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Dipping my toe in here....

A

arrowchukker

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2020
Messages
78
So, I’ve been lurking for a while, doing my research, trying to get a handle on this saddle thing for the 2021 season. I currently use a Treewalker climber.

I just saw a set of carbon fiber sticks from Timber Ninja. I realize they are probably too new to have any definitive reviews. But for your experienced guys, what does your gut say about them?
 
Still Kicking said:
I'm not the guy that would pay triple to shave ounces. I use what works and have carried 6 Hawk steps in quite a ways without any lasting physical damage to my 72 year old body.
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Amen to that bro. Seems these companies try to convince everyone thst they need something. The whole weight issues-have to do with one thing and that is this
The more it weighs the faster one will get burned out throughout the year
Thats why the lightest stuff is most popular.
guys are so wortied about shaving ounces they are really throwing the saftey issue-out.
Too me lighter is awesome but if i gotta carry a couple extra pounds to come home safe I'm all for it.
whats next ? Hover stands? Floating sticks?
try to find what works best for you.
i love my beast stick but to be honest they do not work well for me with my setup.
So i gotta find sticks that do.
thats another thread though
 
arrowchukker said:
So, I’ve been lurking for a while, doing my research, trying to get a handle on this saddle thing for the 2021 season. I currently use a Treewalker climber.

I just saw a set of carbon fiber sticks from Timber Ninja. I realize they are probably too new to have any definitive reviews. But for your experienced guys, what does your gut say about them?
Click to expand...


I haven’t used them, haven’t heard much from the field either. Maybe the videos show you enough to make a judgement.

- They have a pretty short standoff distance (about 3.5” from tree to the end of the step) which is a major reservation for me.

- They stack pretty simply and seem to nest well. But the stacked profile is still bigger than other options.

- They won‘t make much noise.

- They have integrated cable aiders if you want, a nice feature I think.

- They’ll secure to the tree fine.

- They come in aluminum if cf scares you. You can mix and match a setup.

- Steps are plastic.

I want to love Timber Ninja, but there are some things I just don’t get about them. Stick sets run the same as that many individual sticks, being one of them. Haven’t heard a bad word about them though.
 
I use Trophyline Novix mini sticks and Muddy pro sticks. I have full length lonewolf and Hawk sticks. The mini's are super lightweight but weight is something I don't fuss about. The Muddy pro sticks are heavier than most stick but they are metal. If I was going after new sticks and was going to pay a lot of money on them I would buy EWO or Beast sticks. I don't trust carbon fiber sticks but that's just me.
 
I'm making my own CF sticks. I have a lot of experience with composite layups so I'm comfortable with it and already have the necessary tools to do the work. I'm estimating my sticks to be under 2 pounds each, possibly even 1 pound each for a 22" stick with 17-18" step spacing.

If I were buying commercial, though, I wouldn't worry about the weight as cost is a bigger factor for me. From a strength perspective, CF is more than strong enough. It won't be as durable as aluminum, though, when it comes to them getting banged up. If they nest well, or you're a single stick advocate, then they will be a great option if the price is right for you.
 
Like you I've been lurking on this forum for awhile and finally registered. While I'm new here and to saddles, I'm not new to archery, or climbing sticks.

I actually have the sticks you are asking about in the 20" configuration. People will say they're over priced, they're carbon and not proven, they're too close to the tree and so on. We are very fortunate to have so many great options for sticks because it wasn't long ago that we basically had one choice.

Here is my take. They're light weight (14oz 20" stick), very quiet, have 3.5"s of clearance to the step (identical to my LW sticks) which to my size 13 boot is fine, they stack nicely together and are not offset providing additional length like most do when stacking, the step is flat across the top so when hanging my platform I'm on one leg with my foot across the whole length. The whole angled double step thing I will never understand. With the step being a polymer there is give to it (it flexes) to me this actually makes the step more comfortable. Some will say it makes them feel uneasy or like it is going to break. To me it's the difference between walking on concrete or a wood subfloor. One gives the other doesn't, and rarely does either break. I prefer the give and the flex of the polymer step. Did I mention they don't get near as cold as aluminum versions? As for being proven, carbon fiber is extremely strong in various applications so I don't see why it isn't as strong if not stronger than the aluminum sticks. The price, well yes they're a premium price but if I'm buying the set one time and using it for years as compared to trying every flavor of mid to even high priced aluminum sticks to hit the market in the same timeframe I'm actually ahead of the game. I wanted something different and something that hadn't been done. That was the main reason I tried them and I'm glad I did.


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