Andoy
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Posts posted by Andoy
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BASE Savoy Special
Flex: 75
Curve: P88
Lie: 6
Length of usage prior to review: 4 months
Current level of hockey being played: Beer League
Prior sticks used: Warrior Dolomite, NikeBauer Vapor XXXX, Bauer One95
Background: Base has been around for quite some time now but it was just recently that they expanded. Since they're based in my town (Burnaby, BC) it was alot easier for me to drop by and check out the sticks.
I got an "off the rack" stick (no customization). For 15 dollars more, customization allows you to choose your own stick colour, blade finish, as well as your name/number and a jpeg logo on your stick. However, since they did not have my flex off their racks, I was forced to a bit over 1 week for my stick to come from the factory which was a little annoying. I did not have to pay any shipping. Anyways, on to the stick:
Aesthetics: Regardless of what colour you choose, BASE aren't going to win any beauty pageants compared to other companies' offerings. The primary colour is black with various trims depending on what you choose. I got the retail red/orange trim. 6/10
Shaft: The shaft is rounded and is very simlar to a vapor XXXX/Dolomite. For those that want more girth, I believe they offer a thicker shaft shape. Since it's personal preference I'm not going to give a score.
Weight/Balance: Coming from the One95 which was a little heavy compared to most high end sticks (but very balanced), the Savoy Special is lighter. The problem with a lot of the lighter sticks is that they tend to be heavy blade heavy...this stick isn't really blade heavy and feels pretty balanced. 8/10
Blade/Feel: Having been spoilt by the feel of the one95, I was expecting recieving passes to just bounce off the blade. To my surprise, I was able to just resume playing as usual. The blade is very stiff and feels pingy similar to the early generation Warrior Dolimites. By default, all BASE sticks come in Sharksin coating, which is equivalent to Easton's Ztac. Many people I've come across are surprised it chips off easily but most Z-tac sticks I've seen back in the day are just the same. I didn't need it as I tape from heel to toe but a nice touch nevertheless.
It is no one95, but the feel is pretty good. If you didn't have hands then, then you won't have hands now. I can stick handle with my head up with confidence. 8.5/10
Shooting: Shooting is great with this stick. I find that it doesn't torque much and for someone that prefers mid-kick point, the low-kick point on this stick is something I got used to. 9/10
Durability: I'll go ahead and make a bold statement and say that beer league is harder on sticks. It's because there is a lot of stick work (especially at lower levels) and hockey sticks are constant to slashes as well as improper shooting technique. I've taken alot of slashes, deflected a lot of pucks and it's still going strong. 9/10
Value: I bought my stick for 159.99 plus taxes. However, if you choose to customize your stick it's an additional $15. On the plus side, if you order the same stick with the same specs, then you don't have to pay the $15 should you wish to purchase the same stick in the future. There's also additional shipping fees if they are to deliver it to your place so it stacks up close to $200ish before taxes if you order a customized stick and have to have it delivered to your place. And with that price range you're probably going to consider other high end sticks that are readily available at your LHS. 9/10 without customization, 7.5/10 w/ customization + shipping fee
Conclusion: In my opinion, BASE have a solid stick with lots of customization options that will appeal more towards younger players. It doesn't look like a high end stick but it performs like one. It kicks well when shooting and although pingy, the feel is there. They offer a variety of retail curves offered by the major companies as well as some pro stock patterns. For those that know what pattern/lie they want and just want to go the non-custom route, 159.99CAD is a great deal for a high end stick.
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Actually just shy of $300, spoke to eagle about ordering, they directed me to a dealer, I called and found out the price I was driving so I Almost crashed the car when found out how much. Yep . It's no mistake, don't forget to add tax to it as well
I got quoted 279.99cdn by my LHS. Luckily I found a pair of brand new 5000x's for 99 bucks online. If you live in the US then I'd try somewhere else.
On another note, I can back up everyone's posts that Eagle has once again changed the fit of the PPFs. There is no way I can use Eagle gloves anymore because I can't fit in them. The fit is just totally different from when they first came out.
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The part where it lists the pattern numbers for the TO stick is kinda blurry but is there a P10 in there?
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Whoa. Can anyone here confirm that the new PPFs have the kangaroo pockets?
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Now that the stick has been out a few months what's everyone's feedback on the X:60 stick? From a beer leaguer perspective I still see alot of one95s but that could just be because it's still fairly recent. I'm looking for something performance-wise like the xn10 (if possible) and I can get a great deal on either the one95r and X:60 (sorry guys, employee discount).
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Anyone here prefer to use iron sights instead of the upgrades? FAL is also my weapon of choice right now...really good for one shot kills and very accurate.
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Kudos to Vaughn for having MSH2 palms on most of their glove line. Sucks to hear about the PPF I bought a pair when they first came out and couldn't be happier. Then I tried the second generation ones at my LHS a few weeks ago and they felt a little off. I'm curious to see how the third one feels for myself.
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Are the PPF pants = Tackla 5000x?
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Thanks to Chadd at the MSH skate, I've been able to give FBV a try. I've been on FBV sharpening for about 10hrs of ice time now, and I can't believe how amazing it is. I don't know about the claims of it improving your top speed, but the improved glide is night and day from ROH. My only complaint is that when your going straight or turning slightly, it feels like you have no edges. It just took sometime for me to trust that my edges were eventually going to catch once I was committed to stopping and turning. Too bad I have to go back to ROH (unless anyone can point me to a rink with FBV in the area) for a few months while I save up for a X01.I felt exactly the same way in regards to turning with FBV. I'll try a deeper setting and see if it corrects my problem but since I've only spent 2 hours on 90/75s i'll give it more time. The additional glide you get on this is unreal!
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The price of the spinners really has to be figured in, in addition to machine costs which is about 25% higher than a regular machine. You have to get 5 spinners at $85 ea ($425 total plus shipping) to offer the current 5 different FBV's. This is vs 1 diamond at $20 total which can do any hollow. In addition, going back and forth between 100/75 and 90/50, etc, really burns thru the wheels, twice as fast as a conventional dressing. Changing the spinners also takes about twice as long as a regular dressing. So while the mechanical sharpening process may be the same, time and operating costs are more so a premium price is certainly warranted. Other intangibles like having to take 10 minutes to explain and answer questions what a FBV is to interested customers also have to be considered.As for how long a sharpening lasts, I've found that earlier in the year the longevity of the edges was excellent, even longer than a regular. However as the winter came and rink floors were filled with rocks, dirt and sand (from road sanding brought in on shoes), the longevity of the FBV decreased. Those in the south and west who don't have a snow season, don't have to worry. Those of us in snow areas with rinks that do not clean their floors, will find reduced life of edges. I was playing at a rink that had been open for 4 hrs and the locker room had so much crap on the floor I could hear my skates crunching on it. Even worse after I tied my skates, I could feel the crap on the bottom of my sock. Really that bad. You can always wear the hard rubber guards until you step on the ice to prevent damage, but in reality who's going to do that.
Thanks for the explanation. Now $10 doesn't sound so bad! Can't wait to try it.
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Andoy - your theory is flawed -A premium OPS can made the same way as a lower-price point OPS. Should they be the same price? No. The manufacturer invests more into that product.
When a Spinner disc costs 4 times the cost of a standard quill diamond tip, shouldn't the store charge more to recoup their costs? And once again, buying a new machine? Sharpening machines take a long time to turn a profit.
My bad. I didn't take into account about the price of the spinner disc.
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So if FBV is considered "premium" then I guess conventional sharpening will be here to stay. $10 a sharpening would probably alienate most beer-leaguer customers.yeah - I agree... 7, maybe 8 - 10 is way overkill
re "lasting just as long" - what cut was it? would you say this across the board or only for 90/75 & 100/75?
like I said before 9/16 used to last me over 15 hrs on ice
100/50 lasted maybe 5 - quite a bit of a difference!
100/75 seems to be holidng up better, but it's too deep so I don't like it
when has stuff geared more towards performance ever lasted a long time?well - would you call One95 skates performance? they seem to be holding up quite well
Don't get me wrong I'm going to give it a shot because of the hype but I still can't justify the $10 price tag when the equipment and method used is almost the exact same (minus the spinner) as a conventional sharpener. IMO, If FBV is to truly replace convetional sharpening then service be available at the same price and not being charged as a premium sharpening. I would think that more people would be more open to trying it out.
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In case anyone in the lower mainland is curious, I found out that the hockey shop in Surrey has the FBV. It's $10 though, which is twice the cost of their regular sharpenings.as far as I know the price hasn't been finalized, and even the service hasn't been made officially available to all customers
$10 is way too much, and last I heard they were thinking the same way, especially considering that FBV doesn't last as long as conventional sharpening
we're still testing it out on staff and are getting a better idea of it
i don't know where you heard the price hasn't been finalized but it will be $10.
As JR said, FBV is a PREMIUM sharpening. Obviously it won't last as long as a regular sharpening, when has stuff geared more towards performance ever lasted a long time?
So if FBV is considered "premium" then I guess conventional sharpening will be here to stay. $10 a sharpening would probably alienate most beer-leaguer customers.
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tried out 100/50 last night, didn't like it. There was more bite and turns were a little easier but 90/75 had that fast glide feel that I loved.Where did you get your skates done?
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Don't: take slapshots in pickup unless there is nobody in the way. I was playing D and a streaking forward went down the wings and tried to fire one past me...hit me right on the laces. It hurt so bad I had to miss the rest of the pickup session because my foot was bruised.
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Hey SAK, any word if Larry's in North Vancouver is offering FBV sharpening yet?
Very excited. I think it's only a matter of time before FBV is the standard way of sharpening!
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Check out Larry's Sports. I know they have a blackstone sharpener not sure about Cyclone Taylor or Hockey Shop.
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This past Monday: credit to gf for pictures. They're a bit blurry since they were taken behind glass from the second level and they're blown up from another image.
I'll probably get her to take some pics with more detail next time she comes to a game.
Was this @ 8 rinks?
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One question: Are these EDGE jerseys that are going to be sold to the public the current ones NHL teams are wearing (airknit front) or is it going to be the first version that had problems w/ keeping moisture in?
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The gloves in the catalogue that I like best are the ones that Thornton is wearing. Is CCM dropping the 4-roll line?
so those gloves are not ccm? i have been looking everywhere for those gloves
if you are willing to look past the branding on the cuff, i'm pretty sure you can EASILY pick up a pair of similar gloves ;)
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The core pads look interesting. Most girdles don't have sufficient (if any) kidney and back protection.
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Foot shape: wide forefoot, med arcd.
Coming from: Vapor XX
Usage at time of review: 6 months, 3-4 times a week.
Intro After doing alot of research I was steered into the direction of the one90s. I was looking for a skate that would last me more than 1 year and fits properly.
Fit The one90's fit is unlike any other. The zero negative space concept means that the skate forms to your foot and feels like a sock. Right off the bat they felt great without any obvious pressure points. A few days later I noticed that my left heel was slipping a little bit. This is due to my narrow heels. The one90s are so thermoformable that a little bit of heat with your heat gun and you can literally mold them with your hands! These skates are now an extension of your body.
Blade/Holder The LS2 Power features a longer runner, something that I was able to adapt to without any problems after 3-4 skates. Supposedly the holders are stiffer and while I do not feel the difference it was a pleasant surprise to find out that the steel that comes with these holds an edge very well and does not chip unlike the steel in my vapors. This is a good thing because there isn't much steel in the first place.
Weight The way skates are these days, weight is no longer an issue.
Durability So far so good. These have taken pucks, rubbed off the boards and they don't show signs of wear aside from cuts to the toes.
Conclusion Aside from the price tag, I don't have much to complain. The fit, comfort, weight and the durability of the skate so far seems to be meeting the majority's expectation. If your foot fits, I highly recommend that you consider these skates.
Special thanks to OTG and Hockeymom for their insights and helpful threads!
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it is the same last as the XXXs. Nothing has changed.
So what they made the colors worse and added an X? Seriously though, can I expect 06 ice skates to start droping in price soon? Id really like to convert a high end pair to inline.
No. I wouldn't bet on it. -
User
5'10 155lbs
85 flex Iginla Curve
used for 8 months before review
Background
After some consideration I decided to give OPS one more shot. Enter the Synergy ST. It is fairly light at 450grams and has a reputation for being one of the more durable sticks in the market.
Blade
The blade is very solid,durable and has a 'hot' face. I prefer my sticks that way. It is also very stiff even 8 months into it.
Shaft
The shaft shape is more of a traditional shape, but is a little concave. It also kicks
Passing and shooting
This stick is really good. Because of the good feel offered by this stick giving and recieving passes is much easier. My shots feel solid and there's no lag when the shaft kicks. [9/10]
Balance
This being a one piece is very balanced compared to the shafts i have used. Because of the light weight of the blade, you can completely wrap the blade in tape, wax it like crazy, and it'll still feel good. [10/10]
Intangibles
I like the blue colour even if it stands out. I was a big fan of mission's 'beemer blue' and this stick kinda reminds me of my old m-1. The graphics stay on (they don't peel off) and for those that care about cosmetics this stick still looks good even after 8 months of abuse.
Durability
Easton has created a tank of a stick while keeping the weight down and the performance up. The problem is that the ST is not completely bulletproof. While the shaft and blade are durable, the part of the stick where the shaft meets the top of the blade is not durable. My first ST i broke in that spot and it broke right at the hosel when i took a simple slapshot when clearing a puck out of our zone. Luckily it was stil in warranty. The replacement i got held up well until a slash at that same area. A huge chunk was missing. [6/10]
Final Thoughts
I would recommend this stick. It's reasonably priced, a good performing stick. Durability is fairly good with the exception of the hosel. But for me I would probably just stick back to tapered shafts.
learning hockey at an advanced age
in General Hockey Discussions
Posted · Edited by Andoy · Report reply
Keep up the good work!
All the aforementioned tips are solid. My 2 cents is to not be afraid to fall (and you will) when learning to skate - I found that this approach helped me figure out my edges faster. Don't forget to wear your padding!