tareatingrat

This is my problem. I'd blow a wad of money and be in the 20-25%. Already lost $800 on a pair of custom skates. Can't imagine doing it again. I am in Winnipeg, though, so it might be worth checking out a stock pair...now that I see they have a money back guarantee on them.

Mine, the Source for Sports one, are still going, about a year later... The gel is peeling from the fabric. Figure I might get another few months out of them. Well worth the money, though.

Could be. Like I said, I'm one of only a handful in the city that get that cut. Just saying for people who might feel the same thing.

That's what the guy at the shop says, too, in terms of most people being fine with 90/75. But, again, in my opinion, 90/75 was way more bite than 5/8". In fact, I needed a sharpening and had to get 5/8" the other day...didn't notice much difference at all. One time I was in a rush, and the guy I usually get my FBV at was busy and said he could do 90/75 now, or 90/50 when things died down (I'm one of only two or three people who get a 90/50 in the city). So I got a 90/75. Way too much bite. That said, everybody is different. If you go to 90/75 and like it, great. But I'd say 90/50 is closer to 5/8 in terms of bite and glide. That said, I'm also a heavy guy at 230-ish. YMMV.

90/50 is closer to 5/8", in my opinion. 90/75 has much more bite.

Much appreciated, thanks!

Okay, another question, then. I've read this topic a number of times, but didn't really find an answer. What, exactly, should a fitter be doing? Some are saying a tracing is taken, some are saying they just go by measurements. What measurements? Can I do these myself so I have an idea if the guy who is about to take $700 from me is doing a good job? Is it a good idea to send a tracing anyway? What questions are you, the fitter, asking to make sure I get a good fit? To those who know: I don't know if you want to be giving out free advice to somebody who isn't going to be buying something from you, and I can understand that, but any help would be appreciated.

My mind is totally blown that someone other than a very young child would ask you to tape their stick.

Yeah, I figured as much, and I'm looking for someone experienced as I have annoying feet to fit. I'm just surprised there isn't someone here in Winnipeg to do them.

Yeah, I read this whole thread, didn't post in it because I thought my question was more specific. Sorry. Regardless, I guess I'll just go for a pair of CCM's, because nobody here seems to be able to do it. Kind of ridiculous in a hockey city like Winnipeg...

No idea... Also, no idea how to contact the rep. for this area...

Anybody know where I can get a pair of custom Bauer skates done in Winnipeg? I've called all the places I can think of and none of them have any idea. The closest I got was: "Uh, yeah, we can get them it, but we have no idea how to measure you and don't have any of the paperwork." ? Anyway, I know of a place that'll do custom Reebok/CCM, but that's about it.

2011 Warrior Widow Flex: Stick 1 and 2/100, Cut Down 2.5" Curve: Stick 1 and 2/Gionta, Lie 4 Grip: Stick 1/Clear, Stick 2/Grip Height: 6'1" Weight: 230lbs Position: Forward Usage: Just over a month, 20 games or so. Previously Used Sticks: 2011 Dolomite DD, Easton S19, Salming M11-KZN, Bauer One95, 2010 Dolomite HD Aesthetics: Loved the red and grey design on the clear stick, not as big of a fan of the purple on the grip stick, but that's personal preference. Weight/Balance: Slightly blade heavy but well balanced. I use a lot of tape on the blade, though. Feels fine when playing. 9/10 Shaft/Flex: I quite like the feel of the shaft, although I think I'm less picky with shaft shape than some people. The clear stick had a nice matte finish which I loved. The grip stick is maybe a little too grippy for my tastes, but I generally don't buy grip models anymore (the grip was my only option on a warranty exchange). As for the flex, this stick is awkward when you first start using it. It feels true to flex in some situations, but quite whippy in others. I suppose that was kind of the point of the design, but it took a game or two to get used to. Now that I am used to it, however, it's fantastic. I cut about 2.5 inches off of the stick and didn't notice any change in flex. While I read on here that this is a feature, they might want to mark the point on the stick where the flex would most likely start to change after a cut. 9/10 Shooting: Amazing, although it feels quite flexy when it comes to shots, even with a 100 flex stick. It doesn't feel like a noodle, and kicks hard, but there's a definite difference between the Widow and most other sticks I've used. The low kickpoint is fantastic for my shooting technique and style (I like to shoot off of the wrong foot a lot and generate most of my shots with my arms, mainly to get shots off quickly). However, if you really get a piece of a shot with proper technique, the puck flies hard and true. Probably the most accurate stick I've shot with, and I really liked my S19 for placing shots. 10/10 Passing: I've never had much of an issue passing with any stick. I'm alright in that department regardless of stick. Although the stick feels flexy when shooting, that isn't so much the case with passing. I haven't noticed any lag on giving passes, but I think the flex zone does help in catching passes. I don't really notice any torquing or flexing of the blade/shaft when I receive passes, but they seem to hit the stick and stay. 10/10 Stickhandling/Feel: Probably one of the best feeling blades I've ever had, although I do use 3M liquid tape which I find really helps. Regardless, the blade isn't pingy, nor is it too soft. My stickhandling has improved, even over a 2011 Dolomite with identical specs. I prefer a stiffer stick for stickhandling and haven't noticed any issues regarding the Widow's flex profile. 10/10 Durability: Terrible. Less than a month of owning the stick, the blade cracked in half. Which is a shame, because it's such well performing stick. I was lucky that I was able to get a warranty exchange (hence why I'm using a grip at the moment), but I'm worried about my new stick now. While I wouldn't buy the stick if I couldn't afford to break it, I do think a $300 stick should last more than one month. If I get a season out of a stick, I'm happy. As it stands, I've tried a few Warrior sticks (2010 Dolo HD, 2011 Dolo DD, Widow) and they've all had the same blade problems occur within a month or two. I realize that you're going to sacrifice some durability for performance, but I've still got a One95 that took two seasons of play plus pick-up now and again without any real sign of distress. I would simply expect more at this price range, but I will give kudos to the ease of making a warranty claim with Warrior--I simply had to bring it back to the shop and got a new one. 2/10 Conclusion: If you can get past the fact that the blade might go on you, which is really the only downside (but a big one), this is probably one of the best performing sticks on the market. 8/10 EDIT (August 3, 2011): Second stick broke on me, although it kind of got jammed into the boards. Can't really blame Warrior for that one. However, in terms of ice time, the stick lasted me about as long as the first one. The terrible thing is, although I won't buy another Widow, I love the Gionta curve. Until I can find a Diablo in a two-piece in my area, or tapered DD blades, I've had to make the switch to a AK27 two-piece setup, which I'm hoping I can get used to. Again, the Widow is a fantastic shooter, but it's fragile.

The 90/75 was a little too much bite for me, but I drag my feet when I walk, and that seems to translate into "dragging" my feet when I transition from front to back. A different profile might help me out with that, but I like the radius I've got now. I quite like the 90/50, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like. On a traditional ROH, I used 5/8". I'm 230-ish, which I thought was heavy, and anything with more bite would drive me nuts.

There's a product by 3M at Canadian Tire that I noticed about a month ago...don't know if there is something similar (aside from Z-Tac), as it's the first time I've seen it: 3M Liquid Hockey Tape It's more of a rubberized tacky/gritty liquid you put on after you've taped your stick. Says it takes 25 minutes to dry, I'd say it takes closer to an hour unless you use a fan or hairdryer. I actually love the stuff, as I find it gives me a little more control and really improves puck feel. Unfortunately, it can't take too much of a beating, and I have to re-tape and re-apply after almost every game. Your mileage may vary, but I've simply gone back to tape and wax.

Bauer Supreme One95 / Corner Tactile Grip Flex: 102 Curve: PM9 / Lie 5 Height: 6' 1" Weight: 240 Postition: RW/C Time-frame of use: Since November 2009 Aesthetics: Looked good in the beginning. Has taken a beating over the past couple of months, but still one of the nicer looking sticks around. I have the yellow scheme, but it's a nice understated stick. 10/10 Weight and Balance: Not the lightest stick I've ever used, but very well balanced. I quite like a light stick, and I couldn't tell too much of a difference between this stick and my original Stealth. 10/10 Blade: I like the feel of this blade. Seems to be a softer feel to it than some of the other composites I've used, definitely feels better than the Stealth, X:60, Dolomite, XN10, and S5 I've used in the past. 10/10 Shaft/Flex: Didn't think I liked the stick too much when I first got it, and I've shot harder on a radar gun with my original Stealth, but now that I've become accustomed to the stick, it seems to kick pretty good. 9/10 Stickhandling and Passing: I've always had stone hands, and I've become a much better stickhandler with this stick. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I've gone from a P92 to the PM9 curve, but the lower lie seems to help a bit. The blade and stick have some of the best feel I've had in a stick, so I'd say this has to be my favourite stick in this regard. As far as passing goes, I've never really had much trouble in passing, so this stick is status quo for firing off a pass, and the feel makes it a pleasure to receive passes, too. 10/10 Shooting: Not the best shot I've ever had, but that could be due the change in lie/curve/flex from what I was using. Shots are still quite hard and as I've become used to the stick, I'm much more accurate than when I first bought the stick. 9/10 Durability: After my first game with the stick, there was a fairly big chunk taken out of the toe on my blade. I Mighty Putty/Epoxied the toe, and started to protect the blade a bit more by taping heel to toe and covering as much of the blade as I could. Through that time, the blade has taken a bit of a beating, but doesn't seem to be softening up or cracking as I worried it had. The shaft itself is holding up alright, although there are numerous scratches along the bottom of the stick. There is also quite the chunk taken out of the stick a few inches up from the blade, which was also epoxied. So far, the stick has held up to a fair amount of abuse and roughly 2-4 ice times a week. I'm at that point now where I'm afraid it will break soon, but I'm hoping to get at least a year out of it. 9/10 Conclusion: Can't complain, but the real test will be the durability. Everything about the stick is top tier, so the longer it lasts, the more I'd recommend it. As of now, it feels great and shoots hard, even if it took me a bit of time to get used to. Overall: 9.6/10