Best tapered shaft on the market today?

[Chadd 916]

Not sure how "on the market" this is... but I'm ready to give it a blind vote.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af237/sickwilly42/r9xn10.jpg

Before they sold to Sherwood TPS sent me three of them, they were prototypes of a new XN10 that TPS was going to release. One was amazing, one was similar to my XN10 and one was junk. My old shop picked up a couple from sherwood when they called to see if they could get some of the leftover XN10s. The "Black and yellow R9" actually started as a joke I made with someone at TPS.

[sickwilly 37]

Before they sold to Sherwood TPS sent me three of them, they were prototypes of a new XN10 that TPS was going to release. One was amazing, one was similar to my XN10 and one was junk. My old shop picked up a couple from sherwood when they called to see if they could get some of the leftover XN10s. The "Black and yellow R9" actually started as a joke I made with someone at TPS.

That's really cool that they started that way. I wound up getting three of these used (on ebay). I think from the Harrisburg area, too.... there was also an r8 tapered shaft with "XN10 technology". Another prototype? (Thanks again for the info, both in this thread and the old TPS shaft thread).

[Tommyj214 3]

Ill throw in my vote for the Reebok 8k shaft. Cheap and one of the lightest tapered shafts on the market. Should be fairly easy to get as well.

a buddy of mine says that the RBK 8k shaft and a bauer x60 blade is a sick set up, the feel is unreal.

[K9 Unit 1]

a buddy of mine says that the RBK 8k shaft and a bauer x60 blade is a sick set up, the feel is unreal.

ye the 8k shaft is very underated, its one of the better ones, but my vote goes to the one95 tapered for sure

[Cams 7]

I am using an Easton Synergy Elite tapered shaft, and love it. Too bad the Easton blades are horrible. Gotta find a good match for a blade now.

[Scotty 8]

After hearing more good things about the Reebok 8k shaft, I was prepared to give it a shot. Everyone who's used it seems to like it, save for a few who couldn't get past the grip. But in reading about them, I found how many people are absolutely blown away by the performance of the pro stock RBK 10k sticks/shafts, so I bought a pro stock 10k stick that had been converted to a tapered shaft by Brian Harte on this site. I'll give it a shot and report back after using it with an SE16 blade.

[Brian Harte 1]

Well shoot, I hope it's good.

lol

[phunky_monkey 6]

After being confused as to which I liked better out of the SE16 and X:60, I took them both to training last night to conduct a bit of a comparison, and I'm still confused!

I see the X:60 as something mid-way between my one95 non-tapered shaft and the SE16, as in puck feel is better than my one95/Easton blade combo and shot power is stronger than the SE16. Puck feel is still better with the SE and I also prefer the non-grip finish of the SE and found myself going back to it despite the lack of power. The puck feel comment for the one95 may be a touch off as it's a different blade than what's being used in my X:60 and SE, and is obviously not tapered.

So for me:

One95 - great shot

SE16 - excellent puck feel and shaft shape

X:60 - somewhere in between

[Chadd 916]

The shaft generally has very, very little to do with puck feel.

[TBLfan 25]

I've never had a shaft that changed the way a puck felt on a particular blade... without there being a fit issue with the blade.

[tml67 0]

The one95 tapered shafts are great but awfully whippy. If the X:60 tapered shaft is anything like the OPS, it's gotta be pretty good. Wow, I'm amazed that I just said Bauer shafts were any good, I thought that was over when the XV shaft went the way of the dodo... or uh dolo.

That's interesting...so a tapered one95 shaft will be whippier compared to a standard one95 shaft in the same flex? I find the standard one95 shafts are stiffer than their OPS sticks. TSR has some tapered one95 shafts listed, but I can't decide on the flex...77 or 87. I like the flex of the 87 OPS cut down about 1.5". I had the 102 standard shaft but it was way to stiff for my liking. Should I get the 77 or 87 tapered shaft? Thanks.

[TBLfan 25]

The tapered shaft and OPS are extremely similar in flex at the same length, while the one95 standard shaft is stiffer. I have used all three versions.

[Chadd 916]

The tapered shaft and OPS are extremely similar in flex at the same length, while the one95 standard shaft is stiffer.

That should always be the case when going from standard to tapered shafts, assuming they haven't screwed around with the flex in order to manipulate the kick point.

[phunky_monkey 6]

The shaft generally has very, very little to do with puck feel.

I've never had a shaft that changed the way a puck felt on a particular blade... without there being a fit issue with the blade.

It's funny as I've always felt the that way, but the blades in both shafts are the same. They are pro stocks however, so that may have something to do with it. I don't know what it is but I definitely have more confidence on the puck with the SE16. It feels as though it has thinner walls than the X:60?? Or maybe it's all in my head.

[mrruin 0]

After hearing more good things about the Reebok 8k shaft, I was prepared to give it a shot. Everyone who's used it seems to like it, save for a few who couldn't get past the grip. But in reading about them, I found how many people are absolutely blown away by the performance of the pro stock RBK 10k sticks/shafts, so I bought a pro stock 10k stick that had been converted to a tapered shaft by Brian Harte on this site. I'll give it a shot and report back after using it with an SE16 blade.

I have both of them, retail 8k and prostock 10k shaft. Used them both with an SE16 blade as well. What I can say is, that they are very different shafts. The 8k is a lot lighter and a different shape (contoured instead of traditional). The grip on the prostock is different, very nice and not as tacky. I have to admit that they do not have the same flex so this comparison may be skewed a bit. The 10k kicks really hard and shoots fantastic. The 8k gives me better passing, maybe due to the softer flex since I like the added whip for making passes. It still shoots very well and the grip and larger shaft shape makes it fit my big hands very well.

I played a lot more often with the 8k retail than the 10k prostock since it felt better in my hands and I was more confident - if that makes sense - on the ice playing with it compared to the 10k.

Never had any durability issues with the Reebok shafts. I think they are both great buys.

I've never had a shaft that changed the way a puck felt on a particular blade... without there being a fit issue with the blade.

I don't know, but shaft shape, wall thickness, grip, weight can in my opinion all play a role in the way you feel the puck. Maybe not as much as a different blade, but to say it doesn't change it at all is probably not correct for everybody.

[Scotty 8]

I have both of them, retail 8k and prostock 10k shaft. Used them both with an SE16 blade as well. What I can say is, that they are very different shafts. The 8k is a lot lighter and a different shape (contoured instead of traditional). The grip on the prostock is different, very nice and not as tacky. I have to admit that they do not have the same flex so this comparison may be skewed a bit. The 10k kicks really hard and shoots fantastic. The 8k gives me better passing, maybe due to the softer flex since I like the added whip for making passes. It still shoots very well and the grip and larger shaft shape makes it fit my big hands very well.

I played a lot more often with the 8k retail than the 10k prostock since it felt better in my hands and I was more confident - if that makes sense - on the ice playing with it compared to the 10k.

Never had any durability issues with the Reebok shafts. I think they are both great buys.

You're saying that your retail 8k shaft is contoured (C instead of T-shape)? Thought those shafts were only Traditional (T) shaped.

The one I'm getting from Brian was an A2C stick, meaning it was a rounded corner contoured stick.

[mrruin 0]

You're saying that your retail 8k shaft is contoured (C instead of T-shape)? Thought those shafts were only Traditional (T) shaped.

The one I'm getting from Brian was an A2C stick, meaning it was a rounded corner contoured stick.

Yes my 8k shaft is a C (EDIT: after checking at home: 8k is definetly a T shape) shaft (says so on the shaft as well) and my 10k prostock is an A2T or A3T cannot remember that right now. It might be very different from the A2C one then. AFAIK the 10k I have is also not a cut OPS even though it was bought on ebay.

[Scotty 8]

Yes my 8k shaft is a C shaft (says so on the shaft as well) and my 10k prostock is an A2T or A3T cannot remember that right now. It might be very different from the A2C one then. AFAIK the 10k I have is also not a cut OPS even though it was bought on ebay.

Where did you find a C 8k shaft? From what I know, all of their 8k retail sticks were only T.

[mrruin 0]

Hmm weird, I will double check at home just to make sure Im not spewing nonsense, but Im 80% sure it has a C geometry. I have a backup that I bought from hockeymonkey.com, the one I have been using last year was bought over ebay (discountedsports).

Hockeymonkey does not list shaft shapem hockeywarehouse has it listed as T shape. I can take some pics as well later today from the unused shaft.

EDIT: after checking at home: 8k is definetly a T shape.

[tml67 0]

The tapered shaft and OPS are extremely similar in flex at the same length, while the one95 standard shaft is stiffer. I have used all three versions.

Thanks! It sounds like the 87 tapered One95 will suit me better. The 77 will probably feel like a limb noodle.

One more question...do you know the original length on the tapered One95 shaft? I know the standard shaft is 52"...TIA

[adam14 182]

Where was it, apart from TSR that was selling those tapered one95's?

[sickwilly 37]

Where was it, apart from TSR that was selling those tapered one95's?

Here's where I've seen 'em online.

http://www.purehockey.com/ecom/product/26/1447/NikeBauer-Supreme-One95-Tapered-Senior-Composite-Hockey-Shaft-%2810%29.html

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Thanks! It sounds like the 87 tapered One95 will suit me better. The 77 will probably feel like a limb noodle.

One more question...do you know the original length on the tapered One95 shaft? I know the standard shaft is 52"...TIA

Standard is actually 54in. The tapered is aroud 55 or 56in

[mrruin 0]

Where did you find a C 8k shaft? From what I know, all of their 8k retail sticks were only T.

allright I double checked it at home and you are right. The 8k is most definetly a T geometry shaft. It is thicker in diameter than the 10k shaft (which says A3T) with thinner walls. The 10k feels more like a one95 OPS to me. The 8k is boxier but not quite as boxy as the x:60 (have the int OPS to compare it to), the edges are slightly rounded, the walls only slightly concave. Not as much as a warrior AK27 for example.

Sorry for the mixup, hope this info helps.

[TBLfan 25]

Thanks! It sounds like the 87 tapered One95 will suit me better. The 77 will probably feel like a limb noodle.

One more question...do you know the original length on the tapered One95 shaft? I know the standard shaft is 52"...TIA

54.5" long.