Stick Manufacturers Moving to One-Pieces Only

[Go Pio's 0]

Some equipment manufacturers have made the decision to only offer one-piece sticks in their line--thus eliminating shafts and replacement blades. I wanted to see what MSH members think. How much sleep would you lose if all stick manufactueres decided to only make one-piece sticks? Do you think two-pieces a dying breed, or do you think this is a way for manufacturers to more effectively manage SKU's? Just curious.

[PH_Hockey2 4]

That would be a very bad idea. Do you know who is going to be doing that?

[whbd18 0]

It really would'nt bother me if manufacturers stop making 2-Pieces.I use them occassionaly,but OPS are the dominant stick for me.The thing that does bother me is that woodies are getting harder to find these days.

[wickedwrister 0]

I would go back to wood if that happens. I always break blades and not shafts. I quit buying OPSs because of this. Until the manufacturer can offer more than a 30 days, I will stick w/ 2 piece.

[JGraz15 55]

I would not like it one bit...give me a tapered shaft and blade every day of the week.

That being said, I imagine you are referring to Nike Bauer. I know that Bauer is not making tapered shafts or blades anymore (discontinuing the XV series) and all they make now is the Endure shaft and a limited selection of replacement blades.

What other companies are doing this?

[Go Pio's 0]

That would be a very bad idea. Do you know who is going to be doing that?

Out of respect to the other companies, I will refrain from starting rumors. All I can say is that there are some that have either made the change or are thinking about making the change.

Personally, I can understand both sides of the argument. While I love my two-piece, I would not be too upset if I had to move to a one-piece. I still won't be able to put the puck in the net! :D

[Go Pio's 0]

I would go back to wood if that happens. I always break blades and not shafts. I quit buying OPSs because of this. Until the manufacturer can offer more than a 30 days, I will stick w/ 2 piece.

Christian offers a 60-day warranty... ;)

[jjtt99 0]

Funny you bring this up as I was recently at my LHS to buy a new wood blade for my shaft and I noticed the price went up 25%. I asked the manager why the price jump and he said that Easton wanted to get out of the wood blade business and switch everything over to composite. Yikes!!

[Chadd 916]

I remember Mission making a similar statement when the M1 came out but they have since gone back to making shafts. I prefer tapered two pice over any other optionfrom an economic standpoint and I don't like the idea of making the sport even more expensive for entry level players.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

^ That would be VERY dumb on Eastons part...I use wood blades and I like for modo curve and I also like the feel of their blades..

[BK 0]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

I personally like a 2p system.. I dont break blades often, but its nice to know if I did, I wouldnt have to replace the entire stick.

On another note.. the price of shafts are not that far off of their ops counterpart.. thats what im not happy about. :(

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

thats why warrior is there, both stand and tap shaft as well as blade.

[Cheechoo 0]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

Exactly. It's a simple supply and demand issue. Maybe there aren't enough people using 2-piece sticks right now to allow every manufacturer to make a good profit on them, but once a few drop out, sales for the other companies will go up and they'll keep making them.

[BK 0]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

Exactly. It's a simple supply and demand issue. Maybe there aren't enough people using 2-piece sticks right now to allow every manufacturer to make a good profit on them, but once a few drop out, sales for the other companies will go up and they'll keep making them.

Either that or they will fizzle away out of the market like aluminum shafts...

[Cheechoo 0]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

Exactly. It's a simple supply and demand issue. Maybe there aren't enough people using 2-piece sticks right now to allow every manufacturer to make a good profit on them, but once a few drop out, sales for the other companies will go up and they'll keep making them.

Either that or they will fizzle away out of the market like aluminum shafts...

Aluminum shafts didn't just disappear, they were replaced by composite shafts. That's different than the whole 2-piece concept being discontinued.

[jimmy 194]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

Exactly. It's a simple supply and demand issue. Maybe there aren't enough people using 2-piece sticks right now to allow every manufacturer to make a good profit on them, but once a few drop out, sales for the other companies will go up and they'll keep making them.

Either that or they will fizzle away out of the market like aluminum shafts...

Aluminum didn't fade away. I think the bottom line is they lasted too long there was no profit in it for the companies. Buy one and it lasted 10 plus years. True, composites were lighter and many switched to them, but I can tell you right now if someone made alums again, they would sell, big time. I can't tell you how many customers would kill for a alum, they always ask for them.

Composites are not made like they use to, the lightness craze/breakage is pushing people back to 2-piece.

[Reaper 0]

Personally, I think that moving to strictly OPS would be terrible. I use two piece sticks (Ultra Lite with wood blade) and have no intention of moving to OPS anytime soon. If I was unable to get standard shafts any more I think I would probably go back to wood.

[SailRace 1]

The only way something like this would make sense from a cosnumer stand point is if the price of OPS sticks was to drop significantly so that everyone could afford to go that route. A lot of people don't mind paying for a OPS now becasue they know if hte blade breaks, they can usually put a blade back in.

If that market went away, OPS would be a true economic disaster. In addition, the trickle down technology would have to increase....price point OPS would become more popoular, but in order for that, they would have to be better performers than they are right now.

[yipperzz 28]

The only way something like this would make sense from a cosnumer stand point is if the price of OPS sticks was to drop significantly so that everyone could afford to go that route. A lot of people don't mind playing for a OPS now becasue they know if hte blade breaks, they can usually put a blade back in.

If that market went away, OPS would be a true economic disaster. In addition, the trickle down technology would have to increase....price point OPS would become more popoular, but in order for that, they would have to be better performers than they are right now.

i was thinking that too. if it were to move to OPS only, i want an option of sticking a blade in later if it does ever break.

[hattrick74 0]

this could be a great idea for the consumer because this should bring down the OPS price market because if they are the only thing on the market there will be more selection. i would be surpirsed if they do this because the same arguement was made when shafts first hit the market and 70-80% of users were using shafts, they said wood sticks would stop being made. and we still have 2006 models of wood sticks.

[hattrick74 0]

another thought after reading this post along with others about stick breakage...how do you guys break so many sticks? granted i play 1-2 times a week in a normal rec league, but i have only broken 1 OPS, and that was because i went to block a shot and slashed the guys stick, thus snapping my stick at the blade elbow. i have had the same stealth now for almost 2 yrs and the only damade is some chiping on the top. is it the way people shoot or am i just lucky?

[Langenbrunner15 0]

another thought after reading this post along with others about stick breakage...how do you guys break so many sticks? granted i play 1-2 times a week in a normal rec league, but i have only broken 1 OPS, and that was because i went to block a shot and slashed the guys stick, thus snapping my stick at the blade elbow. i have had the same stealth now for almost 2 yrs and the only damade is some chiping on the top. is it the way people shoot or am i just lucky?

Not much contact...I don't break many...ive only borken two..but im just extreamly lucky. Play 6 times a week...travel bantam..luck

[BK 0]

If certian companies do it, other will capitalize on it because of the limited availability..

Exactly. It's a simple supply and demand issue. Maybe there aren't enough people using 2-piece sticks right now to allow every manufacturer to make a good profit on them, but once a few drop out, sales for the other companies will go up and they'll keep making them.

Either that or they will fizzle away out of the market like aluminum shafts...

Aluminum didn't fade away. I think the bottom line is they lasted too long there was no profit in it for the companies. Buy one and it lasted 10 plus years. True, composites were lighter and many switched to them, but I can tell you right now if someone made alums again, they would sell, big time. I can't tell you how many customers would kill for a alum, they always ask for them.

Composites are not made like they use to, the lightness craze/breakage is pushing people back to 2-piece.

I still dont see the difference between that and the current topic..

Companies would rather make more money from you buying a new OPS rather than a new blade. With the way players go through sticks and the insane amount of money players (including myself) spend on new sticks = more profits for companies. Companies design sticks... im not going to say that they design/engeneer them to break, but honestly why wouldnt a company revise their gear because of easy breakage? Lets use the XXX lite as an example. NBH is nike based, nike is a billion dollar company and has engeneers/designers out the yingyang. If you think for one second that they didnt know about the breakage issue before it was put on shelves, you need to think a little harder about it. Joe Blow wants a XXX lite whether it breaks easily or not and he will probably shell out another $200 after his original and replacement break.. thats money in the bank for NBH.

People will argue that better performance = less durability, but I think that they can engeneer a stronger stick at the same weight ratio of some of the light ops sticks they have right now. IMHO, it all comes down to the money.. big ops makers make a lot of money.. if they think that they can phase out 2 peice sticks, then they probably can.

I still think that if this happens, 2PS will fade out..

As for IF it will happen... well... I really doubt they would. The Ultralite is one of the widest used sticks out there in the NHL and Easton still makes bank on them. Why would they end a product that is making them money?

[DarkStar50 680]

With some vendors bringing in OPS from as far away as China, I don't see how all vendors could drop out of the blade/shaft business. Right now this typical "dead time" for Easton OPS inventory is ridiculous. The dealers have to wait 4 months for the #1 OPS vendor to produce product that is built in Mexico? This is poor production planning on Easton's part but they do this every year. As a dealer, I am just a bit tired of it given the constant demand for their product. That said, I agree that if the vendors create this "hole" in the marketplace, it would only take one smart vendor to step up and satisfy demand. I forecast that TPS with their management team experience would gladly seize this opportunity.

[Jim A 4]

I'm not crazy about dropping $100 plus for a shaft..but its a lot easier to justify when it lasts me years in place of a $150 OPS that is significantly shorter..