3M Hockey Products

[Jarick 5]

This may be off topic, but I just tried the Erik Cole taping method (two strips of wide cloth tape) with no adhesive and it worked pretty well. I'm going to try lightly sanding the blade to help with adhesion but just an FYI might be a good cheap alternative to the blade tape stuff.

[skarbro 0]

Sniper9 - I had no bouncing at all. In fact I was catching passes like crazy with less bounce. Control felt better as well. I like the stuff so far. Only one time on the ice though.

[Neal 41]

Looks like it's not a "true" 3M product - name is being used under license.

I'm not positive, but I don't think so. I think this is just because 3M has separate companies in Canada and the US. I've seen that terminology on a number of products from American companies in Canada.

I'll be getting a bottle this weekend and I'll give it a shot on Sunday.

[skarbro 0]

Just read the label carefully. There is a black and a white but the bottles and packaging look almost identical. One of the bottles I bought was white and I only wanted black.

[Sniper9 535]

lol, yea i almost bought one of each.. the only way to tell is small printing on the upper right corner.. almost got me! but i saw that there were 2 bins and one price tag said BLACK

[Sniper9 535]

used it last night for the first time... a coupel of small cuts from skate blade.. and it did do a good job keeping the blade dry and did a decent job keeping snow off the blade.. some buildup was there near the end of the ice time, but that is pretty common..

i did notice better dampening.. and control.. as long as i dont have to keep reapplying and it lasts about 3 games i will keep using this product... maybe not as religiously but whenever it goes on sale i will grab some.. something i could live without but wouldnt mind using here and there.

[3M Hockey 0]

Thought I would add my 2 cents, right from the "Horse's Mouth" .. I am actually the one in charge of the new 3M Hockey Products here at 3M Canada. I can help answer some questions and share my experiences.

Found this thread by accident, but certainly glad I did! Thanks for sharing feedback and opinions and helping spread the word on our products.

Here we go ..

Re. Liquid-Flex Stick Coating

1. In my brief experience with this product (season just started) .. for best results I recommend 2-3 coats of the product. Put on first coat on front and back then after it dries (approx. 20 minutes), add another coat. The product, even when dry, should feel tacky. My friends and co-workers who have used the product prefer this application. The product feels incredible on your stick if you do it this way.

2. The product is actually made with pieces of RECYCLED TIRES. That is what helps give you great control and feel of the puck. When you apply the product, you will notice little specs on your blade .. the recycled tires are exactly what you are seeing.

Let me know your likes and dislikes .. share some feedback .. would love to hear from real hockey players what you all think!

Thanks for posting!

Matt

www.3mhockey.ca

[IceBuckeye88 0]

2 games in (4 hours) with the liquid tape, and still can't tell the difference. Gonna use the rest of the bottle, but def. won't buy it again! as for my EQ50 stick.. it's still lovely

Quite honestly, it sounds too time consuming, especially if it really doesn't do much. I like Mojo hockey stick wax. It's really tacky and I like customizing my stick with the different colors.

I buy sheets of skateboard tape and cutt out my own blade tape. I have unbelievable puck control with it. Basically anytime the puck hits my stick at any speed it sticks. You can really drag the puck in ways you never could. Also it costs me 5 bucks to make 4-5 sets.(front and back). I pretty much feel like im cheating.

Thats an interesting idea. How does it work when it gets wet?

[puckhoggy 0]

Thats an interesting idea. How does it work when it gets wet?

And what is the technique on putting it on?

[3M Hockey 0]

Quite honestly, it sounds too time consuming, especially if it really doesn't do much. I like Mojo hockey stick wax. It's really tacky and I like customizing my stick with the different colors.

Thats an interesting idea. How does it work when it gets wet?

We also have the 2 types of GRIP STICK TAPE - HYPER and FUSION - 1 is more "grippy", he other more "cushion"

http://www.3m.com/intl/ca/english/centres/home_leisure/hockey/3Mhockey-hypergrip.htm

I used the HYPER Grip my last 2 games and loved it .. of course I am bias. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. Considering that most people's initial concern is that there is nothing on the bottom of the blade. So .. I added a thin strip of regular stick tape so I still had that same feeling.

One of the great things about this is product compared to other competitors is that we include an abrasive sponge and primer. If you use this when applying it will allow for better adhesion and therefore last even longer. It really is simple to apply and probably takes no more than 2-3 minutes.

Looking forward to thoughts .. good and bad!

Matt

[hyprlte 0]

I bought a pack of clear 3M tape - I was in a rush and had none left for hockey last night. It felt kind of weird, almost like scotch tape like. Regardless it worked for me. Only thing i didnt like was that there is little tape on a role - they should make the rolls thicker

[3M Hockey 0]

I bought a pack of clear 3M tape - I was in a rush and had none left for hockey last night. It felt kind of weird, almost like scotch tape like. Regardless it worked for me. Only thing i didnt like was that there is little tape on a role - they should make the rolls thicker

good feedback ..

the specs on our CLEAR are .. 24 mm x 15 m - these also are available in multi packs (8 packs or in combo with stick tape)

we also sell a 24 mm x 45 m roll .. perhaps the Canadian Tire location you were at did not have that roll size in stock?

[Jarick 5]

Thanks for joining Matt, good to hear clarification from the horse's mouth! I look forward to trying the 3M tape as it becomes available.

For the skateboard tape, I bought some, but it was hard plastic and had terrible puck feel. It felt like a thinner version of the plastic "rugs" people put under their office chairs. Really bad stuff.

[Sniper9 535]

good feedback ..

the specs on our CLEAR are .. 24 mm x 15 m - these also are available in multi packs (8 packs or in combo with stick tape)

we also sell a 24 mm x 45 m roll .. perhaps the Canadian Tire location you were at did not have that roll size in stock?

I think the guy was referring to the tape being thin, not the roll. I noticed this as well. I bought a big roll from can tire.. an 8 pack i think it was, and it felt like somethign in between packing tape and regular sock tape.. the good thing about it being so thin is that it is lighter... but it feels "cheap" at the same time. I know 3m is known to make some high quality stuff, but so far their hockey tape (clear and fabric) seem to try to reduce as much material as possible.. the white stick tape, you can see right through it. Is this deliberate? Making the product lighter but with the same performance as regular tape? It may sound like i am bashing the 3m stuff, but I actually like the thinner tape.. just didn't expect it from 3m.

[Jarick 5]

I haven't seen the 3M stuff but the things I'd like from hockey tape are a gritty texture, enough thickness to provide a bit of cushion, and durability. Most brands seem to offer only 1 or 2 of those 3 things.

[theflash0000 0]

Matt--

Any chance of Liquid-Flex being available in the US? I'd love to give it a shot!

[3M Hockey 0]

I think the guy was referring to the tape being thin, not the roll. I noticed this as well. I bought a big roll from can tire.. an 8 pack i think it was, and it felt like somethign in between packing tape and regular sock tape.. the good thing about it being so thin is that it is lighter... but it feels "cheap" at the same time. I know 3m is known to make some high quality stuff, but so far their hockey tape (clear and fabric) seem to try to reduce as much material as possible.. the white stick tape, you can see right through it. Is this deliberate? Making the product lighter but with the same performance as regular tape? It may sound like i am bashing the 3m stuff, but I actually like the thinner tape.. just didn't expect it from 3m.

You guys are good!

The specs on the Plastic tape are nearly identical to leading competitiors. I have personally never found it to be thin. The beauty of this product (from a manufacturing persepctive) is that you can change its properties quite easily. e.g more stretchy, easier to rip, etc. So we will definitely monitor the feedback and react accordingly.

Re. White - thinner

It's actually not any thinner once again then the competition. Mid grade tapes. There are thicker tapes in PRO versions. We realize that it appears to be thinner because of it being somewhat transparent. We are working on improving this.

Most importantly, we want the tape to WEAR properly, and ADHERE well in all game conditions. Hopefully you find our product acceptable in that regard.

Thanks for the feedback. As you can tell, I am GLUED to this thread and eager for your comments!

MB

I haven't seen the 3M stuff but the things I'd like from hockey tape are a gritty texture, enough thickness to provide a bit of cushion, and durability. Most brands seem to offer only 1 or 2 of those 3 things.

Jarick,

Would you pay a premium for this???

Would you like to put this on / apply just like regular tape?

What other products or accessories do you think need improving or you could use?

Thanks!

MB

[cemetery 14]

Any plans for an aerosol textured spray similar to what Easton/Bauer etc spray on some of their pro blades for the sandpaper like finish?

[tamtamg 12]

probably a minority here, but white friction tape would be nice. something slightly less tacky than normal friction tape.

[shotty 7]

texture spray on (like gritty finish on CL), tacky/grip spray on (stick'um kinda thing), variety of widths in rolls of cloth tape for blades, gauze and grip tapes for handles, premade (peel and go) sticky rolls, etc. are all places 3M can venture into to provide customization products for hockey sticks that can compliment these existing products.

[CheesePlz 0]

Tacky grip spray would definitely be nice as many of us have been searching for a good solution for a long time.

[Jarick 5]

I'd pay $5 for some thick cloth tape with a gritty finish for sure.

[steelnation248 102]

I'd pay $5 for some thick cloth tape with a gritty finish for sure.

I feel the same way. I haven't really liked any of the friction tapes I tried out, it'd be nice to have something like this.

[Sniper9 535]

agree with the gauze grip tape being way too thick.. if it were the same thickness as the other companies, i would have bought it.. but because it was 2 times the width i stayed away..

as for the white blade tape, i actually liked how it adhered to the blade very well and was tough to take off when i needed to change it.

the sock tape is def thinner.. if not that, it isn't as flexible as the other brands out there.. one or the other is causing the noticeable difference.. i had to be very careful when wrapping my socks with it, or else it would fold/crease and bite into the back of my legs... so if it is not thinner, it def is less stretchy/flexible..

[dnoboy 5]

Quite honestly, it sounds too time consuming, especially if it really doesn't do much. I like Mojo hockey stick wax. It's really tacky and I like customizing my stick with the different colors.

Thats an interesting idea. How does it work when it gets wet?

The ice doesnt effect the grip at all. Every once and awhile i find myself scrapping some off but i did that with regular type anyway. It really is an amazing alternative to taping. ALso, dont compare it to bladetape or bladeshark. Those are way too thick and pretty much kill all the puck feel. Skateboard tape is thinner.

And what is the technique on putting it on?

You just sketch out the shape of your blade and cut it out. Sandpaper your blade a little so it sticks better. Apply. Then run it over an open flame for a couple seconds so the adhesive melts onto the blade. Each application lasts me about 7-10 skates until it becomes chewed up by skates/slashes etc. It will peel off easily when you want it to. Also, I find it protects my blade really well.