Ogie Oglethorpe

REVIEW: CCM VECTOR V120c **UPDATED AFTER 2 MORE MONTHS OF USE** PERSONAL STATS 6'1", 220lbs BACKGROUND: All around hockey hack. Fat, balding, only shape I can claim to be is round. Play twice per week in an adult beer league. Have used this in 6 games thus far (so, weight write up accordingly) OTHER (COMPOSITE) STICKS/SHAFTS I HAVE TRIED (just for a point of reference when considering the write up): Busch Carbone, Busch Balance, Synnergy Grip, Bauer XX, Louisville Response, Branches Fusion, SHAFTS: Inno 1100, Inno Novius, Hespeller Kick-Lite, ZBubble, Easton Pro Axis Alum, Easton EFlex, Easton TFlex, CCM Catapult FLEX: : Regular (believe it equates to a Easton 100) CURVE: Recchi - overall versatile, conservative curve: it's a mid, slightly open face. I wish CCM would offer something more in line with a Easton Shanahan or Bauer Gagne though as I like a larger sweet spot and prefer the toe curve so I can quickly twist the wrist and give some good pop flies to clear the zone. Still, it's hard to complain with the curve (but I will note that CCM doesn't seem to offer a wide, distinct variety). 7/10 2 months later, the curve has grown on me even more. Upgrade score to 7.5. It's just hard to complain about the Recchi curve as it seems to have "something for everyone." However, CCM is still a loser on variety of distinct curves. This keeps me from giving it a higher score. WEIGHT: 460 grams (senior) TAPER: 18 inch taper WEIGHT/BALANCE: First off, I'm not a big believer that lighter is better. I consider anything lighter than 550 grams light (you know the difference between a 550 gram Busch and a 450 gram Synnergy? 1/3 of a 12 ounce soda). I don't find it to be too blade side heavy. Pretty good overall. 8/10 FEEL: The one thing I liked about all the Busch sticks that I had was it's wood-like puck feel. The early Synnergy version I had was the opposite. I thought the feel on the Synnergy was numb (kept having to look down to see where the puck was on the stick), and by the time it "registered" that you had recieved the puck it'd already bounced an inch or two off the blade (sort of a trampoline effect). The Vector is somewhere inbetween the two (closer to the Busch than the Synnergy). BUT, then again, it could just be that I have gotten more used to the composite blade feel (requires soft hands - which in no way I have - but eventually you adjust accordingly). Regardless, no puck bounce noted (so good pass reception), no numb feel, no odd vibration noted. 8/10 SHOOTING: I play defense, so like to t-up when I can (I can't hit the broad side of a barn, and my wind up can be measured with a sun dial, but there you have it). Regardless, I need every edge I can get. The one thing I like about the Vector over some other sticks that I have tried (wood, shafts with various blades, etc) is that the puck goes where I attempt to point it - there's no weird blade rotation that causes the puck to go somewhere other than where I was pointing (so wide shots are user error in this case). Anyone who has tried a Branches Fusion knows what I'm talking about here (the Branches stick blade flexes too much and causes the blade to torque in funny angle, making the sweet spot small and causes havok for pointing a shot). Regardless, no weird torque/twist noted. No fatique noticed yet (again, early), good puck speed off shots. 9/10 Update..... 2 months later, no fatigue DURABILITY: Remains to be seen (again, only have used it in a few warm ups and 6 actual games). The V110's were know for their durability. I play in a hack league, and have not noted any structural damage yet - absolutely no chipping or cracking what-so-ever. Blade has held up well - not a single chip. Stick still feels solid. (again, note that this is only after 6 games - so weight this accordingly) 8/10 Update..... 2 months later, no noticeable damage of significance MISC: Cheap finish/paint. Some of which covers the stickers. SPEAKING OF STICKERS, what's up with stickers on a hockey stick? Am I still in the third grade when I thought stickers were cool? I mean, you dish out $150 average retail for one of these puppies and they have stickers? What's also bad about the stickers is that there are air bubbles in several places under them, or they wrinkle up, or chip up with hacking. ALSO, they cover the "grip" coating they put on the stick. Stickers are cheesey and have no business being put on a stick this costly. ONE THING WORTH NOTING: I think more OPS this is all composite - no wood plug in the end. This is much better for tall users in my mind - no need to buy a 6 inch extention or what not. Average stick seems designed for a 5'10 inch person (take the wood plug out and a 5'7 user). Much better to have it all composite. Let shorter people cut it down (easier than buying a plug) and what taller person doesn't have a 3 inch plug from other normal shafts lying around? Reduces trips to your LHS anyway... Regardless, stickers and paint finish bring the misc factor a poor score 4/10 Update..... 2 months later, stickers are all chewed up and stick looks a lot older than it is. Of course, I'm not big on looks, or I wouldn't have bought a orage, blue, and silver stick in the first place. GRIP COATING: The grip is a weird hybrid - somewhere between a Louisville Rubber (shaft, not Ops) and a Synnergy Grip. Best way to describe it? Feels like it's coated with rubber cement. Hint of being spongy, yet it's firm at the same time. Once you get it "game wet" (or perhaps it has something to do with the way leather grips it) it's delightfully tacky/grippy. It's not sticky, but you won't loose your hold on it like you might with something overly glossy. Down side comes back to the stickers - they cover up a great deal of the surface and I suspect grip would be better without the cheap stickers (did I mention the cheap stickers? It needs more emphasis). 7/10 Update..... 2 months later, grip has held up well CONCLUSION: It might be a bit early to give anything conclusive (but let's face it, wait too long and you will no longer have the desire to write about it, right?), but I have found it to be a dependable, good performing, reasonable/tolerable puck feel OPS. Big thing for me with ANY stick is durability (which this supposedly has, and I haven't noted anything to let me believe that is not true), puck feel (which is better than the normal synnergy, in my opinion), and performance (better than wood, better than a old Tri-Flex, etc). It's a good stick over all. Above average. But, exceptional?, no, not sure I'd label it as exceptional yet. However, my expectations are typically low and I'm an easy guy to please. Thus far, I am not unhappy with the stick. I will consider it a good purchase if the blade holds up well (I have a buddy with a replacement blade like the one on this stick, and he beats the hell out of it, and it has stood the test of time), it doesn't fatique, it doesn't break too early. What I do fear is that it looks like crap after the stickers get hacked up (ok, obviously I don't care TOO much on looks - otherwise I would by a orange and blue stick) but more to the point I don't think I'd like the weird feel in your palms with all the bumps, cuts, exposed adhesive, etc. after the stickers are all peeling. I can't express how disappointed I am with the stickers, and for some reason, that is what prevents me from REALLY loving the stick - know what I mean? So close, and yet...... I will give this a debatable 8/10, but note that thus far I am happy with it and have not had any problems. If I had it to do over again, however, I probably would have chosed the V120T (which is the traditional rectangular shaped shaft - I just perfer the way it feels in my hands). Update..... 2 months later, up grade the score to 8.5/10 - it's held up quite well, is reliable, predictable, etc. As mentioned earlier, the cheap finish/stickers to the stick have prevented me from really loving the stick, though. I've gotten used to it in principle, but..... still something off about spending this kind of $$ on something gratuitously covered with stickers..... :-( - O.O.