Usage: 7 Months

Preface: My goal was to make a tiny write up after every ice time I used this but the time investment quickly put me off that idea. Now that I have used the stick for 7 months I feel I can comment on the durability and on the overall quality of the stick so far. I have primarily used this over my other sticks as adjusting back and forth between the different lengths has proven to be difficult for me so this has continued to be my go to stick. I have tested a Sherwood Rekker EK15 and a STX Surgeon 500 and noticed a few differences between those and this stick. The Surgeon felt like shots came off just as hard as this DT1LT when new, but my accuracy was actually better with the Surgeon. The Rekker’s shots were slower but every shot went EXACTLY where I was aiming it, to the point where I was completely surprised. I was more comfortable with both sticks grip over the X Diamond on the DT1LT and they never bothered me like the X Diamond does. Passing was also better with both of those sticks but that could be attributed (and is) to the curves.

Grip: There are some grips I like and some I don’t. I used a STX Surgeon and Sherwood Rekker E15 at ModSquad Winterfest and both of those had a similar style of grip. While I’d prefer the Velvet grip on my Warrior AK27 I liked the STX and Sherwood grip much more than the Diamond grip on this Warrior. I hate it to the point that I was thinking of trying to sand off the grip. I find my hands stick to the stick when I don’t want them to and I never really had an issue with my hands sliding before using a non-grip stick.

Aesthetics: The stick’s graphics have held up really well. Some chips as expected but unlike other sticks were the paint flakes and leaves behind a blotted mess the understated bare style the DT1LT has really keeps this stick looking good.

Blade/Curve: Now I can really comment on the Pavelski curve. I would not order one again. I find making saucer passes to be more difficult than with my Parise and with other sticks I own. I really have to work hard to keep passes flat in the air with this curve. With that said it has been the best curve I have used for shooting high…and being defense I have to work to keep my shots down from the point. I can absolutely see merritt to this curve if you are primarily a shooting player but for my style of play I feel this is more of a detriment than something that benefits me.

Shooting: As I mentioned earlier this has been the best stick in terms of getting the puck high. I believe I have still never shot a puck harder than I have with this stick. But with that said I have noticed a significant amount of flex added to the stick since first using it. It was always a flexible stick but originally I felt it kick when taking a shot and now I no longer really feel that kick unless I take a perfect shot. Originally every shot I took felt super hard and powerful with a quick release but now I can feel and notice me fanning on shots much more and having a harder time getting off hard snap shots or slap shots. I understand all sticks wear down but I felt this happened about 3-4 months into its life and for that I wish it lasted longer.

Passing: See the Blade/Curve section as my issues with passing stem from me not really liking the curve.

Durability: The stick has definitely lost its original kick and has become more flexible. The paint has held up well and the blade has held up decently. The toe is in significantly better shape than my Easton RS. I have blocked quite a few shots with this stick so the fact it is still in one piece is quite an accomplishment. The blade also has a nice dent in it (by what I have no idea) which scared me at first but I haven’t noticed a difference in performance and the dent has not gotten worse since I noticed it. I will attach photos below.

Feel: While the blade has held up well I have noticed more hard passes bouncing off the blade with more frequency and when I receive those passes the blade doesn’t feel as solid as it once did. But it does not feel like it is about to break or is fragile by any means it just feels like the stick has been used.

Closing: After 7 months of use this stick is still my go to but during my usage I have learned a few things about it. The long reach is great for defense but my puck handling ability has declined because of it, the moment I go back to a shorter stick I am able to keep the puck on my stick longer when stick handling. I do not like the grip at all but have to live with it. The stick no longer has the kick that it had when new and has become whippier (which is expected). For the $50 I paid this stick is still an absolute steal, but with the grip and the loss of kick (3-4 months was too soon in my eyes) I would hesitate to spend more than $90 on it.

Picture of the dent in the stick.