Aesthetics:
Warrior has had some pretty flashy, outrageous graphics packages over the course of their existence, this stick is an exception. You have a silver base with black and minimal orange accents. “Dolomite” appears numerous times, diagonal in the lower third of the shaft, it’s actually rather subtle. On the backhand(of a RH stick) “Warrior” appears with bold block lettering in black with a silver outline. On the forehand(on a RH stick) “Warrior” appears with the same bold block lettering but with in orange that fades to black, again with a silver outline. The lower shaft and blade are coated in a clearcoat that appears to have metal flakes in it, this allows you to see the weave yet subtles the appearance and adding to the details.

Weight: The Dolomite DD is nicely balanced; it feels lightweight in the hands. This is typical for a Warrior Dolomite/Inno 1100/ Vapor XX. Some have commented that it “feels” heavy but I don’t agree, it might not be ultra lightweight but it is far from being a heavy stick.

Performance:
Again, this is usual low kickpoint Dolomite. It’s a bit stiffer than marked out of the box but breaks in decently. It kicks hard enough to give any current high end stick a run for their money. The blade is stiff but forgiving, I haven’t had any issues with torquing. I generally don’t take many slap shots but I did take some time to rip a few and I was impressed with the ease of hitting the sweet spot (Gionta pattern) and generating some good power.

Puck handling:
The blade on this stick is phenomenal. When I read other reviews about how the stick had great “feel” I thought I was hearing the same old “Easton sticks have great feel” jargon… meaning they don’t really have experience with sticks that actually have good feel, I was wrong. This stick has great feel, I wouldn’t say it’s on par with a one95 but it’s probably one under.

Durability:
Durability has been typical of a Dolomite. There are a few chips here and there but the structure is solid, the blade is still stiff despite a couple small gouges from skates. The graphics are holding up very well also.

Conclusion: The Dolomite has been a solid shaft for a while, that’s no surprise. The big surprise for me was the blade. I expected the “DD” to be mostly marketing and equal amount of disappointment, like the Spyne blade, but I was wrong. While I will not claim this is the best one-piece stick on the market, I will tell you this is the best value. For under $170 you have a stick that competes with sticks that can be well over $200 MAP. This stick fills an important niche that we’ve been lacking: For a high kickpoint stick with great feel, you have had the one95. Meanwhile ever low kickpoint stick on the market have ceramic or pingy blades, until now. Finally we have an option for a dampened, wood-like feel in a low kickpoint stick; the Warrior Dolomite DD.

Handle/Knob:
I use white cloth tape(currently Howies hockey tape) for the knob and the lower finishing of the handle. The other layer(the light blue) is Sportstape Gauze tape, not to be confused with stretch/grip tape. The knob itself is pretty small and is done with white cloth tape. I make a gauze tape “cap” on top followed by wrapping the gauze tape down approximately 4 1/2″ and finish it off with about 1/3″ of cloth tape. The gauze tape is cohesive which means it only sticks to itself but it is secure by itself the final piece of cloth tape is simply aesthetic. Lastly I mark the white tape so I easily know which stick is which, this is very convenient when two or more sticks have the same graphics package.

The blade:
For the blade I use black cloth tape(Currently Howies) and Sex Wax hockey stick wax. I do a single layer around the toe with relief cuts so the tape lays flat. I then start taping on the backhand side of the blade and wrap continuous though the toe making relief cuts and folding those over the toe also, for additional protection. After rubbing the puck along the edges of the blade I heavily coat the entire tape job in wax then I melt it into the tape with a heat gun, adding durability to the blade tape and helping keep snow off the blade.

Lastly, stick length:
I’m 6’1 and use a 57″ stick.

Initial impressions:
This is a “WOW” product. You can hear all about how lightweight this helmet is but until you have it in your hands it’s all just words. I have brought my usual helmet, a NBH 4500 helmet and toss someone that helmet and they take a look at it. I then toss over the S19, the looks on their faces are priceless.

Design aesthetics:
I didn’t like the look at first, mainly the front logo placement but it has won me over. Again, Easton/Bell have taken the “Stealth” name seriously, sharp angles and a slim profile really meet the look we should expect from a helmet called the “Stealth.”

Fit:
The helmet width is a little wider than the S9 but front to back it’s about the same. Depth-wise, it’s a bit deeper to the crown of the head. I like the adjustment system, it’s simple.

Design features:
The size adjustment is a baseball cap style adjustment in the back. It’s simple to use and doesn’t ruin the Stealth-look by adding adjustment pieces on the outside. The ear guards are well thought out and easy to remove with no hardware needed. The hardware seems to work well but I can see where others have found faults with it, I had no issues attaching (then removing) a half shield but your results may vary.

Protection:
I will try to go head first into the boards later.

Weight:
The weight on my size Large S19 is 315ish grams. That’s less than most hockey gloves!

Durability/Build quality:
Very nice quality, I have yet to have a hair pulling issue. That is a first in non-VN helmets, past experience includes the 8K, 9500.

First usage(s): It’s comfortable for a non-VN helmet but so was the 9500, unfortunately the 9500 was booted off the island because of sweat issues, hair pulling and overall just feeling too hot. Well sadly the S19 shares a few of those issues:

Sweat issues: Sweat has been pouring into my eyes but I feel as though that’s natural with a non-VN type of helmet until they integrate a sweat band.

Hair pulling: So far, this initial report has had me on the ice for about 10-12 hours and not one gel pad has come up or have I had a hair pull out. This is a first for this kind of helmet, the 8K and 9500 pulled out my hair constantly.

Heat index: So far, it’s felt hot, very hot. Here’s where it differs; I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t had a haircut in a couple months or whether it’s the rink itself feeling a little warmer as of the recent rainy weather or whether it’s the actual helmet. I’m thinking it’s NOT the helmet itself, I can feel a good amount of airflow just putting the helmet on in a room with a ceiling fan. I’ve also asked a few fellow players and they agree that the rink has been a bit warmer the past couple of weeks, great timing! Ugh. Next up, haircut and hopefully a better idea of the helmet’s heat index. Expect an update within the next 36 hours.

Second go around:
I had another 2.5 hours on the ice since the last post. I finally had a hair cut and as I expected the helmet felt MUCH cooler. There was still an issue with sweat but it was less drastic than before. I was still thinking that it felt a little warm in comparison to my other helmets when a buddy next to me makes the comment; “Damn, it’s really hot in here tonight.” So far, I’m liking the helmet. I’m not sure if it will be a permanent replacement for my beloved VN helmets but this is truly the first time I’ve thought that I may have found an EPP helmet that I actually like.

To give you an idea with commonly used EPP helmets I’ve used:
NBH 8500 – tried a friend’s for a few minutes, absolutely hated it. It was uncomfortable, hot and it pulled my hair.
Mission Intake(original) – Same deal as 8500, borrowed. Uncomfortable, too shallow, pretty cool. Pulled my hair.
NBH 9500 – Bought one. Comfortable, hot, pulled my hair. Wore it maybe 8 hours total and sold it on MSH.
RBK 8K – Bought one mainly because I liked how it looked. Worst helmet I’ve ever owned, sold it locally. I used it once to play, all other times was to coach. It was HOT, pulled my hair, gel pads moved around, width adjustment broke.

Truthfully, I expected to hate this helmet and expected me to throw it under the bus because of the price. I expected to go into rants about how much better VN is than EPP… but Easton has surprised me, I’m still wearing it and that in itself says something considering how unreasonably picky I am about my gear.

Third go around, let’s address the sweat issue:
Using a 1″ sweat band and some velcro I affixed a sweat band to the front of the helmet. As seen below:

After using this setup… It was brilliant. The helmet felt more comfortable because, personally, I don’t like the feel of those gel pads on my forehead. To me those gel pads kind of feel like getting your arm stuck to a vinyl sofa on a warm, humid(sweaty) day. No sweat issues whatsoever with the sweat band installed. The rink was also more cool than it has been because it was raining at the time I was skating as opposed to skating after an afternoon rain, which makes the rink warm and humid. This helmet felt the coolest it ever has and I can’t recall a helmet feeling cooler than what I experienced last night. It will be interesting to see if this helmets continues to shine, I said I was never going to convert to an EPP helmet and I may be eating those words.

Helmet: Easton S19
Shoulders: Nothing/padded shirt
Elbows: Easton Pro 700, Jofa 5044 with Jofa floating slash guard on right elbow pad(lower hand)
Gloves: (Most recently used) NBH Vapor XXX Savard Team Canada
Pants: Bauer 5000, old style TBL pro pants, heavily modified by me
Shins: NBH Pro Lightspeed
Skates: NBH Supreme one95 custom
Sticks: (Most recently used) Warrior Dolomite DD, Polarfibre Dolomite 260 flex Kovalchuk/Afanasenkov

Fit: As with all Vapor gloves, they fit medium-tight in the hand and fingers. The cuff opening on the X:60s has been expanded from the Vapor XXXX, directly between the Vapor XXX and XXXX glove. The X:60 glove may be a bit wider in the hand than the XXXX glove.

Design features:There are a few changes that deserve mentioning. The cuff has been once again expanded but it’s not as drastic as the Vapor XXX. The thumb has been changed slightly, it now flexes further and easier than it did in past Vapor gloves. The palm on the X:60 Pro is what Bauer is calling a “Dual layer digital nash palm,” it looks like digital but it does not feel like digital. Not all digital palms are created equal but this digital palm feels much thicker and stiffer, it doesn’t feel like any other digital palm on the market. I presume the palm was designed for better durability but I would rather they would have gone back to the thinking of the original Vapor XXX glove. The original Vapor XXX glove included an extra set of palms, that would have nice, in my opinion. The liner is what Bauer is calling a thermo Max+ liner which is bright red, honestly I haven’t noticed a difference. They kept the internal backhand pad from the Vapor XXXX, which was a wise choice because the Vapor XXXs was annoying and at times, awkward.

Protection: I don’t have a complaint about the protection. The Vapor line has always had an issue with protecting the wrist above the joint on the cuff roll, this glove is no different. This is not anything new and it’s something I’ve come to expect out of the Vapor line of gloves. I’d compare protection moreso with the XXX rather than the XXXX.

Weight: The weight on the Vapor XXX was 318-ish grams per glove. The weight on the Vapor XXXX was about 312-ish grams per glove. The Vapor X:60 glove is also a lightweight at roughly 316-ish grams per glove.

Durability/Build quality: So far so good, not much wear on the palms. The outer material was changed in places having a couple different types of nylon. One material is similar to previous Vapor nylon but they added another nylon material that is more similar to TPS’ cable knit.

Conclusion: I’ve always been a fan of the Vapor line of gloves. I currently own a pair of Vapor 10s, three pairs of Vapor XXXs, two pairs of Vapor XXXXs and a pair of X:60s. I have also used the Vapor XV and Vapor XX gloves and I liked those gloves as well. I think I still prefer the Vapor XXXs but the X:60s aren’t far behind. I’m happy in the direction that Bauer took the Vapor line in. I was rather disappointed in the Vapor XXXXs, with their tighter cuff and seemingly less protection across the back of the hand. I think that fans of the Vapor XXX glove will really like the X:60 glove, if they can overlook the palm.

This review was written specifically for ModSquadHockey and is available to read here

Initial Thoughts
Upon receiving the blade I uttered three words that seem to go along with this design; What the Byfuglien!?! Looking at the blade it looks like any other wood standard-tenon replacement blade until you see the hosel. About one inch below the tenon, the hosel curves dramatically toward the backhand side of the blade. The offset is only about a half-inch but appears more drastic.

Blade Meets Shaft
The Hespeler blade was inserted into a TPS Redlite XN10 shaft and later into an Easton MM Z-Bubble shaft. As awkward as it looked initially, it looks more awkward in the shafts. Upon taping I always give my sticks a few moments with a Smarthockey ball, in my opinion, this gives me a more enhanced feel allowing for a greater comparison on the blade’s feedback or “feel.” The “feel” was, different, it almost feels like it’s coming off your stick while you have the ball in the proper “puck handling” position.

To the Rink
I always take at least two sticks with me to the rink. It’s actually rather awkward to carry, you need to put the stick on the backhand side of the other stick otherwise it’s just awkward. That is obviously just a little annoyance but an annoyance nevertheless. At the rink no less than five fellow players literally said those three aforementioned words; “What the…” You get the point, it’s awkward.

On the Ice

Handling
There is definitely an adjustment period with this blade, it just feels different. Typically I skate having my head up; if I lose the puck I can typically find it with my peripheral vision with this blade I had issue locating the puck without looking fully down. Typically this is not an issue with a wood blade as they provide better feedback than a composite blade, this seemed like a product of the design.

Shooting
Shooting was uncomfortable for me; I found myself having to locate (look down) the puck on the blade to shoot at times, that did not feel natural. After about 30 minutes I was more comfortable but accuracy was off. It seemed as though most shots would miss to the right (right-handed shot), typically if I miss it’s normally hooking it high and to the left. I did find that backhands were slightly easier to get up high, quickly and it felt like my backhands were slightly harder/faster than normal. I had a couple friends try it out and they also had similar experiences, although some didn’t have the consistently less accurate shots that I experienced. I believe this to be a torquing issue because it was soo inconsistent; sometimes I’d miss by five inches, sometimes I’d miss by a few feet. Torquing occurs when the blade twists and flexes which causes a loss in accuracy. In this case I would consider the accuracy issue to be a product of the Hespeler blade itself, not the offset design. I believe the puck handling issue to be a product of the design but this would likely go away with time and use.

Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the possible benefits are over shadowed by the adjustment period needed to be comfortable with the altered puck position. You can only be so accurate with shots, shot speed and accuracy comes with practice. You should never change your technique to use a stick or pattern, you find your ideal stick/pattern to fit your technique.

This review was written for Schoolyard Puck and can be found here.

Aesthetics: The Reebok 8.0.8 is a base black with white “Power Ports” and chrome graphics. It’s a really clean look that I strongly prefer over the bright green graphics on the 9KO.

Weight: Untaped the 8.0.8 is about 470 grams for this pro stock model(different than retail blade). This stick is MUCH better balanced than the 9kO but remains slightly blade heavy. It’s comparable to the TPS R10 and Vapor XXX lite as far as blade heavy goes… not bad.

Performance: This is the first RBK/Reebok stick that has gotten past warmups before hitting the stick rack. Considering how picky I can be, that speaks volumes for where Reebok is going with this new line of sticks. The kick on the stick is pretty good but not spectacular. I would compare it to the Easton S17. The stick loads up quickly and releases nicely, it really isn’t bad. It let me get off a quick release lob pass from my defensive hash marks to the offensive blue line that hit right on the money starting an easy breakaway(of course he hit the goalie in the chest with his shot but that’s not my stick’s fault!).

Puck handling:
The blade on this stick is phenomenal. It’s a pro stock CCM blade that I have loved for years, so this cannot be compared to what is going to be available at retail. This blade dampens as well, if not better than any Mission VDS blade I’ve ever used, the feel is amazing. Based on pictures, the retail blade will be closer to the CCM Catapult blade, which is a pretty good blade as well.

Durability: After only two ice sessions the stick had a good amount of wear, enough that I cataloged it with a picture. I’m not soo sure how this stick will hold up long term. We will see.

Conclusion: In my opinion, the Reebok 8.0.8 is probably the best stick offering they have come out with. I don’t love the stick but I also don’t hate it. It’s much like the Easton S17, I don’t feel they’re worth the money because they aren’t anything special. It meets the criteria of what a high end stick should be but it doesn’t bring anything special to the table in performance. At the pricepoints the 8.0.8 and S17 sell at, they should blow you away with performance but in my opinion they simply do not. The best part of this stick is the blade and this blade will not be on the retail stick, bummer.

Fit: I want to compare this to my previous 692, fit is similar in width. Pretty adjustable in length, sizes overlap, of course. I’d also compare this to a Bauer 4000 which is slightly wider than a NBH 4500.

Protection: Dual-density VN, shell feels good. Seems comparable to other VN helmets… I have yet to go head first into the boards, I’ll get back to you. I have noticed that my Pro Stock version’s foam is slightly different than the retail foam. The following comment in this paragraph was added a few months after the review when the Easton S9 helmets became available at the retail level. The retail S9’s foam feels like it’s a higher density, basically the foam just feels harder.

Design features:
The S9 helmet is designed with a screw adjustment, to adjust size you will need a screwdriver. The ear guards are removable and adjustable, the guards actually can be moved up and down for better fit, hearing and protection. The hardware on the temple is very nice, the backing pieces are connected to each other. The nuts being a single piece make j-hook or half shield installation super easy.

Weight: Lightweight for VN, obviously an EPP helmet will be lighter.

Durability: Everything is going well, with one exception. The same issue JR Boucicaut (MSH admin) had, the chin strap clip broke. JR’s broke in the first or second game and mine broke while swapping out the chin strap. Not sure if they’re going to fix this before the release of the helmet but do yourself a favor and pick up an extra chin strap just in case.

Performance: When I got it, I expected that I’d be modifying the foam to get some air in there but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. At first the helmet was cool when skating and warm at a standstill. As the helmet breaks in, it’s been flowing better. Typically with other helmets I have to remove my helmet a few times a game or during extended open ice. The S9, leaves my head maybe once a game and is fine for an entire hour coaching session. JR and I have discussed this a few times, comparing notes and we really haven’t come to a valid conclusion about our very different results. For now let it stand as results may vary.

Conclusion: Gorgeous helmet. Adjustable ear guards are a nice little innovation. The single screw adjustments on the sides of the helmet are nice. The backings on the temple hardware are a wonderful little design.

Weight: The Lidstrom weighed in at 450 grams and the Drury weighed in at 445 grams. I would compare this stick to TPS R8 in terms of weight and balance, these are extremely lightweight sticks. Everyone that has touched the stick is amazed at how lightweight it feels and overall are extremely impressed with it.

Flex: My biggest complain is with the flex. These sticks are whippy. The 95 flex feels like an Easton 85  flex almost immediately after you begin to use it and the 85 feels like an 80 flex without any ice time.

Grip: The grip is similar to the CCM grip but lighter(not as tacky), not bad even for someone like me that dislikes grip sticks. Length is 60″ uncut.

Puck handling: The blades were very “pingy” at first until I taped the blade up. With a thin layer of tape the blade seems quite nice. In the “Feel” department, this is no Mission Pulse but it’s comparable to a high-end Easton OPS which isn’t quite as nice as my R8, but we’re talking apples to slightly worse apples there. The blade is livelier than the R8 and again moreso like an Easton which can cause some with stone hands some issues. I personally had no issues with receiving passes. I do admit that I do like slightly lively blades.

Shooting: I had no torquing issues with the 95 flex but I would probably be safe in assuming that I would have some issues with the 85 since it is soo whippy. The flex is consistant across the entire stick similar to the NBH one90 OPS. The shots off this stick did feel a little laggy(if that makes sense) on wrist shots but the stick still had some nice pop.

Durability: The Compro has been wonderfully durable. I beat the hell out of this stick and it’s still solid despite showing some major wear in certain areas of the stick. The blade does chip up rather easily but it remains stiff and solid.

Conclusion: I’m not won over by the stick completely but that’s more of a personal preference thing. The stick is high in quality and performance but it just doesn’t fit with my technique and play style. I’m sure many of you would actually very much like it but it’s just not for me.

Final thoughts: This is definitely a HUGE step in the right direction. This is Compro’s first stick that can really compete with the big boys. I’d like to thank Ted Corse for sending me the sticks to demo and review. It was a pleasure to be given the opportunity to try out this latest offering from a growing company. I hope that they keep working hard to put out an even better product next go around. The stick is definitely worth a look if you get a chance.

*Please note that this blog is backdated to keep an accurate timeline for reviews. This blog was created 6/05/2010 but dates and content date as far back as 6/07/2004.

Now about me: For years I have played and coached hockey. I currently coach and play out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s practice facility, the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, FL. A little late to the internet forum world the TBLfan as a screen name started in 2005 on HFboards. Soon I expanded my hockey forum presence to GSBB, MSH, Easton MB and IWMB, among others. I have been thoughtfully regarded and respected in this social network of hockey equipment discussion because of my wealth of knowledge in the subject. I know and converse with many involved directly in the industry and have ties to a variety of pro hockey organizations through friendships, though not being in the industry myself. You may contact me and maybe get to know me a little better on my new Twitter account: TBLfan37.

Experience with hockey equipment(items I have owned/used enough that I could offer accurate performance reviews):

*Please note, this list is as of June 2010 and does not include all equipment used over the years. This list is missing a good amount of gear because either the items weren’t noteworthy and/or I don’t recall using/owning them.

Helmets:
Bauer – 4500, 9500
CCM – HT2, 652, 692
Easton – S9
Mission – Carbster, Intake, Intake(VN)
RBK – 8K

Shoulders:
Bauer – 4000, Supreme Classics, Pro Defenders
CCM – 8.0, 10.0
Nike – V10

Elbows:
Bauer – 4000, one90, Classic
CCM – 8.0, 10.0
Easton – S9
Jofa – 6066, 5044, 9144, 9177

Pants:
Bauer – 5000 Pro, one90
CCM – 652, 520 Pro
Easton – Air Pro
Jofa – 7000
Nike – Pro, quest
Tackla – 5000X

Shins:
Bauer – 4000, one90, Lightspeed Pro
CCM – 8.0, 10.0
Ferland – Gold series
Jofa – 3190
Koho – Revolution
Shockdoctor – 360

Skates:
Bauer – 7000, XXXX, one95
CCM – Various Tacks
Nike – Flexlite 12

Skate holders/Chassis:
CCM – Prolite 3
Mission – Hi-Lo(multiple chassis)
Sprung – A6
Tuuk – LS2, Custom+

One-piece Sticks:
Bauer – Triflex, Endure, Vapor 8, XX, XXX, XXX lite, XXXX, X:60, one90, one95
Ballistic – 52 Cal
CCM – V110, V120, V130, 8.0, 10.0, Catapult, U+, U+ CL
Compro – E2X
Eagle – X80
Easton – ST(OG Green), Synergy(gold), Synergy(Grip yellow), Synergy(2nd gen Silver), SL, SE, SE16, 05 Stealth, CNT Stealth, S17
Franklin – 8040
Innovative – 1100
Mission – Pulse
Sherwood – RM19
TPS – Response, Response+, XN10 OPS Adrenaline, R8lite, R10, XN10 Chrome
Reebok/RBK – 7K, 7K Sickick, 10K, 9K, 8.0.8
Warrior – Dolomite, Mac Daddy, Kronik

Shafts:
Bauer – one95(standard), one95 Tapered
CCM – 10.0, Catapult
Easton – Cyclone, Ultralight(1st, 2nd and 3rd gen), T-flex, Z-Bubble, Aluminum, Synthesis
Innovative – 1100
Mission – Flyweight, Dangler
TPS – Redlite(CS2), Redlite XN10, R2XN10, R2 Armour XN10
Warrior – Dolomite, AK27

Replacement blades:
Bauer – 4000, one95
CCM – V40, 2.0, 8.0, 10.0, V10
Christian – Puckmaster
Easton – T-flex, Synthesis, CNT Z-carb, ST
Fury – Pro(composite)
Harrow – 300
Hespeler – UB Offset
Koho – 4490
Mission – pro(composite), VDS
Montreal – M95
Sherwood – Axion
TPS – R2(composite), R2(wood), TPS Pro(custom)
Warrior – Dolomite

Gloves:
Bauer – Vapor 10, Vapor XV, Vapor XX, Vapor XXX, Vapor XXXX, Vapor X:60, Supreme 70, one90, 5000 SDP, 4-roll
CCM – 10.0, V10, Forte made pro 4-rolls
Eagle – X50, X70, X72, PPF, “Pro”, CP94, CP95, X88
Easton – 1350, 9500, 9800, 1st gen Z-air, 2nd gen Z-air, 3rd gen Z-air, Pro 4-roll
Jofa – 8700, 9700
Mission – Warp, HE750, M1, L7, 120, 130
Nike – Invisio
Oakley – Mace
Reebok – 4-roll(MIA), 9K knit(retail), 9K(pro), 10K(pro)
SWD – 9950, RM9(?), RM19, T90
TPS – HGPro, R2, HGT, R8lite pro spec,
Warrior – Super Mac Daddy, Franchise