COLT LACROSSE SHAFT
Carbon handles are improving and the market for quality suppliers is definitely on the rise with companies like Epoch and now Colt Lacrosse on the market. Colt has been a supplier of high end high quality Hockey sticks for a while but have decided to enter the lacrosse market. For their first outing they have done a great job. I know from speaking to the guys over at Colt during development they didn’t skip any corners and spent a long time developing their shafts. They wanted to make 100% sure they were only supplying players with the highest quality product. Their first shafts simply called the Colt and the Colt Box impressed us quickly and are now in regular use with 2 of our players. Due to a pretty bad knee injury I had some major help from my guys James (testing the Colt field shaft having primary experience with field lacrosse) and Andrew (testing the Colt Box as he is primarily a box player. He even took the shaft back to Buffalo, New York with him over winter break and putting the shaft through its paces with some guys from the Tonowanda Reservation.
SHAPE Colt BOX 9 out of 10/ Colt 9 out of 10
Colt lacrosse opted for a traditional octagonal shape with their shafts without rounded edges. As a result the shaft fit well into your fingers allowing the use to become natural. Andrew and James both said the shafts felt great in the way of shape and held up well when giving stiff checks especially in the box game where crosschecks are very important. All Colt shafts come at the box length making them a little long for the field game but are able to be cut down easily to meet the required 40-42 inch length for a shorty in field. Overall both shafts earn a 9 out of 10
GRIP Colt BOX 7.5 out of 10/ Colt 7.5 out of 10
The Colt line of shafts both feature a graphic that adds a lot of grip when playing. For those who enjoy a grippy shaft this is a great feature but from our experiences it is not exactly long lasting as checks cause the graphic to peel and fall away and for those who are not as big a fan of grip a bit of tape will reduce the stickiness of the handle. The lack of longevity on the grippy graphic reduces the score on these handles but is something that can be improved on later models.
WEIGHT Colt BOX 7 out of 10/ Colt 8 out of 10
The Colt shafts are thick when it comes to the carbon layering used in them increasing the weight. On the side of the BOX Andrew definitely noticed a significant weight difference even from other box shafts but said that you can really feel the power you get behind your checks and shots when using the shaft, leading to this shaft definitely being popular with the more defensive players who lay the lumber for their teams. The field Colt is also very heavy when compared to other shafts but being about half the thickness as far as the carbon layering goes it is still lighter than the BOX and for those looking for the older heavier feel this will be popular. The Colt BOX brings in a 7 out of 10 while the Colt brings a little better 8 out of 10 for weight.
DURABILITY Colt BOX 9 out of 10/ Colt 7.5 out of 10
Andrew and James put these shafts through the ringer for durability and overall the Colts came out swinging. The BOX is definitely the stronger of the two being much thicker and after several games while back in NY visiting the Tonowanda Reservation Andrew feels confident that breaking will not be an issue with the Colt BOX. You can lay heavy cross checks and take absolute hammers to it without any noticeable scratches or dings which is pretty great as the normal box shafts he brings here to Florida are dented and bent pretty regularly from play. The Colt field version is much thinner and looks like a traditional wrap when it comes to the carbon fiber so though it can take or give a check we don’t see it holding up in the same fashion as the BOX since the reduced thickness takes away from what makes the BOX such a tank on the field. Lay lumber with confidence with the Colt Box rating 9 out of 10 and feel good giving and taking a good field stick check with the Colt rating 7.5 out of 10.
LOOKS Both 8 out of 10
Looks don’t make or break a shaft but hey I’ll always say it if you’re going to spend money why not have it look nice too? The Colt line of shafts look clean with the silver black and yellow nothing fancy but the graphic is large so those who want a blank will want to remove the graphic. Overall the shafts look nice but their performance is really why you will want one 8 out of 10.
OVERALL Colt BOX 8 out of 10/ Colt 8 out of 10
The Colt line of shafts is their first take at lacrosse and honestly they did a really good job. Time will tell how they hold up against competition but definitely for players looking for another carbon shaft to try out give them a nod. If you’re a box player looking for a hammer to lay down this is definitely your shaft it might just be the next Orange Crush. Colt receives a respectable 8 out of 10 on both of their shafts
