Scotty

JaySakic, those Eastons look great. Where'd you get them?

Oh WTF. I looked for Z-Bubbles like that for ages. What flex are those?

Yep, for a while Easton was printing both the name and flex on the shafts. I have a broken Easton T-flex in the basement that happens to say "Modano Custom 95". Same used to go for Sakic, Yzerman, and a couple others.

I wish all the major companies didn't have to attempt to be such marketing machines. Easton makes some really solid stuff when they're not worrying about being the latest innovator or marketing some goofy new "technology".

Exactly. Granted I haven't used any Easton OPS in years and years, but their shafts have felt like absolute crap for the past 3-4 years. I'd absolutely kill for an original silver Synergy in 85 flex with the Modano pattern.

:D That ugly old thing? We got them in at our hockey shop that I used to manage and I used to wonder how well they'd work compared to the Z-Carbons I always used. They looked very solid, very well put together, etc. And back then, they felt fairly light. Now it feels like a damn brick. Puck feel was decent, but nothing special. The graphics came off quite easily, but the blade held together over the years. I haven't used it in ages.

Those are even better. Only ones I've ever seen of those were pro stocks. The Total Hockey here had a couple Hejduks and some Kovalevs last year. I'll throw this in here too. This pretty little lady just showed up today. Some of you may recognize the curve as well. It's in great shape, but I only wish it weren't a lefty, otherwise I'd give this blade a shot. Oh well, it's becoming a shaft. Brand new Si-Core Z-Carbon Modano blade will be here tomorrow or so.

Mack, please tell me that's not an original Z-Carbon blade I see in that. If it is, I may have to come steal it as I've been searching for those FOREVER. Oh, and I'll add to your little A/G pic there. IMO, one of the sexier-looking shafts of all time, along with the MM Z-Bubble:

Those are much tougher to find. Only seen them on game-used stick sites and such. Closest I've come was the maroon T-Flex with school bus yellow graphics that Krev sold to me recently. Same design I believe, it was just when they'd changed to yellow from gray.

This one's an 85 too. :) Just bought it because all of my boyhood hockey idols used it and I've ALWAYS wanted one. Yzerman, Sakic, and my all time favorite Modano. Part of me wants to use it, but another part of me wants to buy TBL's graphite T-Flex Drury blade, stick it in the shaft, and hang it on the wall downstairs. On a side note, just rounded up all my shafts and sticks (broken or intact) and compiled them on the floor in the basement bedroom. GF's going to crap a brick when she sees it all. The T-Flexes were the same length as other standard shafts around that time. The only difference was that the tapered blades were also the same length as standard blades and not shortened like they are now (hence the reason the tapered shafts are longer to compensate).

Just showed up at my door. The one shaft I've always wanted:

Had to go by Total Hockey today to buy some stuff and felt the S19 shaft there again. Definitely a more rounded shape than the S15 shafts were. It's pretty much on par with the X:60 and Vapor XXXX shafts. Feels great, but it also feels weighty. Both the ST shaft and S15/S19 shaft have been absolute logs since Easton switched from the Z-Bubble and Ultra Lite shafts. :(

That's what I thought as well. I know Hockeyus.com uses a gram scale on theirs and even typically shows pics of the stick on the gram scale so you can read what it says, but they don't have a review of it. Both sites below show that weight: http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/Easton_Stea...page-ES19S.html http://totalhockey.net/Product.aspx?itm_id...3&div_id=41 Down under "features", they list it at 362 grams. I don't know if that was directly weighed and listed or not. I know it used to be typical for retailers to simply regurgitate what Easton or other companies quoted the weights at (or what it claimed on the sticks), but once people started weighing them, they found those numbers to be off. Could it be that all those years the Z-Bubble was supposedly at 275 grams, it was really this heavy? Or is 362 grams wrong? Also, Easton's site shows the S15 shaft using that "liquid silicone molding" process, which is supposedly based on compression molding, as the construction. Despite the fact that the S19 is merely supposed to be the old S15 with new paint, Easton no longer shows this information for the S19. They now say that it is graphite/kevlar compression molded again like they used to. Sites also say that this stick features the TORX Elliptical Profile (despite being a shaft) and as I stated before, I did think that the S19 shaft I felt had a rather Easton Cyclone-ish roundness to its corners.

Felt the S19 shape the other day and it was weird. SHAPE: quite rounded, honestly. Not sure if they're shooting for the whole "S19=elliptical" thing or what, but it was nearing X60 feel with very rounded corners. I loved it, but others may not. FEEL/WEIGHT/MATERIALS: As we all know, the OLD Z-Bubbles were graphite and kevlar. When Easton switched to the S15, they changed materials to some sort of liquid silicone process that I was never able to determine what it actually was. However, it was noticeable because many stated how the shafts felt "heavy and cheap". I agreed. The new S19 shaft is much more like the S15 (crappy) than the old Z-bubbles. Not sure what they did to this shaft material-wise, but it sucks. The old Z's were advertised between 275-285 grams, depending on the year. Easton always passed this info on to retailers, who spouted it as truth. As many people weigh OPS, they know the numbers are not always even close. The S15 shafts were still being advertised at 275 grams, which I think most would say was far too light for how they actually felt. Sites are now reporting true shaft/OPS weights more and the S19 shaft is showing up in the 360 gram neighborhood.

Easton Z-Bubble Background: 5' 9" 175lbs. Shaft: Z-Bubble 100 Flex Test Blades: Easton Z-Carbon/Focus Flex/S15 blades (all in Modano/Forsberg/Zetterberg pattern) Initial Impression: I had always hated the feeling of super-squared off shafts, but made the transition to some of the first year Synergies and gradually got used to them. After I stopped working at a hockey pro shop after 4 years and my access to cheap Synergys went away, I decided to try a Z-Bubble. Weight/Balance: With the weight of them now down to a claimed 275 grams (although that is simply the rated weight and they are truly much more than that), I have always paired them with the super lightweight Easton Z-Carbon/S15 blades. It ends up weighing around 470 grams, which is GREAT. The blades really help compliment the lightness and balance of the shaft. However, be aware that using heavier blades will throw off the balance of the stick. These things really need lightweight composite blades. Compared to a OPS, you can certainly feel that the kickpoint is a bit higher, but it isn't something beginners or most anyone is going to notice unless they have plenty of experience and have used many types of sticks. 9/10 Shooting/Passing/Stickhandling: The feel of these sticks is as good as you can possibly as for from a shaft. From Easton's classic combination of compression-molded graphite and Kevlar to the supreme consistency of these sticks, you'll get the same feel every time. The shaft conveys great feel for the puck (as long as you've used a decent composite blade like I recommend) and responds VERY well with shots. I'm primarily a quick wrist/snap shot kind of guy and require a stick that can meet the load demands of my shot with a quick reaction. With the taper on the Z-Bubble, it loads quickly while still maintaining a great amount of flex and gets rid of the puck well. Passing is sharp, crisp, and can be felt very well. No reverberations or pingy feelings through the shaft, just a clean feeling. 10/10 as long as it's paired with a high-end composite Easton/Bauer/Warrior blade. Durability: I always hear complaints about the durability of these, but I'm not sure why. Mine made it through many rec leagues, tournaments, and then through several years of competitive collegiate hockey. Many faceoffs, slashes to the tapered zone, blocked shots, and overall rough abuse that a stick takes have left mine quite intact and in great shape. I have the blue tinted version and a good amount of the blue clearcoat is coming off to reveal the silver Kevlar underneath, but that's merely cosmetic. Despite my admitted tendency for wristers, I take a fair amount of slapshots too and have never snapped one of these yet. Easton's materials and construction process really lend to durability, regardless of which of their shafts you buy. I have never broken one and have personally only seen a handful break over the years, despite knowing MANY people that used them. 8/10 Conclusion: If you're looking for a solid traditional shaft with a great kick, very light weight, amazing solid feel, wonderful construction, and old-school reliability, the Z-Bubble will always be your shaft. 10/10.

David, playing great here in St. Louis! We try to make it out to as many games as possible throughout the Blues season to watch you guys play. Keep up the great work and see you this year.

Helmet: Bauer 5000 Shoulder pads: Easton S17 pads Elbow pads: Jofa 8025 Gloves: Old Easton Air gloves Pants: CCM Tacks Shin pads: Jofa 8025 Skates: Easton SE16 White Edition Stick: Easton Z-Bubble w/ Easton S15 blade