No-Name Hockey Sticks

[Duke16 0]

How are these sticks? I've heard better things about them compared to other smaller brands like Zeal, ABHS and Glory for example.

[AfftonDad 88]

Don't know but as an ABHS user I was intrigued enough to order one (almost). I put one in my cart ($120 not that different than the $90 + $10 S&H for an ABHS stick) but then I saw $9 in tax added, $30 in shipping added and four weeks delivery time. I bailed out. If it turns out to be A LOT better than ABHS I would probably still get it, but with it being unknown to me, I'll stick with what I'm using.

[start_today 770]

If you're spending $100 to buy ABHS or whatever dubious origin stick online, why not spend $100 on a stick from an actual hockey company? If your willing to spend up to $120 like you said, you can easily get last year's (last quarter's?) top of the line or 2nd tier for that price. For instance, go buy the True sticks they're blowing out on every site. 

You're doing it wrong. 

[AfftonDad 88]

The stick companies (at least Bauer anyway)  are very good at controlling the stock of their sticks. By the time they are allowed to be put on clearance, all that is left is the curves that practically no one wants in the 110 flex (not what I want). I don't want to play with a stick that is not the curve I want or is 110 flex.

[OzziesDad 89]

35 minutes ago, AfftonDad said:

The stick companies (at least Bauer anyway)  are very good at controlling the stock of their sticks. By the time they are allowed to be put on clearance, all that is left is the curves that practically no one wants in the 110 flex (not what I want). I don't want to play with a stick that is not the curve I want or is 110 flex.

I am not disagreeing with you.

However, with a little due diligence it hasn't been hard for me to never even come close to paying full price for a high end stick, all while getting a flex and curve that I prefer.  You just need to do a little homework, and stay on top of the product releases and sales.

Back to the topic, while I love sticks/skates/equipment, I am far from what I would call an "equipment snob".  To each their own.  Whatever works for you and you can afford/like- more power to you.  For the life of me though, I can't understand buying one of these generic sticks, over a legit brand name. From what I've seen, you never really save a good deal of money, as well as you literally have no idea of the quality of the product you are getting, and often times it appears these companies market their sticks as near or top of the line performance for a fraction of the price.  I don't find that to be true in almost every case.

[Stewie 721]

yeah, generally companies outside of bauer will have good enough stock of clearance twigs when they go on clearance that I haven't found a need for these supposed "top end cheap" companies. Havent paid more than 150 for a top end True or Sherwood, often times closer to 100. I'm not some obscure curve/flex combo either, 85 rh p88. haven't heard much good about the cheaper companies but ive got plenty of praise from Sherwood and true.

[start_today 770]

Buy whatevever you want that makes you happy.

I think for a lot of people the illusion that "I'm getting an ultra high end Bauer prototype graphicless stick that was never released because it is too durable and shoots too hard," is more powerful than the truth that there are multiple high-end sticks on every internet retailer webpage right now in a variety of curves and flexes for about $120.

[Zac911 317]

On 4/7/2017 at 10:33 AM, AfftonDad said:

The stick companies (at least Bauer anyway)  are very good at controlling the stock of their sticks. By the time they are allowed to be put on clearance, all that is left is the curves that practically no one wants in the 110 flex (not what I want). I don't want to play with a stick that is not the curve I want or is 110 flex.

This is interesting.  

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

For what it's worth, those that want to give it a try can use discount code TWENTY for 20% off.

Shipping is outrageous at $39, but it;s still tempting to try because of the nice assortment of flexes.

If anyone has actually used one, would love to hear feedback on the balance, performance, durability, etc

[Stewie 721]

That’s the problem with these “stamp your name on generic ordered sticks”. Once you tag on shipping and a warranty, you’re just better off in a clearance twig

[camlutz 0]

After searching for a new stick for a while, I decided to snag myself a NoName stick.

The main reason I wanted one is because of the flex they offer. I had been looking for a low-kick, sub 70 flex senior stick but didn't have much luck. I'm about 5'9" so with most senior sticks I cut off about 2-3 inches, which means I'm probably already sacrificing some flex. NoName offers senior sticks down to 67 flex which also seemed to be a little bit shorter than other sticks, so I'd only have to cut off about an inch.

I ordered the custom senior low-kick, 67 flex, NN88 on Feb 15th. I had used the coupon code "TWENTY" which I found online to get 20% off the stick bringing the price down to $120. Sweet. Tack on $39.44 shipping and handling and we're right back up to $159.44. Not too sweet. (Side note. Anybody who does wanna try out a NN stick can use the code "BENDER" provided by the YouTuber Beer League Bender to get 15%. Good channel if you enjoy GoPro beer league hockey) On the site it had said "Delivery Time is 4-6 weeks". March 28th rolls around (5 weeks and 6 days for those who don't wanna math) and I hadn't heard anything so I emailed them asking when I could expect the stick to ship. No response. Messaged them on facebook which is there primary chat support. No response. April 9th I get an email saying my stick has shipped. April 11th (7 weeks and 6 days after the day I placed the order) my stick arrived in the mail. As I'm bringing it inside from the porch, I'm cut by 3 staples that are somehow prong side out on the box. I'll attach an image of them.

As soon as I unboxed the stick I noticed how light it was and how great it felt in my hands. At the time I was using a Bauer x700 lite and I could immediately tell the NN stick was significantly lighter. The grip was exactly the same as that of a Bauer grip stick. Even the blade had the slight tack to it that you find on higher end sticks. (not the same grip as the shaft) 

I cut it down, taped it up, and took it to a stick n puck. Everything felt great. I felt like the puck was more responsive when stick handling, my shots were harder, and that I could get shots off a bit quicker. I have never had a good slap shot, but for the first time, they were getting some elevation and had some velocity behind them. Snappers and wristers were coming off my stick harder and more accurate than ever. I was really happy with how the stick performed. No complaints.

I play in a beer league once a week and had been trying to improve my slap shot so was trying to get as much ice time as possible. By May 28th, I had maybe 3 league games, a drop in, and maybe 5 or 6 stick n pucks. I was at a stick n puck with a buddy of mine who feeds me a one timer and crack.....the blade goes in the net as the puck trickles towards the corner. The stick broke about 2 inches down from where the blade makes initial contact with the ice. This is the second stick I've ever broken. Even if I had purchased the 30 day warranty (an additional $20) it would have been expired at this point. To finish the stick n puck I went back to my old Bauer stick and it felt like shit.

Overall, I'm not sure how I feel about the NN hockey stick. I did love the performance of the stick, but was not impressed with it's durability or how long it took to get. For as much as they advertise it being a "custom" stick, I wish they'd let you customize the lie as well. All that said, I did order another one because of how good it felt. Since I know it'll probably be damn near 8 weeks before I get it, I went to a local shop and bought an intermediate (to get that lower flex) Sher-wood Rekker EK15. I didn't have to cut anything off so it's shorter than what I'm used to, but I gotta say it performs similarly to the NN...and it was only $120 out the door.

I know that I rambled there, but I wanted to provide as much info as possible for people who are on the fence. Let me know if you have any questions.

tl:dr; Took almost 8 weeks to get in. Stick performed great. Broke after a month.

 

[Saint George 0]

I've used various Bauer sticks for 10+ years.  I recently tried ABHS.  Total fail.

1. The curve that suggested they were the same as the one I was using was not, full stop.  They were close - so not a deal breaker - but different enough it took numerous games to dial in the difference.
2. They broke, fast.  I'm getting older and weaker, and I break a stick maybe once every 3 years these days with the Bauer sticks I have been using.  (And I never buy top of the line.)  In 3 months, 2 of the 3 sticks I ordered broke, both at the same point.

So I'm back to name brand sticks.  For fun, I tried a few sherwood T90s (because Bauer was refreshing their models) and they are so much better.  Much more durable and every bit as effective.

Edited June 9, 2018 by Saint George

[chippa13 1844]

A deal too good to be true usually is. People chasing savings on these cut rate sticks typically end up spending more and having much eorse experiences than if they just went eith close-out or price point respected manufacturers.

[start_today 770]

I feel you're paying $160 for a garbage stick (twice), you're doing it wrong. Especially if you're able to wait two months to have it in hand. Put in some time on sites that sell used and pro stock equipment, look at the big name online retailers, and close out at your LHS. 

Current generation midtier sticks from True and Warrior are straight up outstanding for their price. 

[Stewie 721]

Your situation pretty much sums up why I’ve never even gotten to the point of trying one of these sticks. Just bought an EK15 for 90$. 

[bunnyman666 445]

21 hours ago, chippa13 said:

A deal too good to be true usually is. People chasing savings on these cut rate sticks typically end up spending more and having much eorse experiences than if they just went eith close-out or price point respected manufacturers.

When I was skating out, there were occasions that I could get formerly top-tier sticks at 30-50 and sometimes 75% off retail. The sticks were older (as in 2-5 years old); big whoop! Note that it was usually Warrior, Easton, or something else that was not Bauer; however- I was able to get an MX3 shaft at a very good price.

I ended up rocking an NOS Easton aluminium shaft in the end, which I bought for a princely $50. But my Warrior and Easton shafts were equallyprincely in their cheapness. You have to look even when you don’t need a stick and stock up if you end up liking the stick. 

[iceman8310 105]

Why not get a pro stock stick for $120.  

[bunnyman666 445]

11 minutes ago, iceman8310 said:

Why not get a pro stock stick for $120.  

Exactly.

When I was still skating out, this option was a bit tougher to do if you did not know where to look, but now there is no excuse as there are a few outlets to buy the pro stocks.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Honestly with the quality of low/mid tier offerings from companies like True, I don't see the need to even try any of these bargain brands. $120 is my absolute max budget for a stick these days, and preferably under $100. Plenty of bang for buck available out there. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

23 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Honestly with the quality of low/mid tier offerings from companies like True, I don't see the need to even try any of these bargain brands. $120 is my absolute max budget for a stick these days, and preferably under $100. Plenty of bang for buck available out there. 

Yeah.  I'll take a True A4.5 over an ABHS or whatever any day.  They may well be very similar sticks, but I trust the True brand & rep a lot more.

Mark

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

On 6/9/2018 at 10:45 AM, chippa13 said:

A deal too good to be true usually is. People chasing savings on these cut rate sticks typically end up spending more and having much eorse experiences than if they just went eith close-out or price point respected manufacturers.

Cheap shit on the internet is cheap shit on the internet for a reason. Buy a similarly priced stick from a company you're familiar with

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

This is why I buy flagship sticks out of season. I can get these sticks for under $150 and get 6 months out of them. I couldn't see myself spending any more than that with number of options on the open market. 

[pulax30 1]

I just bought two STX Surgeon RX2s for way less than it looks like what people are paying for one of NN sticks, and I'm looking for more through other vendors. A little effort can get you a high end stick on the cheap. 

[Jackieo 0]

The sticks are ok. Decent but heavier than I thought they would be. Besides the fact he by take at least 2 months to arrive, the biggest problem is that they don’t have hardly any customer service. Any communication from them is curt and unhelpful 

[VegasHockey 1280]

On 5/4/2023 at 1:10 PM, Jackieo said:

The sticks are ok. Decent but heavier than I thought they would be. Besides the fact he by take at least 2 months to arrive, the biggest problem is that they don’t have hardly any customer service. Any communication from them is curt and unhelpful 

You get what you pay for 😉