The COLT. Kickstarter for hockey sticks...

[leonzhu 7]

My eyes may be deceiving me but is the HC Davos captain using a COLT? Saw a glimpse of it while watching the Spengler Cup. Anybody have a screen capture to confirm?

[customskateworks 39]

Colt has declined to send a sample, saying it will only sell internationally through their website. This is not surprising since a startup company like this could probably not yet meet the quantity demands needed to stock a full line, or have a program in place to do so.

My buddy got in early on the Kickstarter program for it and got one for pretty cheap. I'll borrow it from him, put it through it's paces, and write up a review for it.

[Quintin 16]

Watching the latest episode of HBO 24/7 and I noticed JVR's grey/silver at the bottom of his stick. Seeing as Colt is located in Greater TO, am I right in speculating that both parties are involved with each other or simply that he has a history of spray-painting his sticks?

[TeamHonda401 54]

JVR painted the bottom of his sticks silver all the way back to his Philly days. Nothing to report there.

[JR Boucicaut 3759]

Watching the latest episode of HBO 24/7 and I noticed JVR's grey/silver at the bottom of his stick. Seeing as Colt is located in Greater TO, am I right in speculating that both parties are involved with each other or simply that he has a history of spray-painting his sticks?

HUGE reach there.

[bg9 12]

JVR painted the bottom of his sticks silver all the way back to his Philly days. Nothing to report there.

Brad Richards famously does the same thing, although, I have no idea what the advantage to this is.

[gemini8026 1]

Well. I hate to be the awkward thread bumper, but did anyone here get in on the pre-order?!?

Ive been viewing the forum the last two weeks to see if anyone would chime in after getting one.

I found this link when doing a google search. Could they have made the stick any uglier?!?

http://imgur.com/a/2jpja

But, I want to know how it feels, if it is light enough, any direct comparisons to other sticks?!?

Etc. IF anyone has shot around or played with one, I and I am sure a few others would be curious to hear some opinions...

[jdksaves 56]

this seemed very hyped a few weeks ago and has fallen off pretty heavily, has anyone gotten any updates? Curious to know what happened.

[customskateworks 39]

I used one a few times last week. I was very impressed with the feel when I first picked it up. It is slightly heavier than my EK15, but so is everything else. Kick point is higher than my EK15 so I found it lagging a bit when I was trying to get off a quick shot, but once you get a feel for it you can compensate (think going from a Vapor to a Nexus flex profile). Blade had an above average feel to it, you can get a good sense of heel to toe puck movement. I was hard on it when taking face-offs and took multiple hacks to the nano-coated portion of the stick. At first it looks like the coating is chipping but it's actually the paint from other guys' sticks and puck marks, both of which wipe off pretty easily. Overall I was impressed. Above average feel and solid build quality from a start-up stick manufacturer.

[Skater15 2]

I just checked out the web site and placed one in the cart. Delivered to Michigan $295.80. Seems steep, it had better last the rest of my beer league years at that price. Found a coupon code and brought it down to $285.79.

[roar111 1]

Sorry to bump, but anybody have any updates on this? Any pro-level takers, if I recall correctly they said in either their site or a video about how they were having interest from the pro leagues but couldn't because of something to do with pro patterns and all that jazz. Kinda sounds fishy to me, one would think they'd invest in an athlete or two to gain the publicity, especially since the hype's dropped off quite some.

[Tyler Roy 86]

I heard they are rather far behind with the production of the sticks. I guess early orders have yet to be filled. I have had a few experiences with the stick and found it had little puck feel and response.

[chippa13 1844]

Probably took the money and ran. At some point there will be talk of production issues and how early orders were "investments" and they won't be seeing their money back.

[roar111 1]

I have to say though, I'm pretty surprised by the criticism this has been getting here. Not by any means saying that it's not deserved, lots of people here have brought up some very good points the guys at Colt might not even have thought of. I guess it just goes to show that not all the glitters is gold.

[CommodoreColt 19]

Since the Colt Kickstarter is mostly trying to reach out to people who typically have little exposure to how (buzzword alert) crowdfunding works, I'll clear up a few of these things for this thread.

Far be it from me to feel the need to defend Colt as I have no interest in the stick until it's been through more iterations of the idea, but there is a clear lack of context about what they're doing here.

Are they competing with any of the incumbent stick brands?

No. They're trying a new idea in hockey stick construction out to see if there's interest in such a thing.

Why aren't they putting their sticks in pro players' hands and placing their marketing all over the place like Bauer or CCM?

They're a small independent venture with a test product; their interest isn't strictly brand placement. They don't have the cash to do such a thing because they're funded by early adopters who want to take a chance on the little guy. The early adopters gave Colt money to see if their idea might be better than what the big companies are selling us right now. It's a test of a prototype product, not a brand launching campaign.

Is this a scam, did he just take all of their money?

Kickstarter puts the project under legal responsibility to fulfill all rewards for backers as part of the terms of use. If the stick thing was an elaborate scam this guy would be sued to within an inch of his life and he wouldn't be able to run from it.

I heard there are delays and they're having trouble fulfilling orders, are you sure it's not a scam?

Again, Colt are a small independent operation, not a multinational industrial powerhouse like Bauer or CCM. Keep in mind that small upstarts just can't flip a switch and turn on the stick factory. If they're having trouble fulfilling orders, it's because demand is high (consider this a good thing), staff is small, and their limited access to industrial resources are showing. People who backed the project should have understood before they pledged that they are receiving what are essentially prototype products and that delays are common with small independent crowd-funded operations. Kickstarter and Colt makes a conscious effort to make sure its site's users understand that.

Guys, this isn't secret or privileged information I'm coming up with here. Have a look at the accountability section of Kickstarter's FAQ , the actual Colt Kickstarter page, particularly the "Risks and Challenges" section at the bottom:

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

Schedule Risk: The biggest risk in this project is the schedule. We are confident we will be able to complete the project and deliver on the sticks but if any major issues come up, it may cause delays in the project. Our partners are experienced in project management and will have contingency plans to keep to schedule as much as possible. We’ve already made several prototypes so we know we can do it and PowerMetal has experience in getting products to production.

Supply Risk: We will need to procure composites to our specifications so there is some risk in the quality and timing of products from our suppliers. We will be looking at multiple suppliers in the development and will only make pilot production orders from the best organizations. Our local partners at Integran are an accredited AS9100 (aerospace) and ISO9001 organization and their quality management system will be used in this program.

Performance: We are confident in the technology and our partners in this program but cannot guarantee that the pilot production sticks will reach our ultimate goal in durability vs. weight. Our goal will be to deliver a 460g stick with superior durability compared to any composite stick out there. Not meeting our goal may mean that the initial sticks may be slightly heavier but we intend to deliver on the durability promise.

Regulatory Risk: We will be providing you with a new stick and technology and we cannot guarantee that a referee will not disallow something that is unknown to them. However, our product will conform to regular hockey sticks standards in shape, size and weight. Our sticks have not been disallowed in initial product rink testing.

Safety: As with all carbon fibre sticks, when they break, the edges may be sharp and potentially a cut hazard. Please discontinue use of the product if this occurs and be careful with any metal edges. Remember, the Colt will still have to break.

Financial Risk: Our partner PowerMetal Technologies has been in business for 8 years and their parent company Integran for 14+ years. They have the expertise to bring this product to market and the funds from this Kickstarter project will provide us with the confidence of market demand and allow us to go after the goal whole-heartedly.

Again, I'm not invested either way in Colt failing or succeeding. I'm just providing some context for those who don't have time to read everything out there on the internet about Kickstarter and Colt.

[Chadd 916]

Since the Colt Kickstarter is mostly trying to reach out to people who typically have little exposure to how (buzzword alert) crowdfunding works, I'll clear up a few of these things for this thread.

Crowdfunding lets them generate investment money without having to give up an ownership stake as they would have to do with more traditional venture capital.

[CommodoreColt 19]

Crowdfunding lets them generate investment money without having to give up an ownership stake as they would have to do with more traditional venture capital.

That's one facet of a many, many-faceted thing, yes. It does not define crowdfunding, though. In fact, if you're a startup trying to replace serious capital investment with crowdfunding you're already finished.

Kickstarter isn't intended to be a replacement for investment capital. Crowdfunding like Kickstarter is for getting products to market that are too expensive for an individual to bring to production but deserves to have a chance on the market. It's for the independent inventor to get an invention to market without relinquishing it to the intellectual property meat grinder. It is not for a startup trying to launch a disruptive brand and directly compete on the retail level. Nothing indicates Colt is trying to do that.

People keep trying to conflate crowdfunding with startup investment capital and this misunderstanding is the source of undue criticism.

[chippa13 1844]

So this is somebody hoping to have their idea get noticed and bought out.

[bunnyman666 445]

Crowdfunding is ***supposed*** to prevent vapourware. However, despite good venture capital and crowdfunding, sometimes the cost of getting production off of the ground for a start up will render all but unlimited funds exhausted, especially if the trusted factories will not risk steady pay for your possible one-time run. Yes, I can say I know what that is like...

What you have to remember is that R&D for a start up is VERY EXPENSIVE, and that 8/10 times, the great idea never has the funds to make it to market. I was lucky enough that with my contacts I got an idea sold before trying to get it to market (and thusly had to sell my interests in producing things), but it would have taken a kickstarter campaign from HELL to get it going. No such thing existed back then, and many times, bad luck, poor marketing, and a crappy web site will kill a great idea. Most of the time, the idea is poached by a bigger concern. Again-I was lucky.

[CommodoreColt 19]

So this is somebody hoping to have their idea get noticed and bought out.

Perhaps. It's one of a few paths a successful Kickstarter funded project could take. But don't rule out the kick a young engineer gets out of seeing his invention in the hands of real people. Imagine what it would be like to put that on your resume.

[shooter27 116]

I heard they are rather far behind with the production of the sticks. I guess early orders have yet to be filled. I have had a few experiences with the stick and found it had little puck feel and response.

I saw someone at the rink last night with one. Didn't have the chance to talk to them and find out if its a review or he bought it.

Also, as far as the crowdfunding vs. VC debate goes. I'm not really a fan of crowdfunding. It may be explicit that people are backing the company in exchange for prototype product, instead of an ownership stake - which has been mentioned - but, many people aren't particularly sophisticated enough to fully understand the realities associated with backing a prototype and the risks involved. They may also not be financially suited to take such a risk (hence why no ownership stake changes hands). There is a reason that investing in VC funds, or PE funds, or hedge funds, or many other types of high-risk, illiquid investment is limited to Qualified Investors - meaning institutional investors or individuals with a net worth of over $1 million or having made north of $250k a year for the past two years (those definitions may have changed since the last time I looked). Those are people that have the financial wherewithal to bear a loss and, ostensibly, the sophistication to understand what they're getting themselves into.

[CommodoreColt 19]

I saw someone at the rink last night with one. Didn't have the chance to talk to them and find out if its a review or he bought it.

Also, as far as the crowdfunding vs. VC debate goes. I'm not really a fan of crowdfunding. It may be explicit that people are backing the company in exchange for prototype product, instead of an ownership stake - which has been mentioned - but, many people aren't particularly sophisticated enough to fully understand the realities associated with backing a prototype and the risks involved. They may also not be financially suited to take such a risk (hence why no ownership stake changes hands). There is a reason that investing in VC funds, or PE funds, or hedge funds, or many other types of high-risk, illiquid investment is limited to Qualified Investors - meaning institutional investors or individuals with a net worth of over $1 million or having made north of $250k a year for the past two years (those definitions may have changed since the last time I looked). Those are people that have the financial wherewithal to bear a loss and, ostensibly, the sophistication to understand what they're getting themselves into.

Crowdfunding vs. VC (or other investment capital sources like angel investment) is a false equivalency. They don't serve the same type of startup.

When Kickstarter backers pledge money, they aren't making an investment in the company. They're pledging a preorder to the project's product so that the project has enough cash to get the invention off the drafting table and into the factory.

[bunnyman666 445]

Crowdfunding vs. VC (or other investment capital sources like angel investment) is a false equivalency. They don't serve the same type of startup.

When Kickstarter backers pledge money, they aren't making an investment in the company. They're pledging a preorder to the project's product so that the project has enough cash to get the invention off the drafting table and into the factory.

Precisely.

[AIREAYE 248]

Partly the reason why this model has proven so successful. It's alternative retailing in startup products! Indiegogo is similar with music.

[shooter27 116]

Crowdfunding vs. VC (or other investment capital sources like angel investment) is a false equivalency. They don't serve the same type of startup.

When Kickstarter backers pledge money, they aren't making an investment in the company. They're pledging a preorder to the project's product so that the project has enough cash to get the invention off the drafting table and into the factory.

Yes, I completely understand it, that's why I mentioned it in my post. My point was, there is still risk associated with crowd funding, even if you're not receiving an ownership stake (e.g. The product not getting off the ground and receiving nothing for your money). Frankly, in my opinion, crowd funding preys on people because it gets them to invest in a company in exchange for something other than an ownership. Call it what you like, but putting money into a product prototype is an investment, and I would bet the majority of people that give money via kickstarter would tell you they think of it as an investment. You're not purchasing something that is readily available, you're purchasing something that may or may not ever get made and you're getting nothing in exchange for taking that risk. That's what all investment transactions are at their heart, a transfer of risk from one party to another. With kickstarter you're taking on that risk and not getting an ownership stake.

The only way I could justify doing something like that with my own money is if I were to consider it a donation to something I deeply believed in. I've invested in startups personally many times and I would never do so, or counsel someone to do so, without receiving some sort of participation in the upside if the startup were to take off, be it an ownership stake or something else.