What is the biggest retail Toe curve?

[bagsbie 8]

Those are pictures of the curve on an ops........ There's nothing to suggest they got the blades in stock

true and unfortunate, although, the drop-down menu allows you to pick it and pay for it.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

true and unfortunate, although, the drop-down menu allows you to pick it and pay for it.

They been saying their going to order the blades for a while now, so I wouldn't rule out that the drop down is for a pre order, except they don't mention that it is

[Top Cheese 0]

I knew the company was a little iffy. I figured for like $60 I'd take the chance with the blade. The customer service, however, is pretty quick and I'm sure if I requested a refund I would get it.

Also, they have said that they will give everyone a 10% refund who ordered them before.

[Durbo20vT 4]

to go back to the Zherdev curve topic, I have 2 of his S19 pro stocks bought at my LHS. They are lower than an 85 flex (80 maybe) and a clone to ovi's...

I have finally gotten used to the curve and low flex, but would love to have them in a TotalOne or One95...

[irishlaxburger2 0]

That Zherdev curve is A LOT more open than the Zherdev pro stock Dolomite I have. Mine is a Kovalchuk clone. Interesting to see he's trying out Ovie's curve now.

[Half 2]

to go back to the Zherdev curve topic, I have 2 of his S19 pro stocks bought at my LHS. They are lower than an 85 flex (80 maybe) and a clone to ovi's...

I have finally gotten used to the curve and low flex, but would love to have them in a TotalOne or One95...

Seems like Zherdev just clones the top scoring russian. Can't say I'm not jealous of those sticks. Always wanted to try out the Ovi curve.

[bagsbie 8]

That Zherdev curve is A LOT more open than the Zherdev pro stock Dolomite I have. Mine is a Kovalchuk clone. Interesting to see he's trying out Ovie's curve now.

It is actually the other way around: he uses Kovalchuk curve now and these eastons are leftover from his NYR days when he was on Ovie's curve. He uses Bauer now, TotalOne to be exact.

[irishlaxburger2 0]

It is actually the other way around: he uses Kovalchuk curve now and these eastons are leftover from his NYR days when he was on Ovie's curve. He uses Bauer now, TotalOne to be exact.

When did S19's come out again? Were they around when he was a Ranger?

My Zherdev pro stock was from his NYR days and it's a Kovy curve. Maybe he tried out both as a Ranger? I don't know.

[bagsbie 8]

Quite possibly, he was trying both out at the same time. Quite true.

[steelnation248 101]

Seems like Zherdev just clones the top scoring russian. Can't say I'm not jealous of those sticks. Always wanted to try out the Ovi curve.

I don't know if he's just trying to use Russian players sticks, I think it'd just be easier to try a toe curve that's already made and used by another player than to have one custom made for him and tweaking them as he goes.

[Half 2]

I don't know if he's just trying to use Russian players sticks, I think it'd just be easier to try a toe curve that's already made and used by another player than to have one custom made for him and tweaking them as he goes.

It was a joke. Obviously not a good one.

[steelnation248 101]

It was a joke. Obviously not a good one.

Oh. Haha. Well I wasn't sure, I was just putting my two cents out there on it. No offense intended.

[rachael7 1]

So I've been messing around with toe curves pretty heavily for like the last six months now, ever since JR got me hooked on the Gionta pattern. I had a pro stock Rodeghiero I got as a gift before that, but it was the Gionta that forever (or so it seems) moved me to toe curves. Anyway, since then I've had several other toe curves in the hunt for perfection and it occurred to me that some comparison pictures might be helpful to others considering the various options. I've got several pictured here:

1. Rodeghiero pro-stock: the only one of the bunch that's not available retail. Don't fall in love with it - TPS is done and I doubt you'll ever see another one like it.
   
2. Gionta: Currently available retail on several warrior models. See the Warrior catalog for details.
   
3. Pro Stock Hockey Gear (PSHG) OVI: Available from www.prostockhockeygear.com. It is made to their specs, but they call it an OVI. It is the only readily available wooden one that I have personally come across and it is available in both tapered and standard configuration. Pricing and such is on their website.
   
4. Base BC01: Plenty on the forums here about this one. Available in tapered only, from www.mybasehockey.com. Call or email to place the order, cost was around $62 shipped to MA, USA, if memory serves. Note that their email is correctly shown on their site as info@mybasehockey.com, but if you click the link to pop up an email window, it will fill in the wrong address. Learned that one the hard way.
   
5. Harrow #10: Not listed on their website yet, but definitely available for retail sale, in tapered configuration only. If you want to order it, call them and ask for Wes. Price was around $52 shipped to MA, USA.
   

I'm not going to review them all here, although I'll consider doing something along those lines in the review section at another time. For now, you'll have to make due with a few pictures:

Top to bottom: Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

Left to right: Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

Right to left (you're looking bottom-up, these are the same lefty sticks): Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

I taped them together for the top-down and bottom up shots, in an effort to keep them aligned as closely as possible. One of the problems with the looking down the shaft shots is that the slightest twist of the shaft totally changes the way the blade looks. By taping them together using cut-off shaft bits as spacers, I was hoping to eliminate that problem. The bottom up shot is a weird one, I know, so feel free to ignore it if you want - I just thought it would be a little extra info. But don't be confused, those are the same five lefty sticks/blades, just looking at them from the ice's perspective. These pics took surprisingly long to set up and I can't really take the time to do a whole lot more, so I apologize in advance for not taking the "how does XXXX look next to YYYY blade" shots you might want to see. But hopefully this helps a bit with what's out there right now.

[ponder 0]

Just out of curiosity, and obviously this is personal preference, but how would you rank the curves in terms of favourite to least favourite? That BC-01 is crazy short but looks intriguing, and the Gionta looks like a curve I'd really like, but I'd be curious to hear your opinions.

[rachael7 1]

Just out of curiosity, and obviously this is personal preference, but how would you rank the curves in terms of favourite to least favourite? That BC-01 is crazy short but looks intriguing, and the Gionta looks like a curve I'd really like, but I'd be curious to hear your opinions.

Few things more subject to personal preference than curve, of course, but for what its worth... I enjoyed the Rodeghiero quite a bit, considering that it was my first toe curve; but the puck feel of the Warrior was better, and since the Gionta curve was almost the same, I switched right over. I really liked the Gionta a lot - it was my primary stick for many months - but I eventually got the sense that I wanted it a little more open, which led me to consider the Ovi clones (at the suggestion of a helpful MSHer ). The PSHG-OVI was the first of its type I came across (was the one recommended to me here), so that's where I started. I liked the curve shape a lot and I was right about the loft... it's a good curve for me. It could use a slightly lower lie, but one only gets so many choices. I also prefer the feel of composite with BladeTape to wood with cloth tape (I know, I know... separate conversation), so I went out looking for a carbon version. The BC-01 was suggested; but as you can see, it is pretty far afield from what I was used to, so I honestly never tried it (as an aside, it might be available). And finally, I discovered the Harrow #10, which just arrived today. The occasion of its arrival and subsequent removal of the PSHG-OVI from my favorite shaft was the impetus for the photo shoot, so I have not yet had an opportunity to form an opinion about the Harrow. I will say that I really like the thinness of the blade, the curve looks nice and the lie might even be subtly lower (and/or the rocker slightly greater). The feel is nice, from what one can tell in the living room, so I have high hopes that maybe I'll stay with this one for a while.

So all that having been said, and presuming my feelings about the #10 prove correct, and presuming that anyone really cares about my personal preference (you did ask), I guess my ranking would look something like this:

1/2: #10 and PSHG-OVI. Basically the same curve and I'm sure that for 99% of us, any difference in curve would be outweighed by the person's preference for wood/composite.

3: Gionta. Great curve. I'll always have one in the quiver and it may yet rise back to the top of the list if tire of the loft of the Ovi.

4: Rodeghiero. Definitely a nice curve, although I'm less impressed with the stick its part of. I don't know why exactly, but the feel just isn't me.

5: BC-01. Just wrong for me. Too closed, too short. Never tried it, to be fair, but it just didn't "look right" for me. Who knows, maybe if I get it a slump or something, I'll give it a fair try. It's a neat curve though and I'm sure somebody loves it.

[steelnation248 101]

5: BC-01. Just wrong for me. Too closed, too short. Never tried it, to be fair, but it just didn't "look right" for me. Who knows, maybe if I get it a slump or something, I'll give it a fair try. It's a neat curve though and I'm sure somebody loves it.

You should give the BC01 a try at least. I have it in a righty and its pretty open from the middle to the toe of the blade. I don't know if I'm sold 100% on it yet but I think you should at least give a couple shots

By the way, that rocker on the #10 looks pretty wicked. Maybe it's just the picture though.

[rachael7 1]

You should give the BC01 a try at least. I have it in a righty and its pretty open from the middle to the toe of the blade. I don't know if I'm sold 100% on it yet but I think you should at least give a couple shots

By the way, that rocker on the #10 looks pretty wicked. Maybe it's just the picture though.

I'm sure I will at some point. I'm short tapered shafts at the moment though, so it can't easily go on a ride-along. But when the opportunity arises, I definitely will. And yeah, the rocker on the #10 does seem pretty intense - I'm hoping it helps compensate for the fact that I really need a lower lie than the PSHG. I'll find out Wed at practice.

[$m0k3 0]

Base can make tapered blades for the Hossa (BC01) curve also, pretty quick turn around too.

[yesido 0]

Not sure what BASE can and can't do with respect to tapered and non-tapered blades. My stick (with their new P88 clone blade) has a standard shaft and the facebook page linked above says all shafts are standard, but their (finally) updated website says blades are tapered and the posts above say the BC01 is tapered.

So although I'm still deciding whether I like my BASE stick or not (so far so good, but only used it 3 times and switching from a toe curve), the company seems totally disorganized. Even people on the phone provide different information that what they post on facebook. That said, it was fun playing around with the BC01 on the synthetic ice at their facility. The curve wasn't right for me - in toe curves I like the Ovie clones better - but it was interesting to shoot the BC01 with Cliff Ronning watching.

By the way, since their US website was mentioned above, to save people headaches - BASE has a Canadian website (www.basehockey.ca) that is a real website rather than the placeholder that pops up at the .com page. One would think they could find a way to link the two pages, but........ In any event, the website was updated last week for the first time since last Fall (and finally includes the BC01 as an official option), but the website STILL doesn't list all of the available colors.

[ponder 0]

Few things more subject to personal preference than curve, of course, but for what its worth... I enjoyed the Rodeghiero quite a bit, considering that it was my first toe curve; but the puck feel of the Warrior was better, and since the Gionta curve was almost the same, I switched right over. I really liked the Gionta a lot - it was my primary stick for many months - but I eventually got the sense that I wanted it a little more open, which led me to consider the Ovi clones (at the suggestion of a helpful MSHer ). The PSHG-OVI was the first of its type I came across (was the one recommended to me here), so that's where I started. I liked the curve shape a lot and I was right about the loft... it's a good curve for me. It could use a slightly lower lie, but one only gets so many choices. I also prefer the feel of composite with BladeTape to wood with cloth tape (I know, I know... separate conversation), so I went out looking for a carbon version. The BC-01 was suggested; but as you can see, it is pretty far afield from what I was used to, so I honestly never tried it (as an aside, it might be available). And finally, I discovered the Harrow #10, which just arrived today. The occasion of its arrival and subsequent removal of the PSHG-OVI from my favorite shaft was the impetus for the photo shoot, so I have not yet had an opportunity to form an opinion about the Harrow. I will say that I really like the thinness of the blade, the curve looks nice and the lie might even be subtly lower (and/or the rocker slightly greater). The feel is nice, from what one can tell in the living room, so I have high hopes that maybe I'll stay with this one for a while.

So all that having been said, and presuming my feelings about the #10 prove correct, and presuming that anyone really cares about my personal preference (you did ask), I guess my ranking would look something like this:

1/2: #10 and PSHG-OVI. Basically the same curve and I'm sure that for 99% of us, any difference in curve would be outweighed by the person's preference for wood/composite.

3: Gionta. Great curve. I'll always have one in the quiver and it may yet rise back to the top of the list if tire of the loft of the Ovi.

4: Rodeghiero. Definitely a nice curve, although I'm less impressed with the stick its part of. I don't know why exactly, but the feel just isn't me.

5: BC-01. Just wrong for me. Too closed, too short. Never tried it, to be fair, but it just didn't "look right" for me. Who knows, maybe if I get it a slump or something, I'll give it a fair try. It's a neat curve though and I'm sure somebody loves it.

Awesome, thanks for the detailed reply! Obviously curves are 100% personal preference, but still interesting to hear opinions, not many people have tried as many different toe curves as you. Curious to hear how you end up liking the Harrow #10, nice to see an open toe hook offered as a replacement blade, and I've generally heard good things about Harrow.

Not sure what BASE can and can't do with respect to tapered and non-tapered blades. My stick (with their new P88 clone blade) has a standard shaft and the facebook page linked above says all shafts are standard, but their (finally) updated website says blades are tapered and the posts above say the BC01 is tapered.

So although I'm still deciding whether I like my BASE stick or not (so far so good, but only used it 3 times and switching from a toe curve), the company seems totally disorganized. Even people on the phone provide different information that what they post on facebook. That said, it was fun playing around with the BC01 on the synthetic ice at their facility. The curve wasn't right for me - in toe curves I like the Ovie clones better - but it was interesting to shoot the BC01 with Cliff Ronning watching.

By the way, since their US website was mentioned above, to save people headaches - BASE has a Canadian website (www.basehockey.ca) that is a real website rather than the placeholder that pops up at the .com page. One would think they could find a way to link the two pages, but........ In any event, the website was updated last week for the first time since last Fall (and finally includes the BC01 as an official option), but the website STILL doesn't list all of the available colors.

Heh, I just made a new thread about their finally updated site like half an hour ago, about time they got some real info on it for sure! And yeah, the BC01 looks like a bit of a weird curve, real short blade, I think I'd be more interested in an Ovy (pro stock or pro stock clone) or Gionta (retail) if I was gonna try a toe curve.

[steelnation248 101]

Awesome, thanks for the detailed reply! Obviously curves are 100% personal preference, but still interesting to hear opinions, not many people have tried as many different toe curves as you. Curious to hear how you end up liking the Harrow #10, nice to see an open toe hook offered as a replacement blade, and I've generally heard good things about Harrow.

Heh, I just made a new thread about their finally updated site like half an hour ago, about time they got some real info on it for sure! And yeah, the BC01 looks like a bit of a weird curve, real short blade, I think I'd be more interested in an Ovy (pro stock or pro stock clone) or Gionta (retail) if I was gonna try a toe curve.

Yeah, it's pretty short and narrow. The way I describe the curve to my friends is it's like a mid curve along the bottom edge and a toe curve on the top so it makes it pretty open towards the toe. I'm with you on wanting to try the Gionta curve out. I can't wait for the tapered blades to come out.

[skyscrape 5]

Does anyone know if the new crazy ovi is a longer blade than the pro stock blade? Or is it a true clone? The toe shape looks a lot different to me, like less rocker.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

OVI-8 on PSHG

[lampliter87 8]

Blades in that curve too- right and left.

[zaytser 0]

So I've been messing around with toe curves pretty heavily for like the last six months now, ever since JR got me hooked on the Gionta pattern. I had a pro stock Rodeghiero I got as a gift before that, but it was the Gionta that forever (or so it seems) moved me to toe curves. Anyway, since then I've had several other toe curves in the hunt for perfection and it occurred to me that some comparison pictures might be helpful to others considering the various options. I've got several pictured here:

1. Rodeghiero pro-stock: the only one of the bunch that's not available retail. Don't fall in love with it - TPS is done and I doubt you'll ever see another one like it.
   
2. Gionta: Currently available retail on several warrior models. See the Warrior catalog for details.
   
3. Pro Stock Hockey Gear (PSHG) OVI: Available from www.prostockhockeygear.com. It is made to their specs, but they call it an OVI. It is the only readily available wooden one that I have personally come across and it is available in both tapered and standard configuration. Pricing and such is on their website.
   
4. Base BC01: Plenty on the forums here about this one. Available in tapered only, from www.mybasehockey.com. Call or email to place the order, cost was around $62 shipped to MA, USA, if memory serves. Note that their email is correctly shown on their site as info@mybasehockey.com, but if you click the link to pop up an email window, it will fill in the wrong address. Learned that one the hard way.
   
5. Harrow #10: Not listed on their website yet, but definitely available for retail sale, in tapered configuration only. If you want to order it, call them and ask for Wes. Price was around $52 shipped to MA, USA.
   

I'm not going to review them all here, although I'll consider doing something along those lines in the review section at another time. For now, you'll have to make due with a few pictures:

Top to bottom: Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

Left to right: Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

Right to left (you're looking bottom-up, these are the same lefty sticks): Rodeghiero, Gionta, PSHG-OVI, BC-01, Pattern #10.

I taped them together for the top-down and bottom up shots, in an effort to keep them aligned as closely as possible. One of the problems with the looking down the shaft shots is that the slightest twist of the shaft totally changes the way the blade looks. By taping them together using cut-off shaft bits as spacers, I was hoping to eliminate that problem. The bottom up shot is a weird one, I know, so feel free to ignore it if you want - I just thought it would be a little extra info. But don't be confused, those are the same five lefty sticks/blades, just looking at them from the ice's perspective. These pics took surprisingly long to set up and I can't really take the time to do a whole lot more, so I apologize in advance for not taking the "how does XXXX look next to YYYY blade" shots you might want to see. But hopefully this helps a bit with what's out there right now.

Man I am glad I didn't buy one of those tapered Easton Ovi Clones from PSHG, cause it doesn't look anything like the Ovi clones, KGB or Ovi Authentic curves at all. Maybe it is just the camera angle. I do however really like the BC01/Hossa Pro curve, except I don't find that it isn't open nor do I find it too short. Perhaps my Hossa Pro's are longer than the Base BC01.