Warrior Widow

[tareatingrat 4]

2011 Warrior Widow

Flex: Stick 1 and 2/100, Cut Down 2.5"

Curve: Stick 1 and 2/Gionta, Lie 4

Grip: Stick 1/Clear, Stick 2/Grip

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 230lbs

Position: Forward

Usage: Just over a month, 20 games or so.

Previously Used Sticks: 2011 Dolomite DD, Easton S19, Salming M11-KZN, Bauer One95, 2010 Dolomite HD

Aesthetics: Loved the red and grey design on the clear stick, not as big of a fan of the purple on the grip stick, but that's personal preference.

Weight/Balance: Slightly blade heavy but well balanced. I use a lot of tape on the blade, though. Feels fine when playing. 9/10

Shaft/Flex: I quite like the feel of the shaft, although I think I'm less picky with shaft shape than some people. The clear stick had a nice matte finish which I loved. The grip stick is maybe a little too grippy for my tastes, but I generally don't buy grip models anymore (the grip was my only option on a warranty exchange).

As for the flex, this stick is awkward when you first start using it. It feels true to flex in some situations, but quite whippy in others. I suppose that was kind of the point of the design, but it took a game or two to get used to. Now that I am used to it, however, it's fantastic.

I cut about 2.5 inches off of the stick and didn't notice any change in flex. While I read on here that this is a feature, they might want to mark the point on the stick where the flex would most likely start to change after a cut. 9/10

Shooting: Amazing, although it feels quite flexy when it comes to shots, even with a 100 flex stick. It doesn't feel like a noodle, and kicks hard, but there's a definite difference between the Widow and most other sticks I've used. The low kickpoint is fantastic for my shooting technique and style (I like to shoot off of the wrong foot a lot and generate most of my shots with my arms, mainly to get shots off quickly). However, if you really get a piece of a shot with proper technique, the puck flies hard and true. Probably the most accurate stick I've shot with, and I really liked my S19 for placing shots. 10/10

Passing: I've never had much of an issue passing with any stick. I'm alright in that department regardless of stick. Although the stick feels flexy when shooting, that isn't so much the case with passing. I haven't noticed any lag on giving passes, but I think the flex zone does help in catching passes. I don't really notice any torquing or flexing of the blade/shaft when I receive passes, but they seem to hit the stick and stay. 10/10

Stickhandling/Feel: Probably one of the best feeling blades I've ever had, although I do use 3M liquid tape which I find really helps. Regardless, the blade isn't pingy, nor is it too soft. My stickhandling has improved, even over a 2011 Dolomite with identical specs. I prefer a stiffer stick for stickhandling and haven't noticed any issues regarding the Widow's flex profile. 10/10

Durability: Terrible. Less than a month of owning the stick, the blade cracked in half. Which is a shame, because it's such well performing stick. I was lucky that I was able to get a warranty exchange (hence why I'm using a grip at the moment), but I'm worried about my new stick now. While I wouldn't buy the stick if I couldn't afford to break it, I do think a $300 stick should last more than one month. If I get a season out of a stick, I'm happy. As it stands, I've tried a few Warrior sticks (2010 Dolo HD, 2011 Dolo DD, Widow) and they've all had the same blade problems occur within a month or two. I realize that you're going to sacrifice some durability for performance, but I've still got a One95 that took two seasons of play plus pick-up now and again without any real sign of distress. I would simply expect more at this price range, but I will give kudos to the ease of making a warranty claim with Warrior--I simply had to bring it back to the shop and got a new one. 2/10

Conclusion: If you can get past the fact that the blade might go on you, which is really the only downside (but a big one), this is probably one of the best performing sticks on the market. 8/10

EDIT (August 3, 2011):

Second stick broke on me, although it kind of got jammed into the boards. Can't really blame Warrior for that one. However, in terms of ice time, the stick lasted me about as long as the first one.

The terrible thing is, although I won't buy another Widow, I love the Gionta curve. Until I can find a Diablo in a two-piece in my area, or tapered DD blades, I've had to make the switch to a AK27 two-piece setup, which I'm hoping I can get used to.

Again, the Widow is a fantastic shooter, but it's fragile.

Edited August 3, 2011 by tareatingrat

[RussianDangler15 0]

2011 Warrior Widow

Flex:Int. 70 cut 4 inches

Curve: Draper

Grip: Clear

Height: 5'9''

Weight: 150 lbs

Position: Forward

Used: Around 3 months

Aesthetics: In my opinion this is the best looking stick Warrior has ever made, it's not too flashy but still stands out a bit. The simple red, grey, and black color scheme is done very nicely. I personally prefer the looks of the non grip version but the grip version is almost as visually appealing. 10/10

Weight/Balance: After cutting off a considerable amount of the stick (4 inches) I thought the stick would become very blade heavy, but to my surprise it was very impressivly balanced. Although the Widow isn't as light as the totalone (my previous stick) I have no complaints with weight, and feel it is one of the lighter sticks available. 8/10

Shaft: The shaft shape is more on the square side IMO which is something I liked as I had no trouble getting a good grip on the stick. The clear features a matte finish which is my prefered grip so I was very pleased with the finish on the Widow.

The flex is odd at first due to the dagger taper ,the sticks main selling point, the stick flexes extremely low. Coming from the Totalone which is a mid KP stick this felt weird and took alot of adjusting. 9/10

Shooting: This is what the Widow is supposed to do best and I must admit I was impressed!. The low KP allows for a very quick release on snapshots and wrist shots. Many people have said they had trouble with slapshots but I adjusted fairly quickly to slapshots with the Widow and with approximately 15 slapshots I was fine. However one timers where a completely different story as the timing was completely different than that of the totalone. I never really did get fully adjusted to this so its something to consider when thinking about purchasing. Overall I prefer the feeling of mid kick point sticks. I like that I have a better feel for how the stick is loading and this is one of the reasons I ended up going back to the totalOne. Alhough I could easily imagine anyone who prefers low kickpoint stick would love how the widow shoots. 8.5/10 (mostly due to my personal preference)

Puck feel: I was amazed at the puck feel! I wasn't expecting it too be as nice as it was. The Widow has a nice soft feel to it which is phenominal for stickhandeling. The feel is unmatched in my opinion when compared to any other stick currently available. 10/10

Passing: The passing was fine and reccieving passes was a dream with the puck feel. 9/10

Durability: Unfortunatley I suffered the same problem I've had with every warrior stick I've used. After about two months the blade lost a bit of it's integrity and I could flex it slightly in my hand. It was most noticible when shooting. Albeit you must take in to account for the fisrt month and a half I was on the ice 3 times a week and the last month and a half I was on the ice 6 times a week so the stick saw alot of use. 6/10

Conclusion: After using the Widow I have gone back to the totalOne. As stated I just prefer the feel of how that stick flexes. Although if you prefer low kickpoint sticks you will love the Widow. Overall it's a great stick with unparalleled feel but unfortunatley it didn't fit my preference.

Overall: 8.6/10

[Dangles83 24]

WARRIOR WIDOW SE

Model Specification

• Flex: 100
  
• Pattern: Burrows (PM9)
  
• Finish: Nipple Grip
  
• Use: 30 games
  

Aesthetics

Although I tend to be a fan of the more simplistic all white or black look, I have to admit the graphics package on the blue special edition widow is fantastic. It is a very catchy color, but not overdone.

9.5/10

Blade/Stickhandling/Receiving Passes

To me, the puck feel was slightly above average. It wasn’t that great dampened effect, but it wasn’t so hard either. It had an overall nice feel for stickhandling, but I felt that accepting passes was a little more difficult due to a “springier” blade. I admit, this is one area that I am really strict about so I may be tougher than others, but I am spoiled by the ONE95, so anything less will have an inferior rating.

7/10

Shaft/Flex

The flex of the Window seems to be whippier than advertised. I would estimate that after cutting the Widow down about 3-4 inches that the flex feels to be about an 82-85. So if you are used to an Easton 85 or a Bauer 87, then I would go with the Widow in 100. The low kickpoint and dagger taper definitely makes a noticeable difference when shooting. The stick also feels a little larger than an RS or APX, but is still comfortable in the hands, especially with the nipple grip.

8.5/10

Shooting

If you are used to a mid-kick stick then the Widow will take a little getting used to, but it is worth it. The release and power distribution is very nice with the aggressive taper near the blade. Snapshots and wristshots are quicker to get used to than slapshots, but again, once you hone your shot, you will be pleased. Again, I want to stress the importance of flex here…I would certainly try a higher flex than normal in this stick, especially due to the aggressive taper.

8/10

Weight and Balance

The weight and balance of this stick was very nice. They added a longer shaft intentionally, but cutting that down did not make a noticeable difference in the balance of the stick. I would say the balance is of a top-tier stick and the weight is also right in line with comparable models.

9/10

Durability

Here is the main problem...they just don’t seem to last that long. The blades seem to become compromised after a few weeks of use including softening and/or chips. I have also had one snap at the end of the hosel after 3 weeks. I still think Warrior has some work to do in strengthening their sticks, especially the blade.

6/10

Conclusion

Overall I would say that the Widow is a nice stick with many nice features, most notably the graphics, balance and kickpoint. Unfortunately durability is a big hindrance here. For the hefty price tag I would expect a longer-lasting product. To be fair, I have heard of others who have been using their Widows for many months without any problems at all, so take it for what it’s worth. In my experience, they just don’t last as long as you would like.

7/10

player reference: 6'0 / 165lbs / A League (3x/week)