at full speed... probably 5 or 6.

[Travislicious 22]

I've never needed a warranty replacement on a stick *knocks on wood*. I definitely try get in a practice session with a new stick as soon as I get it to take some slappers and get some confidence in the stick

[sectachrome 40]

I've never broken a stick, but I only play beer leauge and drop ins and hardly ever take slapshots. When I get new sticks its just because I'm bored with the old one.

[ChrisMolnar 14]

This summer over broken 5 sticks. First was a tacks that lasted about a month. One prostock MX3SE that lasted 5 uses, and 3 1X. 2 of the vapors lasted 2 weeks a piece and the third lasted 3 uses. All 3 broke in the same spot on the taper, right above where the blade texturing ends. Safe to say I'm going to be staying away from the 1X in the future. Very responsive stick, but painfully weak.

[Jbaugh93 0]

My sticks typically have a life span of about two months, and in a year I usually have to send back 2 sticks under warranty. Unless I'm using Easton, then I'm lucky to get 2 weeks out of them.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

Had my first stick break on me ever while shooting Tuesday night. Went to take a snapshot with my V9E during warmups and right in my bottom hand it exploded. Bought the V9E in May too.

Usually I break blades but my sticks last me at least a year or so before breaking.

[flyers10 57]

Only broken 3 sticks. Vapor xxv blade on slapshot and 2 widows, both cracked center of blades.

[Chadd 916]

I don't play in a league with much hacking, so I rarely break sticks. Almost every stick that I have snapped has broken on the follow through of a shot.

[fbvnyc 12]

I break more sticks getting hit by pucks. Playing beer league, the big guys still rip hard shots. Once it gets hit I can tell it will break in the next shift. Rarely break sticks on shots, maybe 1 or 2 a year at most and always out of warranty.