harrow hockey sticks, shafts

[Jarick 5]

Two hours and I'll have an answer for you :D

[HattrickSwayze 3]

It's not like the U+ CL. Nothing at retail other than the CL has a finish like that. The matte rubber finish is exactly like they say, it feels like..... matte rubber. Someone described it as feeling kind of like a chalkboard, which I'd say is a good example.

[Orange&Black 1]

what kind of shaft did you get? (concave of box)

I have the INT shaft, concave, matte finish. The shape of the shaft is nice, it fits nearly perfectly in my hands. The matte finish isn't really all that grippy, which I prefer. Also, the finish is holding up well so far. A two very small chips and some black puck/tape marks after two games and some open hockey. The blade looks almost brand new save one scratch from a puck battle at some point.

I can't complain, especially at the price I paid. I have been pleasantly surprised, actually I'm shocked I like it so much.

[coryroth24 15]

Alright, got to use my 300 series OPS last night at my practice (coaching). I got to take some shots, but not as much as I wanted to because it must have been a freakin full moon with the way my kids were acting up. Coming from always using a Bauer Vapor series sticks with the P88 pattern, this is a bit of a welcome change. The stick is a little blade heavy, but I did notice that I had a little more zip on my shots. I'm also adjusting to the 5 lie as opposed to the 6 that I've been using. Also, the toe is a little more squared than the P88, which again, is a welcome change. I felt that I had a little more velocity on my backhand because of this. Overall, after one use with the stick I'm pretty happy. Can't wait to test it out in a game...

[Jarick 5]

Matte finish is pretty much exactly like the Mission Fuel sticks from last year.

Concave is like a Dolomite with the rounded corners of a Vapor.

I'll have my usual long-winded review later today, although the on-ice will have to wait until Sunday.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Jarick, did you get the 75 flex Sr? If so how did the flex feel before and after cutting (and how much did you cut off)

[Jarick 5]

Hopefully this long-winded diatribe covers it:

Harrow 300 Grip Shift Shaft (75 flex concave)

Harrow 300 Tapered Blade (#4 curve)

Looks very nice. Graphics are well done, lots of little touches, and I always love when they show a little of the 3k weave of the material through. There's a lot of little details going on that you can't see on the website, a little busy, but generally very nice.

The grip shift is interesting...it's a matte finish (like the Mission Fuel sticks) on the top and a glossy grip finish on the bottom. Personally, I like a grippy stick, and the matte finish didn't start until way too low on the shaft.

Looking inside the shaft, the walls seem a little thicker than I'm used to seeing. Probably why the durability/feel is supposed to be good and weight isn't. I also didn't see any rubber contraption like in the YouTube Harrow 300 video.

The concave shaft feels kind of like a cross between a Dolomite and a Vapor...the edges are a bit rounded like the Vapor, but it's a bit slimmer like the Dolomite and has the concave sides. Seems like something I'd like.

The shaft is VERY long...several inches longer than anything I've seen at retail. If the lines on the side are any indication, the 75 flex will be down to about 95 when it's chopped down to length, and I plan on trying it an inch longer than normal (nose in bare feet).

Flexing it, it feels stiffer than I hoped. The internet buzz was that it was whippier than normal to compensate for the long length, but it felt a little stiff to me. I flexed it a few times and it will bend some, but seems to have a little resistance and made a bit of a crackling noise. Could just be glue shifting around though. I don't ever get sticks to "break in" much, so maybe I'll just have to lean on it a lot. It's about the same as my 75 flex 7k Sickick OPS, which is a hair stiffer than I'd like.

The blade looks pretty standard, black 3k weave. I don't like manufacturers putting graphics on the toe of the blade, it looks odd when taped up, and there's a weird H symbol there. Weight of the blade feels a bit light, compared to the Dolomites I used to use.

Both the tenon and hosel seem a bit longer than average. I know the hosel is a bit shorter than a Dolomite blade (longest I've seen in a tapered blade), but the tenon looks like it's about an inch longer than any other blade I've use. I've actually cut about an inch off the tenon on previous Christian/Harrow blades. I'm not sure if it impacts flex at all...something tells me a very long tenon might move the kickpoint up.

The #4 curve is billed as a 1/2" toe 5.5 lie. This isn't a toe hook like the Shanahan, it's a very mild mid-toe that's slightly open. Closest retail curve would probably be the Dolomite Weight/Vanek without the heel twist. The lie seems a bit lower than what I'm used to, which is a P30 from Reebok (Bergeron).

Joining the two, it looked like a VERY tight fit, but it was perfect with no gap. I had to heat the glue and shaft up a bit more than normal, but I didn't have to really force it in. Should be a very solid joint, and possibly one more reason these things are supposed to have a good feel to them.

Once the two were joined, I was surprised by how much it weighed. I know these aren't supposed to be the lightest sticks in the world, but it felt pretty heavy. I'm not much of a stick weight guy, my main stick is a 7k Sickick that's not exactly light and my backup has a 3" wood plug in it. I'm guessing it's the weight of the shaft which is throwing everything off...I would much rather have a blade-heavy stick than shaft-heavy, which feels like my hands and moving through Jello.

All in all, it's a very nice looking stick that feels like a tank in more than one sense of the word. If I saw it in a store, I think the weight would scare me off...and as I've said before, I don't think I've used a stick under 450 grams. I know Harrow says they are trying to make the best FEELING stick rather than lightest, and for that I'll have to see how it does on the ice.

I've got a game on Saturday and intend to use this thing as much as possible. Hopefully the weight isn't an issue, the flex/kick feels good, and the curve doesn't throw me off too much.

[ndlancer95 0]

So the concave is tapered and the box shape shaft is standard?

[number21 3]

no both shaft styles are tapered.

[coryroth24 15]

The shaft is VERY long...several inches longer than anything I've seen at retail. If the lines on the side are any indication, the 75 flex will be down to about 95 when it's chopped down to length, and I plan on trying it an inch longer than normal (nose in bare feet).

About how much did you hack off? Good to know that they're longer than normal if you're doing the math of what your flex will end up at after you cut it...

[Jarick 5]

It'd have to be about six inches or so.

Keep in mind that if the numbers on the side are true, the shaft is STIFFER than rated because it's about 3" longer than your average retail shaft. But I don't go by numbers on the side, I go by how it feels, and when you chop off about 6", it feels like about 90 flex or so.

Then again, I feel like most intermediates are about 10 flex higher than listed uncut, so take that as you will.

[Jarick 5]

For those of you who are curious, the shaft is 55" long uncut and blade is about 12" tall standing on its two, uncut stick measures 67"! It says 75 flex uncut on it, after chopping it down it's about the 95 mark.

I cut off 4.5" so the total height is now 59.5". Put my Tacki Mac grip on it, glued the end cap back on, leaned on it to flex and heard a loud CRACK. Checked it out, and it looks fine, but it flexes a little easier...makes me a little nervous.

It feels just a hair whippier than my Sickick after leaning on it a few times, which I like. Hopefully it "breaks in" a bit more. I will say it really SNAPS right back to shape after flexing it, which might mean good things about the kick of the stick.

Stickhandling with a Smart Hockey ball, it feels deadened, kind of like a One95 or a wood stick. There really aren't many vibrations coming up the shaft at all. Comparatively, my shaft with a Vapor XXXX blade feels a little pingy and my 7k Sickick OPS feels middle-of the road.

The weight might be the same as the Sickick, which is average weight, but it's definitely shaft heavy rather than blade heavy.

[K9 Unit 1]

I cut off 4.5" so the total height is now 59.5". Put my Tacki Mac grip on it, glued the end cap back on, leaned on it to flex and heard a loud CRACK. Checked it out, and it looks fine, but it flexes a little easier...makes me a little nervous.

it just got broken in :P

[sarmalidu 1]

It was most likely/hopefully the glue from the blade

[Chadd 916]

It was most likely/hopefully the glue from the blade

Actually, it's more likely that some of the fibers on the inside broke, given the fact that it is now more flexible.

[K9 Unit 1]

Actually, it's more likely that some of the fibers on the inside broke, given the fact that it is now more flexible.

kinda like the equivalent of rolling your soft/baseball bat

[kovalchuk71 212]

Jarick do you have anoter blade you can measure the tennon length of the harrow with? I'm really curious

[mik3 1]

Got my grip shift shafts today. Shaft and blade together are pretty much 60"on the nose. I use senior OPS uncut so I won't have to cut this at all.

Like Jarick said, the connection is really snug but there's no forcing of the blade in, it feels really solid. Weight is nothing to write home about but I knew that before hand, though the combo is probably about the same weight as my Dolo HDs.

About the grip, the top half is like the mission titanium grip then it switches over to the rubbery grip at the Rs on the shaft.

If anyone wants pictures of their #3 blade I'll take them.

[Jarick 5]

What flex did you get? Your combo is 7" shorter than mine!

The weight might be the same as a Dolo HD, but it definitely feels more shaft-heavy.

FWIW, I didn't do any extraordinary flexing to my stick, just a little push-pull to see how it flexes. I heard from another Harrow user that this is common and due to their manufacturing process...not sure how true that is.

[mik3 1]

85 Flex, it's a bit shaft heavy, but I like that.

[scorpionhockey55 0]

Just ordered a senior 75 flex and a #6 pattern. This will be my first "nice" stick. :)

Quick question....what is the method of measuring a stick/blade? Against a wall? Straight down the shaft and blade?

[mik3 1]

Heel to top.

[scorpionhockey55 0]

Thanks

[Orange&Black 1]

Jarick do you have anoter blade you can measure the tennon length of the harrow with? I'm really curious

I have two Pattern #6 tenons at 2 7/8" & one Pattern # 5 tenon at 3 1/4". These are the only blades I have on standby, so I can't compare them to anything for you.

[hamstercaster 2]

Got my grip shift shafts today. Shaft and blade together are pretty much 60"on the nose. I use senior OPS uncut so I won't have to cut this at all.

Like Jarick said, the connection is really snug but there's no forcing of the blade in, it feels really solid. Weight is nothing to write home about but I knew that before hand, though the combo is probably about the same weight as my Dolo HDs.

About the grip, the top half is like the mission titanium grip then it switches over to the rubbery grip at the Rs on the shaft.

If anyone wants pictures of their #3 blade I'll take them.

I'd like to see some pics if you don't mind

Thanks