2013-2014 Sticks

[Zjack38 46]

Yes but they have improved so so so much in lightness, and many sticks are getting lighter, more pop,better in feel,

and more durability.

[Cavs019 708]

Wrong. The XN10 was 395 grams and lasted forever.

[Zjack38 46]

395 grams? That seems a little exaggerated but ill take your word for it I guess

[Tyler Roy 86]

How about Mission getting back in the game with the STIR-D line. I'd assume is existing tech from Bauer but cool non the less.

[Michael9 57]

395 grams? That seems a little exaggerated but ill take your word for it I guess

He's correct. The XN10 and CNT were both sub 400g.

Edit: Mix up original stealth, not CNT. Thanks Cavs019

[Souldriver 64]

At this point I'll take a couple more grams and better balance than an ultra light stick and I think that's what's happening now at days.

[Cavs019 708]

The 2005 Stealth was 395, the 2006 CNT was 415 I believe (add 5 for grip). They, along with the XN10 had perfect balance and above average durability, so that argument is out of the question also. I'm not that concerned with weight by any means as balance is more important, but the key areas that would be touted on a new stick (weight/balance/durability/feel) haven't been improved on in YEARS.

Tell me, aside from intelisense-freak-channel-amplified-dual lie marketing where the newer sticks are better? I'm not slighting the manufacturers in any way but this is the one category (in my opinion) where progression has been non-existent while skates and protective are worlds better.

[mjpisat 36]

Saw the ribcore at total hockey today. Dude who works there said its amazing. He also got to try the apx 2 and said he loves the apx but preferred the ribcore. He also agreed with me that the 11k and 20k were duds. Now I'm intrigued.

[Souldriver 64]

Maybe an apple and oranges comparison but I have a cyclone shaft and a cnt blade that is just as light and as balanced as nearly all the top end sticks of today and I've used an apx, widow, and dt1 over the past year over it for many reasons. The main one is the feel for the puck isn't as good, I would constantly loose the puck on where it was on my blade. The warriors and to a lesser extent the apx , I could feel better where the puck was on the blade and it felt more of an extension of me instead of just being a tool I used. The newer sticks do retain their like new pop a bit longer that 2 piece has a much higher flex but feels like a wet rubber band when shooting, where as the newer sticks are much quicker to respond and give much more back when shooting. The new sticks have also held up much better for me especially in the blade area the apx chipped a bit but not too much over a year's use and the new dt1 has been a tank.in every sense of the word for me, the odd one out is the widow which didn't last at all for me but is more than made up in the dt1. That 2 piece is still together but that blade is now beat. It didn't take many games to chip and the blade has a verticle crack in it's face right near the hosel. I'm sure with one bad, ground smacking slapper the whole blade will pop off.

Now I'm not saying sticks now are all much better but they are improved in my opinion. I can't say much about protective since mine is old and still does it's job or skates bc I my feet are weird and no skate fits my feet that well.

[Cavs019 708]

You're comparing a two piece with tooth-pick dimensions and an oval handle (and as a result found its primary end use to be roller hockey) to square shafted or rounded corner top of the line one piece sticks. The Cyclone (and original Synergy/Ultra-Lite/Griplite, 2000ish and prior) also predates the era I'm talking about above (2005-2006) where I think stick technology peaked and has regressed since then. More like apples to steak.

[DEATHTRON 19]

I too am on the nothing has been as good as the XN10 in terms of kick and reliability. The concept on the Xn10 was very straight forward, it kicked harder than other shafts. The results were undeniable. It makes me sad to think that I cant get another Xn10.

My new Mako shafts just feel dead. Hope they make a Ribcor in shaft form, might be worth a try.

Zach

[Souldriver 64]

You're comparing a two piece with tooth-pick dimensions and an oval handle (and as a result found its primary end use to be roller hockey) to square shafted or rounded corner top of the line one piece sticks. The Cyclone (and original Synergy/Ultra-Lite/Griplite, 2000ish and prior) also predates the era I'm talking about above (2005-2006) where I think stick technology peaked and has regressed since then. More like apples to steak.

My cyclone was made during that mid 2000ish time and it does not have an oval handle and the apx is nearly as small and rounded as it. a matter of fact i bought the apx bc the shaft dimensions felt as close as can be to the cyclone in my hands. and arnt a lot of one piece sticks really 2 pieces with a fuse point? isnt there a whole thread here dedicated to cutting OPS to make a 2 piece stick?this is a bit off topic but i think they are a little closer to each other than you think. but going back on topic, i think to say things regressed is pushing it a bit.

[Cavs019 708]

1. The Cyclone is an oval handle, it always has been. The Cyclone construction never really changed from its initial intro in composite form (it was first released in Aluminum). I presume you have the royal blue one, which is the same as the metallic purple one before it which was released around 2000 (there was a crimson colored one before that, etc). Unless yours is a pro stock or some kind of second, the shaft is oval...

...2. Why are you even talking about the Cyclone? I'm comparing today's top of the line one piece sticks to top of the line one piece sticks from a few years ago (ie, sticks with similar construction methods and no "dead zone" effect that you get with a lot of two-piece combos, but avoid with a fused OPS), not a mid range two piece to todays top of the line sticks. You might as well try to refute my argument by saying that sticks have improved because a Total One is better than a Sherwood 9950. They are literally nothing alike.

3. There are threads dedicated to cutting OPS' to make a 2 piece stick, but everyone and their mother knows that you experience a noticable drop off in performance when doing so.

Getting back on topic, I'd like to give the V9 a whirl as I'm hoping one of these years Easton will bring that line back to the SE16 glory days.

[All Flash 49]

Depends...... you talking about the 9950 ops or the wood version .......... 0.o

[tml67 0]

He's correct. The XN10 and CNT were both sub 400g.

Edit: Mix up original stealth, not CNT. Thanks Cavs019

None of those sticks were sub 400g despite what were printed on the sticks, not the Stealth and not the XN10. The CNT grip actually weighted about 460g.

[Zjack38 46]

That why I thought, the weight seemed to low for a stick that old, it would be lighter than today's total ones, and the nexus.

But please let's return to the topic now: anyone have any ideas on what the new Sherwood line Is going to be called?

[LoneStar77 25]

After breaking both a blade (purchased two replacements on sale) & a shaft (an older blue & gray Easton Synergy ST) in the last 3 weeks, I am seriously looking forward to trying out my first one piece stick. I am waiting for the Warrior Covert DT3LT, since it fits in the budget & seems to incorporate some great features at its price point.

[Souldriver 64]

@lonestar: you may even want to look at the dt1 stick when it hits a sale which will most likely be around that time.

[cemetery 14]

Really looking forward to the V9, not much I have to complain about the Mako2 except the graphics package which the V9 is a definite improvement upon.

[Cavs019 708]

None of those sticks were sub 400g despite what were printed on the sticks, not the Stealth and not the XN10. The CNT grip actually weighted about 460g.

Depending on the curve, sure. But the point is that they were still lighter and better balanced than just about everything out now.

[mrdanglz11 0]

V9E V9

[mcne0101 16]

I hated the CNT, one of the worst puck feels of any one piece I've ever used. I really liked the si-core back in the day, also I still have an original stealth 85 flex iginla as my back up. It's being held together by epoxy but that might be my favorite stick I've ever had. That said, my current Nexus 1000 is challenging that.

To stay on topic, I'm interested in trying the APX2...I really liked the APX I had but it broke relatively quickly. Got a Nexus as a replacement and haven't looked back. That said, i've always preferred a lower flex point prior to trying the Nexus.

[tml67 0]

Depending on the curve, sure. But the point is that they were still lighter and better balanced than just about everything out now.

Different curve pattern will not make that much of a difference in weight...maybe +/- a couple grams. I can't say which stick has better balance, but the current APX & Nexus 1000 would be lighter than the Stealth and the XN10.

Bauer Nexus 87 P88 Grip 416g

Bauer APX 87 PM9 413g

Bauer APX 87 P88 Grip 419g

[Cavs019 708]

^{The XN10 came in around 410-430 on the scale depending on the curve. Not to mention you're comparing a P88 to PM9 which obviously isn't going to capture a difference. Try PM9 vs P02 then let me know what the results are. At the end of the day, if all you care about is absolute weight in grams, we've gotten roughly 20-30 grams lighter in almost 9 years (which is absolutely negligible to anyone who can curl anything over a 5 lb dumbell). Stick tech has become pretty mature and the only true significant advancements to the technology as we know it won't be profitable for manufacturers (unless it is something potentially "disruptive" and new that could reshape the entire industry, ie. all sticks start to come with Ribcore tech as a hypothetical). Anything lighter will be too light, and anything that holds pop forever and/or doesn't break canibalizes repeat sales.}

[tml67 0]

^{The XN10 came in around 410-430 on the scale depending on the curve. Not to mention you're comparing a P88 to PM9 which obviously isn't going to capture a difference. Try PM9 vs P02 then let me know what the results are. At the end of the day, if all you care about is absolute weight in grams, we've gotten roughly 20-30 grams lighter in almost 9 years (which is absolutely negligible to someone who can curl anything over a 5 lb dumbell). Stick tech has become pretty mature and the only true significant advancements to the technology won't be profitable for manufacturers. Anything lighter will be too light, and anything that holds pop forever and/or doesn't break canibalizes repeat sales.}

The couple of XN10s I had were around 435g if I remember correctly, but definatley not in the 410g range of the APX or the Nexus. The curve was similar to a P106 I believe. I never had the P02 so can't say. I was never a big fan of the XN10, but I guess that's just personal preference. Given the choice, I would pick the Nexus & TO over the XN10 or Stealth.