Reebok 8.O.8

[cooperalls 4]

Reebok 8.0.8

Flex: 100

Pattern: Duchene (3/8” mid-heel, closed face, lie 5), 100 Flex, Non-Grip

User Info:

Height: 5'-11"

Weight: 200

Position/Level of play: Defense, Rec-League and Drop-in

Time frame: 5 months/40 uses

Blade (9/10) – It’s very stiff, I can hardly flex it with my hands, and it has remained that way through 40 uses. It's a fairly thick blade. I've had previous sticks with thick blades that felt "dead" or "numb" for puck feel, this one does not have that problem.

Shaft/Flex (8/10) – The shaft has slightly rounded corners, with a minimal concave to the sidewalls. It has a slight taper, which begins at the first “O”. My model is the clear finish, which is pretty glossy/slick as far as sticks go. It's been fine for me when using gloves with digital palms, as they provide enough grip.

Stickhandling/Receiving passes (9/10) – This stick has very good feel and is neither “pingy” nor "dead". Similar to my previous One95, it doesn’t rebound excessively receiving passes, and translates puck feel quite well.

Shooting (8/10) – The 8.0.8 has good pop to it. It’s not the most lively stick I’ve used, but it’s also worth noting that it hasn’t lost much kick since I've started using it. It’s definitely a mid-kickpoint stick. I can feel it flex right between my bottom hand and the top “O”. I use both 110 and 100 flex sticks and I find this one to have a little more of a delay on shots while the shaft loads and releases. Since this is a 100, it doesn't generate as much power on slap shots and one-timers as a higher flex. I do find it better for wrist-shots and snap-shots. Granted, that's mostly personal preference and shooting technique, just my findings for this stick. The 8.0.8 loads and releases smoothly, and consistently.

Weight and balance (8/10) – It’s not the lightest stick you can get, but it feels plenty light when I’m skating. The balance is great, neither blade nor handle heavy.

Durability (9/10) – I value durability almost as much as I do performance, and it's been difficult to find a stick that has an acceptable amount of both. The Easton ST is definitely super tough, but it doesn't really cut it when you're used to the weight/balance of high-end sticks. I’ve had the best experience with performance/durability with the Bauer Supreme series (one90/one95). The 8.0.8 is pretty durable. After 40 uses there's a lot of paint missing from the shaft, and a few minor nicks in the blade, see pics. I had a small chunk taken out of the hosel somewhere around use 10, and filled it with epoxy, but didn't notice any performance drop, and it hasn't gotten any worse. All said, the blade is still as stiff as when I bought it, and overall it hasn't lost much kick.

Intangibles – Read: "speed holes". Truthfully I can’t feel any decreased wind-resistance from the holes. I get some questions/comments about it, mostly in jest, but also out of curiosity. . RBK only added the Duchene pattern/colorway for 2011, seemingly just in time to have the stick discontinued. It's a nice looking stick, but I don't care too much about how my sticks look. The pool of high-end mid-kick sticks is small enough without eliminating any possibilities based on looks.

Conclusion (51/60 or 8.5/10) – It’s lightweight, has great feel, good durability, and most importantly for me, is a mid-kick stick offered in my pattern of choice. At full retail price there are a few other sticks I’d choose before I’d get another 8.0.8, but it’s a very good performing stick for around $150-$160. Most retailers have these on clearance, so they can be found for less than the original retail price.