The COLT. Kickstarter for hockey sticks...

[AIREAYE 248]

Their curves are all wrong. I also had a hard time deciphering their graphics before I realized it was COLTCOLTCOLT.

[PMurphy17 25]

Does anyone understand the ramifications for this products. They are trying to build an unbreakable stick that doesn't wear out.

What kind of sales pitch can you use to a retailer that will convince them to sell a stick that will make your sales disappear. Do you end that sales pitch with "here today gone tomorrow" or simply say Shazam.

[Harv 86]

So what happens when you go full speed towards the ends boards and it gets caught in a dasher and this stick turns into a giant sphere because it won't break?

I thought there was a stipulation with manufacturers that sticks have to break at a certain point so they don't end up shooting through someones mid-section..

[chippa13 1844]

The NHL has a mandate that all sticks must fail under a certain load of force. Like you said, if the stick doesn't break then the body will.

[steelnation248 101]

One of the guys for the company was answering questions about this stick recently. When someone asked about this, they said the stick will break.

[AIREAYE 248]

Does anyone understand the ramifications for this products. They are trying to build an unbreakable stick that doesn't wear out.

What kind of sales pitch can you use to a retailer that will convince them to sell a stick that will make your sales disappear. Do you end that sales pitch with "here today gone tomorrow" or simply say Shazam.

Are they aiming to distribute through retailers?

[Chadd 916]

My impression was that the coating was simply to reduce the effect of slashes and other impacts to the shaft. That would likely extend the life for those who play in leagues with significant stick work, but have little effect for those of us that don't.

[fastmiele 59]

My impression was that the coating was simply to reduce the effect of slashes and other impacts to the shaft. That would likely extend the life for those who play in leagues with significant stick work, but have little effect for those of us that don't.

wouldn't pro players be a good candidate for these sticks ? The last thing you need is to have your stick snap at a crucial point of the game and lead to a scoring chancing for the opposition ? For example, the Cliff Ronning stick break. I think it was in the playoffs and the opposition went on a break away.

[jdksaves 56]

It looks like they are not coating the full shaft, just hosel area and blade. I am curious on a few things, what an extra coating does to the balance of the stick and also where they stop the coating would cause a immediate break point. When I was with Miken we tested out some coating agents, but they did not make the sticks perform better and only made the sticks last a little longer. Their slash test does not show any flex of the stick during a slash or after a slash. I would like to see all the R and D #'s for puck impacts, slash and flex #'s along with shot counts and balance points compared to all other manufacturers before I am sold that this would work. Best of luck to them, but like most everyone else skeptical

[A2rhino 62]

I wish these guys the best of luck. Who knows, maybe they'll simply end up selling the design to one of the bigger guys. It wouldn't be the first time this happen. I'm actually surprised that a few other ideas that we have seen in the past have not been picked up, but instead have gone to the wayside.

[Chadd 916]

wouldn't pro players be a good candidate for these sticks ? The last thing you need is to have your stick snap at a crucial point of the game and lead to a scoring chancing for the opposition ? For example, the Cliff Ronning stick break. I think it was in the playoffs and the opposition went on a break away.

Sticks will still break, you're better off not having a false sense of security.

[Captain Sane 2]

Skimmed the page, and I thought the tech sounded a lot like what has been used in tennis rackets lately, HEAD calls it Graphene. Sure enough, I saw a HEAD logo where they show who their supplier has worked with in the past.

Graphene has some issues with being brittle at impact:

http://gizmodo.com/5995046/graphene-has-a-fatal-flaw

So I'm not sure it's the best material to use in a hockey stick. They might be using different tech in this stick but if you read the description sounds very similar

[Wolfpack_1986 146]

I wish you guys had tipped me off about this earlier.

I have concerns, to say the least. It is possible that it will provide increase slash protection, I'm not sure I can make an argument that it wouldn't. However, from regular shooting, and the internal mechanical stresses, I don't know that youre going to prevent micro fractures from forming, and ultimately causing failure (or going "flat").

Skimmed the page, and I thought the tech sounded a lot like what has been used in tennis rackets lately, HEAD calls it Graphene. Sure enough, I saw a HEAD logo where they show who their supplier has worked with in the past.

Graphene has some issues with being brittle at impact:

http://gizmodo.com/5995046/graphene-has-a-fatal-flaw

So I'm not sure it's the best material to use in a hockey stick. They might be using different tech in this stick but if you read the description sounds very similar

Are they actually using graphene? Or are they calling something graphene to sound cool?

The use of graphene, I'm not sure how you're picturing them using it, but you won't get large flat sheets. If you could make graphene like that, you'd be a billionaire over night (I'm not even being hyperbolic). Its absurdly expensive to produce in amounts that are able to provide much benefit... I mean, I can make graphene with a roll of scotch tape and a pencil, but it wouldn't be anything useable.

So, I guess they technically do, but I have a feeling its all garbage waste from failed graphene experiments, that was suspended and mixed into the matrix. It would be about the same application and a stealth CNT... Marginal improvements to the product. Massive improvements to the marketing tactics.

[Captain Sane 2]

I wish you guys had tipped me off about this earlier.

I have concerns, to say the least. It is possible that it will provide increase slash protection, I'm not sure I can make an argument that it wouldn't. However, from regular shooting, and the internal mechanical stresses, I don't know that youre going to prevent micro fractures from forming, and ultimately causing failure (or going "flat").

Are they actually using graphene? Or are they calling something graphene to sound cool?

The use of graphene, I'm not sure how you're picturing them using it, but you won't get large flat sheets. If you could make graphene like that, you'd be a billionaire over night (I'm not even being hyperbolic). Its absurdly expensive to produce in amounts that are able to provide much benefit... I mean, I can make graphene with a roll of scotch tape and a pencil, but it wouldn't be anything useable.

So, I guess they technically do, but I have a feeling its all garbage waste from failed graphene experiments, that was suspended and mixed into the matrix. It would be about the same application and a stealth CNT... Marginal improvements to the product. Massive improvements to the marketing tactics.

I am just speculating, it's largely based on the way they are describing the material on the kickstarter page. But I think you're right, I would think that if they are using graphene (or something like it), it would be very similar to the way HEAD uses it for their rackets. I don't know exactly what the process is, but probably not much different than the way sticks are made now from standard carbon fiber.

Here is HEAD's website where they talk about their use of graphene. They are claiming it's better at power transfer, not simply strength, but take it from somebody who has played tennis a long time and seen many technologies come and go, it's almost definitely BS. Which is why this kickstarter has me pretty skeptical, as well.

http://head.com/g/us/graphene/

[Wolfpack_1986 146]

The stick company is not using graphene, or anything like it. Just to be clear.

And yes, by marginal improvement I meant "mostly bs", re: tennis racket.

[Captain Sane 2]

The stick company is not using graphene, or anything like it. Just to be clear.

And yes, by marginal improvement I meant "mostly bs", re: tennis racket.

You're right, I did a little research and found out what the connection with HEAD was, and it's technology they haven't used in a racket in a long time (called Metallix if you care to look it up). Obviously a hockey stick needs to serve different needs, but knowing that I'm a lot more skeptical now.

[AIREAYE 248]

Are they aiming to distribute through retailers?

So I found the answer to this question the other day, as a rep visited my store to inquire about us carrying the COLT. Since I'm not the owner and am not privy to his decisions and conversations with COLT, the opinions below are my own.

Holding the stick, the coating in the lower 1/3rd definitely stood out; it's absolutely a distinctive product. Didn't like any of the graphics above it though, 'COLT' wasn't spelled out vividly or clearly and the graphics were unremarkable. Balance/weight-wise, it compares to any pricepoint stick that sits one or two below the top. I was impressed that there didn't seem to be any chipping to the coating, which in itself is cool, but to be expected from them and their explanation of the tech. Didn't get a chance to use it.

Business-wise, I don't think that they will be able to secure any solid wide-spread distribution in conventional brick-and-mortar retail due to a myriad of reasons, such as the relatively unknown-factor of the brand, the seemingly low repeat purchasing of the product (if it truly is THAT durable), the price ($270) and others which many of you have touched upon.

The thought of licensing the technology crossed my mind, but due to the factor of balancing durability and repeat-business for your conventional manufacturers, I'm not sure how interested anyone would be given that nano-tech has been around for a long time. Sticks like the CNT and the elasTech resins come to mind.

The only way that I could see stores (especially ones with smaller square-footage/shelf space) wanting this product is through consignment. Grab a handful of COLTs, get the company to provide any signage, POP displays and marketing. This way, the stores have little risk invested and they can benefit from being the first ones to carry the stick. If COLT promotes the fact that a store carries it, the store could take advantage of any initial interest generated by the company (TV spots, media mentions, social media etc. which I though was done well) and convert it into foot traffic.

[gxc999 7]

Holy sh**, did I read that right, $270?? Seriously?

[AIREAYE 248]

Go on their website and click pre order.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Well hell...I thought this was new whan I saw it today.

[Stewie 721]

Well hell...I thought this was new whan I saw it today.

It was new to you, so at least you were only partially wrong :)

[RadioGaGa 162]

haha...good point.

[kovalchuk71 212]

EDIT: Apparently Radio posted this in his other thread, but I didn't see it. DOH

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/trying-to-break-the-unbreakable-stick/

What does the "pop" of the stick have to do with the special protective material? 10,000 hours without losing pop?? That's beyond hard to believe.

[Chadd 916]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/trying-to-break-the-unbreakable-stick/

Apparently it's going to "revolutionize" the industry

And what does the "pop" of the stick have to do with the special protective material? 10,000 hours without losing pop?? That's beyond hard to believe.

From the article:

“We had people logging 1,000 slap shots per hour on this thing, and we did not experience any damage or deadening of the shaft, which is what happens with a lot of the composites,”

I seriously doubt more than one person took at least one slap shot every 3.75 seconds for an hour. Even firing off a couple hundred slapshots in incredibly tiring, I can't even imagine keeping up that kind of pace for an hour straight.

Colt tagged several players to put one stick through 10,000 hours of use – still, the flex and pop did not deteriorate whatsoever.

10,000 hours is 416 days of round the clock play.

Look at the date on the picture that "inspired" the stick. March 13, 2013

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/04/the-best-pictures-from-national-post-photographers-for-march-2013/

It's an interesting concept but I've heard similar claims before and it usually just ends up being smoke and mirrors. The 30g weight from the coating on the bottom third of the stick will be hard to balance out and still keep the stick as light as people expect.

[Stewie 721]

big numbers look so good! even if they arent very realistic =) maybe the technology allows a single stick to replicate itself into the hands of your entire team.