Is there ANYONE making a quality wood stick these days?

[bunnyman666 445]

Apparently, Warrior's Swagger Wood is no more. Maybe I am not looking hard enough, but I don't see them anymore. Oddly enough- I still have a Woodrow as a spare that hasn't been used yet. But my paddle is splintering, and it is showing wear. Now the entire paddle has been taped.

I know that CCM has a wood stick; is it any good? Sher Wood's latest wood offering has had less than glowing reviews. I do have several foam core sticks, but I don't like how beat up they get. I poke check quite a bit, so my stick gets slashed.

I know Heritage makes almost all of the North American made sticks. Are all wood sticks going away?

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Better just get used to it. They'll be completely dead just like they are in the player world. 

[bunnyman666 445]

Just slays me, as wood is still the preferred stick material for quite a few pros still yet. But hard woods are becoming more scarce, so I imagine it is hitting the sporting goods industry nearly as much as it is in the musical instrument industry. The hardwood scarcity is probably hitting sporting goods less as only pro baseball is the sport stallwartly hanging onto wood for bats.

Player sticks I see zero need for wood, as the new materials are making pucks into bullets (and many of us have the bruises to prove it). I just really like the durability of wood for a goal stick. 

This doesn't mean that I won't keep looking. I just wish the people who said they were buying the old Christian Brothers stick factory would get it started back up already. I want a Curtis Curve, and they are the only ones with the tooling.

Maybe the bunny needs to experiment with balsa wood and carbon fibre. Foam just dents too easily.

[Hills 709]

Theses aren't being made anymore?

http://goalie.totalhockey.com/product/Swagger_Wood_Goalie_Stick/itm/15509-41/?mtx_id=0

http://goalie.totalhockey.com/product/Swagger_WDY_Goal_Stick/itm/24940-41/?mtx_id=0

http://www.goaliemonkey.com/equipment/sticks/sr-goalie-sticks/brians-goalie-stick-timber-1-sr.html

[bunnyman666 445]

I guess WDY is the new model. I looked for Swagger Wood and it's full right blown out at $50. 

Thanks @Hills

[badger_14 601]

I love my CCM "Retro" 440 (if I recall the model right).  I tried composite and it just felt like holding a mouse fart.  Personally I feel like the wood is grounding, but that's just a preference.  Neither my CCM nor ex-pro-stick RBK weigh nearly as much as the Titan or Christian sticks I rescued from someone's garbage (that work just fine but are a touch small for me.)

[IPv6Freely 2082]

I started with composite and hated that. The vibration was terrible. 

Switched to wood and liked the way it felt but was so damn heavy. My hand would actually ache after games. 

Switched to foam core and it's a nice in-between. 

There aren't many pros using wood still, and those who are are probably mostly nearing the ends of their careers anyway.

 

[bunnyman666 445]

16 hours ago, badger_14 said:

I love my CCM "Retro" 440 (if I recall the model right).  I tried composite and it just felt like holding a mouse fart.  Personally I feel like the wood is grounding, but that's just a preference.  Neither my CCM nor ex-pro-stick RBK weigh nearly as much as the Titan or Christian sticks I rescued from someone's garbage (that work just fine but are a touch small for me.)

Mouse farts, eh? Kinda smelly?

I just found that foam core dents too easily and my foam core sticks look like a mummy by the time they are ready for the trash. The foam is easier to shape than wood. The Warrior Woodrow/Swagger Wood (I own both) are lighter than my Reebok foam core.

I am trying the Brian's Timber for giggles. It was $20 cheaper than the Warrior WDY. I am starting a new job in a week and a half and my readies (cash) will be in short supply temporarily.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Those are good, just heavy. I have a couple of them. They used to be called Twigz.

[bunnyman666 445]

Ah, the old Twigz sticks. At least they don't have the silly name on them.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Exactly. When they made the graphics switch to Brian's I figured they were going to sell way better because they don't have the stupid name on them.

I only used the wood sticks I got once (one of them has never been taped). Their foam core were decent but soooo stiff. I wasn't able to flex them at all. 

[badger_14 601]

16 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

Mouse farts, eh? Kinda smelly?

I just found that foam core dents too easily and my foam core sticks look like a mummy by the time they are ready for the trash. The foam is easier to shape than wood. The Warrior Woodrow/Swagger Wood (I own both) are lighter than my Reebok foam core.

I am trying the Brian's Timber for giggles. It was $20 cheaper than the Warrior WDY. I am starting a new job in a week and a half and my readies (cash) will be in short supply temporarily.

Mice are generally herbivores, thus their farts and/or turds (like those of most obligate or primary herbivores) don't smell particularly rank.  Composite sticks lack the heft of either the stench, or effective force (in mph) of a mousefart.  

And if we stick with wood there's a higher chance of a rude pun being made. ;)

However I understand the argument that a wooden stick feels too heavy.  I started with wooden sticks, so there is a noted possibility that I'm a creature of habit.  

I might try a foam core if I didn't have to drop a lot of money on it. ( >$75)

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Under $75 (I assume you meant <75, not >75) may be tough but you can get close. The Swagger LT or ST are less than $90 new. You could always trawl clearance sticks or GGSU.

[bunnyman666 445]

@badger_14 Funny stuff about small mammals and their flatulence.

And yes- wood leads to many off-colour puns. However, after playing with wood versus foam core, I LOVE the solid feel of wood. Probably the Brian's Timber is heavier than the Swagger Wood/WDY/whatever cutesy model name they come up with. Warrior still sticks to their irreverant roots, and loves a pun! I don't mind the heft and it keeps my stick on the ice. For me- wood is good.

Lots of cheap foam twigs under $75 and a few over $75, as well.

@IPv6Freely Clearance is the only way to fly, my goaltending brother! I probably would have rocked the silly name ("Twigz") or sprayed over the name (again-I have no sense of pride, not caring if my stuff matches or whatever as long as I can get a deal) if they would have gone on clearance, but by the time I wanted to try them, it was full right city in the Twigz rack. 

[badger_14 601]

I mean I would define a significant chunk of change would be over $75.

Is what I get posting before bedtime.

[bunnyman666 445]

Just got my Timber- feels just like my Warrior Swagger Wood weight wise, curve is the same, finish feels same but is obviously different appearance-wise. Even the reinforcement along the bottom of the paddle and blade is the same.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Happy to hear you've found something that keeps you in the 1980s ;)

Just kidding! Hahaha

[bunnyman666 445]

6 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Happy to hear you've found something that keeps you in the 1980s ;)

Just kidding! Hahaha

Wha...?!? The '80s are over?

[bunnyman666 445]

10 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

Wha...?!? The '80s are over?

@badger_14 check your PMs.

[badger_14 601]

On 8/24/2016 at 9:26 AM, IPv6Freely said:

Happy to hear you've found something that keeps you in the 1980s ;)

Just kidding! Hahaha

Hey man, retro is "in".

[bunnyman666 445]

To me, there is nothing "retro" about wanting a stick that lasts, and some foam core are actually HEAVIER than wood sticks. I do have a feeling that a wood shafted, foam core stick with LOTS of carbon fibre reinforcements and a full composite reinforcement around the paddle and blade would last as long as a wooden stick with better performance; just one question: why the heck do they not reinforce every edge of a foam stick?!?!?

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Just no real reason to do so. You seem to be the only one with durability issues.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

57 minutes ago, badger_14 said:

Hey man, retro is "in".

There are actually people out there who specifically wear old school combo helmets and pads that strap tight to the shins because it's "retro". Kind of like the hipsters who will only listen to music on vinyl because it's not mainstream!

[bunnyman666 445]

22 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

There are actually people out there who specifically wear old school combo helmets and pads that strap tight to the shins because it's "retro". Kind of like the hipsters who will only listen to music on vinyl because it's not mainstream!

On the vinyl BEFORE 1990- it IS better, warmer, and infinitely better sounding than MP3/4 recordings, let alone CD's. But you need that cover OFF of the turn table, as the sound coming from the vinyl is altogether a breathing stereo channel. 

I always wished that I could have recorded "Holla (fo a Dolla)" to vinyl. That would have cost a bloody mint! Recording from digital to vinyl is meh. Modern vinyl is ucky.

You won't catch me dead with tight leather straps on my leg pads; I LOVE modern butterfly pads. But combos? Pry it from my cold, dead fingers!!!! Bwahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

[bunnyman666 445]

21 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Just no real reason to do so. You seem to be the only one with durability issues.

Actually, it saves .50 of composite and resin, that's why!