K-18/Crankshaft 10 Review
This review is on the entire K-18/CS10 together. I will first review the head, then the shaft, then together as a combo. After getting it for free off laxstore.com for doing a dye tutorial, I am contemplating buying about 5 more to last me my entire lacrosse life.
*For all ratings, 10 is the best/most stiff, 1 is the worst/least stiff
K-18 Head
For use with crankshafts only
-Designed by Kyle Harrison for the "end line to end line player"
-10 degree design for a quicker release on the offensive end
-Strong, solid checking stick for the defensive end
-Just enough flex for facing off
-Aerodynamic, detached sidewall and stop design that removes weight and reduces ball rattle
-Lightweight at just 135 grams
STIFFNESS (8/10)
I think it is just right for an attackman or middie. It is pretty stiff but the scoop has less plastic to make it thinner to scoop easier, thus making the scoop a bit more flexible than the rest of the head. It won’t fold up when scooping a GB or anything, but it will give slightly on a hard poke check. Perfect stiffness for face-offs. It will hold up to all it has to at the face-off X. you will still have stifness in that it won’t give when the other guy tries to punch the ball through, yet you can still pull a plunger move. I have used the plunger multiple times and it ALWAYS goes back to shape. So overall, awesome. But if you used it for D you might want something a bit more punishing.
SCOOP (8.5/10)
I personally love the scoop. It is great for all groundball situations. I can pluck it out of tall grass one-handed full sprint. It is a great scoop. It isn’t a super v scoop like the torque or U like the evo pro, yet it’s not flat like a finalizer or truth. It’s just right. It will keep you doing the perfect form to look good for the coaches yet you can still go one-handed with confidence whenever you need to. But as stated above it’s a bit flexier yet, still stiff enough for gb’s. Also it has the STX saw-tooth scoop which, in my opinion, makes it weaker in those areas.
DURABILITY (9/10)
I played a few backyard (yet full contact) games, about 6 indoor games, and 2 Varsity tryouts. It holds up very well and I don’t see this warping or breaking anytime soon. But well have too see. The Throat that it has, the same as on the proton power, makes it very durable and less likely to warp at the throat. Great idea on STX’s part.
WEIGHT (9/10)
I feel it is just the right weight for a head coming in at about 4.75 ounces un-strung. Some may want it lighter. I think it’s perfect. Not much else to say…
PINCH (9/10)
Great pinch. Its not a keyhole pinch like most heads, it slowely widens towards the top of the head. Yet it still has a great pinch for most of the head. Some may want it to go a bit higher. It has a great face for catching, just wide enough for those loose passes. And it is slowly tapered so it slides right into the pocket. Perfect pinch for me, But some may want it to go higher in the head.
STRINGING (9.5/10)
The stringing possibilities are endless. IT has the sidewall holes come in pairs where they usually would be. Letting you tweak you pocket to perfection. Also it has 4 bottom holes as opposed to the 2 on the proton power. None of the holes are too big or too small. I have strung this with mesh about 8 times and customs twice. I got perfect pockets every time. Although the bottom holes are thin, it will take a bit to get leathers through, but I believe they made them thin to stop people from using cheat strings. Not even with crosslace and a single knot it could go through. Take that cheaters!
VALUE (10/10)
I got this for free from laxstore.com. But at 130$ Strung and with the crankshaft it is easily worth the money. People tend to over exagerate how bad the shaft is. It is no where near as bad as people make it out to be. I’ll go on about that in the crankshaft half of the review. But the head it self, if you already have a crankshaft, is 97$ strung on lax.com. Easily worth that.
BY POSITION
Attack - 9/10
Middies – 9.8/10 (the scoop could be slightly stiffer)
Defense – 6/10
OVERALL (62/70) or (89/100) or 89%
Great head. Recommended for players intermediate to skilled.
Crankshaft 10 7050 alloy Shaft
Strength (7\10)
Maybe because I’m playing JV is why it hasn’t broken yet. But in my indoor league we hack the umm “snot” out of each other. I also I went through 2 Varsity tryout/practices with it. Since I’m in 9th grade and small I kind of became a target so the shaft took its fair share of beatings. So far not a single dent, crack or anything. Although the coating on it scratches of at the edges from hard checks. Overall pretty good but the fact that ive heard stories of it denting and breaking that lowers it a bit. Also if it’s really that much of a problem you can buy a Titanium crankshaft.
Grip Shape (10/10)
Superb feel sums it up. The grip on the CS10 is pretty much octagonal. Slightly scalloped but not as much as say a kyrpto pro or stx vanadium. Also had rounded edges. Great shape. Has great feel to it. I love it.
Grip (8/10)
It has a weird texture too it. Its not slick like a bare metal shaft yet its very smooth. It has a smooth coating on it. It feels like it was sand-blasted kind of if that helps. I guess it helps when wet. Like with my krypto when it gets wet, it gets very slippery. Yet on the crankshaft since it has this texture too it, it pretty much stays the same performance wise when wet. It’s not very grippy, allowing you to switch hands and stick handle easily but with a few tape ring where you put your hands it’s real nice.
Weight (9/10)
Not much to say, it’s a bit heavier than a Kyrpto Pro. That’s still very light. It balances very well with the K-18.
Overall (34/40) or (85/100) or 85%
Good shaft. Might not stand up to High level varsity play or people who don’t protect there sticks.
K-18/Crankshaft 10 Combo
-Quicker release
-Precise hand positioning
-Better feel for the ball
The Crankshaft technology really does work. I can feel the ball better than with my friends E3 which is one of the more offset heads ever made. Also it is harder to knock the ball out for the same reason as an offset head as it creates more centrifugal force on the ball when you cradle. With the K-18 it is very balanced and feels great when shooting and passing.
Quoted from AM17’s review of the Kannon/CS10 off of TLF
“This head/shaft combo is quite nice indeed. With the crankshaft technology you get “more ball, and less head”. It has a very quick release and just gives me a sense of security when I cradle and dodge. It gives you a quick release. And you have much more of a sense of where the ball is in your pocket. You can tell if it’s at the throat, or up under the shooters.”
+-- Official Attackmen14 Review --+
*Pics will be up later
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K-18/Crankshaft 10 Review
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