Stick wax or No stick wax?

[OpenIceHit42]

Do you prefer stick wax or no stick wax?

 

[noobman]

I prefer a waxed stick because the snow doesn't stick to it as much, but I usually play without because wax is an extra expense.

 

[BruinsNeedaRussian]

Never used it in my life. From my experiences, most poeple have said it doesn't really made a difference.

 

[mbowman]

never tried it. not that i'm good enough to notice a difference though haha

 

[member 30781]

Stick wax.

 

[dabeechman]

Definitely stick wax. It keeps snow build up down, and the tape lasts a heck of a lot longer.

It really cuts down the amount of tape I go through so the cost is negligible.

 

[Malreg]

I tried it for the first time last week, and I definitely noticed a difference. I was tired of scraping snow off my blade after every whistle...

 

[nullterm]

Started using it a few months ago and have stuck with it ever since.

 

[Wilch]

Do you guys apply the wax before every game? How fast do they wear off?

 

[nullterm]

Do you guys apply the wax before every game? How fast do they wear off?

Once per taping. Usually re-tape every 1-2 months.

 

[Kulluminati]

I have no idea, I bought my first stick of wax over the weekend and have a game at 11pm tonight, I'll post after and let you guys know if I noticed any difference.

 

[Baggy Spandex]

Superstitions are expensive I guess. I retape with wax after every skate.

 

[kr580]

I wax every re-taping. My main reason is it seems to help me catch passes; makes the blade just a little more tacky. It could be all in my head but I coulda sworn there was a night and day difference when I first applied wax on one of my sticks.

 

[Wilch]

I wax every re-taping. My main reason is it seems to help me catch passes; makes the blade just a little more tacky. It could be all in my head but I coulda sworn there was a night and day difference when I first applied wax on one of my sticks.

I think it's a mentality thing. I thought the purpose of wax is to repel liquid, nothing else. Shouldn't it make your tape a little slicker than usual?

 

[kr580]

I think it's a mentality thing. I thought the purpose of wax is to repel liquid, nothing else. Shouldn't it make your tape a little slicker than usual?

The stuff I use definitely is tacky. I know it does help me catch pucks better, just not sure if it's any great improvement or not.

 

[Jarick]

Paraffin wax will make your tape a little slick and repel snow. Hockey wax like Mr Zoggs will make it a little tacky. I really don't notice too much difference during the game itself but will usually put either a little wax or a little puck marks on the blade (scraping the puck tends to add a little texture to the tape).

 

[Badger36]

No wax. Its a waste of money. Ive tried stick wax and found absolutely no difference.

 

[nullterm]

I think it's a mentality thing. I thought the purpose of wax is to repel liquid, nothing else. Shouldn't it make your tape a little slicker than usual?

The stuff I use definitely is tacky. I know it does help me catch pucks better, just not sure if it's any great improvement or not.

Yeap. My blade gets dirty from practicing stick handling in the gym. The wax has a tendency of picking up whatever lint, hair, etc is in the carpet.

I do find the little bit of tackiness helped my stick handling. Similar to when I used blade tape, but regular tape & wax works just as well, protects the blade better, and is cheaper.

Might only be psychological, but it works for me.

 

[Wease]

Once per taping. Usually re-tape every 1-2 months.

Wow, I have to re-tape at least every other game / Drop In.

But yes, stick wax for sure. Cuts down on the amount of snow build up and helps keep the blade clean...

 

[Capathetic]

Wax also helps reduce friction when shooting. Fresh wax and clean ice is almost effortless to carry the puck. Plus it helps do all the picking up the puck tricks that are harder to do with wet tape.

 

[Kulluminati]

Played a game today, with wax on my blade for the first time and I definitely felt a difference in receiving/giving passes, puck just sticks to the blade better for better grip and allowed me to stick handle better. Then again it could all be in my head haha, but theres definitely nothing to lose waxing the blade and only gains. Plus now I have to tape my stick far less often.

 

[dabeechman]

No wax. Its a waste of money. Ive tried stick wax and found absolutely no difference.

Definitely in the minority. There are more than a few benefits to waxing your stick, most of which provide a noticeable difference.

 

[ponder]

I wax after every skate, re-tape only when I wear holes through the tape (roughly every 1-3 skates). The main advantage is definitely a lot less snow buildup, but I do think it makes the tape last a bit longer too. Without wax I wear through my tape in about half an hour of shooting at a stick and puck session, with wax my tape will often last about 2 one hour sessions (games are less predictable, often cuts from skate blades and whatnot will require re-taping before the tape on the bottom wears through). Negligible difference in puck feel IMO between a waxed and unwaxed blade, but there's definitely a significant difference in feel between a blade with and without snow/ice buildup, and the wax certainly helps in that regard.

 

[shello]

Wax for sure. Used wax for the first time last year and know it feels weird when i dont use it.

 

[MeltingPlastic]

i retape and wax basically before every game due to tape getting destroyed from skates etc... I prefer to use Sticky Bumps cool water surf wax. Nice and tacky and smells nice too! plus its really cheap $1.50 a brick