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Brine Lacrosse – 2018 Gear Review

Brine Lacrosse doesn’t get nearly the same fanfare that they once did, but they sneak great equipment out onto the market sometimes, and the new King heads for 2018 definitely fit that mold. The old King head was pretty good, but a longer face shape kind of held back its overall popularity. The new King heads took the old King, flipped some stuff around, and came out with a stick that looks pretty similar, but plays quite different. UVa is still rocking Brine Lacrosse, so there’s that!

(Check out our other published 2018 Gear Reviews – Powell Lacrosse’s new heads and shaftsCascade Lacrosse’s new S HelmetMaverik Lacrosse’s 2018 gloves, shafts, and heads, and Nike Lacrosse’s new head and gloves. There are more reviews to come!)

Brine Lacrosse – 2018 King Heads

brine lacrosse king headThe King II – The King II is the offensive version of the King head line, and the first thing you’ll notice is that it is lighter and narrower than the old King head. It’s also a little shorter, and doesn’t have the same long face shape of the old head. The older version was susceptible to a long release time, or whip tendencies because of the full sidewall, but the King II sidewall tapers more, and is narrower, allowing for a nice channel without any concerns about hook. Basically, it’s easier to string a great pocket in the new version of the King.

Brine Lacrosse’s old King was sort of amorphous. It wasn’t an O head, or a D head, but a lacrosse head, and this made it a good option for any player on the field, but not designed for any player in particular. The new King II is definitely an O head, and the feel is kind of between a Lakota and an Optik as it has a full high offset, but also a gradually tapering sidewall. It’s a great in between option.

I also like the reinforced areas on the scoop and sidewall. It helps keep the head light, but generates some extra stiffness and strength, while creating long sidewall holes to support any stringing style. The bottom holes are really big, so it’s easy to get leathers and bottom laces through, but make sure you double knot bottom laces, as they can slip through with a single knot. There are also holes in the throat’s outer plastic, so leathers can easily be run to the front of the head and secured.

Overall, the King II is a huge improvement over the solid OG King head. It’s designed for offensive players, is light and relatively strong, has a tight and narrow face, strings up nicely, and looks pretty sleek and modern. The King II is headed in the right direction. Good stuff, Brine Lacrosse.

The King II ST – If the King II went offensive (it did), then the King II ST went defensive. Like its offensive brother, the King II ST is slightly shorter than the OG King head, but the ST version is just as wide, making it a perfect head for D guys in that regard. The head is also SUPER stiff, and while the offensive version will bend a little, the ST is like a rock. It’s solid.

The stringing options are very similar between both versions of the King II heads, and this is a good thing, because they both string up nicely. Traditional is a breeze, and so is mesh. These are great to string, in fact! The only possible drawback for the ST is that it’s a little heavy. It’s not HEAVY, it’s just a little less light than some other D heads. Of course it’s also not going to bend or warp like some other D heads. This thing is a literal bulldozer. There are plastic cutaways to make it lighter in places, but it’s designed to be a tank, and it meets the design specs to perfection.

On the ST, everything is beefed up. It’s wider, it’s stiffer, it’s stronger, it has a longer throat area, the sidewalls are thicker, the scoop is thicker, and even the raised King graphics are stronger. It’s just a no joke, take the abuse, give the abuse D head, and I like it.

Would I recommend these heads from Brine Lacrosse? I would. Both are solid, designed for a purpose, and attractive to the eye. Neither is a bad option!

2018 Gear Review Methodology – We did outreach to manufacturers asking them to send us any new (or relatively new) product they wanted reviewed for 2018. We made no promises on what we would say, and every brand is given an opportunity to participate. Our focus is on Heads, shafts, helmets, gloves, padding, and footwear. We will also a giant 2018 Mesh Review soon. No scores are given. We simply talk about the positives (and negatives) of any product. Our goal is to help you, the consumer, make informed decisions on equipment purchases. That’s it!