Brine Swizzle Scandium 30" Attack Lacrosse Shaft
LGR Review
Brine has given their Swizzle Scandium shaft a facelift for 2012. Featuring the lightweight scandium alloy construction, the shaft is a durable as ever. The 3D grip and Zone Tak finish still feature, but have been given a make over. Opting to not use the Mikey Powell logo in the grip, Brine have decided instead to go with the "King" logo.
Material & Weight
The lightweight profile of the Brine Swizzle Scandium shaft hasn't changed. We have Brine's lighter version of their Scandium alloy to thank for that.
Shape
The cross section profile of this shaft is the standard octagonal shape. The rubber coating does however make the edges feel more rounded. There's no concaved look or feel to it at all.
Grip
The grip of the shaft is very sticky. Some would even say there's a lot of grippage. The Zone Tak coating gives fantastic grip in all weather. Along the bottom half of the shaft and tapering off towards the top is the interlaced raised grip pattern. These two features combined make for an exceptionally grippy shaft. There's no need for tape on this shaft.
However, after only a couple of stick checks the raised grip and Zone Tak coating started to chip off. At times all it took was a poke check and a chunk would fly off. We're unsure how long the grip would last, but it's just really disappointing to see it disappear right before your eyes.
The top of the shaft misses out on the grip altogether, which initially surprised us. It's quite commonplace to go one-handed when dodging and this kind of grip would be great to help hold onto the stick. But it's not there. The only reason we can think is that most of your checks are made with the top half of your shaft. The coating would be chipped off in no time, so there's no point in adding it.
But if you're dead keen on getting the grip at the top of the shaft, just flip it around and drill a hole at the other end.
General Wear and Tear
As with most Scandium alloy shafts, you'll get a couple of dents and scratches along the way. We don't see this being a problem at all, because these babies are tough. You're going to get a lot of use out of this.
We found that all brine and most stx and gait heads fit on. But you'd have to drill a new hole for some Warrior heads.
Summary
The Brine Swizzle Scandium lacrosse shaft will make you smile and make you cry. The grip features are just sensational, which makes us smile. But then it chips off, which makes us cry. So enjoy the good times while they last and when all appears lost, embrace the tape. However, nothing changes the fact that throughout all that, you'll be the owner of a super-lightweight shaft that you can depend on.
User Reviews
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Good for defence
Good:grip is outstanding, light & strongBad:Grip doesn't look like it'll lastOverall:I use this for defence and throw a lot of checks. If I hit an opponents stick with the grip it chips off. So far only a small amount has come off but it's a bit dissapointing. But other than that it's really strong and light. Ignoring the grip coming off this is a great shaft. If you want a d pole with grip, get this.Did you find this review helpful? -
Not bad shaft that takes a bit to get used to
Good:Looks goodBad:took me a while to get used to the grip, grip adds weightOverall:This shaft is ok. All the color options look pretty cool. It's pretty much the same as last years model only with the King logo. The grip makes it kinda heavy.Did you find this review helpful? -
One of the best shafts going around
Good:The grip is totally AWESOME! good price, strongBad:nothin manOverall:This shaft is awesome! The grip is by far the best feature of this handle. I used to play with a Kryptolyte but found it was a bit weak. There was a bit of grip on the shaft, but my hands still slipped a lot. I just couldn't hold it through my gloves. So I got the swizzle and it is the best shaft ever.Did you find this review helpful? -
The best shaft on the market with the best grip
Good:colors are sick, grip, strong, durableBad:small bits of the grip keep coming offOverall:For sure, this is totally awesome! I got the black one and it looks nasty! It's light too. I thought it'd be heavy with the extra grip cover. You don't need to tape it, but if you do the grip will peel off. Watch out for that.Did you find this review helpful? -
good shaft, bit pricey but worth it
Good:the grip is preety damn good, glvoe friendly grip, color optionsBad:price, maybe $10 lessOverall:It's a bit pricey, but I like it. The grip is out of this world which makes the price a bit better. The grip is rubbery and not rough metal so it doesn't chew your gloves. If you need a strong shaft with grip that doesn't eat your gloves get this.Did you find this review helpful?