One of the lightest hockey sticks on the market today comes from Sherwood Hockey. Despite not being one of the top hockey brands, they still remain popular and continue to churn out excellent sticks. Their latest premier level stick, the Sherwood Rekker EK60, looks to continue on this path. Thanks to our friends at Sherwood, we were able to receive a demo unit to test out. Find out below in our Sherwood Rekker EK60 review if this stick is worth your money.
Specifications:
- Sherwood Rekker EK60 Stick
- 59.5” length
- 385 grams
- 85 Flex
- P26 Pattern
- No modifications
Features:
- True One-Piece Design
- Ekore Technology
- Graphene Reinforcement
- Contoured Geometry
- Low-Kick Flex Profile
- Four-Inch Flex Free Zone
- VRF.2 Technology
Design and Construction
Despite being offered for nearly $100 less than most top end sticks today, the Sherwood Rekker EK60 offers some great technology and design features.
The Rekker EK60 offers a true one piece design using Ekore technology and pro-spec 12k carbon fiber. Ekore technology refers to a handmade manufacturing process used to make the stick. It has proven to be more durable and consistent in eliminating excess material and defects than what you’d find with a machine.
In addition to the 12k carbon fiber, the Sherwood Rekker EK60 uses graphene for reinforcement in the lower 1/3 of the stick. If you’re not familiar with graphene, it is said to offer the most impact strength and lightest weight of any material ever used in a composite hockey stick. This material is up to 200 times stronger than steel, allowing you to focus on the game rather than the durability of your stick.
A contour shaft is used in the Rekker EK60, offering rounded corners and double concave sidewalls. The stick is designed with a low-kick flex profile and is perfect for shooters who want to get their shot off as fast as they can. The Rekker EK60 even comes designed with a four-inch flex free zone at the butt end of the stick. In this area, you can cut the stick to suit your length and it will not change the flex in any way.
Down into the blade, Sherwood is using their VRF.2 technology. This vibration reduction foam core helps to keep the stick feeling new for longer. It achieves this by preventing premature breakdowns in the blade.
The blade also offers a carbon bridge stabilizer which adds stiffness and rigidity to the blade. This will help you to shoot more accurately, and it will also improve puck feel, and reduces stress on the foam.
Performance:
With all of the great design work and technology put into the Rekker EK60, it’s hard to imagine the stick underperforming out on the rink. That’s why I was excited as I continued to use the stick to see that it not only met my expectations but exceeded them in some areas.
One of the key areas where this stick exceeded my expectations was in the shot release. The Rekker EK60, and its low-kick flex point, provided an incredibly quick shot release. On more than one occasion, I was able to pick a corner on the goalie or sneak a shot five-hole because the load up and release was so quick. While anyone could use this stick, it is definitely designed to appeal to snipers and will work well for them.
The VRF.2 blade was also a key component while using the Rekker EK60. Puck feel was fantastic, and the blade offered a tremendous amount of feedback while stickhandling or skating with the puck.
At such a low price point, one thing I really appreciated was the inclusion graphene in the lower portion of the stick. Graphene is an incredibly strong material, and it’s application in the Rekker EK60 was near perfect. Throughout the several months that I tested the stick, it came away with no more damage than some scratches and scuffs. As a beer league player, durability is incredibly important and the Rekker EK60 has included some fine technology to help it last longer.
Overall Impressions:
The Sherwood Rekker EK60 stick comes in at a really interesting place. At such an incredibly light weight, only 385 grams, and using construction materials such as graphene, one would probably assume that the Rekker would cost more than $250. That’s not the case, though. Sherwood shocked us all again by packing incredible features and technology all in an affordable package at $199.99.
Without any hesitation, I can definitely say that the Sherwood Rekker EK60 stick exceeded expectations out on the rink. If you’re like me, you might often think that you get what you pay for and a more expensive stick could be worth it. That’s not the case here as Sherwood delivered an incredible stick at an outstanding price. If you’re buying a new stick for your league, this is definitely one to consider.
Where to Buy?
The Sherwood Rekker EK60 stick is currently available and in stores. You can pick it up yours online from our friends at Ice and Inline Warehouse for only $199.99. Pick one up today and you will also get free shipping, or $5 two-day shipping if you are in a rush.
Click here to visit Inline Warehouse, or here to visit Ice Warehouse.