If you’ve ever played street hockey, chances are that you’ve seen one or two players using a Mylec Jet-Flo blade. You know; they’re the plastic-looking (and feeling) blades that slide over the end of essentially any stick. The five-holed blades used to come with a sticker that predominantly read “Mylec,” but as of late, they may be more recognizable by a similar sticker with “Eclipse” in the seat of predominance. The people at Mylec have stepped up their color selection, as well, now offering the blade in at least black, red, and blue. It’s a convenient little blade, at worst. I certainly can’t judge it as “horrible,” because (let’s be honest) it’s only three or four dollars. For that cheap, it gets the job done. It’s not the sturdiest blade in the equipment bin, but it’s also far from the most expensive. In fact, I’d wager that it’d be hard to find another functioning blade for that price (other than, perhaps, a friendly giveaway). Another perk, of course, is that it’s so easily attachable to any shaft. All you need is a screw driver and a little bit of elbow grease, and voila, you have a shaft with a plastic blade on it in a matter of minutes. It’s convenience at its finest for the everyday street hockey player.
There are weaknesses to the Mylec, though.
The first and most obvious is probably the lack of power that you get when taking a shot with a Mylec blade. To be honest, I’ve used a Mylec blade for the past three years playing street hockey, and I’ve yet to get off a shot that’s been in any way comparable to shots fired by teammates and opponents with wooden or graphite blades. This is to be expected, though. Another disadvantage is that the Mylec tends to break/wear down a little quicker than your average wooden or graphite blade. It’s not like you use it one time and throw it away, but it does get weaker and weaker as it begins to wear down. When the durability is compromised, it can definitely affect the blade’s performance. Lastly, you’ll have to put screw holes in whichever shaft you decide to attach with the blade. It might seem like a questionable idea for more expensive shafts, but in my experience, there are really no adverse effects.
All things considered, the pros far outweigh the cons.
I’m going to be frank. I use a Mylec blade when I play in a competitive street hockey league, and I’m confident that I’ll never be comfortable using another type of blade. The pros are just amazing to me. Do not judge this blade merely by looks. Have you ever handled a street hockey ball with a Mylec blade? It’s heaven – absolute heaven on pavement. The frailty of the plastic almost acts like a shock absorber, so the ball doesn’t bounce at all when it impacts the blade. With a little practice, you’ll see your finesse game shoot through the roof (or the roof of the net, literally). While they aren’t the best for shooting hard, they’re pristine for shooting in close and on target. Picking corners is basically an afterthought with the Mylec. And again, you can attach them to essentially any shaft, be it an old Warrior Dolomite (which I use), or an even more ancient TPS Response. Pick your poison. Couple all of this with the low price and constant availability at most local sporting goods stores, and you have (in my opinion) the best bang for the puck on the market. So, the next time your buddy with “that stupid plastic blade” dangles around you and snipes a corner in a pickup game, don’t think “that lucky son of a bee sting!”. Instead, swallow your pride, and ask him if he has an extra Mylec in his bag.
Tags: blades, product review, stick
I dig the post. Glad you aren’t ashamed to rep what you use. I too enjoy using plastic/abs blades, but I prefer the Cosom (link listed above) in-the-shaft replacement blades, but only when playing on asphalt and with a ball. I remember using the Mylec/Franklin ones back in the day and they seemed like they lasted forever.
The Z blade from Mylec is another good one for the street, but it doesn’t have the advantage of “speed holes”.
puts mylec and cosom to shame…