The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
I don't own one, thought about it many times though. Guys on my team have them and there's a rep around here who's brought sticks to try several times.
I like the theory...affordable sticks with no gimmicks with tons of pro options. I like the multiple lies. The blade design seems very well thought out, close to the One95. Lots of flex options is good.
But at the end of the day, with shipping, it's $150+ as compared to clearance sticks that are the same price or less with no shipping and I can get it same day.
I own one. My opinion:
- light and well balanced
- very durable, kevlar wrap seems to work well, I was very hard on mine and it never broke. Can't say enough about its durability, especially since it's a pretty light stick
- range of lies per curve is awesome, general curve selection is great
- plays significantly softer than rated, I got a 75 flex and it's the whippiest 75 flex I've ever owned or used. I think it whipped out a bit with time too
- didn't like the puck feel, think Bauer Vapour, on the pingy side
- shaft feels small in my hands, even compared to something like a Vapour. Between the small shaft, and the whippier than rated flex, for me it felt like it was somewhere between a senior 75 and an intermediate
- I felt like it opened up when I shot, I feel like my accuracy suffered with the Base stick. Could have just been that it was too whippy for me though, it's the only stick where I really got the "wet noodle" feeling. Maybe an 85 flex would have been better, even though I prefer a 75/77 with most sticks
- Overall wrist shots were fairly good, slap shots fairly bad, and in general the stick just felt . . . I don't know, insubstantial. Mostly due to the shaft shape/size and whippy flex
I no longer use it, overall wasn't a huge fan. Some strong points, but still some kinks to work out, would rather get a high end Bauer/Easton/Warrior on clearance, as Jarick suggested. I would rate it significantly below other high end sticks I've used, like the Bauer one95, Bauer X50, Easton SE16 and Warrior Dolomite.
Should be noted that I bought mine awhile ago (a year ago I think?), when they were reasonably new to the market. They could easily have changed/tweaked their sticks since then.
I bought a couple because I needed a 4 lie, and BASE were the only ones who offered a PM9 curve in a 4 lie. I opted for the 2-piece option in case I wanted to try different blades. (Anyway, most 1-piece sticks on the market are not true 1-pieces but actually fused 1-pieces which means they're 2-piece sticks assembled with epoxy.) For all the options that BASE offer, some options which other brands only offer to the pros, they are worth the price. This is the first stick that I ever had that had the curve, lie, and flex that I need, so passing and shooting have never been better. I'm nearing the end of my second season with the same stick and still going strong. The only damage is on the tip of the blade because of contact with skates and when digging the puck out along the boards. And the finish is chipped on the lower shaft from all the slashing but it hasn't yet broken despite being an intermediate stick of 65 flex. I'm real happy with them and will continue buying them.
I never read the thread for a bit so I went ahead and got one all white... reading these comments are really scaring me I got an 85 flex so maybe that will help...
I never read the thread for a bit so I went ahead and got one all white... reading these comments are really scaring me I got an 85 flex so maybe that will help...
I thought it was a decent deal for the money, just not an amazing deal. A bit over-whippy, didn't love the puck feel, and the shaft is on the narrow side. A lot of this is personal preference though, if you happen to like a whippier stick, pingier puck feel, and narrower shaft, then these things wouldn't be issues. Definitely light, well balanced and durable (at least, mine was extremely durable).
Got my blade in. It's a 4.75 lie Drury clone with shark skin coating.
- The blade looks well built and it's noticeably lighter than the Harrow 300 tapered blade.
- Balance with my tapered shaft is very good, actually feels close to a one piece.
- The shark skin is a lot less gritty than I thought, which is good.
- 3k wrap.
- There's a cool "tapered" area where the tenon meets the hosel wich would IMO help it from coming loose a bit.
- Stickhandling with a golf and wooden ball, it's got pretty good feel. Maybe not One95 or wood soft, but not pingy feeling at all.
The puck feel of the blade is pretty good. Pucks were a little jumpy maybe because the blade felt a bit thin, but most anything that hit the blade died enough to handle. Pucks on the tape felt solid.
The lower lie is much, much better for everything for me. I'm now fully convinced that having the multiple lie options (especially lower lies) will be more beneficial to the player most other aspects of the blade. It's been a long time coming to have these options.
The blade is also incredibly well balanced and the stick feels like a good quality one piece instead of a two piece with a heavy or disconnected blade. Again, a good sign.
I still may or may not try a tapered shaft from Base (money is tight and I can get a new Warrior shaft for cheap on clearance), but I'd have no hesitation buying from Base again at this point.
I'll update again periodically with durability reports.
Yeah, I'd definitely have no problem ordering a blade from them, mostly just wasn't a fan of the shaft which I felt was overly whippy for me. I'd love to try a lower lie Drury and lower lie Sakic, do they do standard blades, or just tapered blades? Also, how much was the blade?
If I get a shaft it will probably be a 75 flex senior. I'm normally a 65-75 flex intermediate guy. I heard they run a little slimmer in the hands.
Cool, thanks for the info. And yeah, I found the shaft dimensions to be a bit slimmer, and the flex to be whippier than rated. Honestly, if you happen to be in Vancouver any time soon, I have a 75 flex Base shaft (well, OPS that I cut and chiselled into a tapered shaft) that I'd give you for free.
What is the hosel length like? Is it shorter like the X60 or is it longer like the Harrow blades and Warrior Dynasty?
Any idea how the weight fares with the X60?
I have a 2-piece X60 and the blade has broken down much faster than preferred, but the length, weight, and balance are fantastic. I'd like to maintain those as much as possible while improving the durability of the blade.
I think the hosel is about the same as the Harrow, or maybe a hair shorter. It's definitely a lot lighter, maybe not as light as the X60, but on the lighter end. No idea on durability yet.
Ponder, I'd take that shaft off your hands but I'm nowhere near Vancouver
I think the hosel is about the same as the Harrow, or maybe a hair shorter. It's definitely a lot lighter, maybe not as light as the X60, but on the lighter end. No idea on durability yet.
Ponder, I'd take that shaft off your hands but I'm nowhere near Vancouver
FWIW, I actually cut/chiselled the blade out of my Base, then put in an X60 blade, and didn't really notice much of a weight/balance difference. So I'd say the weight is probably similar to the X60 blade (Base OPS sticks are fused, they're simply a 2-piece stick with the blade and shaft epoxied together, which is the case for a lot of "OPS" sticks on the market).
And too bad, obviously you're from Minny but thought I'd offer in the off chance that you were going to be in Vancouver for some reason. The Base shaft will go back to its usual duty of collecting dust in my closet.
I got it when they first started to come out, I loved it. Until I got my RS its all i used, shot better with the Base actually than RS, but that's just cause they sent me the wrong curve for the RS and im not used to it yet. Overall a good stick though, well worth it
I got an 85 flex so maybe that will help...
