The COLT. Kickstarter for hockey sticks...

[bunnyman666 445]

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.

What I was going to propose to get my bicycle widget to market was not only product, but anything from distributor consideration to ownership stakes. But one person I trusted very much told me to shop the design first making certain I had non-disclosure agreements in place. Most people, while they want to help out a cause, want some sort of ownership when they risk their hard-earned money for something that could easily be vapourware. Kickstarter didn't exist back then when I tried my venture, and I am still very happy that I didn't have to run around with my hat in hand to get investors at the end of it all when I sold the design (and subsequently, my company). Begging for start up cash always felt a bit slimy to me.

[shotty 7]

_{s​hooter27, you are aware that the company on kickstarter asking for cash in exchange for product (or whatever the offer is) doesn't actually get the cash until/unless they meet the goal? "backing" a company on kickstarter is essentially risk free, unless of course you aren't happy with the end product.... but that's the same risk you take every time you make a purchase.}

[romdj 26]

I'm quite curious to read a first review of those colts, they might actually address a need players have.

Kickstarter imo is a mix of funding (which it fundamentally is) and gift/gadget shop.

[Bolo 10]

I'd like to hear some reviews as well. Not too worried about the pros and cons of kickstarter. :P

[WingNut092 3]

As embarrassing as this may end up for me, i actually just purchased one on friday and will use it for the first time tomorrow night...

i found myself in need of a new stick after my last RBK O-Stick became less than reliable.. I've been using a variation of the O stick for about 5 years now and was now in the position of having to start with fresh lumber..

I heard about the Colt sticks thru a friend and did some googlizing like the rest of you... seemed too good to be true but the logic was intriguing enough for me to check it out.. statistically, i was going thru at least one composite a season.. less because of breakage, but more wear to the blade from draws and overall weakening of the shaft from shots and slashes... I always found my stick becoming more and more flexible as weeks went by which usually had me using a stick longer than i should, simply because it wasn't "broken" and i couldn't justify tossing a stick which was still intact...

This is why i chose to try the Colt. If the strength of the stick and the blade can hold up for 2 or 3 seasons, the price is worth it...

for a quick, pre-use review, i can tell you this... at first, the stick felt a little bottom heavy... kind of like a two piece in some ways but i found it to be much more balanced when stick handling than a two piece.. the overall weight of the stick was pretty impressive given the fact that i expected a much heavier piece of lumber.. i am terrified that it will break or take a while to get used to but i guess time will tell.. i'll be happy to provide everyone with an update after i use it tomorrow...

[Bolo 10]

I'm looking forward to hear how it treats you.

[WingNut092 3]

ok.. so i've had a chance to use the stick twice and here are my thoughts..

first off, the stick is a little shorter than i usually like it so i'm still adjusting to that. i could have put an extension in but decided against it and want to take a stab at using a shorter stick for a bit...

with that out of the way, i can say that the length adjustment was pretty much my only issue. The stick is solid, yet extremely easy to control. Handling the puck is great and shots seem to snap off the stick surprisingly well given how solid the low part of the stick feels.

weight wise, i found it to be a tad bottom heavy at first like i mentioned before but once you're using the stick, it disappears... I found my RBK 8.0.8 to be a lighter stick than this one but the majority of the guys on my team who held the stick commented on how lighter they feel it is from their bauer or easton sticks... i'm not sure which model sticks they have but i'm sure i can find that out if anyone is super interested in knowing..

after one game and a 2 hour shinny, the stick itself held up great. I've noticed 3 marks on the blade of the stick from slashes i'm assuming but nothing on the shaft of the stick at all..

all in all, i'm extremely pleased with the performance of the stick but time will tell as to whether or not it's a good investment. Performance alone does not justify the cost but longevity and durability most certainly will....

[Bolo 10]

The marks on the blade, are they like dings in the material or just smudges on the coating?

Could you maybe post up some pictures?

[WingNut092 3]

one was a ding as it cut thru my tape.. rest are smudges.. i can take a pic of it and post sure...

[monoclub 5]

Any more reviews on this stick? Especially interested now that its been on the market for 6mths, does it live up to its claims for durability?

[jdksaves 56]

That's funny, for whatever reason I was just thinking this morning what was the name of that company and how they sure fell off the face of the earth quickly. Figured I would have heard a little more for how much hype there was and usually it doesn't just drop like it did, but I have heard nothing over the last 4 to 5 months.

[All Flash 49]

Buddy of mine just got his and is waiting to put it in use.

Will update as he lets me know. Weighs in at 495 grams for those who care.

[A2rhino 62]

Interesting info. So the site says the flex is 5 points stiffer than the reg. ratings. I have found this same thing with Bauer Supreme sticks as well so that shouldn't be to big of a deal. Looking forward to trying one of these out now that the price has come down and shipping is free,

[WingNut092 3]

here's a quick update of my experiences so far if anyone is interested....

the stick is going on 6+ months now and it's holding up strong.. the flex still feels the same as it did as the day i bought it and the blade hasn't worn away at all.. there are some slash marks here and there on the shaft but it all appears to be paint from other sticks leaving the marks... all in all, i'm extremely impressed and satisfied with the product. I would recommend that you test the flex out prior to purchasing as it does seem to be stiffer than you'd, we'll i expected... looking back, i should have dropped the flex a bit.

Overall, the stick is fantastic once you get used to it... as i stated before, it seems a little bottom heavy at first but that feeling quickly disappears. I've become so confident with the stick that i don't even bring a backup to my games any more... i highly recommend it...

[mc88 160]

From another forum:

Faceoff slash (classic) = One unbreakable stick broken

Used for 4 month at 2x a week

Marketing = Great

SAV = not so great

[WingNut092 3]

ooouch... that's terrifying.. must of been a hell of a slash..

[chippa13 1844]

In all fairness, faceoffs are hell on sticks, especially if you're going against a lot of Johnny Triehards.

[AIREAYE 248]

Sample size: 1

Circumstance surrounding sample : testimony only

Conclusion: insignificant

They never said their sticks are unbreakeable did they? Like, explicitly?

[WingNut092 3]

all sticks have to have a break point for safety reasons. the term "unbreakable" to the best of my knowledge was put on by media... all i've heard them say is that it's more durable ...

i purchased this stick specifically because i was going thru too many because of the abuse in the circle.. by now the toe of my blade would already be on the way to being shaved down to the point where it can be used as a weapon... i haven't seen any wear down on blade yet which is fantastic for me..

[bspec 1]

I agree, it was the media who coined the term 'unbreakable' and people buy into this thinking it'll NEVER break. Obviously it's breakable, but is it more durable than your regular one-piece composite stick? I'd say so. A friend of mine has had his from the beginning and it's scuffed, but still in great shape. He's taken some nasty slashes too.

Personally, I'm going to hold off until at least gen2 for them to hopefully improve on the weight and flex. I've got a few sticks I'm rotating through though, so I'm pretty patient.

[A2rhino 62]

A kid at my rink has one. I was watching him and his buddies taking turns smacking it against the crossbar.

Kids will be kids.

[chippa13 1844]

Well, the company does have a video of someone doing just that with the title of the video as "The Unbreakable Hockey Stick".

[jonwalker36 4]

I think technology is too good for the some of the "stick issues." Dead blades, no responsive shafts, breaks at bad flex points etc. I know due to the sport there will never be a perfect or unbreakable stick, I find it crazy that the durability of sticks is still somewhat poor. That's is my biggest issue with twigs today. Not worse than the price of the dam things though, one day I'd hope that changes.