Tapered blades obsolete?

[ktang 34]

Are tapered shafts and blades becoming obsolete? I was looking for some tapered blades in Calgary and Ottawa, and the stores seem to have stopped ordering them. Perhaps all the consumers are going for OPSes?

[TBLfan 25]

no, it's actually the opposite they are getting more popular(or at least it seems like it). They probably have run out of them due to the christmas season and limited supply(standard shafts are still more popular).

[KYHockey3 0]

our lhs is mega small and even they have more tapered blades then standard ones.

the stores u went to must ahve sold a lot for the holidays

[BK 0]

our lhs is mega small and even they have more tapered blades then standard ones.

the stores u went to must ahve sold a lot for the holidays

Same here. Its hard for me to find the right curves, but just because they are so popular.

[ktang 34]

OK, that's good to hear.

I went to Valiquette Sports in Ottawa, and the worker there told me that they didn't order blades or shafts this year because they lost too much money the last year on them. Maybe it's only them.

[TBLfan 25]

it's probably a lot of pro shops that didn't do too well on them, simply because of online retailers.

[CTHockey 2]

My shop has a decent amount but its truely hard to find the right balance in the number of OPS you carry compared to Tapered shaft and blades. I personally recommend to all my customers that are breaking the blades on OPS to switch to the tapered shaft and blade. To me its the smartest way to go, theres not too many truely "one piece" sticks out on the market right now. Most are fused two piece sticks that are bonded and sanded to look like a one piece stick. My Warrior Dolomite might look like a OPS but its pretty much the AK27 shaft and blade fused together. I noticed that on Warriors you can notice the sanding and fused section a lot more then on other sticks.

[Chadd 916]

it's probably a lot of pro shops that didn't do too well on them, simply because of online retailers.

If the shop actually "sells" sticks instead of just having people come in and pick everything out on their own, I can't imagine why they didn't do well. A lot of stick purchases are impulse buys or need-driven. You just broke your stick and you need a new one. Most customers will jump to tapered once you explain the benefits of the technology, though some only want to use the same stick they had before.

[TBLfan 25]

it's probably a lot of pro shops that didn't do too well on them, simply because of online retailers.

If the shop actually "sells" sticks instead of just having people come in and pick everything out on their own, I can't imagine why they didn't do well. A lot of stick purchases are impulse buys or need-driven. You just broke your stick and you need a new one. Most customers will jump to tapered once you explain the benefits of the technology, though some only want to use the same stick they had before.

It's all relative to how big, how busy and how many knowledgeable employees there are. If the employees are all helping other customers buying skates and/or sharpening skates or doing basic repairs then there's no one to help with sticks. And if the employees are just bodies to ring up purchases and couldn't tell you the difference between a recchi and a bonk curve or even if they come on a ccm stick, then of course they aren't going to be selling a lot of tapered shafts... and I've known people go into a pro shop and buy a standard blade for a tapered shaft(or a tapered blade for a standard shaft) and then I hear them complain or be confused that it wouldn't fit.

If you actually hire people that are knowledgeable and helpful a shop can make a lot more sales. If a customer feels like the employee is just bsing them they may or may not buy but it's a pretty good chance that they'll find someone that they can trust to be honest with them. I work in retail and I see many of the same customers come to me specifically to help them because they know I won't bs them.

The biggest problem is the customers that complain that the prices are "not as cheap as they are online." You can pretty much tell someone that isn't going to buy from you with some experience. This is something shops should teach their employees.

BTW if you're in the Tampa bay area, you can see both kinds of shops. The one with knowledgeable people is the one in Brandon(although, they don't even come close to what would MSH would consider knowledgeable), the one without is in Oldsmar. It would be hard to find someone in Oldsmar that would know what the difference between a right handed stick and a left handed.

Damn, I talk too much

[Chadd 916]

Good shops hire good people and teach them, those are the shops that need to be supported. I can only speak for the shops that I have been a part of and my way of running a shop.

[hink9 0]

no, it's actually the opposite they are getting more popular(or at least it seems like it). They probably have run out of them due to the christmas season and limited supply(standard shafts are still more popular).

Hope youre right about this, I cant find any p106 tapered blades anywhere. Any suggestions on a similar curve until stock replentishes? I was thinking sakic maybe.

[DavisP 0]

^Ribeiro would be a lot closer than the sakic.

[ktang 34]

Dragging up my old topic again (1 year later); does it seem like it's harder to get blades from LHSes? There is very little availability / selection in Calgary. Maybe shaft/blade combos are going obsolete; they're usually not assembled, so the casual buyer can't flex it and buy, whereas a price-point OPS can be held and flexed.

[mack 44]

Tapered shafts (and the blades) aren't really becoming obsolete as they are just hard to find in some places. I used to not find any good tapered blades but now I can find many, but I'm just not paying $70 for blades.

[burrn 0]

yeah at the lhs i work (or rather help out) at doesn't carry any ops in stock anymore (of course they will order them if a customer would insist)

i really don't see the benefit of ops unless you have tons of money to waste.. :P