CCM Vector 120

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Open to review.

[thejackal 46]

V120 Review:

Review's stats: 6'1" 170lb

I won this stick from a contest. My whole team received 20 sticks in all and so far 4 (including mine) have been returned because of breakages.

Flex: The CCM regular flex feels whippier than years past, more comparable to easton's 85 than 95. It felt great coming from an 80 typhoon. 9/10 (PP)

Curve: The lecavalier is a big heel curve, it is pretty much the same as the Kaberle. It is not at all what i am used to so it might throw off the stick's score in other areas. 1/10 (PP)

Weight/balance:

It isn't light for an OPS, around 500g in my estimation. The balance isn't bad but not quite as blade-light as others (Easton, Inno, etc.) 7/10

Feel

Stickhandling is weird because of the heel wedge but the blade isn't quite as bouncy compared to regular graphite blades. Receiving passes is easier as well.

8/10

Shooting:

Shots are very crisp. I have trouble with keeping wristers down but snap shots are better thanks to the big taper (18 inches). I dont see a significant improvement in my slapshot's velocity as I already have a pretty good shot but its consistancy did improve and I can get a quality shot off with a small windup.

8.5/10

Durability:

Ok, as you might have realized, this stick's durability kinda blows. 4 out of 20 returned within a month for breakage is anything but good, even for an OPS. Also, the grip, which is very nice in the beginning, peels a lot and within 2 weeks there aren't any left on the corners of the shaft. Mine broke right down the middle when i was flexing it.

3/10 (the blade was a tank however)

Intangibles:

The Vectors are slightly longer than most OPSs and come with a plastic plug ,which tall people will appreciate. The grip isn't bad but as I said after a few week there woudn't be much of it left. I was disappointed in the stick's durability but it did stand up to some slashing and skate marks. I think we just got a bad batch as the other sticks broke just above the blade. The CCM curves arern't that great but this year's new curves (Bonk - mid-toe, lie 5.5, Doan - mid-heel, lie 5) might be worth a try. The Bonk is a renamed Hossa BTW.

7/10

Conclusion:

OPS's are over-hyped in my opinion. This stick is worth perhaps $120 US but not more. I could get a 2-peice combo that is perhaps just as good for less. So, when my warrenty stick arrives, I'll either sell or trade it for another shaft. However, if you really liked V110s, it might be worth a try.

7/10

I'll keep you guys updated on the number of breakages on my team.

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

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.

Edited February 19, 2005 by Ogie Oglethorpe

[ktang 34]

CCM Vector V120C One-Piece Composite

The "C" in V120C stands for the "Contoured", slightly more-rounded shaft corners.

Personal Stats

37 yrs old, 5'8", 160lbs, left-handed shot. Have played ice hockey since I was about 3 yrs old. Strictly a hacker / recreational player, also a minor hockey coach.

Consumer type: complete opposite of the Early Adapter.

Previous stick: Easton 85-flex Z-bubble shaft, no grip (the older green woven-covering type), broken at the flare-out point (found at the rink), with wood Easton T-Flex low-lie round-toe mid-curve blades = T-Bubble combination. Also an Easton 85-flex T-Flex shaft with an Ultra-Carbon T-Flex blade. These are my comparisons for this review. Other sticks used in the past: Easton HXP 4095 aluminum shaft combination, Louisville TPS wood, Canadien 6001 wood.

Why I got this stick: I got this stick with the summer 2004 coupon from CCM, whereby buying a pair of CCM Vector Pro skates entitled the buyer to a Vector V110 or Vector V120 stick. I opted for the Vector V120C because I felt that the contoured shape would be better for my style of game. CCM did a good job of processing the coupon mail-in, keeping me informed, and delivering the stick.

I didn't use the stick at all for 5 months after I got it because I was satisfied with my T-Bubble and T-Flex combinations. As of this writing I have used the stick in 8 playoff and a few more regulation games.

Blade

I got the "Doan" pattern. Lower, rounded multiple-lie (5?), mid-heel curve, open face, round toe. The blade is quite thin and light, which aids my stickhandling and backhand flips etc. However, the "Texalium" weave that covers that blade frays off easily after it is cut by skate blades; it is almost as if there were not enough fibreglass resin applied.

The blade is quite thin (compared to my wood T-Flex and Ultra-Graphite T-Flex blades) and quite stiff.

Pattern: 10/10 Construction: 5/10 (unravelling fibres)

Shaft/Flex

CCM "Regular", equivalent to the Easton 95 according to the MSH flex chart (just looked it up now).

The shaft has a grip coating and stickers on it. The coating was good for extra grip while shooting, but hindered my stickhandling a little bit because I am used to sliding my lower hand to the right position. I have leather palms.

An unexpected benefit to the grip coating and stickers is that the additional grip helps me a little when I am tying up opposing players' sticks, both in helping me maintain my grip on the stick and in controlling the other stick.

After just 2 games most of the grip coating had been worn off the lower corners of the shaft. The shaft has taken a beating (hacking, being hacked, pushing, prying), and has not cracked yet.

There is an 18" taper in the shaft, just like on my T-Bubble and T-Flex combinations, that is supposed to lower the kick-point. This stick's shaft is noticeably but not substantially stiffer than my 85-flex T-Bubble and T-Flex shafts'.

The contoured, extra-rounded corners does improve my stickhandling because I can roll the shaft easier when I am doing toe-drag and heel-up moves.

Shaft: 9/10 Flex: 9/10

Stickhandling/receiving passes

The bottom of the blade curves higher than normal at the toe, and that shape in conjunction with the round toe lets me do toe drags and heel-up moves very easily.

I had to practice a lot to get myself used to the mid-heel curve (my previous curves were mostly mids), but now I can alternate between the two.

Hard passes don't bounce off the blade too much.

Stickhandling: 9/10 Receiving passes: 9/10

Shooting

My wrist shots were quite good with this stick. The release seemed a little bit crisper; after shooting with this stick for a while I tried the T-Bubble and T-Flex combos again, and it seemed to take a hair longer for the shot to go. Accuracy was about the same, but I'm just a hacker.

My backhand shots were OK off the heel and slightly better off the mid-toe, probably because of the blade pattern's mid-heel curve and extra-rounded bottom.

Snap shots were harder with the 120C than with the T-Bubble and T-Flex combinations, probably because of the mid-heel curve and the extra stiffness in the blade. The blade also seemed less prone to opening up (blade and shaft stiffness?), so that shots too much off the toe didn't flutter wide-left. The grip coating let me shoot with more relaxed hands while still controlling the stick, which seems to increase my shot speed.

My Slap shots were a lot better with the 120C, for a few reasons I think:

(i) The stiffer shaft gives a little more spring after I load it up;

(ii) There seems to be less torquing of the shaft, so the blade doesn't open up as much if I miss the sweet spot towards the toe;

(iii) The blade seems stiffer, so it doesn't open up as much if I miss the sweet spot towards the toe; and

(iv) The grip coating lets me shoot with less grip pressure, which helps my shot. I think.

Forehand and backhand flip shots were quite easy because of the thin blade and the round toe.

Accuracy with all shots is a little better with this stick because of less torquing.

Shots: 9/10

Weight and balance

The stick has a higher balance point than my T-Bubble and T-Flex combinations, so that helped my stickhandling. The puck feel was a little bit better. This stick is definitely not blade-heavy.

This is a pretty light stick, and that in conjunction with the higher balance point helped with my stick checks and with keeping an active stick while forechecking and killing penalties.

Weight: 9/10 Balance: 9/10

Durability

The shaft has taken some good slashes from big guys, and the blade has been jammed and twisted among skates and the dasher board. So far nothing has broken.

However, the fibre weave covering the blade is prone to unravelling after getting the slightest cuts in it. I don't really know what is underneath, foam or graphite, so I don't want to risk having the fibres' completely unraveling. This is more maintenance than I expected.

Structure, shaft and blade: 9/10 Blade covering: 1/10

Intangibles

Most of the stick looks pretty good, but the painting just at the fuse point (is it a fuse point?) is uneven. However, after 1 game most of the paint there started flaking off.

The translucent resin and orange / light blue paint scheme stands out. Not many people are using this stick recreationally in my area (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Most of the one-piece sticks are Easton Synergies or TPS, so my stick stands out a little bit. Hence some extra slashes on it.

The stickers' peeling off is a nice touch to me; it makes the stick look older and gives it character, in an ugly sort of way.

CCM's customer service was quite responsive in keeping me informed about the delivery of this stick.

Intangibles: 7/10

Conclusion

This stick handles the puck, passes, and receives passes OK very well.

The blade pattern enhances my puck handling.

The grip helps with stick checks and shooting.

The shaft and blade don't open up during snap- and slap-shots as much.

Performance-wise, this is the best stick I have ever used.

The blade's fibre covering is the weak point on this stick. Any cuts to the fibre covering needs to be attended to immediately, before the fibres unravel.

If you can get enough of these sticks to last a whole season, consider this stick. If you need one stick to last most of a season, beware of the blade's unravelling, unless you are willing to let the blade break and reuse the shaft for a 2-piece combination.

Performance: 9/10

Shaft and blade structure durability: 9/10

Blade maintenance requirements: 1/10

[CharlesC 0]

Product: (1)-CCM V120C Regular flex Doan Curve (1)-CCM 120C Stiff Flex Stuart Curve

User Info: currently 24 years old (at the time I was 20 years old), at the time 240ish lbs, skate 2-3 times per week in adult beer league. I have been playing hockey 15+ years.

Other sticks used: Various Wood sticks (Sherwood 7000, Sherwood 9950, Bauer 3030, Bauer 3000), Shafts ( 110 flex Easton Ultra Lite, 260 flex Warrior Dolomite, Innovative 1100, Stiff flex Bauer Vapor 4), OPS ( 102 flex Bauer Vapor xxx, Stiff flex CCM V110, Medium flex CCMV100, 100 flex Warrior Mac Daddy)

Aesthetics: In the store I liked the color scheme of these sticks, and the stick had a good feel. I wasn’t such a fan of the sticker logos, but was willing to overlook the stickers because of the price (the stick was on clearance sale). (5/10)

Shooting: When using the medium-flex stick snap-shots were accurate and launched very quickly, but the stick did not have a rewarding feel. With the medium-flex stick my slap-shot velocity was not very consistent. When using the stiff-flex stick my wristers and snap-shots lost some velocity, but I noticed it was not a detrimental amount. My slap-shots became much more consistent and accurate with the stiffer stick, but I still would not consider this stick a fantastic shooter. (6/10)

Stickhandling / Receiving Passes: This was one thing that let me down the most about this stick. I personally did not like the feel of this stick. The stick did not give much feedback, and distracted me from my usual game. The stick received passes fairly well because the blade did damp passes well. Stickhanding:(4/10) Receiving Passes: (9/10)

Durability: Overall the stick structurally held up well until breakage. I used my medium-flex stick for almost two full adult league seasons. My stiff-flex stick lasted a bit longer at around two and a half seasons. Both sticks cosmetically aged very badly. The decals all began to chip off and peel off. Towards the end of one of the stick’s life, I peeled off all of the decals out of frustration. My medium–flex stick broke in the middle of the shaft, and the stiff-flex stick broke in the blade. Both blades did begin to fray and chip fairly quickly, but the blades never lost their stiffness. If I would have paid full price for this stick I would have felt let down by this premature aging, but in reality the structural soundness of a stick is the most important part. (6/10)

Intangibles: I purchased these sticks on clearance for around $100. I think that for the price the performance and durability was decent. I would not have bought this stick for its full original price.

Conclusion: I purchased the medium-flex stick first, and after its demise, I purchased the stiff-flex stick. I definitely do not regret buying these sticks, but after the stiff-flex stick broke, I did not feel compelled to purchase another CCM OPS. I did like them enough to continue to use one piece sticks though. (6/10)