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2011 Gear Review: Blue Magic Wooden Shaft

It’s been a good long time since I’ve had a stick with a wooden shaft.  I own a Mohawk traditional wood stick, but that is from another universe entirely.  The last wooden shaft I had was a Crooked Arrow and it was a hefty piece of super stiff wood. Basically, it was a war club that also doubled as a really heavy lacrosse stick.

So when I received a wooden shaft from Blue Magic Lax I was really surprised at how lightweight it was.  The shaft I picked up is made out of oak and that means it’s strong and hard.  It has a density of .075 g/cm³!  Crazy, I know.  The shaft is obviously not as light as some of the current shafts on the market, but it’s no clunker either.  Considering that some of the products out there can top $200, the high-enders should be lighter.

I popped a Gait Torque on the shaft and used it last weekend in my fall lacrosse league and was impressed by how it held up.  I was concerned about the stick breaking (because of how light it felt compared to the old Crooked Arrow shafts) and emailed Phil of BML… and he basically told me to stop being such a pansy.  Just use it and see.  So I did, and while the shaft could still deliver a really solid crosscheck, it also felt good passing and shooting.  The wood flexed a bit (which I like) when I really tried to crank it.

bag city. tightened that pocket up. promise.

I definitely plan on using this shaft again.  It might not be my day to day but I’m a fan now.  Remember when I said shafts can retail for around $200?  Well, guess how much this shaft costs.  Go ahead, guess.  Wrong.  A red oak short stick costs $15.  Yes.  $15.  A Pine shaft costs $5.  I can’t be the only one that thinks that is crazy.  Phil is in college at Winona State University (where he plays lax) and he and his buddy Michael make these wooden shafts in a garage right here in the good ol’ USA.  This might just be a little more American than apple pie.

You can also have a number or initials burned into the shaft, so it can even make a nice gift to your favorite laxer (no, not yourself).  I’m sure if you pleaded with the BML guys, they’d write something longer for a little extra charge.

You remember my previous Gear Reviews? Well, if you don’t, we said we would take price into consideration, and since this is a very usable piece of equipment, made in the USA, that is beyond affordable I’m giving the Blue Magic Lax red oak shaft an impressive 7 out of 10.  Not too shabby for 2 guys in a garage making wooden shafts in their spare time.  Wood shafts are cool and this one is definitely worth purchasing.