Random Composite Sticks and Shafts of '90s and early '00s`

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I was just thinking of the boom of composite sticks and shafts I saw during my time in youth and high school hockey.

What were some of the random brands breaking into the industry that you tried out?

ProKennex - these were either kevlar or carbon fiber shafts but didn't have any consistency as far as flex.  I think they were a tennis racket company.  I'd bought more than one, some were extremely whippy, some were stiff as could be
Quad Force - I'm pretty sure these were some sort of reinforced fiberglass.

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

Harrow - Both Shafts and Blades. Liked their blades as they had some of the older 90's curves that weren't available any more and some different variants. Also had pretty good feel to them. The shafts were decent. Solid and a little whippier than their state flex when compared to other brands but they could take some abuse.

Trialage (Triliage??) - Those red triangle shaped shafts. Never owned one but had a chance to try them out in roller and it was...a really weird feeling shaft.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I definitely remember Harrow, but I never owned one.
It may have just be Trilage.  Isn't STX currently doing something similar as far as shaft geometry?

[the_game 452]

'Fontaine' Graphite sticks, remember Luc Robitaille using them.

iTech 1-piece sticks that Larinov used were made by 'Busch'.

Obviously 'Innovative' was huge in the 90's, Kovalev using them and then it basically becoming the Warrior we know today.

And Pavel Bure used an off brand Composite called 'CAMAXX' but I'm not sure if I remember seeing it as that, it was a black shaft that had goldish lettering and even had a weird tactile grip if I remember, there are a lot of pics of Bure using it all blacked out. They were widely sold in the NY Area.

Also there was Power-Flite, although I am not sure I remember them making anything but Aluminum shafts but thats from around the same timeframe as these others I listed.

[Cavs019 708]

Does Mylec count? Only brand to this day where you could change your PM9 to a P28 within the same shift with a quick stomp of the sneaker.

Still waiting for someone to match that tech. 😆

Edited August 20, 2020 by Cavs019

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

Wasn't sure if Innovative counted since they were a bit more mainstream. Loved their composite taper blades and 1100 series shafts.

While we're at it, what about Branches and their gold and black/green composite (9001?? series) shafts? Those were some nice shafts at the time, pre-Easton dominance.

[the_game 452]

4 hours ago, Cavs019 said:

Does Mylec count? Only brand to this day where you could change your PM9 to a P28 within the same shift with a quick stomp of the sneaker.

Still waiting for someone to match that tech. 😆

The Bauer stick with the hole in the blade totally stole that tech from Mylec!

2 hours ago, Asian Tomatoe said:

Wasn't sure if Innovative counted since they were a bit more mainstream. Loved their composite taper blades and 1100 series shafts.

While we're at it, what about Branches and their gold and black/green composite (9001?? series) shafts? Those were some nice shafts at the time, pre-Easton dominance.

I never thought of Innovative as mainstream way back in the 90's when they first came on the scene mostly because they were just shafts and only had 1 or 2 models versus every other manufacturer back then would have an entire line of equipment and multiple stick models.

I did forget the Branches 'composite' twigs, good call!

[PH_Hockey2 4]

Up unti freshman year of high school, all of my friends and I were Sherwood 5030 users. Unil one of us got a Easton Ultra Lite and Grip Lite. My friend let me use the GL and I was hooked ever since.

[DarkStar50 679]

Combat OPS.

[Miller55 333]

I played with a Trilage. Got used to it quickly and never had an issue. 

Inno was big back then, maybe too official. Combat. Gear was I think a hockey giant brand. Hespeler made a shaft around 2003 that was pretty light. But the original grip lite was awesome. The was the first stick that I ever cracked square in the middle of the shaft. Dang

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

22 hours ago, DarkStar50 said:

Combat OPS.

Ballistik if we're going back further.

Ballistik > Combat > TRUE

[xstartxtodayx 343]

On 8/20/2020 at 3:23 PM, the_game said:

 

I never thought of Innovative as mainstream way back in the 90's when they first came on the scene mostly because they were just shafts and only had 1 or 2 models versus every other manufacturer back then would have an entire line of equipment and multiple stick models.

 

 

My first thought was Innovative (or was it "Inno" at first?).  I remember in the mid 90's that was so far ahead of anything else out there, the rounded shaft was so comfortable and it looked awesome (I remember a black shaft with blue/white graphics and a light sandpaper texture).  They were def smaller than most companies and you hardly saw them anywhere.

 

[caveman27 208]

Not to sound like a poor bum, but composite sticks were way out of my budget back in the day. Aluminum shaft/wood blade had awful flex, but I always brought one as a back-up stick to my Sherwood 5030.

Edited August 24, 2020 by caveman27

[chippa13 1844]

On 8/22/2020 at 10:47 AM, JR Boucicaut said:

Ballistik if we're going back further.

Ballistik > Combat > TRUE

Am I correct in thinking Miken was the step between Combat and True?

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

On 8/24/2020 at 11:09 AM, chippa13 said:

Am I correct in thinking Miken was the step between Combat and True?

Nope, incorrect. 🙂

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

On 8/23/2020 at 9:41 PM, caveman27 said:

Not to sound like a poor bum, but composite sticks were way out of my budget back in the day. Aluminum shaft/wood blade had awful flex, but I always brought one as a back-up stick to my Sherwood 5030.

Oof.  I made the mistake of buying a Nike aluminum shaft.  Black with bronze graphics.  I don't know if I ever ended up using it in a game.  Definitely gave it away at some point.  Would have been great for home defense lol.

I remember Innovative and Combat now that they're mentioned.  Fisher?  Was that a brand?

[Miller55 333]

2 hours ago, MyBoxersSayJoe said:

Fisher?  Was that a brand?

Still is

[JunkyardAthletic 505]

On 8/20/2020 at 7:51 AM, the_game said:

'Fontaine' Graphite sticks, remember Luc Robitaille using them.

Was eventually purchased by Hillerich & Bradsby (i.e. Louisville TPS) and was the brainchild of the RUBBER and TriCORE3 shafts, as well as the Response XN10 OPS many years later.

[shooter27 116]

On 8/27/2020 at 1:46 PM, MyBoxersSayJoe said:

Fisher?  Was that a brand?

 

On 8/27/2020 at 4:06 PM, Miller55 said:

Still is

 

I believe it was/is spelled Fischer?

[SirJW 207]

Oh the rubber grip, I loved that stick.

[Miller55 333]

2 hours ago, shooter27 said:

 

 

I believe it was/is spelled Fischer?

That's true. +1 for being pedantic

[OldCY 94]

Franklin

[JBP 18]

Busch..one of the truely first one piece composite sticks...foam filled and had a rounded top half of shaft...out of Switzerland..

Edited September 7, 2020 by JBP
Out of business as if 2018

[epstud74 24]

On 8/22/2020 at 9:47 AM, JR Boucicaut said:

Ballistik if we're going back further.

Ballistik > Combat > TRUE

 

I still have a couple Ballistik twigs laying around.  I got both of them for free and a Torspo stick as well.

[epstud74 24]

I had a couple Innovative shafts I used.  Had a sandpaper like texture to them