andover clear tape

[bc eagle 0]

andover clear is sold at the tyngsboro rink if u can get there, and i am pretty sure they sell it at marlboro. not 100% sure though

i use andover regular cloth, and i get mine at zwickers in bedford

btw renfrew tape is crap. if u use it, try andover. it works so much better

[Jarick 5]

What renfrew tape did you use. Jimmy has mentioned to me that the one with the gold (inside) label is a lot better than the more popular one with the blue label.

The cloth tape was blue, haven't seen any other Renfrew. Actually, Andover pretty much has a monopoly over here, all the LHS' stock Andover exclusively. Hockey Giant has "Gear" and the big box sports places have Renfrew. And true to form, the tape is all deformed and collapsed.

I don't like it at all on the blade though, Andover's much tougher and has more grip.

[Rustpot 1]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/rustpot/IMG_0466.jpg

I've got the Black&Gold writing as well as the all blue. LHS switched black and white colors over to the black, might be a stock thing or a newer tape or something.

The black and gold are a little more firm on the roll, doesn't seem like the edges fray as easily and feels slightly thicker and harder to tear.

I generally use colors for handles, try to match the main color or graphic. Blue on my SL, red on the SL grip I had, yellow and black on the Montreal I have that's black at the bottom with some yellow writing. Just another bit of personalization and makes it really easy to see yours among the sea of white and black of everyone else's sticks.

[DamnLocust 0]

iirc the renfrew black core rolls are formulated for composites. whatever that's supposed to mean.

jarick, gear tape is comp-o-stick.

I used to use renfrew but switched to the comp-o. much better quality and lasts longer. Jaybird is absolutely terrible. I don't think I've ever even seen andover around here.

[xaero604 0]

a brand i like and tend to stick to is Lowry's. i find that it's super stretchy and doesn't wrinkle up easily like renfrew does. as a result, i always get a clean tape job. i just didn't like the residue that formed from it though, but i also found that renfrew has the same problem, although not as pronounced.

does anyone know a store near vancouver that sells andover? i like the powertape that andover has but it's gradually eating up the palms of my vapor XX's.

[jimmy 194]

We've sold Andover, renfrew, and Compo. Customers prefers Compo. No one ever asks for Andover. Personally, I don't think it's beter or worse than any other tape. I've used all three, they are all the same to me. Do the exact same job holding the shins in place, same value too. Compo seels the best, that's why I sell it. The only tape brand I don't like is Jayco.

[tsanga 0]

Emailed Howie and he got back to me very quickly. Got my custom box of 5 friction, 5 clear and 10 black/10 white for the price of a mixed black/white 15/15 box.

Pretty outstanding customer service, and he's in Grand Rapids, a former Calvin College ACHA player.

I'll be sure to put up a review in the misc. section after I go through a roll or two.

How's Howie's tape?

[ramensandwich 1]

howies tape is great. everything is better than this crappy "pro guard" tape they sell here.

[Rustpot 1]

Emailed Howie and he got back to me very quickly. Got my custom box of 5 friction, 5 clear and 10 black/10 white for the price of a mixed black/white 15/15 box.

Pretty outstanding customer service, and he's in Grand Rapids, a former Calvin College ACHA player.

I'll be sure to put up a review in the misc. section after I go through a roll or two.

How's Howie's tape?

Cloth and shin are both pretty darn good. Cloth rips well, comes off the roll clean and is tackier on the backside than Renfrew, but doesn't leave it on the top. Shin stretches well, also good and tacky without transferring it.

Very displeased with the friction. It's full width, but has no tackiness to it. I have trouble getting it started on my blade. It will stick to itself great, but it's harder to get stretched flat when wrapping the blade since it's so wide. The ends come free from the heel and toe. Doesn't rip at all on the face though, stands up to abuse a bit better than the other friction I've used that gets cut and torn easily on deflections and chops. Probably good if you wax the ends down, but then you'd probably wax the whole blade and not use friction.

Wouldn't hesitate buying cloth and shin from him, I've got 4 rolls of friction before I decide if I want to keep it.

Good service and shipping time though. I've been debating send him an email with my reflections on his friction tape.

[tsanga 0]

Thanks guys.

[daca 0]

Never thought I'd be picky about tape... but I've noticed Andover lasting much longer for me. It also doesn't fray along the edges.