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I received the Surgeon RX3 stick as a freebie from STX last April and decided on writing a review on this stick after a year of use. However, with the lock down along with the arena I normally play at being renovated I won’t be back on the ice until mid August or early September, so I’ve decided to write a review of the stick now because I feel as though it will start getting me back into things during the Summer. About me Height: 6’1” Weight: 160 lbs Shoots: Right Position: RW/LW Stick specs: X92 pattern/85 flex I’ve been playing almost exclusively in beer leagues with some tournaments sprinkled in for the last 10 years after a very mediocre minor hockey career. Luckily I’ve improved a lot since then getting to play with better teammates, while losing a lot of weight plus getting into shape. I might classify my style as a speedy, two-way, backchecking beer league hardo. My shot isn’t ever really a factor so I get a lot of goals by going to the dirty areas. Anyway, enough about me and let’s move on to the STX Surgeon RX3 stick. Again, this stick was free so I can’t really complain about the specs because it’s close enough to my preferences. The stick’s specs are an X92 pattern (P92, P29, W03 equivalent), at 85 flex. Normally, I play with sticks in the 75 flex range within the P88 family of patterns, but despite it not being my preferred specs I am familiar with them. I started using this stick mid-April 2019 almost exclusively until play stopped in mid-March of this year. I should also note that at first I did not cut this stick because I just never did, but after some experimenting with other sticks in July of last year I cut the RX3 down to around 57”. Look: 10/10 A black base with great graphics that don’t come off as too busy. Love the shade of blue STX uses as it really pops. It certainly stands out and wouldn’t blend in a line up of top of the sticks from every brand. Feel/Weight/Balance: 8.5/10 With the Surgeon RX3 stick, the first thing you need to talk about is the shape of the shaft. This six sided shaft, which is made to feel more naturally in the hands does what it is intended to do, but it is not something you would notice while playing. Many of my teammates were asking if it felt weird to play with as we are all much more comfortable with the 4 sided stick, again, I would say to them that it is unnoticeable unless you were trying to remain aware of the feel throughout the action. The Puregrip shaft is an eye-catcher and creates dressing room buzz, but in the end, it comes off as more of a gimmick because I believe the off-ice “natural feel” is lost on the ice with gloves on. This stick comes in at 425 grams at its uncut length and this stick certainly feels light, especially when compared to other elite level sticks. Unfortunately, the Puregrip fails to create an impression on the ice, the weight certainly doesn’t get forgotten on the ice, which certainly has to do with its spectacular balance. This stick does not come off as blade heavy (great coming off a CCM RBZ Revolution) and feels great regardless of where the lower hand is located. It is not the lightest stick I have ever used, but certainly one that distributes the weight, which makes it feel better. Would love to have tried a version of this stick with a traditional shaft because while I do not mind gimmicks it just seems unnecessary and may provide more support to the upper hand. Shooting and Passing: 7.5/10 I’ll start with the positive in this section, the passing. The blade of this stick has given me more precise passes while responding to the speed I desire and how hard I pass it. The blade works with me, which I really appreciate that in a stick, I believe a lot of companies try to influence shots with new tech bleeding into the passing, this could be me with no one else ever feeling this way. My shooting with this stick isn’t the best, but I factor this into the flex rating I have been using and my experience could have been a lot better if this were a 75 flex, not 85. I will say, even with a few inches cut off, it still plays closer to 85 flex so it is a whippier stick for those interested in it. This duel-kick stick (STX calls it Precision Flex II) is great for any shooter, however for myself, the lower kick was great for wrist shots and in tight, yet the upper kick zone came off as too stiff, therefore my already soft slapshots were almost non-existent with the RX3. Puck feel: 10/10 This is the best I have ever felt with a stick, ever. At no point have I lost feel for the puck during the play, and as someone who has to look down from time-to-time that really helps. When shooting on either side of the blade, I know where my soft shots are coming off of so they are not flubs or muffins, which I believe would happen if I were using a different stick with the same specs. Unlike the Puregrip, the Pureblade is genuinely pure and relevant to what a person wants with a hockey stick. Durability: 9.5/10 Prior to the lock down I was using this stick almost exclusively for a year and this thing has held up great. Besides the markings, etc.. chipping off from normal in-game events, I have not seen any real signs of damage, which is always nice. As for the blade, I always over tape the blade, whether it’s extra strips of tape over the toe or going above the heel, over cautious ever since the SuperTacks. I cannot give a true opinion on the blade, but it seems not to be too scuffed compared to other sticks where the tape gets damaged. If I had paid for the stick, the way it has held up has certainly proved it would be worth it in terms of holding up. Overall: 9.1/10 Had it not been for it being a stiffer stick than I am used to, I would proudly say this is the best stick I have ever used, but I can’t conclusively say that unless I acquire a 75 flex (don’t mind the pattern). The STX Surgeon RX3 is probably the first stick in the period where I’ve got into trying out different gear obsessively where I have stuck with a stick for a long period of time, which is a huge shock to me. At times I may switch it up for a back up during the game because it might change my luck, but I still come back to this stick because it performs so well. STX with its pure tech in the shaft and blade makes it clear they really wanted to create the most natural feeling stick ever. While the shaft shape doesn’t change much, I can’t fault them for trying because it makes sense the stick should be perfectly wrapped in the hands (look at baseball, lacrosse, tennis, golf), yet it does not transition over well into hockey and honestly made no difference. In fact, being square by the upper hand may be a good thing to implement in the RX4, or 5 if the former is too late to change as it could improve shooting mecaniques for some (nothing can save me). However, the natural feel in the blade is perfect. This is the feel every company should strive for and has actually improved my game slightly. Thanks for reading!

Well with free agency just days away I think this can be started... 2S Pro at Flyers camp https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dgz5v_uWsAg_WLY.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgzktYgX0AA6V-T.jpg:large

For a high end elbow pad, the STX Stallion 500 has a functionality that is majorly limited by design. One MAJOR flaw is that if elbow flexion is over 90 degrees the bicep guard pinches the skin above the forearm pad. We're talking SEVERELY. Enough to cause pain and bruising. Contacted STX directly but their customer service is intransigent. Buy at your own risk! These should be taken off the market

Background: I am 5'10", 195 lbs, I play 1-2 times a week, and coach youth hockey 3-5 times a week. I play in a competitive men's league over the winter in Minnesota, then play in spring/summer leagues. I alternate between using an X88 and X92 style curve on my sticks. It usually depends on the flex and overall feel of the stick to determine which I like better. In this case, the X88 was great. The stick is a 75 flex with the X88 curve. I typically go with an 85 flex, but I wanted to try something a little more flexible when I bought this one. Blade: This wasn't my first, nor will it be my last X88 curve. It matches up well with other brands' curves in that pattern (I currently have a CCM Ribcore in that pattern as well). We'll get into more details in the shooting and stickhandling sections below. Shaft/Flex: The Stallion is more of a mid-flex shaft. I typically use the low kickpoint shafts like the Bauer Vapor, etc. However, this stick got me back to liking the mid kickpoint. Snap and slapshots came off with power, and wristshots have plenty of power as well. With the 75 flex, I could feel the stick load easily. The downside to the flex is that I feel it flex when receiving hard passes. That feels odd to me, and I occasionally have a hard time controlling the puck then. Overall, the 75 flex isn't for me in this stick, but I still liked the stick. Stickhandling/Receiving Passes: The blade controlled the puck well, stickhandling is no issue with this stick. Receiving passes though, the 75 flex would sometimes flex when receiving a hard pass. When the shaft flexes and I'm not expecting it, I could have trouble controlling the puck. Once I figured it out, I did try to catch passes closer to the heel, but it could still happen. Shooting: This is a good shooting stick. Snap and slapshots were easy and smooth. The kickpoint of this stick make those feel natural. Wristshots had plenty of power, I could feel the shaft load up easily. Weight and balance: Pretty light, and well-balanced as well. This stick isn't as light as the lightest sticks out there, but it is close enough. The balance feels great. I really like the feel of this stick. Durability: The downside, I used this stick for about 6 months before it broke. Not that it was used any harder than other sticks I use, but I blocked a shot with it, and that broke a chunk off on the inside of the stick. It didn't take long after that before it started to crack and finally broke. Intangibles: It's a nice looking stick. Personally, I like the all black with yellow graphics. High contrast, and you know what you are looking at. Some of the other brands are less distinct, this is a pretty distinctive look. Conclusion: Nice overall stick, if I were to buy it again, I'd get an 85 flex and probably go with the X92 curve. I'm not likely to buy one again though simply due to worries about durability. I've used plenty of other sticks that lasted longer than the STX did taking more slashes and blocked shots. Final score: 5/10, decent stick with durability worries in my mind.

Stick specs- STX Surgeon RX2.1, 85 flex, X88 pattern Reviewer Background- 6'2, 215 lbs, limited experience in ice hockey (1 year playing on a team in 1988-1989). I have played a bit of street hockey (very informal/ casual 2 v 2 mostly, sometimes with a goalie, in the front yard when I was a kid). I played some inline hockey- more than ice, way less than I played street. Took up ice hockey again in August 2013, after a long layoff (I played 3 months of pick up, in 1995-1996). I have used this stick 2-3x/week for about 5 months. I bought this stick for 2 reasons: 1) I wanted to try the PureGrip shaft design, and 2) I thought this to be an excellent value stick. The RX2 weights 425 grams, this one weighs 455 grams, for about half the price, with the same blade. So, seems to be a no brainer, until someone else tells me that they want to sponsor me and buy my sticks. Blade - The blade has a nice feel to it. It is thinner than the last blade that I was using (a BASE Hockey blade that I had connected to a shaft), which I like. It seems strong and stiff, but I assume it flexes appropriately when I shoot. I never tried to flex it with my hands; no need to compromise the integrity of it I suppose. The blade itself is neither dampened nor lively. The blade does feel easy to stickhandle with, but it is hard to say if that is due to how easy it is to handle the PureGrip shaft, or the blade itself. The puck does not seem to come off the blade terribly "hot." It is ok, I have scored my share of goals, but I attribute it more to accurate shots (on the occasions that I actually have hit the target) and goalie screens, than to me blasting shots by goalies who are made inefficient due to my blistering shot. The blade has held up well, durability wise. So, although there is nothing about the blade that has me saying, "This is the best blade ever!," I also cannot find fault with it. Score: 8.75/10 Shaft/Flex - This is where it gets interesting. PureGrip technology is epic, for a guy who has mostly played street and inline hockey. One of the more difficult aspects of the game to adjust to for me has been squeezing the shaft to receive passes and shoot. This is not necessary in street hockey when one is using the rubber ball. So, for the first year or so of my comeback, I did not even know about this necessity of squeezing the shaft when working with these aspects of the game. Still, I often do not squeeze the shaft hard enough, even when I remember to perform this action, when using a traditional shaft, as evidenced by the stick deflecting in my hands to flub shots and pass receptions. However, with the PureGrip, I no longer have these issues. I pretty much successfully receive all passes now, unless I mis align the blade, or the puck is bouncing, but neither of these items are the fault of the stick. The dual kick point is another "interesting" feature. I am not yet as sold on it, as I am on the PureGrip. Sure, I score goals, get shots off quickly, and get hard shots- usually not all 3 at the same time though (and I am faaaaaaaaaar from a good player, just saying I have experienced some limited success). It seems that in order to get this aspect of the stick to work with the user, one would need a ton of reps to figure the sweet spots in hand placement and shot type. Regardless, it works well enough, while just using it in an intuitive manner. Although it does not kick as quick or hard, usually, as my Warrior Covert QR Pro, it does, on occasion, kick similarly, when I apparently use the stick in the manner it was meant to be used (or when I get lucky or whatever is happening). Flex is a bit stiff. I was in an 85, and am moving into a 75 tomorrow. Perhaps this is more me than the stick, and I am just coming to awareness of where I ought to be (after having been confused by a number of factors- such as the Oggie Ergo grip adding so much flex when I had previously installed it on other sticks, and since I used a chippy stick previously anyway- the Warrior Covert QR Pro). Score: 10/10 (I am now pretty useless when I use other sticks, as the deflection factor is now more pronounced when I try to take big shots, and receive hard passes.) Stickhandling/receiving passes - like butter, as described above (due to the shaft geometry working seamlessly with the contour of the hand) Score: 10/10 Shooting - Shooting is just ok. I have great control with the shaft, but the kick just seems ok. This could be due to my being in a curve that I have just recently found to be a bit crippling (P88). I am moving into the P28, to be able to shoot off of the toe. Perhaps this will improve this score in the future, and is actually no fault of the stick. So, figure this score to be somewhere between a 7 and a 10; we will see how the next 6 months go. Weight and balance - For the price? 10/10. However, since value is not factored into these ratings, the stick does feel a bit heavier than my QR Pro- nothing enormous, but noticeable. The weight is nicely balanced, though. Score: 8/10. Durability - I have blocked some pretty hard shots at the neck of the stick, thinking as the shot hit, “Why the heck am I blocking shots in pick-up with a $160 stick, in a country that does not sell this stick?” To my surprise, no damage. I have noticed some nicks, that I have filled with epoxy to reinforce. Score: 9.25/10 Intangibles - I cannot go back to standard shaft geometry (again, unless someone wants to sponsor me and try to pry me away from the PureGrip). Score: 10/10 Conclusion - Love the concept, and looking forward to trying a new flex (75) and pattern (X28) in this stick (STX Surgeon RX2.1). I have a vision of my leaning on this technology to bridge the gap between myself and more skilled and experienced players. It may be a fantasy, maybe I am giving too much undue credit to the stick? Perhaps, I will provide another update in 3-6 months. Score: 56/60 Granted, a lot of this close to perfection achievement is due to how much I appreciate the PureGrip. If you have been playing a ton of hockey, are used to the box shaft geometry and may find the new feel to be distracting or unhelpful, then I would not advise this stick. If, however, you are a bit of a newb or more accustomed to street/inline hockey with a lighter puck (ball), then do yourself a favor and pick this stick up (just sample it; but do not buy unless you are feeling it) at the pro shop, and see if you like it.

http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/files/file/187-2015-stx-hockey-catalogue/ In 2014, STX released a line of high-end sticks and gloves, and now have continued to round out their lines by adding a protective category to it. Protective - Just like with sticks and gloves, the Surgeon and Stallion lines are distinct with each other and play into the stories STX has been telling with each line. The Surgeon series is their "Precision Fit", which is an anatomical, sleeker fit. On the Surgeon 500 shoulder pad, it's all foam. Every bit of it is foam. But, some pretty cool features - the bicep pads don't have straps; it has a sleeve in which you slip your arm into. And on the bottom of the shoulder pad chest area, they have tabs that stick on top of the strap, providing a tighter fit and zero interference with the jersey sticking to the end of the strap. The Stallion is their "Power Fit" which means it is a more rugged pad. The padding is fuller, including more padding in the collarbone and ribs, and the sternum and spine plate is much bigger than what is on the Surgeon. The bicep pad is a two-piece pad as well, that can be adjusted for length. On the elbow pad front, the Surgeon is a 3 piece elbow pad and the Stallion is a 2-piece. Both feature the 360+ Strap, which is the bottom strap of the low pad - it goes completely around the forearm. The Surgeon has a full-length spandex sleeve, whereas the Stallion has a half-length sleeve. The Stallion does have additional protection in the forearm area, because, you know, rugged. The shins are also completely different. The Surgeon is going to be a bit tapered by design, and comprised entirely of foam. The 360+ strap wraps completely around the pad right below the knee, and has a neoprene strap that splits for two attachment points over the calf wing. The Stallion is wider and more of a traditional fit. Still has the 360+ Strap, however, has something very interesting - a cut-resistant sleeve. In this age of players getting cut behind the shin pad, that's a pretty cool feature. On the 300 series protective, you're still maintaining the same fit stories, however, the foams are down spec'd to less high-density foam (more EVA foam) but the 360+ Strap is still present.

http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/files/file/185-2014-stx-stickglove-catalogue/ Gloves - STX is launching their glove line to complement their sticks. Continuing with their 2-family concept, they have two models in the Surgeon and Stallion 500. Starting with their Stallion line, which is what you would consider a "traditional" glove. Instead of doing a strictly traditional glove in the Stallion and a strictly anatomical glove in the Surgeon, they are actually right in the middle of those two fits with a tapered feel - essentially choosing the middle ground. Both gloves are the same spec-wise; dual density foam with PE inserts, a Clarino palm, their Dri-Lex moisture wicking liner and stretch mesh gussets. The new technologies that STX is offering is their Cable-Flex thumb, which consists of the thumb piece attached by a cable that runs along the side (if it's hard to picture, picture the binding of the thumb - the cable goes around the piece like that), allowing it to fully move forward, yet lock if hyperextended. Yes - I can touch the palm with the thumb - without using my fingers to pull it down. The range of motion story doesn't end there. The other feature is their M² Knuckle. Instead of stitching the fingers down in the knuckle break, it's actually open there, allowing for more forward range of motion. You can actually fold your entire fingers over and touch the end of your palm. The Surgeon is a bit more anatomical in the back of the hand. This is the Surgeon back cuff... ...as opposed to the Stallion. 5 colors to start, from 12" to 15". Sticks - Two more sticks in each family to round out the line. On both the Surgeon and the Stallion, there will now be a 300 and 100 model. The 300 is down-spec'd to a carbon fiber shaft (as opposed to 12k on the 500) and the 100 to a carbon/fiberglass mix. However, what is intriguing is that throughout all models, the blade is the exact spec - so you're getting the same blade that is on the 500 on the 100. The 300 in both models will retail for $149.99 and the 100 will retail at $99.99 - so you're not seeing a strictly entry-level offering at this time. The gloves and sticks will launch in November.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/files/file/179-2014-stx-catalogue/ I will be getting stick samples soon so that I can touch on the sticks.