Editor’s Note: As we’ve run through Old School after Old School, we’ve seen a ton of lacrosse products, photos, video and more from decades past. But what exactly makes a stick truly Old School? Does the stick have to made of wood? Does the plastic head have to be non-offset? Or does it just have to be out of production? Could an offset head be old school? We got an email from Bill Mensch, who just happens to be a great guy (get it?), and he asked us this very question. Check out Bill’s email below, and try to help us define What Is Old School?
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An original Warrior Razor sits on my workbench, and I’m trying to decide if it is something that I could submit to laxallstars.com for the Old School Series.
On the one hand, it’s pretty outdated. The head came out around 2002 and since then both the Razor 2.0 and the the Razor Pro have been released, and most recently the Razor X.
On the other hand, it’s a modern head; has the keyhole shape, and it’s off-set; so how is that old school?
So when does a lacrosse head go from “not new” to Old School? Did it become old school as soon as the Razor 2.0 came out, or does the fact that it’s offset and has a modern shape mean it will never be old school; meaning the term is purely reserved for sticks made before the Brine Edge ushered in the age of off-set sticks.
If that is the case, and a manufacturer of today released a closed wall, straight, triangular shaped head, would that be old school right away?
These are not questions I, or anyone, should expect concrete answers to; as reasonable people are entitled to have different opinions. However, discussing things like this helps up grasp the massive changes in the game’s equipment over the past 40 years. While I was checking out the website for the new book, “Lacrosse – The Ancient Game” that Jeff Brunelle posted about, I was struck by what Brett Bucktooth said about the game.
He said, “From the wooden stick carved from the tree, to the animal hide that’s used for the netting, it’s a connection with everything around us.”
Ok, that is definitely old school.
The Old School series needs YOU to keep it going. Do you have something to share? Email info@lacrossseallstars.com with “OLD SCHOOL” in the subject line to keep the memories alive.
