Best way to repair cracked end of blade? Or new stick advice!

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

Hey fellas,

I have three sticks. Nike/Bauer Supreme One95, Bauer TotalOne, Bauer TotalOne NXG Vintage. They are my favorite to least favorite, in that order, as well as most to least damaged, in that order. The second two never really replicated the feel of the One95, my favorite stick in history. I have no love for my latest purchase, the TotalOne NXG Vintage. On all my Bauers, the toe cracks after a few seasons.. its like clockwork. I never actually break the sticks, just have to retire them due to the beat up blades. Need a little advice...

1) Is there any decent way to repair the cracked blade toes on my older sticks? I have tried JB Weld with a little success, but it just cracks off after a few skates.

2) Have you guys experienced anything else on the market similar to the feel of the old high end Bauers? I tried the APX2 first, and now the TotalOne NXG... both decent, but don't love them. Nexus 8000 any good? I've always wanted a Warrior... any of their top models compare in feel and have a mid kick? CCM sticks also seem popular now, I just don't have a way to try one. I just remember such a soft, buttery feel from my Supreme One95, with wrist shots unmatched by anything since.

Thanks!

Jim

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Jimmy,

I think you are going to get a lot pf posts on that with lots of opinions... certainly there are blades that are more pingy and those that have more feel and those are pretty well esabalihed if you look through the threads on the forum. In the end, I think the only way to find out is to narrow down and try a few. I would say this generally, and it is only one man's opinion, but I feel right now that people are looking for more pop and more of a shooters blade so they get more ping and less feel. Its just the current trend. I also like more feel but I hate a dead shooting stick. I have moved to the CCM Tacks and I like it. Not the MOST feel I've ever had but I do like it. IN the end you need to try a bunch to find out. If I had to give you my personal short list I'd say CCM Tacks and RibCore, True 5.2, STX Surgeon has gotten nice reviews. I haven't used an Easton is a bit so others can comment on that. I'd try the Nexus... I did use it once or twice and liked the feel but not the shaft dimensions.

Good luck.

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

Jimmy,

I think you are going to get a lot pf posts on that with lots of opinions... certainly there are blades that are more pingy and those that have more feel and those are pretty well esabalihed if you look through the threads on the forum. In the end, I think the only way to find out is to narrow down and try a few. I would say this generally, and it is only one man's opinion, but I feel right now that people are looking for more pop and more of a shooters blade so they get more ping and less feel. Its just the current trend. I also like more feel but I hate a dead shooting stick. I have moved to the CCM Tacks and I like it. Not the MOST feel I've ever had but I do like it. IN the end you need to try a bunch to find out. If I had to give you my personal short list I'd say CCM Tacks and RibCore, True 5.2, STX Surgeon has gotten nice reviews. I haven't used an Easton is a bit so others can comment on that. I'd try the Nexus... I did use it once or twice and liked the feel but not the shaft dimensions.

Good luck.

No luck in repairing the older sticks?

The biggest hangup I have is the expense. It's not like I go get 5 sticks a year and get to fiddle with brands/models. At $260, I try to stick with one a year, so when I commit... I hope to love it. Thats why I haven't left Bauer - I at least know I don't hate their sticks. The CCM line is getting some major hype lately. New Tacks stick, as you mentioned, also gets great reviews. You played with any of the recent year Total Ones? If so, how does the Tacks compare?

Thanks!

Jim

[Cosmic 178]

Is going 2 piece and just swapping out the blades when they go bad, an option? If you want a mid kick you can go Warrior Dynasty AXT1, and maybe throw a 1X Vapor blade on it. I am in a QR Pro now, just new to hockey so did not use the sticks you are talking about. I have ok feel for puck, not great, but it fires lasers, which I like. Ultimately, I will go Vapor 1X shaft/ blade so I do not have to sweat the blade going bad in the future. So far so good though, knock on graphite.

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

Good question - no clue. In my head, I play at a high level, and have always just justified the price/models pros use. I am far from pro, but for whatever reason, feel I need to use their equipment. Anyway... I never hear much about 2 pieces anymore, so I have stayed away since I was a kid.

-Jim

[Cosmic 178]

I play with some good players, and some not so good. I am closer to not so good. Regardless, I cannot really tell the difference between OPS and 2PS, although I definitely know if the flex is too soft, curve too open, too much toe, etc. I hear alot of pros use 2PS, and I know at least a few do because I kept seeing blades flying out the shafts at a game I went to 2 years ago. Alot of high end sticks are fused OPS, which seems to me to be same as a 2PS (which I fuse). I got the QR Pro because I wanted to try a true OPS. Ultimately, I just want my closed face back (Bauer P88) so I will be moving away from the Warrior version (W88), which is too open for me.

Maybe I do not understand though, about the fused 2PS= what I do with shafts and blade. Cheers.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

No luck in repairing the older sticks?

The biggest hangup I have is the expense. It's not like I go get 5 sticks a year and get to fiddle with brands/models. At $260, I try to stick with one a year, so when I commit... I hope to love it. Thats why I haven't left Bauer - I at least know I don't hate their sticks. The CCM line is getting some major hype lately. New Tacks stick, as you mentioned, also gets great reviews. You played with any of the recent year Total Ones? If so, how does the Tacks compare?

Thanks!

Jim

I have tried and failed to repair cracked toe tips with bondo. The bondo is stiffer then the blade frame so it eventually starts to crack because it can't flex and give.

I played with the very first TotalOne but none since. That happened to be a very nice stick! Different shaft gentry than the Tacks but the blades are fairly comparable,

[SlaterC42 51]

I play with some good players, and some not so good. I am closer to not so good. Regardless, I cannot really tell the difference between OPS and 2PS, although I definitely know if the flex is too soft, curve too open, too much toe, etc. I hear alot of pros use 2PS, and I know at least a few do because I kept seeing blades flying out the shafts at a game I went to 2 years ago. Alot of high end sticks are fused OPS, which seems to me to be same as a 2PS (which I fuse). I got the QR Pro because I wanted to try a true OPS. Ultimately, I just want my closed face back (Bauer P88) so I will be moving away from the Warrior version (W88), which is too open for me.

I'm pretty sure the Warrior W88 is the same as the Bauer P88 pattern.

http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/67337-closest-warrior-curve-to-bauer-kane/?hl=warrior

[Davideo 99]

Is going 2 piece and just swapping out the blades when they go bad, an option?

I can't intelligently speak to matching the feel of old Bauer's, but I think using a two piece can be a cost effective strategy. I've never broken a shaft since using an aluminum shaft in the late 90's, but will bust a blade every month or so. While I'll occasionally pick up a one piece if there is a really good deal, I mostly just use a two piece and a shaft will last me for many years. I play/played at a reasonably high level and the difference is pretty negligible.

All that being said, if you are literally getting seasons out of a single stick I think you are doing really well and I probably wouldn't worry about it.

[Nealoc187 10]

I can't speak to the feel of a modern high end true one piece because I've never played with one, but I am using a 2 piece combo that comes in at about $200 if I were to purchase the pieces not on sale and I like it as good or better than the one pieces I used to use (Mission Fuel Ti, I loved that stick by the way, just found it in my storage unit and I'm going to try to repair it), Bauer Vapor XXX (liked this one too) and Reebok Sickick III 7K. I play B level so it's decent hockey. I usually just chip blades away rather than break it clean, so repairing them really gets some extra life out of them for me.

As far as repairing chipped blades goes, I have had pretty good luck recently with simple gorilla glue super-glue, i'm using it to "fill voids" left in the toe of a chipping blade. I have some epoxy and carbon fiber fabric generously given to me by another forum member that I'm going to try next time I need to repair a blade, but I fixed on blade about 8 or 10 games ago with gorilla super glue and haven't had to repair it again since (watch I'll probably break it in my game tonight lol).

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

How many seasons you guys get out of sticks? I seem to be averaging almost 2 years or 8-10 seasons. Maybe I need to just zip it and get a new stick.

-Jim

[QCArtillery15 0]

I started using Loctite epoxy putty to repair the toes of my blades. Once it hardens you can sand it down so you keep the shape of the blade. I had tried Gorilla glue in the past but couldn't get it sanded smooth enough.

[burr14 17]

Just for future reference for making your sticks last longer, use MORE tape on your blades. Wonder why the chipping happens at the toe? Im guessing because its untaped. I have the same problem (or used to, not as bad now that I tape my sticks better) where I don't often break sticks but the blade starts to chip and breaks down until its pretty much unusable/ready to snap. From my own experience, warrior is really bad with chipping, whereas Bauer has held up pretty well. I always used to just tape starting about an inch or so in from the heel to maybe a couple inches from the end of the blade. Pretty standard tape job. I would start to see chipping at the toe as well as right back at the heel just before the tape would start (both uncovered areas). So I started taping my stick where I would put a small 2-3 inch piece along the bottom of the blade at the heel where it was usually uncovered and starts to connect to the shaft. Then I would start the tape a few inches into the blade as normal but I would go all the way to the toe. Often I put a strip along the edge of the toe before fully taping it as well... Doing this has made a HUGE difference. It really protects the blade well from getting chips and it doesn't change how the stick plays at all. The only time I find a chip is where the tape at the toe starts to come off/has a tear and I've neglected to re-tape it. Its really not that much extra tape to use and it's definitely a lot cheaper to buy a few extra rolls of tape vs. a few extra sticks.

This will definitely help already chipped sticks from getting further chipped as well. However beware that I have noticed that sometimes if its already chipped some material will come off a little bit when you take the tape off, but probably still less than what will come off if you leave it bare and keep chipping it on the boards etc. Just be careful when taking tape off.

I can post a pic of my taped stick if you want

[Nealoc187 10]

I started using Loctite epoxy putty to repair the toes of my blades. Once it hardens you can sand it down so you keep the shape of the blade. I had tried Gorilla glue in the past but couldn't get it sanded smooth enough.

I just hit mine with a grinding wheel. i can see how sanding would take a lot of time.

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

I have tried JB Weld. Hard as hell, but that's the problem... it is harder than the blade and cracks, off. BUT - to the point of sanding, a metal file works great.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=metal%20file

-Jim

[Nealoc187 10]

Just for future reference for making your sticks last longer, use MORE tape on your blades. Wonder why the chipping happens at the toe? Im guessing because its untaped. I have the same problem (or used to, not as bad now that I tape my sticks better) where I don't often break sticks but the blade starts to chip and breaks down until its pretty much unusable/ready to snap. From my own experience, warrior is really bad with chipping, whereas Bauer has held up pretty well. I always used to just tape starting about an inch or so in from the heel to maybe a couple inches from the end of the blade. Pretty standard tape job. I would start to see chipping at the toe as well as right back at the heel just before the tape would start (both uncovered areas). So I started taping my stick where I would put a small 2-3 inch piece along the bottom of the blade at the heel where it was usually uncovered and starts to connect to the shaft. Then I would start the tape a few inches into the blade as normal but I would go all the way to the toe. Often I put a strip along the edge of the toe before fully taping it as well... Doing this has made a HUGE difference. It really protects the blade well from getting chips and it doesn't change how the stick plays at all. The only time I find a chip is where the tape at the toe starts to come off/has a tear and I've neglected to re-tape it. Its really not that much extra tape to use and it's definitely a lot cheaper to buy a few extra rolls of tape vs. a few extra sticks.

This will definitely help already chipped sticks from getting further chipped as well. However beware that I have noticed that sometimes if its already chipped some material will come off a little bit when you take the tape off, but probably still less than what will come off if you leave it bare and keep chipping it on the boards etc. Just be careful when taking tape off.

I can post a pic of my taped stick if you want

I do this now too since I started using Reebok 11K blades. I have never (literally NEVER) had one lose structural integrity in the heel or hosel or midblade, but the toes just chip to hell. I have one (don't use it anymore) that is basically like an inch shorter than it started out because the toe just chipped away.. Now I tape the toe and have been making a point of repairing small chips and cracks before they become big chips and cracks and I've been able to keep them from shortening for a long time now.

[JimmyTheDriver 36]

Just for future reference for making your sticks last longer, use MORE tape on your blades. Wonder why the chipping happens at the toe? Im guessing because its untaped. I have the same problem (or used to, not as bad now that I tape my sticks better) where I don't often break sticks but the blade starts to chip and breaks down until its pretty much unusable/ready to snap. From my own experience, warrior is really bad with chipping, whereas Bauer has held up pretty well. I always used to just tape starting about an inch or so in from the heel to maybe a couple inches from the end of the blade. Pretty standard tape job. I would start to see chipping at the toe as well as right back at the heel just before the tape would start (both uncovered areas). So I started taping my stick where I would put a small 2-3 inch piece along the bottom of the blade at the heel where it was usually uncovered and starts to connect to the shaft. Then I would start the tape a few inches into the blade as normal but I would go all the way to the toe. Often I put a strip along the edge of the toe before fully taping it as well... Doing this has made a HUGE difference. It really protects the blade well from getting chips and it doesn't change how the stick plays at all. The only time I find a chip is where the tape at the toe starts to come off/has a tear and I've neglected to re-tape it. Its really not that much extra tape to use and it's definitely a lot cheaper to buy a few extra rolls of tape vs. a few extra sticks.

This will definitely help already chipped sticks from getting further chipped as well. However beware that I have noticed that sometimes if its already chipped some material will come off a little bit when you take the tape off, but probably still less than what will come off if you leave it bare and keep chipping it on the boards etc. Just be careful when taking tape off.

I can post a pic of my taped stick if you want

I wouldn't mind a pic. I tape the toe of mine pretty heavily... but it always seems to chip anyway.

-Jim

[Vet88 674]

Resurrecting an old thread as I have a solution for when the end of your blade falls apart. I've tried various epoxies and found they were either too hard or would not hold in the end over time. Recently I came across a simple trick for creating a hard plastic type product by using super glue and baking soda (google it). Here's the broken end of my Easton:

https://imgur.com/ZOkivQm

First I poured in a decent amount of super glue, I want it to mesh with the inner foam and run all around the sides so it has a solid base to hold onto. Then quickly added the baking soda, this is my first layer.

Now I layer it, super glue then baking soda until I near the top.

https://imgur.com/O4xGI1I

Now I change to a baking soda layer and then adding super glue to the top as I want to control the layers and how much goes on. Fill the break to the top, round it off and then sand smooth.

https://imgur.com/8kCgWgd

Yeah, it doesn't look smooth and glossy like carbon fibre does but for a few bucks and a fix at home, it's hard to beat. 6 weeks later, 10 zillion toe drags, smacks against the boards, deliberately whacking it against the ice to try and get it to break, it's still good to go. Simple, easy and effective. Hope this helps someone out who has a similar problem.