Review: BASE Hockey "Nasty" OPS

[Jarick]

I had been wanting to try a BASE stick for a few years now and decided to get in on the "Special Ops" testing program. Essentially, they give you a discount on the stick and in exchange they want some feedback, either pictures, video, an e-mail, or phone calls. I called my local rep and he clarified that they by no means were asking for a positive review, just feedback on the stick before it goes into full production.

I like the concept of the company. I believe they were started by former Warrior and Easton reps as well as a couple former NHL'ers. They sell made-to-order sticks direct to customers priced well under the competition. They started with one stick (Savoy - low-kick), no price point garbage, no gimmicks, with a wide range of flexes and curves with multiple lies. Since then, they have introduced two sticks, the Natural (mid-kick), and now the Nasty (dual-kick).

I ordered the stick with the following specs:

- 75 flex intermediate
- BC28 curve
- grip gloss finish

My rep recommended I get my name and number on there to see what they did with it as well as getting the standard blade finish.

First thing is the finish. The stick is all black with some red accents. The BASE logo is a silver almost hologram looking finish with the "Nasty" logo with a bold red outline. Really a cool look. The "Nasty" logo is red higher up on the stick. I think it looks kind of silly, but I'm probably older than the target audience.

Near the bottom of the shaft, the finish changes from glossy grip to polar fibre (an old Warrior custom option), which continues on the blade itself. The grip is a textured finish, much like the feel of hockey tape, and is very different from the shark skin sandpaper type finish they offer on the other sticks. I'm not sure what the point of the texture finish is, but I definitely like it a lot more than the shark skin on my tapered BASE blade.

Next, the weight. Not sure what the listed weight is, but I was told it was their lightest stick yet. My guess is around 430-440 grams or so? The balance is very good. Not too blade heavy or blade light. Feels natural when stick handling and shooting. At some point, weight becomes less important than balance, and this stick is plenty light and well balanced.

The flex feels accurate. When I have tested BASE sticks in the past, they felt whippy compared to the rating. This feels like a 75 flex intermediate. I had a Vapor X:60 75 flex intermediate which also had dual kick points, and from memory, this is REALLY close. With that stick at my height, it was stiffer than average intermediates which felt whippy on slappers, but it wasn't so stiff that my wrist shots felt uncomfortable. The stick provided enough resistance that it made me put some power into shots rather than just let the flex do all the work, and this one feels similar.

One big thing I like about dual kick points is that the flex feels good no matter your hand placement. If your hands are closer together, you are using that top kick point. If your bottom hand is low, you are using the bottom kick point. In the middle, you are using a bit of both. With either low or mid kick, it feels like it is good for wristers or slappers but not both. Dual kick points feel natural all around to me.

Once I had it cut down and taped up, I took some shots. I want to work on my shooting this summer, cupping the puck less, getting a quicker release, and taking more of a snap shot. The stick is the same length with the same curve as my Warrior DT4LT, but with the lighter weight the shots definitely seemed to come off faster. I noticed this with my light Warrior DT2, so that's a great thing. With slappers, they felt like they were coming off hard and quick. Again, very natural feeling with the flex, similar to the old Vapor X:60.

Really excited to use this in games. Luckily I have spring league starting next week so I should be able to get some game action. I also want to get a radar device to check my shot speed, so hopefully I can get that next month and see some real numbers.

Here are some pics:

Click to read more...

 

[flyers10]

I used mine for first time on Monday. Nice feel and shots come off the blade quick. Feels a bit heavier than my APX2 but not a ton. For the price can't beat the performance so far. Using it again Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to update further.

 

[Jarick]

Quick update after first use,

Stick shoots well. Didn't get any slappers in but wristers had a quick release and seemed fairly well on target. I was able to put them high or low depending on what I wanted without trouble. Goalie made a couple really good saves otherwise could have had a couple goals picking corners.

Passes were easy to catch. Blade really deadens the puck, more than I was expecting. On an offensive zone draw, I was at the top of the circle ready for the one timer. The puck got tied up then my center swatted it back HARD and caught me off guard. I was able to actually stop it with the toe of the blade and settle it for a shot. Also managed to pick off a couple pucks from cross ice passes because they weren't bouncing. Stick might compare to the One95 in this regard.

Stickhandling felt fine as well. The stick is balanced, but it doesn't have a "wow" factor in terms of being super light. I was able to make a one-handed deke around a defender to walk in on the goalie.

Wish I could have got more ice time and played a little better last night, but I'll keep updating each week.

 

[mattkaminski15]

Do you have to live by a base dealer to opt into this program?

 

[flyers10]

Nah, just register on their website.

 

[nickerjones]

Just saw this the other day on a FB page that I "follow"
It’s NCHL Draft Tournament giveaway time. The Non Contact Hockey League - NCHL is proud to be partnered with BASE Hockey. BASE is a company that specializes in building a hockey stick specifically to you to maximize your potential on the ice. BASE has a fitting process, that takes about an hour, that films and breaks down your shot to see what type of stick, curve, and flex would maximize your on ice performance. We are giving away one of those fittings to one lucky person. To be eligible for the fitting you must follow us on Twitter @drafttourney on twitter. Mention @drafttourney with you favorite draft tourney experience, jersey, or where you’d like to see a draft tournament held. Pretty easy eh? Winner will be chosen at random.

Also for a second chance to win follow @NCHL and tweet/mention us with "why you love hockey."

Thanks

 

[Jarick]

I chose not to have it shipped to a local BASE dealer. I did that with a tapered blade maybe two years ago and it was kind of a pain to organize the pickup. Cost a bit more to have it shipped to my house, but I'm lazy.

I should be skating Wednesday night for my game and will update, and might get another skate in Thursday as well.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Does BASE offer the BC28 as a replacement blade ?

 

[Jarick]

I think they offer all of them as blades. I would call them up. The replacement blades are pretty good I think, fairly light and good feel. I didn't use mine long enough to test the durability but it still looks great.

 

[Jarick]

Played much better tonight. Three goals and +4.

Before tonight's game, I decided that if I had an open shot, I would try and get it off as quick as possible and focus on getting it on net. Not trying to pick a corner or blast it through the back of the goal, but just get shots on net quickly. Obviously it worked out well.

Had a lot of puck touches tonight and I can say the puck feel is still good for me. It's on the deader side and tends to knock pucks down right away. Very useful for intercepting passes and catching hot passes.

Again, I was focusing on quick release and trying to hit the middle of the net (usually lower) instead of picking corners. I still missed the net a few times and a couple pucks rolled up on me, but the shots came off quick. First goal, the goalie was just out of position and I had deked between the D so it was an easy shot on a half-empty net. Second goal, I kept it on the ice and went five hole before he could drop. Third goal, he got his glove arm on it but it trickled through.

Balance still feels good to me. Maybe next time I would go with a little more neutral curve, but everything else feels great, and the curve isn't an issue, just a curiosity.

Oddly enough, one of the guys on my team just took delivery of the same stick this week. He said it didn't feel light at first, but when he was playing it felt a lot lighter in the hands. His finish was blue instead of red, but he still had the same polar fibre finish on the blade with his number on it, and he was pretty happy with it so far.

 

[Jarick]

Had another skate with the stick. Really nothing much to report. Weight and feel are both good and the shots are good. I played with some better players than normal who sent some hard passes my way and were leading me more than I am used to, but was still able to knock down and handle pucks with one hand well enough.

I do seem to have an issue with the lie a bit though. Each of the last two nights, there were a couple occasions I should have had an easy catch-and-shoot but whiffed on them a bit. Obviously a big part is user error, but I seem to want more rocker at the toe, or a higher lie, or maybe I just need to cut the stick down a hair.

 

[Jarick]

Used again last night. I've been sick this week so even slower than usual, but had a goal and lots of shots.

Really liking the weight, balance, and feel. The flex and kick points are very comfortable. Shots have a LOT of pop on them.

I am noticing though that the open curve is sending my shots higher than I want. I had a rush where I dragged the puck and shot through the legs of the D, but then hit the goalie in the throat guard (!). Also had a couple shots that went over the net that the goalie ducked out of the way.

Right now, I'd be inclined to order a similar stick but with a more closed curve, like a P88.

 

[Trl3789]

Used again last night. I've been sick this week so even slower than usual, but had a goal and lots of shots.

Really liking the weight, balance, and feel. The flex and kick points are very comfortable. Shots have a LOT of pop on them.

I am noticing though that the open curve is sending my shots higher than I want. I had a rush where I dragged the puck and shot through the legs of the D, but then hit the goalie in the throat guard (!). Also had a couple shots that went over the net that the goalie ducked out of the way.

Right now, I'd be inclined to order a similar stick but with a more closed curve, like a P88.

The P88 is what I got and i absolutely love the stick. Its consistent.

 

[Jarick]

I switched between my Montreal M60 with P88 curve and the Nasty with BC28 last night. Definitely prefer the P88 curve, but everything else about the Nasty is great.

I'd like to try and get rid of all my excess hockey gear and put that money towards a new stick in that config.

 

[Jarick]

Another game, two more goals. First was a snipe off the rush, beat the goalie clean high glove. Teammate said he hadn't seen a shot like that in beer league "like it was on a string" and he's way better than I am, so nice compliment! Second was just a quick shot coming from the corner and making the goalie move laterally, then beat him on an opening.

Puck feel is still great. It's really easy to knock down passes with one hand, catch them, drag them up, etc. Weight is still very good, not unbelievably light, but very good. Flex still feels perfect for me.

Curve is still a bit touchy for me, sometimes I am picking corners, sometimes it's too open. It's nice to have the option.

I still want to get a second one with the P88 curve.

 

[Trl3789]

Another game, two more goals. First was a snipe off the rush, beat the goalie clean high glove. Teammate said he hadn't seen a shot like that in beer league "like it was on a string" and he's way better than I am, so nice compliment! Second was just a quick shot coming from the corner and making the goalie move laterally, then beat him on an opening.

Puck feel is still great. It's really easy to knock down passes with one hand, catch them, drag them up, etc. Weight is still very good, not unbelievably light, but very good. Flex still feels perfect for me.

Curve is still a bit touchy for me, sometimes I am picking corners, sometimes it's too open. It's nice to have the option.

I still want to get a second one with the P88 curve.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a second one, exact same as I have now.

 

[Jarick]

Played two more games with it, two more goals and an assist. No changes, still like everything about it. Could go just a hair more closed on the curve, that's about it.

Really have to emphasize how sweet the curve is for wrist shots up high. Had an "ooh aah" shot in warmups that beat the goalie glove side just inside the top corner and rang around the inside of the net. Had a good chance during the game, where I wheeled around from the corner across the slot, shot it through a screen, then hit the cross bar FLUSH.

 

[Jarick]

Wrapped up my Spring season, so after close to 3 months with this stick:

Appearance

I like the black stick with minimal graphics. It looks good with a bit of flash, but overall it is subtle. I really like the hologram in the logo, but the "Nasty" font looks awful. A little tweaking and it should be good.


Shaft Profile & Grip

This is a very comfortable stick. The profile is pretty neutral, off my memory it's got flat walls with slightly rounded corners and a nice rectangular (not too boxy, not too slim) shape. The gloss grip is great, not too grippy, not too smooth. I never get my bottom hand low enough to feel the polar fibre near the bottom of the stick, so that's no concern.

Weight & Balance

I haven't measured the actual weight, but I would ballpark it between 420-440 grams. The balance was perfect, not too light or heavy in the blade. It wasn't the lightest stick I've used, but weight is not an issue at all.

Puck Feel

I really like the puck feel on this stick. Pucks stop right on the blade without vibration, and you can handle the puck with no issues. The blade is maybe a touch thicker than most high end sticks, but that does give some confidnence when catching passes with one hand.

Flex & Kickpoint

I picked a 75 flex intermediate for this stick, which is supposed to have a dual (high and low) kickpoint. My favorite shooting stick to this point has been the Vapor X:60 which had the exact same specs. For me this stick comes extremely close, and I would say it's the perfect setup for me.

After using the X:60, I never got comfortable with another stick until this one. I tried low- and high-kick sticks, everything from 55 flex intermediates to 75 flex senior, and this one just felt perfect.

There's enough flex on wrist and snap shots with hands close together, but it doesn't whip out like those sticks might on slappers. Feels like the perfect amount of resistance for both shots. And I got nothing but compliments on my shot all Spring.

I would really recommend this flex for folks who are between intermediate and senior stick heights.

Shooting

One thing I noticed with my X:60 was that I had was able to load up true snap shots easier, i.e. dig into the ice just before the puck. Same thing with this stick, it acts very similar and my snap shots have more power and accuracy behind them. My Spring league doesn't allow slappers, so this was necessary, and a couple guys were always commenting on how good the shots were.

Wrist and slap shots were both good as well. They are as accurate as I am. Between the flex and curve, I have more control over shots and can get them up almost as quick as I can with a Drury type curve.

Again, it feels perfect for everything. Great to use.

Durability

With only a few months in a non-chippy league, the shaft still looks new. And I don't excessively lean on the stick to weaken it prematurely.

The blade of course still feels stiff as new, but the polar fibre finish has been sliced up several times. Also, there were some graphite splinters at the heel of the blade, one of which is still lodged in my palm weeks later. This happened with old Warrior blades, so it might be that type of construction. I haven't noticed it weakening or constantly chipping away, but maybe it was a flaw in the manufacturing process.

Conclusions/Recommendations

This is my first BASE stick and I love it. My favorite stick to date was the X:60, and this is not only a similar stick but an improvement due to the much better puck feel and the availability of the E28 curve.

For the first time in a LONG time I'm not stick shopping anymore and will definitely replace this when I need a new one.

It's a pretty good value as well, considering that high end sticks typically retail around $250 now and this is (I believe) still under $200.

 

[LarryO]

Thanks for the detailed review Jarick. I'm now using the SuperNatural and like it pretty much. I'm wondering if it would be worth getting a Nasty and if puck feel is improved. The weave on the blade looks exactly like the SuperNatural and nothing like the Savoy Special. I noticed less pinginess when I switched from the Savoy Special to the SuperNatural. Could you or anyone else add some insight on the difference between the SuperNatural and the Nasty?

 

[Jarick]

Thanks for the detailed review Jarick. I'm now using the SuperNatural and like it pretty much. I'm wondering if it would be worth getting a Nasty and if puck feel is improved. The weave on the blade looks exactly like the SuperNatural and nothing like the Savoy Special. I noticed less pinginess when I switched from the Savoy Special to the SuperNatural. Could you or anyone else add some insight on the difference between the SuperNatural and the Nasty?

That's a tough one. I don't know if the blades are any different. I know they said the weight and balance was better, and usually that implies a different blade (or joint).

I can tell you I felt zero pinginess with the Nasty and I don't recall much pinginess if any with the old Savoy tapered blade. I'm fairly sensitive to pingy/ceramic feeling blades myself.

 

[miscs75]

If anyone has any of these. I'm curious to see if the BC03 is basically the pro-version of the Mark Streit pattern or Dean McAmmond SE16 patterns.

 

[iLoveLobster]

Is the diameter on Base Intermediate sticks the same as Sr.?

 

[ekm01]

Just ordered a couple of these. Should be coming in the next week or so. Got it with the BM19 curve. Like OP, I'm more used to a P88 curve, but we'll see how this goes!

 

[Jarick]

Still my main stick, and for now it's got me not wanting anything else. I've been thinking about a backup with either a P88 or maybe a little whippier flex but that's likely because I'm weak and out of shape from not playing all summer.

 

[Fanned On It]

So the BC28is an E28 clone? If so I gotta see if my pops can get this stick at his shop because I'd love to try a BASE out and I really want to try the E28 as well.