The Koho 500 is a pro level stick. It has a good balance and is very lightweight. The shaft is aspen with fiberglass reinforced top and bottom. The blade and paddle are made of a very lightweight foam which is covered with a carbon fiber and Kevlar shell. This makes the overall stick very strong without the feel of a brick in your hands.

I used this stick exclusively for about 2 years. I found them to be very solid and long lasting. In fact, of the four that I went through in that time frame, only one of them broke at the blade. A hard slapshot took a rather large chunk off of the heel.

The biggest issue I had with these was the fact that they seemed to go limp a little too quickly. In order to get a strong pass or clearing attempt, you have to have a stick that springs when you flex it. The springiness of the 500 is not long lasting despite the reinforced shaft.

The other problem was the fiberglass reinforcement itself. I tend to make a lot of save off the shaft of my stick above the blocker (no not on purpose, I wish I was that good). Over time, the fiberglass there splinters and on more than one occasion I ended up with a rather nasty bit of it stabbing me in the hand right through the leather blocker glove.

The choice of curves is pretty nice. I used a Roy which has a nice mid curve with a bit of twist for a fair amount of loft. One thing that I have noticed is a little odd with Koho sticks is that the different models do tend to have vastly dissimilar curves even with the same player name on them. The Koho Pro Roy is a heel curve, while the 500 is a mid. I’m not sure why they do that, but it is something to keep in mind when looking at Koho sticks. It would be a drag to find out when you got out on the ice for a game.

In all, I would still recommend this stick. For the price it is one of the most durable goalie twigs on the market. It is as light as anything you can buy, and it lasts a long time. If you don’t play the puck often, this is a fantastic stick. I would recommend taping the shaft above your glove to keep the fiberglass from stabbing you if you buy one though. It helps a lot.

© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited


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