STX Stallion - mattc555

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Open

[Mattc555 22]

I’d like to start out by thanking JR, STX, and MSH for the opportunity to review this stick. STX is a new player in the ice hockey market. Their willingness to supply product for public review speaks volumes of confidence in their offerings.

I’ll start out with initial impressions and information:

Product: STX Stallion

Curve: X88 – similar to Bauer P88

Flex: 100

Grip: Yes

About Me:

Male

Height: 5'-9"
Weight: 195

32 years old
Position: D/C

I am a B level Adult Hockey player with 25 years experience. I’ve been playing hockey most of my life. I played club hockey through Bantam, high school D1 varsity, and college intramurals.

I currently play 3 times a week on average; one team, two pickups.

Recent Sticks: Bauer Totalone, Easton Mako, Warrior Dynasty

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First Impressions:

I received the stick last Thursday and have played two pickups with it so far. It came in a flat STX labeled box. I was immediately impressed with the weight and balance of the stick. My own very unofficial scale puts it between 420-440 grams. I cut the stick to length, removing 3”, taped it up, and compared it to my two current sticks: Warrior Dynasty - 105 flex Kremlin, and Easton Mako – 85 flex Getzlaf. I played a pickup with it that night, and felt that it was an upgrade from my Mako, which is my current go to stick.

Appearance: The graphics of this stick are very similar to Easton’s RS sticks. They feel generic, and nothing about them stands out. This is very subjective, mind you, and the construction is on par with any of the other top end sticks.

Peer Appeal: I immediately heard a few remarks regarding the “Stallion” branding, and ‘Who makes that stick?’ type comments. Everyone was impressed with the balance and weight of the stick.

Weight: This is a very light stick. In hand it feels lighter than both the Dynasty and Mako. Whether or not the actual weight reflects this I don’t know, however it feels lighter than anything I’ve used before. This includes: the Totalone, APX, Covert, and Easton RS.

Balance: I am amazed with the balance of this stick. It feels perfect and allows for effortless stick handling.

Grip: I like a light grip and that is exactly what this stick came with. It is just enough to keep my hand in place, without feeling glued to one area of the stick.

Feel: This stick feels STIFF in both the shaft and the blade. Flex is definitely mid kick, and feels firmer than my Dynasty 105 flex. I chose the X88 because I wanted a change from my current stint with Getzlaf/Lidstrom curves. I had a feeling that they were limiting my stick handling; especially toe drags. I feel that this sticks stiffness and X88 curve improved my stick handling immediately. Quickly transitioning the puck from forehand to backhand is seamless. This has been the greatest highlight so far.

Passing: I found sending and receiving passes to be very natural. Saucers are easy with this blade, and hard passes are easily gathered. It reminds me of my old Totalone, which received passes better than anything I’ve tried.

Shooting: Snap shots are releasing lower than my Mako and Dynasty, and look to have equal velocity. The lower trajectory is most likely due to the difference in blades. Slap shots are hard and accurate, a large improvement over the Mako, however not quite as good as with my Dynasty. Wrist shots are on par with both my other sticks. One timers are better than the other sticks, most likely due to the stiff blade and shaft.

Pictures: I have a bunch of pictures, but will have to wait until tonight to load them up.

Overall I am impressed with this stick, and look forward to getting back on the ice with it. Stay tuned.

[Mattc555 22]

Here are few pictures from the unboxing:

[Mattc555 22]

I had a chance to use the Stallion three more times in the last week. I'm still very impressed with the stick. I feel I can stick handle better with it than anything I've used before. The balance, weight, blade feel, lie, and curve are just superb. Passes stick to the blade like glue, and the blade stiffness is very noticeable when I have to reach out to catch a pass on the toe.

I did have a scare with it the other night. I was fed a one timer and shot it off the toe. This must have put a tremendous amount of torque on the blade and lower shaft. The shot sounded really strange, almost like hitting a baseball with a wooden bat, and my immediate thought was that I'd broken the stick. However, it is still perfectly fine. The shot did loosen up something in the shaft, which is now rattling around like mad. I plan on taking the back cap off tonight, and accessing what's inside. I'll post a picture of my findings.

[Mattc555 22]

I had posted a quick update, but I believe it was lost in the recent server mess. The stick has been holding up great. I've used it for two months, approximately 24 skates. It feels just like the first time I've used it. There is a coating on the bottom third of the stick that is rather thick, and seems to be helping the stick survive hard slashes.

I have a few pics of recent carnage and of the massive amount of glue that fell out of the stick. I'll try and upload them soon.

All in all I highly rate this stick.

[Mattc555 22]

40th skate update:

The stick is still in great shape. It has taken a beating and is still performing wonderfully. The blade remains stiff and the toe hasn't had a single chip.

I have noticed in the last month a small reduction in shaft stiffness, however this has been a bonus for me. Snap shots are harder and more accurate, and slap shots are easier to load. I played defense in a high level game the other night, and was constantly taking shots from the point. Every single one was hard, low, and on target, with one resulting in a goal. Regardless of my hand position, or length of back swing, the puck exits hard and straight. Love it.

[Mattc555 22]

With 55 skates under its belt, the stick is still holding on. It has definitely lost some of it's pop on slapshots, but remains stiff overall. I recently tried out a bunch of sticks: Tacks, NXG, original Totalone, and an APX2. I can definitely say that this stick holds it's own with all of the above. However, with the reduced pop off of my slapshots I am considering replacing it with a Totalone I recently acquired.

Durability has been great with just the usual nicks here and there. The toe looks new, and the shaft has survived at least 100 face offs. I've also blocked more slapshots that I can count with it, and it is no worse for wear.

Highly recommend this stick!

[Mattc555 22]

Hello all!

I've now taken to the ice about 75 times with this stick over the course of six months. The stick has definitely lost a lot of it's pop on slapshots, but has not whipped out at all. I take a lot of face offs, and the top of the shaft has seen the brunt of the abuse. A chunk about 1/8" in width and about 1" long is missing from the top of the shaft right above the blade. I imagine this is causing at least some of the lost velocity on my slapshots. However, the stick is still going and I'm still using it over my Totalone. I would switch to the Totalone, but the curve is very different and I'm having a difficult time getting used to it.

What I really have enjoyed with this stick is the ability to keep the puck low on slapshots. A lot of this is due to the P88 curve. With a P92 I am very lucky to keep the puck below chest height with a slapshot from the point. With the P88 I can keep the puck at shin height. This has resulted in a bunch of goals from tip ins. The stiff shaft also helps, however I would probably drop down one flex if I purchased another one. This is because I shorten my sticks about four inches, leaving them stiffer than when in their original configuration.

I will continue to update until she lets go. Lets hope that isn't tonight!

Cheers,

Matt

[Mattc555 22]

Autumn update!

The Staillion has endured eight months of hockey, approximately 105 ice times. It has been my sole stick during this time. The blade had taken the brunt of the abuse: slashes, blocked shots, face offs, board collisons, etc. However, it is still holding on. I have pictures of the carnage, but I can't upload them at the moment. I will be sure to do so before I rap the review.

The shaft is still as stiff as ever, but a lot of the grip has worn away. This is to be expected after so much use.

The STX is now in rotation with two other twigs: a Totalone NXG(P88 87 flex), and a Covert DT1LT(P88 clone 85 flex). These sticks have reaffirmed my belief that I prefer a little more whip than the 100 flex Stallion provides. Snap shots are certainly stronger with the Covert and I can load the NXG harder on slapshots. I would love to test the Stallion in an 85 flex, as I believe that it would perform very similar to the NXG in my hands. I definitely prefer the Stallions rounded edges to the concave profile of the NXG, especially on face offs. My bottom hand is often bruised from taking face off's with the NXG. This has never happened with the Stallion.

My plan is to add a 2+" wood plug to the Stallion, which should let it flex a bit more. I will continue to update on my findings, and will report back with pictures.

Happy Holidays!

Matt