15 replies to this topic

[Precision]

Alright so I have used Bauer everything, CCM/Reebok everything, Easton sticks too... Out of all the sticks I have owned, the only one I've ever fatally broken was a Warrior Widow (literally 30 minutes on ice the blade snapped in half)

 

I know a lot of guys use Warrior, I wish I could say that I understood why they were so great but I just don't and would like some help understanding why people think they are so great. I have noticed a few things... they tend to have horrible build quality/durability, balance issues (heavy blades) and so many letter and number variants (dt1lt, dt2st, dtfwtfjkrofl?)

 

I have some friends that use QR1's in the NCAA and they are essentially melting through them at a ridiculous rate which makes me reluctant to even waste my money.

 

I'm not bashing Warrior I am just looking for some thoughts from people who use their stuff and love it or hate it and why.

[Steelnation248]

I use their stocks, amongst others, because I like how their sticks feel and kick. They've been absolute tanks for me. The blades have held up longer than many other sticks.

Easton has terrible durability for me. Everyone seems to have one brand that doesn't work for them.

[Precision]

I have never owned a Warrior stick other than the Widow that I broke and it was so long ago I don't even remember it.

[flip12]

IIRC, they had nearly severe issues with their blades and durability overall in that generation and they've done a lot to retool their blade construction especially as well as their stick construction overall. I don't use their sticks yet, but I have some in my stash that I'll get to eventually, so I can't comment from personal experience as much as from what I've read from that of others. I don't play full contact hockey anymore, so the perceived high-breakage rate at NCAA level use and abuse wouldn't personally dissuade me from buying Warrior if the feel is better and the durability's decent.

[Watchgreat]

NCAA players will break through a crazy amount of sticks regardless of what brand they use. For me personally, Warriors have been extremely durable and my DT1LT sticks are tanks.

[Nickyeyes]

I have had the exact opposite experience. I love the feel and performance of Eastons overall, but have had durability issues with them. Warriors are a close second, but as far as durability I feel they last longer than any other sticks I've used. I have DT1's that are still going strong. Don't use them every time I'm out, but they have outlasted Eastons I've had and used just as much.

[Hyuen88]

When I first started using warrior is when Innovative made the transition. Ever since the Dolo gen 1 I've always looked at Warrior twigs. Have had a different experience and go through Easton and Bauer twigs too easily. Never really had durability issues w/ Warriors, usually find the blades die faster than actually snapping the twig itself but thats just normal wear and tear. The feel and kick like others mentioned is why we go to Warriors. Like how Easton got their fans when they released the se16, cnt, or sl. Most of us started w/ dolo's, mac daddy's and ak27's and loved em just like those Easton models.

[Monty22]

I have never owned a Warrior stick other than the Widow that I broke and it was so long ago I don't even remember it.

So your sample size is one?

[NovaHands]

I had a Widow and a Diablo that both didn't last long.  The heels started chipping pretty quickly.

 

However, the Covert DT1's that I had lasted a lot longer.  In fact, the only reason my last DT1 broke was because I slammed the heel on the ice after a particularly poor shot I took.  I know a few guys that have QR1's that are going strong after many uses, as well.  

[- M]

I've owned several Warrior sticks and enjoyed using them.  My second-gen Dolomites were great and lasted several months before they all suffered the same fate: rattling in the fuse point and surface cracks on the face of the blade.  They were great sticks but what turned me away was when Warrior started putting those stupid Dragon graphics all over them. 

 

I'm mainly a Bauer guy right now but I picked up some Warrior Widows that my LHS had on clearance and they were a pretty good value for the price.

[Wheelin89]

First blade I ever broke on a stick was my pro stock warrior Yakupov stick. Bummed me out but there is a first time for everything I guess. Just the nature of the beast.

[liveevil]

I've had a few of the newer warrior sticks and never had an issue with durability. Though they're all benched now in favor of warrior or easton because the puck feel just seems dull to me.

[miscs75]

I refuse to use Bauer anything (for a handful of reasons) but i've used recently a Warrior Widow, Easton S19, Easton SE16, Sherwood Nexon N12, Warriory Dyansty AX1 and a few others I forget. The S19s both broke after 3-5 skates and my Widow snapped after about a year of usage (on and off skating for a few months). I don't normally break sticks but the Widow broke mid blade. The feel on it was probably the best out of all of the sticks and the pop was the most consistent. It was the only one out of all of my sticks that I've picked up until recent that the blade didn't go soft after a month or so due to usage (both the SE16 and Nexon had this problem).

[sl888]

I'm officially done with Warrior twigs, the QR1 is my last. I've owned and used pretty much every top of the line Warrior except for their DT1 and DT1LT. My ONLY issue is durability, and it's always the blade. The newer generations have improved but still, once it chips then it doesn't last long.

 

Like most have mentioned, the kick and feel is why I chose Warrior. I really like their graphics too. The 2nd gen Dolomite DD's is probably my favourite design.

 

They were great sticks but what turned me away was when Warrior started putting those stupid Dragon graphics all over them. 

WHAT?! I wish I could've gotten my hands on the Team Canada edition!

[Precision]

I'm officially done with Warrior twigs, the QR1 is my last. I've owned and used pretty much every top of the line Warrior except for their DT1 and DT1LT. My ONLY issue is durability, and it's always the blade. The newer generations have improved but still, once it chips then it doesn't last long.

 

Like most have mentioned, the kick and feel is why I chose Warrior. I really like their graphics too. The 2nd gen Dolomite DD's is probably my favourite design.

 

 

So I take it your QR1 is having blade issues too?

[Bleafer]

I talked to someone the other day about the QR1 and he said the blade issues were always bad with Warrior, but the opposite happened with his QR1. Blade chipped after a while but kept going strong for a long time.