Warrior Diablo

[dsjunior1388 81]

Warrior Diablo

Non-Grip

85 Flex

Kovalev Curve

6'1"

260 lbs.

I play both forward and defense about the same amount of time.

After using the Widow at Winterfest 2010, I've always had it in the back of my mind to try the Dagger taper again, remembering the pop my shot had. Finally caught a good deal on ebay for a brand new Diablo a few months ago.

Blade

I'd hesitate to say the stick is pingy, the way I like, but I would definitely say it is a crisp and sharp feel. After a few months use, there is surprisingly little damage. I beat up blades, as I'm a bit of a hacker, and stick battle as often as I can. This one hasn't shown any damage and the feel is very good, among the best I've used. Because of the longer blade than I usually use, it has been rammed into the board more than usual and the toe still looks brand new. 9/10

Shaft/Flex

I cut a lot of the top of my sticks, about 7 inches off of this one. I like them collarbone height, and I was worried about the effect on flex. I've seen very little change in flex, it feels like an 85. However, I have noticed that the dagger taper is a bigger transition than it seemed like it would be. I feel like I've had to adjust my technique to get any consistency in my shots and hard passes. Now that I've adjusted, my shot has improved over my old sticks and I'm very pleased with it. I think I'm a dagger taper devotee from here on out. 8/10 for the adjustment.

Stickhandling/receiving passes

Like I stated before, I prefer a lively blade, but I feel like this one splits the difference nicely. Not quite as pingy as I like for stick handling, but enough to do the job, and because of the slightly more crisp feel, receiving passes has improved. I'm really impressed with this one, even over the TotalOne replacement blade that I previously thought was the best I'd used so far. 10/10.

Shooting

After adjusting technique, my wrist and snap shots have benefited from the Dagger Taper. My release feels quicker, and I find that in a pinch, when I'm just throwing the puck at the net to get out of a jam I can still get some velocity on it because of the taper. Very impressive. I'm still dialing in my slapshot, coming from a Standard shaft, but I've realized keeping my hand higher gets me back to where I'd like to be. 9/10.

Weight and balance

The shop I work in didn't carry the diablo, so it had been awhile since I'd held one before I ordered it and I was concerned it would be significantly heavier than the Widow. I was pleased to find that while it is a bit heavier than the widow, it compared nicely to my Mission Titanium and AK27 shaft/TotalOne blade that serve as my other sticks. Furthermore, the larger blade and the way I cut my sticks down had me wondering if I'd end up with a blade heavy stick, but surprisingly it still feels well balanced. I was prepared to add a wood plug to even it out but that hasn't been necessary. Very impressive. 10/10

Durability

I beat up blades but I rarely if ever damage or break shafts, and this one looks great. Few paint marks, no dings or slashes. With the blade resisting damage as well, I think this will prove to be a very durable OPS. 9/10.

Intangibles

Appearances wise, I kind of like this stick. The black and yellow version is decent. I like the white handle. I find the dagger taper graphic running down the bottom of the blade a bit distracting, might paint over that, but I like the look.

I do find the non grip to be a little more slick than most. I'm not crazy about it, and I may have to add a tape spiral. I don't like sticky grips but I am liking the velvet grip of some of Warriors recent offerings, I might have to go to that next. 8/10

Conclusion

Fantastic stick, all around. I'm a huge fan of this model. There is very little I don't like about it, and the dagger taper is my new favorite configuration. I expect to use them for a long time. 53/60