Warrior AK-27

[Chadd 916]

Open for review

[B-Nads 0]

I was looking for a backup to my Ultra-Lite earlier this year, and figured I'd give one of these a try since the price was similar. I bought this one in a lighter flex than I typically use becaue I started playing from time to time in a no slap-shot league.

First Impressions: I didn't care for this stick at the beginning, as the flex was light, and the blade I had it paired with was too heavy (not the shaft's fault). After switching to a lighter blade and practicing a bit with the shaft, however, I warmed up to it pretty quickly.

Flex: The flex feels a little lighter than the stated 85 (probably increased by the long butt I had to install and the longer hosel blades I use). I would give it 75 or 80 flex by Easton standards. In its defense, however, I have got quite a bit of playing time on it, and the flex does not appear to have weakened much - still good pop. 8.5/10

Weight: This shaft weighs in at about 295 - 300g, much like the Ultra-Lite, so heavy blades will tend to make it bottom-heavy. 9/10

Shooting: I bought this mainly for snap and wrist shots. I have taken slapshots with it, and it does well - I would definitely pick up a 100 flex for my normal league. It performs much like an Ultra-Lite in this category as well - good whip through the puck, and a nice, even flex, although the kick-point seems to be at mid-shaft, unlike the lower kick of an OPS or tapered shaft.I prefer it to wood, but it is no XN10. 7.5/10

Passing and Handling: Because there is so much feel and touch involved in these two skills, I tend to discuss them together. The AK27 is a very smoothe shaft for stick-handling, and sends passes off quickly and crisply. Much of the feel will depend on the blade you install, but I prefer the feel transmitted by this shaft over that of the Ultra-Lite and my Responses, particularly with the more concave walls it has. The extra weight it has on the Responses I typacally use also improves my stick-handling when I need it (I am more a power forward than a dangler, but if a lot of stick work is in the bill I go with the Warrior). 9.5/10

Durability: This is a durable shaft. The paint will chip to pieces on it, but that is cosmetic, and will happen to any composite shaft. After 15+ games, the integrity of the shaft is still solid, with no signs of trouble yet. 9.5/10

Overall: This is basically the Warrior version of any other standard top-end shaft. It does everything well, has a reasonable weight, and allows you to chose from all the OEM blade patterns. It represents a great value in its price range, and is a good alternative to the pricier OPS. I would highly recommend this shaft.

*Update* Mine bit it tonight - got a slap shot dead center one the lower shaft and it snapped like a twig. It had gotten a fair amount of use, so I won't complain.

Edited March 17, 2007 by B-Nads

[johnnyi 0]

Background: 6'2", 190

Type of Play: all ice

Frequency: 2x per week

Blades Used (in order):

- CCM Aramid Recchi

- Sher-wood Axion Bourque

- Warrior AK27 Draper

Initial Impression:

Non-aesthetic impressions were that the shaft was light, but surprisingly not as light as I had thought - but that was quickly a non-issue once I put it to use. My only beef is due to my size that the 3" end plug it came with wasn't long enough for me - I needed a total of 6" - but obviously not any fault of the stick... just get a new end plug for $5.

Flex:

After using Easton 100-flexes for years, I thought I'd give the Warrior 85-flex a shot since there aren't as many oppportunities for slap shots in the two leagues I play in. I was looking for something with a quicker release and couldn't use a true-tapered shaft as I think durability at my height/play would be a factor. Off the bat, the 85 was definately a cannon of a shot on one timers and held very true on wrist shots (not much deviation from where I was aiming). 9/10

Weight:

This is a light shaft - not the lightest out there, but certainly light enough for you to not think about it - and has just enough weight on it for very good puck feel (doesn't feel hollow or flimsy). 9/10

Shooting:

Again, slap shots were probably the most powerful of any stick/shaft I have ever used - though I don't get much opportunity (other than warm-ups) to unleash one... On one timers, this shaft was amazing - the puck just seemed to fly off faster than I could watch it. Excellent on snap shots, and with wrist shots, I was able to put the puck in a locale true to my aim. 9/10

PS - If I'm not mistaken, this is the same shaft that Chara used to win the Hardest Shot honors in this years Skills Competition...

Passing:

Passes are true to form... 9/10

Durability:

Now this is where my only negative comes from, but it could be from one of a couple of reasons. I loved my first AK27 and used it 2-3x per week at a very competitive level for about 6 months straight. It 'chose' a bad time to break - on a penalty shot late in a tie game - I pulled back to recoil for a quick wrister, and it broke just above the connection point of the blade. No problem I thought - it served me well enough to order a second one. Well, the second one lasted me one game, and during warm-up for the next game, it shattered at about the same spot as the first one (just above the connection point of the blade) on a slap shot during warm-ups. It literally got 1 hour of use. I checked the shaft before using and there were no visual signs of damage and it hadn't been impacted in the first game. With inconsistent life-spans between the first (6 mos) and the second (1 hour) AK27 shafts I've had, I can't tell if this second was a fluke or if I had been lucky with the first. Either way, I have to mark durability as a 6/10 for now until I receive my third (replacement). I'll edit this post when that one has seen it's last days. 6/10

Overall:

Aside from the experience with the second shaft breaking after only one hour of use, this is one heck of a shaft with a great shot, a great feel, and is true to form. As long as you aren't just looking for the lightest shaft for bragging rights, you'll enjoy the AK27. 8.5/10

Edited March 20, 2007 by johnnyi

[LkptTiger 1]

Background

6', 160 lbs.

On Ice 5-7 Days/Week

Product

Two Warrior AK27 Shafts (Both 85 Flex)

Blades Used

Easton CNT Z-Carbon Blades; Sherwood 950 woodies

Initial Impressions

This is my first experience with a shaft/blade combo in awhile. I had terrific experiences with the Inno 1100s and Bauer TFGs that I used in the past, so I decided to buy myself a couple of AK27s. The shaft has a nice, solid feel to it. I usually don't go for "grip" sticks, but Warrior's Innovative lineage kinda makes me wish this stick was available with Polarfibre. I threw a candy-cane grip on the shafts - which I don't normally do - though I am sure I would be able to do just fine without it.

Weight

Not remarkably light, nor heavy by any stretch of the imagination; very well-balanced when paired with the Z-Carbon, though I could stand for the stick to be slightly more "blade heavy." I'll likely be trying some heavier blades in the near future. 8/10

*edit* - Believe it or not, I'm more comfortable with the weight/balance of these sticks now that I've put the 950s in them. Obviously, there is a bit more weight focused toward the blades of the sticks, but the shorter hosel of the 950s have necessitated small extensions to the butt-ends of the shafts to keep the length of the sticks where they were. The blades and extensions counter-act each other a little (obviously, the blade wins the battle), putting the balance of this stick almost exactly where I would want it. *9/10* (bumped-up by personal preference)

Flex

I had heard whispers of people who found that their Warriors were slightly stiffer than they had been marked. I had no such issues. As I mentioned before, I had been using OPS for a long period of time before making this switch, so it took me some time to adjust to the higher "kick" of the standard shaft. After sometime using these shafts, I can say without a doubt that I prefer the lower kick-point of the OPS/tapered combo over that of the AK27 - though the difference is not by any means substantial. 7.5/10

*edit* - the shafts have softened-up a little bit and have actually become a bit more potent; only intensifying my wish that more sticks would be offered in an 80-flex option at retail. *8.75/10*

Passing/Feel

I think this has more to do with the blade, but as far as the shaft is concerned, the AK27 does it's job and does it well. The Z-Carbon blade is not known for it's terrific feel for the puck, but this shaft makes it tolerable, if not desirable. Whether I am taking a hard pass or moving the puck through a crowd, I can do so without thinking or looking not twice...or even once, for that matter. 8.5/10

*edit* - feel with the wood blades is better - vibration is minimal and passes are easy to take. *9.5/10*

Shooting

As I said, it did take me some time to get used to shooting with a standard shaft/blade combo. For awhile, I "aimed higher" to compensate for the differences between my previous sticks and these. Once I made the adjustment, I liked (not "loved") the way these sticks performed. My wrist-shot seems to sit on the blade slightly longer than with other sticks, but when it comes off, it comes off hard. My quick snapper (probably my favorite shot) is lethal - as fast as a sniper's bullet and twice as accurate. Slappers are consistent - they find their spots, but aren't really much to brag about; I won't be winning any Hardest Shot competitions with this stick, or any other. One-timers have presented a bit of a problem, though, as they don't seem nearly as potent as they had with some of my other sticks - when I catch a good, crisp pass in the sweet-spot, it's almost as if the shaft is pushed past it's limit and can't unload properly. I've never had this issue with any other stick of the same flex - although I have gotten much stronger through my upper-body recently, so that could be the main source of this problem. 7.5/10

*edit* - whatever issues I had with these sticks in this department when I first wrote this review are now (mostly) gone. I've since fully (and largely subconsciously) "adapted" to negate any problems mentioned above. The shafts have since softened a little, and the kick is definitely a bit better. Still no torquing, though the problem with one-timers persists, though, shockingly, has become less drastic. *9/10*

Durability

I'm generally pretty hard on my sticks, but these shafts are solid. The paint chips a wee bit, but that’s about it. I have put these sticks through Hell - slashes (giving and receiving), cross-checks, blocked/tipped shots, other players being thrown onto them, being stepped on, and hours and hours of shooting sessions - and they don't show any sign of weakening. They've survived to and through the expiration of their warranty date (I wish I could say the same for the Z-Carbon blades, of which I have gone through MANY) and are still as solid as the day I got them. 10/10.

Overall

Good standard shafts, but I can see myself switching back to OPS or maybe a tapered combo sometime soon. I like the shafts, but I'm not "ga-ga" for them. Players who aren't as picky will love it, though. FINAL SCORE (not an average) - 8/10.

*edit* - I've learned to love the standard shaft again! I've since bought two more (the first two are still going strong, BTW) and don't have any plans to be buying anything else for any reasons other than "experimentation." *9.5/10*

Edited October 19, 2007 by LkptTiger

[DamnLocust 0]

Item for review: Warrior AK-27 Nipple Grip shaft, 100 flex

Use:

Outdoor roller hockey on asphalt 2-3 times per week; paired with NBH ONE40 blade in a PM9 pattern. Stick is at full retail length (48")plus retains its 3" wooden plug.

Other Standard Shafts used (all for inline; 100 flex unless noted otherwise):

Easton Cyclone 95 flex x2 (most recent) Mission Dangler 10-7 (90 flex)x2, Grip Lite, Ultra Lite, various broken/flipped OPS.

Recent sticks/combos used on ice (also 2-3x/week):

Bauer Vapor XX (PM9), Mission fuel grip shaft+RBK 6k blade (Modano), TPS Adrenaline (Tkachuk)

Background/First impressions:

I had been thinking about picking up an AK-27 shaft since they first came out, but couldn't justify spending the cash on it for roller hockey since I no longer play in roller leagues. I did have a dolomite and was impressed with the performance, so i wanted to give this one a go. The nipple grip version of the AK came out and I fell in love with the look of it, and eventually found it in my hands at the LHS, so I forked over the cash and walked out with a smile on my face.

Weight/Balance:

It's not the lightest shaft I've used, but it certainly feels light, due to the excellent balance with the ONE40 blade in it. It actually felt almost too light to use for roller hockey. I may step up to the ONE60 blades for the next batch, but I don't know if it's worth the extra $10 per just to get shredded on the asphalt.

10/10

Flex/Shooting

There have been countless topics on the flex of Warriors compared to Eastons. This one feels to be a hair shy of 100 flex- somewhere in the 90-95 flex range. I think it's due to the lower engineered kickpoint of the shaft.

Speaking of that lower kickpoint, man does it work. This thing has one of the quickest releases I've experienced. Wristers and snappers fly off the blade and are usually on-target. Slappers are about where they were with my cyclone- perhaps a bit less velocity. I was very impressed with it from the get-go. I thought that maybe it was just my excitement over having a new piece of gear, but I let a friend take a few shots and he agreed.

(10/10)

Playability:

Of course the blade has a lot to do with handling/feel, but I have no complaints in this department. Again, the balance of the combo is very good, and that equates to a very nimble stick for me, which makes it easy for me to catch passes as well as put the puck wherever I want to put it. There's no dead weight on the stick whatsoever. It actually plays a lot like my OPS/Tapered combos that I use for ice.

(10/10)

Nipple Grip:

One of the main reasons I did this review was to talk a bit about the Nipple Grip. I was intrigued by the idea since I first heard about it, and had some questions about it before I was able to get my hands on one. So basically it's a very light tactile grip zone (runs from about 6" down from the top to the midway point of the shaft) that looks like fish scales. The tactile grip is smaller and less noticeable than that of the ONE90. In addition, there is a light spray grip treatment to the entire shaft. I've gone back and forth on grip shafts and recently had been staying away, but the grip on this one is so light that I decided to give it a go.

Within 2 times playing with the shaft, the spray grip was already peeling. At this point (after about 2 1/2 months) almost all of the grip in the area that my lower hand goes is gone. The tactile grip, however, remains intact.

Long story short, if you like a very grippy stick, this one probably isn't for you. If you generally don't play with grip, you may be able to get away with it. One complaint that I've gotten from users of the regular ak27 (who don't use grip sticks) was that it was too slick for them, and they had to candy cane them.

(8/10)

Intangibles:

Since I only play pickup roller with this stick, it doesn't take too much abuse, but it's taken its whacks here and there. One complaint I do have is that the paint chips off fairly easily. If the lower portion of the stick were not painted black, it would look one hot mess. I had similar issues with my dolomite, so I was half expecting this. At least it doesn't flake off like an SL or z bubble. The only other issue I've really had was the the NBH blades seem to fit a bit loose in the shaft, but it's nothing a little extra glue doesn't fix.

(8/10)

Overall:

Despite the somewhat high pricetag, I'm very satisfied with the stick's performance and would buy it again. The grip peeling is a non-issue for me, but I'm sure it's something others would have a problem with. The nipplegrip was a bit of a letdown as well, as it's really not noticeable in play- but then again, that may be a good thing. I'd like to try a ONE90 stick or shaft to see how that tactile grip compares.

I'm considering picking up a composite blade (probably an ak-27) and trying the stick for ice for a bit to see how it performs on that side of things. If I do, I'll be sure to update this.

(9/10)- A solid shaft, with a couple of minor issues.

[li7039 0]

Item for Review: Warrior AK27 shaft 85 flex

Background: 6’1, 175lbs

Use:

Indoor High School Roller hockey. On the rink 3-4 times a week.

Blades used: Easton Z Carbon composite blade Sakic Curve. Easton Synergy ST 06 model, Heatley Curve.

Weight and Balance: With the ST blade in the shaft the stick was extremely blade heavy. I do not mind a stick being a little blade heavy but this was too much for my likening. After about 2 weeks of use I took the ST blade out of the shaft and picked up an Easton Z Carbon blade. The Z carbon blade made this a great combo. The stick was now about 435 grams. Not crazy light like some of the top end OPS but it was good enough for me. 8/10

Shaft and Flex: This was my first time using a composite shaft. Before this I was using Sher-Wood 5030s. I picked up an 85 flex, this felt like a wet noodle my first time using this since my 5030s were stiffer. The whip that I got on this grew on me and it increased my wrist shot velocity. But after about 4-5 months of use the shaft loosened up. Now it feels more like an 80 flex than the 85. Not a big difference but it was still noticeable. 7/10

Stick handling/receiving passes: I do not think that the shaft really affected the way that I stick handled or received passes. But after I switched the blade to the Z carbon I was a little uncomfortable. When I had the ST blade I was using a Heatley curve, but with the Z carbon I have a Sakic curve. Took me a game or two to get used the open, and round toe but now I do not regret the change. As for the shaft it has served its purpose. No vibrations whatsoever with the shaft. I was able to stick handle through traffic with no problem but I do not think that the shaft had any thing to do with this. 9/10

Shooting: Shooting was the strength of this stick. I was able to get a ton of flex out of the shaft which gave me a lethal wrist shot. The shaft was also very responsive. All my passes went where I wanted them to go, and I was able to hit any spot on the net that I wanted. The only bad thing was my slap shot suffered because of the extreme whip that I got out of the shaft. When I was playing wing I loved the shaft because I was not using my slap shot as much but now under a new coach I am playing D and I am taking a lot of slap shots every game. My slap shot is still good with this stick but I believe that it is better with a stiffer stick which I am using now. 9/10

Durability: No complaints here. I am not extremely hard on sticks either. The shaft has held up through a summer season, and now into my fall season. I bought this shaft about a year ago and it is still going strong. Only issue was that a lot of the paint has chipped off the bottom of the shaft from being slashed and taking a few shots off it. But this thing is an absolute tank. 10/10

Intangibles: This shaft was very short; it is about 2 inches shorter than my ONE90, it is uncut and has its 3 inch extension plug in it. That was one of my few problems with this shaft. The other issue that I had with the shaft was the paint chipping. I know that the paint dose not affect performance but I though that the shaft looked real sharp when it was brand new but after about 3 months of use almost all of the black paint towards the bottom of the shaft was gone. I realize that this did not affect the performance at all but it was just some thing I noticed. 7/10 because of the short length

Conclusion: This was my first composite shaft. I was using woodies my whole life until I received this as a gift. Now I will never go back to wood. This shaft was light weight compared to some of my old sticks but it is not as light as the old stealth or the mission fuel. This was a tank, after a year of use over about 150 skates with this shaft it is still intact, it is now my back up stick. This shaft helped my shot because of the whippy shaft, and it also has proven to be a warrior on the rink. I have blocked about 55 shots off the shaft, and it has been slashed countless times. After using the shaft for 5 or 6 months I made the decision to stick with the composite shaft and blade option. I am not completely sold on composite blades but I will never use a Wood shaft again unless Im playing on the pond or in an extreme situation. I paid $110 USD for this shaft and I feel that it was worth every penny. It did have some problems though, it was very short when I bought it, and it was 54 inches. After I inserted a blade it is about 58 inches. Still a little short for my preference but I learned to deal with it. The only other problem that I had with it was the paint on the stick. It chipped easily and dampened the look of the stick but it did not affect the performance of the stick at all. So in conclusion this is a solid shaft that is light weight and has great performance. But if you are a taller person I would recommend that you purchase a extension plug that is longer than the stock one. 42/60 = 70/100

[numberthirteen 0]

Background: 5'8" 141lbs

Type of Play: Roller 3:1 Ice

Frequency: 2-6 a week

Shaft: AK-27 85 flex None Grip.

Modifications: Cut wood butt-end to 2 inches, cut shaft down 3 inches and reinserted butt-end for balance. After about 4 months a crap appearing about an inch from the bottom of the shaft so i cut the bottom of the shaft back 2 inches and left the stick like that. Now around 95 flex.

Blades:

-AK-27 RH Draper

-Johnson RH Draper

Initial Impression: I had been looking at this shaft for some time on the web and bit the bullet and got it at my LHS as my 'Christmas present' my dad kindly cuppled it with the AK-27 blade which i was extremely happy about. The shaft looked beautiful and was dead light; my first top-end stick, i knocked a puck about in the changing room and was really surprised how lively the stick was. It stayed in my bedroom for the first week so i could admire the beauty of it.

Flex: I'd moved from intermidiates to the stick and the extra stiffness did not weeken my wrist and snap shot as the livelyness of the combination. My slap shot had improved graciously as well, the shaft had a great kick to it and i could get both power and speed behind my shot compared to the int. i have been using.

Weight: Good weight shaft, light enough for you to not have to think about it at all and more importantly well balanced with the AK blade, not as much so with the Johnson.

Notes: The compatibility with the blades so far has been great, the AK blade fit in like a charm and lasted my about 3 months of semi-regular usage. The Johnson has lasted me for the other 4 and although chipped and battered is also stick going strong. I hear this blade work well with a Z-carbon as well.

Shooting: Great pop, lively shaft, excellent kick on shot and the shaft hasnt gone soft in 7months, i'm very impressed. (bearing in mind i take occasional slapshots in games) 10/10

Passing & Puckhandling: At first i had trouble controling the puck because of the liveliness, but once the shaft had calmed down and 'broken in' no problems whatsoever, passed went where they should, and so did the puck. The shaft had great feel and i barely even glance at the puck now. 9.5/10

Durability: So far so good, aside from the aformentioned crack just about where the blade was inserted i have no problems with the shaft even though it has had some heavy usage, the paint has chipped and peeled but not desperately and it has easily outlasted one blade. Other people with the shaft have had them for a long time. The longest i have had a stick (i've broken 5 in a month before!) However, i do cycle through my sticks instead of using one until it breaks. 9/10

Overall: Best stick i have ever used, and i will deffinetly be ordering more when i can conjur up to money. (If anybody is interested in selling used or new cheap-ish ;) )

Deffinate reccomendation 9.5/10

[Cole13 0]

Background: 6'4", 215

On the ice 5-7 times a week

Blades Used (in order):

- TPS wood Sundin

- Easton wood Lidstrom

- Sherwood wood Iginla

Initial Impression:

I loved this shaft right away, quick hard wrist shots and could let loose when i took slappers, also scored on my first shot which helped.

Flex:

It says 110, but felt qute flexable for a 110, i cut an inch off, and i have no problems with the flex, it feels perfect for me. 10/10

Weight:

Faitly light, iv felt lighter shafts, but i dont like sticks very light, it feels rlly good to me 9/10

Shooting:

I loved how much harder my wrist/snap shots were with this stick, it might of had somthing to do with the blades, but some of it had to be the shaft, and my slap shots are amazing with this stick, id have to give it 10/10

Passing:

Perfect, no complaints 10/10

Durability:

I havent used it alot, and ive heard some people say they break easy, well mine has been hacked a fair bti and shows no sign of breaking, it is still in amazing condition after about 3 weeks of use 9/10

Overall:

I love this stick, hard shots, more accurate shots, great passes, the flex feels amazing, no complaints at all, i would recommend it to anyone 10/10

note: Just broke it two days before the warranty ran out, picked up the new one

Edited January 11, 2009 by Cole13