Blade lies...how do they differ from brand to brand?

[AutomaticBzooty 0]

Hi all. Newbie here. Started playing about 9 months ago. Great site!

I've been shopping around lately, and noticed that the blade lie numbering system from brand to brand varies quite a bit. For example, a Bauer 6 actually seems LOWER than a Easton 5.5, etc. Was wondering if there had been any discussions about that here, and if my observations were correct?

I tried doing a search for 'lie,' but it didn't come up with anything.

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

Not sure if the question has been directly posed here before or not (going to guess it has - someone will no doubt pop on soon with a link to a prior discussion) but, yes, they can differ. Black Beauty had something they called the 'lie detector' that put everything on the same playing field. It was a hockey stick looking thing with a hing on the heel. Merely put it's "blade" under the other blade until flush and see what the lie ended up being.

[Hockeydog 8]

If you click on the Pattern DB link at the top you can see the actual lies of patterns as measured by the crack MSH staff! Compare those with what the mfg's list and you'll see that there are discrepancies between what they say and what really is.

[Rustpot 1]

It has to do with how the lie is measured. The "norm" is having the center of the blade flat and measuring the angle of the shaft.

Bauer doesn't use half numbers, even though a bunch of their curves do fall in the middle of the numbers.

The rocker on the blade is probably what's screwing you up. A heavily rockered blade can be anything from a 4 to a 7 depending on how you hold it.

The Pattern DB (data base) located at the top of ModSquadHockey lists most retail curves with the "correct" lie, depth, and curve position.

[Chadd 916]

We use Easton as our standard when it comes to lie and everything else is compared to that. As mentioned, we measure with the middle of the blade flat on the ice. Warrior is the one that is least like the others due to the way they measure.

[AutomaticBzooty 0]

I didn't realize that was an adjusted/corrected database! That's outstanding work, guys.

In that case, any recommendations for a blade that's as low a lie as possible, got as wide open a face as possible, and is as straight as possible? I've been using the SherWood Crosby 950, and I actually just found a deal on a couple SherWood Axion 1150s that should be arriving any day now, but I'm still looking for other options.

And also....what's the rocker, and how is it screwing me up?

[lampliter87 8]

Rocker is the way the bottom of the blade is curved to help it be flat on the ice no matter what angle it is being held at. I'll try to get some pictures up as to what I mean exactly.

[Rustpot 1]

You can see in this picture.

The top blade has a very gentle but even profile along the bottom that rises a bit more at the toe.

The second blade is fairly flat with gentle toe and decent heel curvature.

The bottom blade is heavily rockered. The toe is "flat" in that picture and you can see the majority of the blade is at a very different lie.

You can see that all 3 blades are roughly held at the same shaft angle. If someone were looking at them, they might think all 3 were the same lie. In reality the top blade is 6-6.25, the middle 5.5 and the bottom somewhere between 4.5 and 5.

[AutomaticBzooty 0]

Great info guys....thanks.

Incidentally, what are those three blades?

[TBLfan 25]

top one is lang.

[Rustpot 1]

Robert Lang

Mission Pro 266

Adam Deadmarsh

[AutomaticBzooty 0]

Gotcha. In other words, blades that I probably won't find anywhere. ;)

[opus22 0]

while everyone uses easton as the base, it was actually easton that threw it off when they came out with the synergy's, and started printing the lies. their lie matches none of the companies at the time, all of which had the same lies. today youve got ccm and sherwood using the "old" standard way of lie. bauer seems to follow it generally, though ive seen some that dont make sense. warrior seems to be the old way, then add one (4 is 5, 5 is 6)- though they arent perfect. they used to call the weight a 4.5, which would make sense, its a 5.5 like the coffey or recchi, then last year they started calling it a 4 despite the fact they hadnt changed the lie at all. i would be fine if the everyone went one universal way, i just dont like how easton just made up their own way of doing it despite the fact it had existed the previous way for decades.

[Rustpot 1]

Gotcha. In other words, blades that I probably won't find anywhere. ;)

I bought them from HockeyMonkey from the last batch of Mission pro blades they're currently still clearing out. The Deadmarsh was sold to someone in Canada (forgot who), the 266 was traded to TBLfan for another Lang.

You might not like the curves anyway. I really like the Lang blade, but I have to use it with a whip shaft to really get anything out of it. I used it last night in a 90 flex and it felt like I was using a noodle, direction but no power or loft. I was using two with a 65 and a 70 flex AK27 and I could rocket to the corners by flicking my wrists. Very frustrating, and I've been looking for a 70-75 shaft that feels good in my hands ever since I let those AKs go (I couldn't stand the way they felt).

I think about 3 of my friends now know what lie and rocker are from listening to me. There's always that one guy in the locker room that thinks he knows better and tries to correct me, though ("Man, you're using the Drury? I can't stand toe curves" "What are you using... Lidstrom? Riiight, none of those toe curves" )

[AutomaticBzooty 0]

Oh interesting....yeah, I'm looking for a shaft in the 70-75 range as well. I'm not the biggest guy, and I can't flex the 85 very well at all....certainly not at my beginner level, at any rate. Considered using Intermediate Shafts...some of the other beginners in my class are doing that.

BTW, on the topic of the Drury, how do you think it compares to say, Warrior's Kovalev, and SherWood's Crosby? Lie wise, open-ness, etc.?