Jaybird Friction Tape: Come on, hockey tape is all the same isn’t it?
Written: May 17 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: No shredding, great durability.
Cons: If you drop it in the dirt it gets all . . . dirty
The Bottom Line: Jaybird is simply the best friction tape I have ever used.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Jaybird & Mais Hockey Friction Tape |
I know what you’re thinking. A review on hockey tape? He has taken too many shots to the head! But let me take a moment to explain. Most people outside the hockey world just don’t understand hockey tape.
☺ Insert humorous anecdote here
My favorite example of how misunderstood hockey tape is came in an ebay listing I once saw. It went something like this: Very old goalie stick. I know this is old because it says, “Louisville” on the stick and the University of Louisville doesn’t even have a team anymore. Further the tape on the stick is the old, cloth-style, electrical tape that I haven’t seen since the sixties.
Those of you who play hockey probably got a good chuckle as I did. For any of you scratching your head, Louisville is a major stick brand, and the old, cloth-style, electrical tape . . . well that pretty much describes hockey tape.
▪ Understanding hockey tape
The need for electrical insulation and covering loose wires is a pretty low priority in most hockey sticks. So it must just be like that black stuff that football players put under their eyes, right?
In fact, tape is not just a cosmetic thing on the stick. When properly taped (from heel to toe) the tape on a stick blade creates little flaps that slow down the puck making it easier to catch a pass. It also makes a nice grip on the top of the stick.
Friction tape (what I am reviewing here) is very sticky on both sides. It is only used on the blade of the stick and further assists in slowing down passes.
▪ What makes Jaybird different from the rest?
New sticks are always lovingly wrapped as a prelude to the many goals they will score (or prevent in the case of goalie sticks). However, subsequent taping of a stick is most likely to happen when a player accidentally gets to the rink too early by mistake. Essentially hockey players are inherently lazy when it comes to taping their sticks. Thus it is imperative that hockey tape lasts long and is easy to put on.
Durability
Jaybird doesn’t fall apart like most of the other brands that I’ve used. I have a free roll of friction tape that I am going through at a record pace (I was really early to a game and taped both of my sticks yesterday). The free roll isn’t Jaybird and it is horrible. After every game the tape on the bottom of the blade is worn off completely. How does tape get worn out after thirty minutes of ICE hockey? I’ve had this happen with other brands as well (although one game is a record low). Jaybird easily outlasts every brand I’ve used. The tape only gets bruised by other sticks and skates cutting it, not the ice.
Easy to put on . . . huh, are hockey players stupid?
In fact all serious hockey players are sublime geniuses, but that is something for another article. The problem with most brands of tape is the tendency to come off the roll poorly. The edges of the tape cravenly cling to the roll making the edges shred. This makes the entire taping process more difficult than it should be because the tape is tearing and fraying as it comes off. The edges are also annoyingly fuzzy on the blade. I’ve never seen a roll of Jaybird do this.
▪ Final Thoughts
Most experienced players know that Jaybird is the best. I don’t buy anything except Jaybird tape. In fact the free rolls that I got are so poor that I will simply toss them in the trash as soon as I stock up again. Every other brand of tape that I’ve used has simply been inferior. Ask for Jaybird or settle for less.
Recommended:
Yes
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puckmugger
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Location: wandering the fringes of the goal crease
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