Best hockey tape?

[Jarick 5]

My ideal tape would be really gritty and have friction from the material instead of from a sticky outer material. Something between the old Andover which had a sandy, gritty texture and the Renfrew black label which has a bumpy cloth exterior.

How are you supposed to use friction tape? I just taped up like normal.

[savethechief2011 0]

I like jaybirds its solid Howies is nice but so dawm hard to rip otherwise id use it more i always have to use my teeth to tear it.

[tareatingrat 4]

Can't stand Renfrew. Stuff falls apart so easily. I refuse to buy it and will go out of my way to get something else.

I've tried the Jaybird friction tape. Lasts about a shift or two. I like the feel, but it's useless unless you like to re-tape in-between periods.

The 3M tape isn't great. Maybe a little better than Renfrew.

I personally use the Lowry Pro stuff. Seems to work the best.

Haven't tried Howies, mainly because I don't want to spend a ton on hockey tape and have it shipped to me.

Then again, I'm really picky about my tape jobs. If there's a gash or rip anywhere near the bottom of the blade, I tend to re-tape.

I also either use a ton of wax (melt it in) or the 3M Liquid Tape. The only tape that holds up with either method is the Lowry. I can usually get ten or so games before I have to re-tape. The other brands usually get beat up on the bottom and fray, or get torn up too easily.

[robat 0]

Most places around here have Howies. I prefer Renfrew but don't really feel like buying it online.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Can't stand Renfrew. Stuff falls apart so easily. I refuse to buy it and will go out of my way to get something else.

I've tried the Jaybird friction tape. Lasts about a shift or two. I like the feel, but it's useless unless you like to re-tape in-between periods.

The 3M tape isn't great. Maybe a little better than Renfrew.

I personally use the Lowry Pro stuff. Seems to work the best.

Haven't tried Howies, mainly because I don't want to spend a ton on hockey tape and have it shipped to me.

Then again, I'm really picky about my tape jobs. If there's a gash or rip anywhere near the bottom of the blade, I tend to re-tape.

I also either use a ton of wax (melt it in) or the 3M Liquid Tape. The only tape that holds up with either method is the Lowry. I can usually get ten or so games before I have to re-tape. The other brands usually get beat up on the bottom and fray, or get torn up too easily.

Wait so you EXPECT to get 10 games out of tape or its junk? That blows my mind.

[lampliter87 8]

Haven't tried Howies, mainly because I don't want to spend a ton on hockey tape and have it shipped to me.

My junior team supplied us with Howies last season and I... uh... managed to come home with a case of it.

[flashyprince 0]

im gonna go with Howies. they got great prices on bulk...and comments are mostly positive.

[Hermans 9]

Not sure when that was, but, Renfrew was US made for many years until earlier this decade.

I know that they either bought a US based operation or were bought by a US based company that started manufacturing based out of the US. I think that was early or mid 90's. There still is an office in the town and possibly a small manufacturing operation or distribution operation as well. My older brothers father-in-law just gave my nephew a few roles of 'rejects' just before Christmas.

Back in the 80's' and early 90's the plant was across the street from one of the high schools and you could get all your tape from the dumpster. It was as good as any tape in the stores but they would throw out the rolls when the tape didn't wind evenly.

[skyscrape 5]

Who makes the 1.5 inch tape and where are the best places to order from?

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Who makes the 1.5 inch tape and where are the best places to order from?

I'd give sportstape a shot. There's an ebay seller that sells it. ID is canadaicegator I think

[b33f 0]

All the brands mentioned seem decent to me. Personally I use whatever is cheapest, cause it all feels the same and no matter what kind it is, it ain't going to stop a freshly sharpened skate from slicing through it.

[Jarick 5]

The Sportstape I've used was thin and had no grit to it. I've had a roll sitting in my tape bin for about six months and can't even bear to put it on a dryland stick.

[tareatingrat 4]

Wait so you EXPECT to get 10 games out of tape or its junk? That blows my mind.

Really? This is what you read into my post? That blows my mind.

The Lowry tape, in my experience, lasts longer than the other brands I've tried. If it lasts longer, and is the same price, then yes, the other brands are inferior in my opinion.

Do I expect anything? No. But every time I use the Lowry stuff, it holds up a lot better than the other brands.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

The Sportstape I've used was thin and had no grit to it. I've had a roll sitting in my tape bin for about six months and can't even bear to put it on a dryland stick.

What color?

[Jarick 5]

I've tried white and navy blue.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

The colored stuff is thin, but the white isn't.

[TBLfan 25]

Sportstape white is awesome.

Sportstape black sucks, it tears waaay too easily. I've had it tear numerous times just applying the tape to my blade.

[HOPE 0]

I dont know if im the only one that is realy picky with hockey tape, but yeah... the only one i like is the R-brand with the team canada logo, i feel like it is alot more rough and grippy vs the referee and the blue dog wich are very slick and thin,

if anyone feels me here and tried the 3M or the Howies hockey tape and could give me feed backs?

i feel like ordering 25+ tape

[Katzenjammer 1]

I just use regular tape - however, I recently saw good reviews of something called "bladetape" - looks pretty innovative and perhaps better than regular tape. Of course, more $$ too.

[HOPE 0]

its awful, my friends tried it, looks like it absorb your shot and feels realy wierd, dont waste your money, if it would be acutally innovative and perhaps better than regular tape like you say NHL player would use it because they use every single little thing that could advantage their game

[Sniper9 537]

the blade tape stuff makes the puck bounce all over the place because it is pretty rubbery... i don't like not having tape at the bottom of my blade either.. I actually like the friction. I recently started using wax, so it doesn't make that much of a diff what tape I use.. I have been using renfrew and 3m.. 3m is thinner than the other brands... and the white leaves a residue of glue.. the black is almost not tacky enough/stretchy enough.. just my experience.

I seriosuly dunno how people can use bladetape. I think it is marketted towards beginners/people who don't like taping their sticks.. I haven't tried it for roller hockey either but yea...

[shotty 7]

are we talking about blade tape as in the plastic/rubber pre cut pieces that you apply to the front and back of your blade? if so, i liked that it put a little more spin on shots and passes, and that is exposed to the bottom of the blade to the ice; the glide was improved, but as stated, receiving passes or picking up pucks with speed was difficult because of the rebound it produced.

[Katzenjammer 1]

are we talking about blade tape as in the plastic/rubber pre cut pieces that you apply to the front and back of your blade? if so, i liked that it put a little more spin on shots and passes, and that is exposed to the bottom of the blade to the ice; the glide was improved, but as stated, receiving passes or picking up pucks with speed was difficult because of the rebound it produced.

Yeah, that stuff. I like that the bottom of blade is exposed; supposedly it's lighter too. That's too bad about the bounce. Not worth it then .

[HOPE 0]

lets get back to real tape please ;)

[pby 0]

The only thing I don't like about the renfrew gold/black is the color. The white tape has a little beige tint to it, I have some no brand tape that's much whiter. You migh ask why does it matter, if you're one of the folk that spray paint their stick white, the renfrew looks off/dirty. Aside from that I don't think it matters at all.