Equipment: Why Did You Start Buying One-Piece Sticks?

[Neutrinos]

Admittedly, I bought a used one-piece back in 2002 for $110, but after missing an easy wraparound in my first game with it, I realized the curve was too straight and sold it to a teammate

I went back to using my old shaft with the Yzerman replacement blade, and haven't considered a one-piece since

Every 2 - 3 seasons I pay about $60 and get another blade


I just returned to playing hockey after about a 5 year hiatus, and I'm just amazed that all the recreational players are using a one-piece now

So why did you make the switch?

Click to read more...

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I've tried a friend's and noticed that they were much better than the two piece sticks. Used to have a 2 piece Total One, then a two piece Total One NXG. Tried a friend's One 95 and it was a lot better for stickhandling and puck feel. My two piece sticks weren't as good as my one piece sticks back then, the Warrior Dolomite and the Bauer Vapor X60.

Also, the price of a two piece stick crept up these past few years, it's above $200 now. You'll get much better performance at a lower price from a clearance one piece stick from last year than the current two piece model. They're just not worth it anymore. Pro stock sticks are even better IMO.

Another factor for me would be the availability of the curves I want. The curves I like are not available on two piece sticks.

 

[Neutrinos]

I've tried a friend's and noticed that they were much better than the two piece sticks. Used to have a 2 piece Total One, then a two piece Total One NXG. Tried a friend's One 95 and it was a lot better for stickhandling and puck feel. My two piece sticks weren't as good as my one piece sticks back then, the Warrior Dolomite and the Bauer Vapor X60.

Also, the price of a two piece stick crept up these past few years, it's above $200 now. You'll get much better performance at a lower price from a clearance one piece stick from last year than the current two piece model. They're just not worth it anymore. Pro stock sticks are even better IMO.

Another factor for me would be the availability of the curves I want. The curves I like are not available on two piece sticks.

You don't buy a two-piece, you just wait until someone breaks the blade off their one-piece and convert that into your new shaft

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

You don't buy a two-piece, you just wait until someone breaks the blade off their one-piece and convert that into your new shaft

A lot of one piece sticks are impossible to repair because of the blade taper. I have a broken APX2 shaft at home but I can't repair it because no replacement blade will fit in the shaft. If I cut it down enough to fit a new blade, then the stick would become short and a 140 flex...

 

[Neutrinos]

A lot of one piece sticks are impossible to repair because of the blade taper. I have a broken APX2 shaft at home but I can't repair it because no replacement blade will fit in the shaft. If I cut it down enough to fit a new blade, then the stick would become short and a 140 flex...

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Then it becomes heavy and unbalanced. Look, I could do all of that just to play pond hockey or to play on the street, but for an important game it's not worth it.

 

[BM14]

I actually still have the first 1 pc composite I bought. The shaft is in my garden giving an assist to my tomatoes. It was an Easton Havoc Sakic curve. I remember it was on sale for $49.99 11-12 years ago from $129.
Puck feel was so much different than the wood sticks I had used growing up.

 

[Neutrinos]

Then it becomes heavy and unbalanced. Look, I could do all of that just to play pond hockey or to play on the street, but for an important game it's not worth it.

Flush against the wall, my stick is 70 inches off the ground, so one-piece or two, I'll be playing with a 6 - 8 inch extension anyway

It's never bothered me, but then again, I grew up using wood sticks, so maybe that's why the extra weight isn't an issue

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Flush against the wall, my stick is 70 inches off the ground, so one-piece or two, I'll be playing with a 6 - 8 inch extension anyway

It's never bothered me, but then again, I grew up using wood sticks, so maybe that's why the extra weight isn't an issue

I don't mind using a heavier stick. A stick's balance is more important than its actual weight IMO. You can have a very light stick, but if it is blade heavy, it messes up your stickhandling.

That's another issue with two piece sticks, they feel unbalanced because of the extra weight at the connection, with all the glue at the hosel.

 

[Neutrinos]

I actually still have the first 1 pc composite I bought. The shaft is in my garden giving an assist to my tomatoes. It was an Easton Havoc Sakic curve. I remember it was on sale for $49.99 11-12 years ago from $129.
Puck feel was so much different than the wood sticks I had used growing up.

Someone actually gave me the first composite replacement blade I ever owned and it had a Sakic curve

Very similar to the Yzerman curve, I really liked it!

 

[Neutrinos]

I don't mind using a heavier stick. A stick's balance is more important than its actual weight IMO. You can have a very light stick, but if it is blade heavy, it messes up your stickhandling.

That's another issue with two piece sticks, they feel unbalanced because of the extra weight at the connection, with all the glue at the hosel.

Maybe because of the long wood plug I use, it counter-balances the weight of the blade?

I have no problem stickhandling

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Maybe because of the long wood plug I use, it counter-balances the weight of the blade?

I have no problem stickhandling

Which blades do you use, out of curiosity?

 

[Neutrinos]

I've tried a friend's and noticed that they were much better than the two piece sticks. Used to have a 2 piece Total One, then a two piece Total One NXG. Tried a friend's One 95 and it was a lot better for stickhandling and puck feel. My two piece sticks weren't as good as my one piece sticks back then, the Warrior Dolomite and the Bauer Vapor X60.

Also, the price of a two piece stick crept up these past few years, it's above $200 now. You'll get much better performance at a lower price from a clearance one piece stick from last year than the current two piece model. They're just not worth it anymore. Pro stock sticks are even better IMO.

Another factor for me would be the availability of the curves I want. The curves I like are not available on two piece sticks.

Then it becomes heavy and unbalanced. Look, I could do all of that just to play pond hockey or to play on the street, but for an important game it's not worth it.

I did say 'recreational player' in the OP, which assumes you aren't playing "important games"

I'm not questioning why a college player is using a one-piece

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I did say 'recreational player' in the OP, which assumes you aren't playing "important games"

I'm not questioning why a college player is using a one-piece

Well, if it's just for messing around on the pond or stick and puck at your local arena, you can use whatever you want. I'm just saying that you're not saving a whole lot of money by using two piece sticks. Blades break quickly, I used to break a blade every 3-4 months.

 

[Neutrinos]

Which blades do you use, out of curiosity?

I would just grab whatever Easton composite blade had the Yzerman curve (my last one was red, if that helps)

Sadly, the last Yzerman blade I'll likely ever own was retired a few months ago, so now I'm using a Bauer P92 with a Sakic-like curve

And the shaft - which I've been using for more than a decade - is a Sher-Wood Force 100 Flex

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I would just grab whatever Easton composite blade had the Yzerman curve (my last one was red, if that helps)

Sadly, the last Yzerman blade I'll likely ever own was retired a few months ago, so now I'm using a Bauer P92 with a Sakic-like curve

I think the P88 is a bit closer to your Yzerman curve blade. Next time you have to buy a blade, take a look at the P88.

 

[Neutrinos]

I think the P88 is a bit closer to your Yzerman curve blade. Next time you have to buy a blade, take a look at the P88.

Will do, thanks

 

[mikitas donut]

I started using one-piece sticks because two-pieces seem to be a dying market. I like to buy top of the line sticks that are a few years old.

 

[Neutrinos]

I started using one-piece sticks because two-pieces seem to be a dying market. I like to buy top of the line sticks that are a few years old.

It's dying because everyone started buying a one-piece

 

[Ozz]

They make composite end plugs if you're really concerned about that.

I started buying 1-piece sticks because I had a hard time finding the old blades I liked. It took a little while but I got used to it, and now I love 'em. I have a never-ending assortment of sticks, currently I've got a one piece RBK something, one piece APX2, and just cut a Warrior QR1's broken blade off so I could make it a 2piece. I also have a broken APX and X80 that I have to do the same too, or have repaired w/the composite repair thing if possible. Some don't like fixing them that way, but I've always had success.

 

[Neutrinos]

They make composite end plugs if you're really concerned about that.

I started buying 1-piece sticks because I had a hard time finding the old blades I liked. It took a little while but I got used to it, and now I love 'em. I have a never-ending assortment of sticks, currently I've got a one piece RBK something, one piece APX2, and just cut a Warrior QR1's broken blade off so I could make it a 2piece. I also have a broken APX and X80 that I have to do the same too, or have repaired w/the composite repair thing if possible. Some don't like fixing them that way, but I've always had success.

I did not know about the composite plugs, so thanks for the heads up

There's a shop within about 30 minutes of me that has a nice selection of replacement blades, so I'm thinking I might just stock up with a lifetime supply

Ordering online is a good way to stock up as well if you find a blade you like at a reasonable price

 

[BruinDust]

Admittedly, I bought a used one-piece back in 2002 for $110, but after missing an easy wraparound in my first game with it, I realized the curve was too straight and sold it to a teammate

I went back to using my old shaft with the Yzerman replacement blade, and haven't considered a one-piece since

Every 2 - 3 seasons I pay about $60 and get another blade


I just returned to playing hockey after about a 5 year hiatus, and I'm just amazed that all the recreational players are using a one-piece now

So why did you make the switch?

I bought my first one piece (Easton S2) because, well, I wanted to try a one-piece after being a two-piece stick fan since the mid-90s.

I amazed now at how I still come across guys in rec hockey using wooden sticks, rather than being amazed at the number of players using the composite one-piece sticks.

I think it comes down to availability and cost. Wooden sticks and replacement blades for two-piece sticks are becoming harder to come across. And the selection is fairly thin.

Meanwhile, the price of one-piece sticks has dropped dramatically since their inception. I picked up a CCM Ribcore XT the other day for a spare (it had a very similar curve pattern to my pro-stock Ultra Tacks) for just $30 on clearance, which is basically what you would pay for a top end wooden stick 20 years ago.

 

[Ryan52]

i switched from wood to two-piece sticks. i still prefer the customization of a two-piece but they got alot harder to find locally, so it became easier to just buy one-piece sticks

 

[cleveland408]

I’ve never used a two-piece stick before. It was wood when I was a kid and composite as a teenager.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I switched because I'm very sensitive to stick weight, and there didn't used to be a great variety of high end, light shafts available. Then I got used to it and now I just wouldn't want to bother with finding a blade & shaft I like, much less gluing them together.