Loose Stick Blades

A reader wrote with me with some great advise on how to prevent blades from becoming loose after gluing them into their shafts. He's had the same issue with AB hockey sticks. He wrote:

I heat the blade and the shaft and insert them (roughly ½ inch) and observe the slope (on both planes) then I remove the blade hosel (part that inserts into the shaft) and add strips of tape (ripped to ½ inch wide by about 4 inches ) around the hosel (in the shape of a U) on the sides where a noticeable gap is. Then I take a hot glue stick and melt it (with a torch) and smear it on the hosel (over the tape is added). I then heat the shaft and blade until the glue is melted and insert it. I have had some blades that were so far off (small) that I had to add 2 strips of tape on the flat wide sides and 3 on the narrow sides just to get a tight fit. Using the tape to take up the gap (rather than the glue) works wonders for making the stick solid.

Thanks Bryan!

I've noticed that when I scavenge broken AB hockey sticks that often they are too narrow inside to accept the hosel. If they are wooden blades I don't have a problem shaving a little off but I'm wary of sanding the epoxy off a composite hosel. Anyway, just be aware that not all shafts have the same inside dimensions.

Bryan and others have also asked what types of blades are available and what are their advantages and disadvantages. Easton makes nice composite blades see http://www.totalhockey.net/ (I've never ordered from this organization but they seem legit). I've been using a pair of their blades for years. I like their curve and they are very durable. Even when the tape that rides along the ice wares off the epoxy is very tough. I didn't pay for mine (prototypes) but the price seems pretty reasonable. I've never laid eyes on their one piece composites so I can't comment. One draw back to composite inserts is that you would have to be a gorilla to get them to flex for a slap shot using an AB shaft. Easton seems to sell shafts but I doubt that they are more flexible. Their feature section seems to indicate extra layers to make them more durable which makes me think less flexible. This is not all bad since shafts take a lot of abuse from the picks of other players. I've had shafts fail for this reason. My son prefers wooden blade inserts from Unique Inventions (we both use their picks). They are less expensive but they do flex which can potentially increase the speed of your shot. The shape of the blade also is a little nicer for receiving passes and protecting the puck. They also come in a variety of heights which is nice if you have larger or smaller hands. The draw back is durability. My son's a big boy and he sometimes snaps them in two when going into a corner to fight for the puck. One player I know sometimes breaks them in face offs. Also, being wood, it is important to keep the bottom of the blade covered in tape otherwise they will start to splinter. For smaller or novice players most of this will probably not be an issue.

Bryan also asked about shaft length. My sticks are very long 95 cm. This is excellent for receiving poor passes and I'm flexible and strong so I can get a good shot off from a lot of different seating positions and the leverage makes me fairly fast despite my age and weight. However, like in AB hockey, the guys with shorter sticks can really handle the puck well. It is really preference thing. Don't forget to be sure to put a wooden plug in the pick end of the stick so when you tighten the bolts you don't collapse the shaft.

Hope this helps!