Miken Razor Z9

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Miken Razor Z9

Flex: 85 Custom

Curve: Custom

Height: 6'

Weight: 240

Postition: RW

Time-frame of use: Since December 2011

Aesthetics: Nothing necessarily too flashy - black handle with Miken logo, fading into white with the stick name on the bottom. The white seems to get marked up and shows its wear. Seems to chip quite a bit as well.

8.5/10

Stick Construction, Weight and Balance: EXTREMELY impressed with the construction of the stick. The Razor Z9 is one of the cleanest sticks I've seen in quite some time - shaft walls were immaculate and even. When I cut the stick, it was a smooth cut, and then I dissected the part I cut off. High-grade carbon fiber for sure. Miken was reaching for a good compromise between weight and balance and they have done a good job at it. The stick feels really good in the hands.

10/10

Blade: Well-made blade, albeit a bit thick - especially in the heel. No flaws otherwise.

9.5/10

Shaft/Flex: Rounded corners and smaller shaft diameter compared to others in the industry's square and concave handles; definitely a personal preference of mine. The flex seems to be my biggest issue with the stick (and it's my fault.) I've been cutting my sticks extremely short and I essentially made the stick too stiff for my liking due to that.

5/5 (not rating flex)

Stickhandling and Passing: I love the fact that it's my pattern, so no issues curve-wise. Would have preferred a thinner blade in terms of stickhandling. I did experience a bit of pinginess - you definitely feel the puck on the stick.

8.5/10

Shooting: Low kick point - pucks leave the stick quickly, that is for sure. Wrist and snap shots are good; I can see why everyone in our LTR liked the way it shot. With a lighter flex, I think I would like it even more as I really didn't feel as if I could lean into one. I was missing that shaft load and kick.

9/10

Durability: No loss of stiffness in the shaft for me as others have reported; it's still stiff! Other than chips in the shaft and around the heel area, the stick has held up pretty well for me.

9/10

Conclusion: Rock-solid stick, very impressed with the construction. Miken have come a long way from their initial offerings, that is for certain. Personal preference (flex) due to a miscalculation on my behalf didn't allow me to untap the stick's full potential. Our members who conducted the LTR for the Razor Z9 all enjoyed their sticks, and every one of our reviews are positive. Special thanks to Jason Kacures (jdksaves) at Miken Hockey for the stick. Much appreciated!

9.1/10