BASE Savoy Special

[All Flash 49]

BASE Savoy Special

Flex: 100

Curve: Iginla clone

Height: 6"

Weight: 210lbs

Age: 32

Postition: wherever needed

Level of hockey: now...... beer league and drop in.

Time-frame of use: almost 3 months, 3-5 times a week (Sept 9/2010 D.O.P(straight off the rack no customization)

Aesthetics: This stick follows the current times and is mostly black with highlighted colors to round out the stick and its maker's name. Fairly standard, nothing that stands out as far as stick graphics go.

6/10

Weight and Balance: Not sure on the actual weight of the stick but it is lighter than half the high end sticks out there and the other half i couldn't tell because of how nice the balance is. That being said, it still does not feel too light in my hands.

9/10

Blade: To start, I will say that the blade that came with my Base "twig" was covered in what i believe they call "Shark Skin", which is an option on the customization and from what the guys at Base told me is what the Pro's like. I'm not sold. I use blade tape so i don't need any pre grip on my blade. Blade rigidity is superb! Even stiffer than most other top end twigs. The only reason I am giving the blade a 9 out of 10 and not 10 out of 10 is that my blade, i believe because of the shark skin is chipped all to hell. Bottom of the blade and mostly near the heel, with a lil' bit of shredding at the toe. When the blade gets chipped the shark skin is so connected to the carbon weave that almost a layer or two of the weave comes off too. This however, has not surprisingly affected the structure or integrity of the blade.

9/10

Shaft/Flex: I prefer a square shaft geometry to a round one because i believe that the torque is controlled more with a square shaft. If you are a Dolo fan then you will love this shaft as it a medium to large size shaft with the rounded corners. As for the flex, it is more like an Easton than any other brand being true to the listed flex. I had thoughts one game it was whipped out but my shooting told me different.Super responsive to say the least.

9/10

Stick-handling and Passing: "Pingy", is the word i will use. The first game I used this stick i couldn't keep a pass on my stick to save my life. That combined with the responsiveness of the shaft in conjecture with the blade made taking passe really hard too, but after the 2nd game everything was fine. Though still "pingy", I got used to it. All these things are subjective to your skill level so, given a relative amount of time anyone, having the skills should have no problems with this stick. Unless of course you need your blade to feel like the ONE95.

8/10

Shooting: As I said, super responsive shaft so this thing ends up kickin' hard with a nice sense of pop coming off the blade as it is super stiff as a whole package. Combine that with the accuracy that only comes off most high end twigs and you have yourself a lamplighter.

10/10

Durability: Blade chipped all to hell from front to back. Super huge gash on front top of shaft right at the kick point from a large player stepping on it. Still shoots true and blade is a non issue as far as structural integrity goes.

10/10

Overall: When I look for a new stick I am looking for shooting first and everything else is just details. I have preference's but not anything written in stone. After all is said and done at the end of the day this stick is as good if not better than most of the other brands top sticks. (not including sticks that just came out or have not been released yet obviously)

8.5/10

Thanx goes to Dolm1te for the template. ;p

[All Flash 49]

Update: Dec 16/10

Blade is still stiff, shooting accuracy and passing still there but alas the heel started to fall out. So i cut it off. nice shaft leftover. knowing its a 2 piece i could have found out whether it could be taken apart by heat but didnt have the time so off it came with the hack saw. :( Will definitely buy another Base in the future.

[penum 0]

BASE Savoy Special

Flex: 75

Curve: BM 12 (Datsyuk clone, sort of, they compare it to Easton Iginla, Bauer P88 Kane, Warrior Kovalchuk, Reebok P40 Hedman, CCM Tavares but it looks very close to my rbk 6k sickkick Datsyuk).

Lie: 6.00

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 150 lbs

Age: 26

Postition: Winger

Level of hockey: Beer League, Drop-in, Roller Beer league

Time-frame of use: Purchased Oct. 20, 2010, received October 30, 2010 (custom stick)

Fitment Session: I went in for my fit session with my skates, current stick, gloves, and helmet as directed. Met Cliff Ronning in the lobby and had a little chat with him, he wasn't going to be there for my fit because he had to go to his kids hockey game but left me in the hands of one of the other expros ( \Ii don't think he made it past the AHL). First thing to mention is if you have not been of aritifical ice before ask if you can skate around for a bit on the practice rink that way you won't be all out of wack for the camera session. Before you start the camera session they take your current stick and check what lie you are using and check the flex to see if it is true or what it equates to if you have cut it down they also add the tragets to your stick for the highspeed camera . In the camera session they get you to warm up through your shots and then they do each of your shots with the camera rolling. While the process the footage you go the practice rink and the fitter will give you a bunch of other sticks with varying lies and flexes and will pass and shoot around with you.

The analysis part of the fit shows how much angle your stick is flexing through your various types of shots and they will also provide feedback on your body position how you can improve and anything else they notice. They will then recommend a flex, and lie that they think works best for you leaving you to pick a blade and finishes as well as the name plate and a logo that goes in the oval near the base of the shaft. I found the process to be very helpful and I came away thinking if you were pretty decent at hockey ie. better than someone like me who started at 22 years old you would probably stand to gain a lot from the experience.

9/10

Aesthetics: Pretty basic black with whichever pin-stripping or highlighting you want, I chose Gold. Wish they would produce the all black verison NHL players had.

5/10

Weight and Balance: Still lighter than than any other stick I have held in my hands. The blade end feels like it has some weight to it giving a very "balanced" feel to the stick.

10/10

Blade: I also opted for what they say the pros "like" with the shark skin blade finish. I really can't say I notice any difference with this blade finish compared to a normal OPS blade finish. The blade is stiff and has kept rigidity over the last 6 months. The shark skin seems to come off fairly quickly as i have flat spots all over my blade where the shark skin has chipped off.

9.5/10

Shaft/Flex: I prefer a square normal sized senior shaft. My previous stick was an INT which was very thin and rounded. I much prefer the stock square shaft that BASE provides. I went for the grip finish which feels great and very similar (if not that same) to Warriors grip, it was different (and better) from the "ribbed" grip on my RBK.

Considering this is a custom stick I was a little disappointed that I have to order a 75 flex (lowest you can go in a senior shaft) then cut it down making it stiffer than my uncut INT RBK 6K sickkick 75mid-flex but I guess you can't expect them to make you a stick in your length at your flex. Nevertheless, I like the lower kick point in this stick coming from a mid-flex, I get a lot more whip on my slap shots than before. I would still like to seem them produce a 70 flex senior shaft.

8.5/10

Stick-handling and Passing: As with most of the time changing sticks I couldn't receive a pass for the first game and I will agree with the previous reviewer it is very "pingy". However, I have since gotten used to it and although I think the blade stiffness definitely still makes receiving a pass slightly more difficult than before the trade off for a harder more accurate shot is worth it.

8.5/10

Shooting: The low kick point and shaft feel really improved my shooting and more than anything my accuracy.

10/10

Durability: Shark skin finish chips off fairly easily but does not effect the strength of the blade. Otherwise no other durability concerns to report as of yet.

9.5/10

Overall: Great stick that for the $149.99 price tag. Compares to sticks in the $200+ price range in weight and feel. Low kick point is very nice and the shaft grip is also done well. I would avoid the shark skin blade finish seems gimmicky to me (but strangely doesn't cost you any extra). The fitting session is great fun and you can get a lot of excellent tips and feedback from expros, not bad for $50 (gives you roughly an hour plus all the high speed camera footage). Would like to see them produce a 70 flex senior stick in the future.

8.75/10

[Andoy 5]

BASE Savoy Special

Flex: 75

Curve: P88

Lie: 6

Length of usage prior to review: 4 months

Current level of hockey being played: Beer League

Prior sticks used: Warrior Dolomite, NikeBauer Vapor XXXX, Bauer One95

Background: Base has been around for quite some time now but it was just recently that they expanded. Since they're based in my town (Burnaby, BC) it was alot easier for me to drop by and check out the sticks.

I got an "off the rack" stick (no customization). For 15 dollars more, customization allows you to choose your own stick colour, blade finish, as well as your name/number and a jpeg logo on your stick. However, since they did not have my flex off their racks, I was forced to a bit over 1 week for my stick to come from the factory which was a little annoying. I did not have to pay any shipping. Anyways, on to the stick:

Aesthetics: Regardless of what colour you choose, BASE aren't going to win any beauty pageants compared to other companies' offerings. The primary colour is black with various trims depending on what you choose. I got the retail red/orange trim. 6/10

Shaft: The shaft is rounded and is very simlar to a vapor XXXX/Dolomite. For those that want more girth, I believe they offer a thicker shaft shape. Since it's personal preference I'm not going to give a score.

Weight/Balance: Coming from the One95 which was a little heavy compared to most high end sticks (but very balanced), the Savoy Special is lighter. The problem with a lot of the lighter sticks is that they tend to be heavy blade heavy...this stick isn't really blade heavy and feels pretty balanced. 8/10

Blade/Feel: Having been spoilt by the feel of the one95, I was expecting recieving passes to just bounce off the blade. To my surprise, I was able to just resume playing as usual. The blade is very stiff and feels pingy similar to the early generation Warrior Dolimites. By default, all BASE sticks come in Sharksin coating, which is equivalent to Easton's Ztac. Many people I've come across are surprised it chips off easily but most Z-tac sticks I've seen back in the day are just the same. I didn't need it as I tape from heel to toe but a nice touch nevertheless.

It is no one95, but the feel is pretty good. If you didn't have hands then, then you won't have hands now. I can stick handle with my head up with confidence. 8.5/10

Shooting: Shooting is great with this stick. I find that it doesn't torque much and for someone that prefers mid-kick point, the low-kick point on this stick is something I got used to. 9/10

Durability: I'll go ahead and make a bold statement and say that beer league is harder on sticks. It's because there is a lot of stick work (especially at lower levels) and hockey sticks are constant to slashes as well as improper shooting technique. I've taken alot of slashes, deflected a lot of pucks and it's still going strong. 9/10

Value: I bought my stick for 159.99 plus taxes. However, if you choose to customize your stick it's an additional $15. On the plus side, if you order the same stick with the same specs, then you don't have to pay the $15 should you wish to purchase the same stick in the future. There's also additional shipping fees if they are to deliver it to your place so it stacks up close to $200ish before taxes if you order a customized stick and have to have it delivered to your place. And with that price range you're probably going to consider other high end sticks that are readily available at your LHS. 9/10 without customization, 7.5/10 w/ customization + shipping fee

Conclusion: In my opinion, BASE have a solid stick with lots of customization options that will appeal more towards younger players. It doesn't look like a high end stick but it performs like one. It kicks well when shooting and although pingy, the feel is there. They offer a variety of retail curves offered by the major companies as well as some pro stock patterns. For those that know what pattern/lie they want and just want to go the non-custom route, 159.99CAD is a great deal for a high end stick.

[ponder 0]

BASE Savoy Special

Flex: 75

Curve: Hossa pro

Height: 6"

Weight: 180 lbs

Age: 25

Postition: RW

Level of hockey: beer league now, highest level I've played at was HS hockey

Fitting session:

I didn't get the full fitting session, went in when they had a "demo days" promotion. Basically like the fitting session, but without the high speed camera, and it was totally free (no fitting charge). They let you try all sorts of flexes and curves on their artificial ice rink, even set you up with passes, took lots of time with me and explained all the options. Was a really fun experience, and the fake ice was actually pretty easy and fun to skate on.

Curve:

The Hossa curve is a weird curve, perfectly straight for much of it's length, then a real meat hook at the end, super open too. I wanted to try a toe curve, and it was the only one they had. Ultimately, it was not for me, used it for quite awhile but just never got the hang of it. Eventually just hacked it off, chiseled out the tenon, and have been using it as a tapered shaft ever since. Like the stick a lot more now that I've been using it with curves I'm more comfortable with (Drury and Sakic curves).

Aesthetics:

Plain/boring, not ugly but nothing special, 7/10

Weight/balance:

Very light weight and balanced, has the weight and balance you'd expect out of a high end stick 10/10

Shaft shape:

Personal preference, but I'm not a huge fan. Rounded corners, which in itself I don't mind, but it's also just a small shaft, almost like an intermediate (and no, it's not an intermediate, it says "SR" right on it). Feels very noticeably smaller in my hands than even Vapor sticks. Mark is based on personal preference, but I just wish the shaft was a bit bigger, 7/10

Blade feel:

Not a big fan, pretty pingy/ceramic. Blade stayed nice and stiff, though. Didn't get the sharkskin coating, not sure whether or not that would have improved the feel, 6/10

Shooting, wrist shots:

This is the whippiest 75 flex stick I've ever used, by far. Really, really whippy. People (myself included) found 77 flex one95s to feel whippier than most, but this is on a while other level. I love whippy sticks though, and my wrist/snap shots have never been better, total rockets every time (once I switched the blade to a curve I can use). 10/10

Shooting, slap shots:

The huge whip helps for wrist shots, but hurts for slap shots. Just feels a bit flimsy when taking slappers, mostly because of the whip, but also a bit because of the narrow shaft dimensions (at least, I think). Still get decent power, but not as good as with some other sticks, and don't love how it feels on slappers in general. 7/10

Durability:

Fantastic, I've been extremely hard on this stick, not exactly sure how long I've been using it but I wanna say about 6-8 months, a few times a week, and it's still going real strong. Kevlar wrap seems to be doing its job really well on slashes and whatnot, hasn't whipped out (very whippy, but it was like that to start with), blade stayed stiff till I chopped it off (which was just to change the curve), no complaints at all durability wise. 10/10

Value:

I didn't pay for the fitting session (because of the "demo days" promotion), didn't pay for customization (don't need my name/number on there), and didn't pay for shipping (I live close to the fitting center), so it was $150.00, which is a solid deal for a light, balanced, durable stick that shoots great wristers. If you pay for the fitting session and customization it starts to get pricey, but I'm sure the full on fitting session would be pretty cool and probably worth it.

Conclusion:

Love this stick for wristers/snappers, not as much for slappers, be warned that it's a lot whippier than other sticks I've used rated at the same flex. Pretty good stick for the money, if they improved the blade feel and gave the shaft a bit thicker dimensions I'd buy another one for sure, as is though I'll be sticking with high end sticks from other brands when they go on clearance.

Edited October 14, 2011 by ponder