The Skull Shaped Metal Matrix Composite Shaft
Three solid years in the making, this shaft combines exotic metals and a radical shape improvement that will have the industry trying to catch-up for years. The SM2-C shaft is the latest Hyper-Impact shaft from the famed Laxworks Research - Design facility at Haute Stick Lacrosse. The shaft profile is shaped like a skull for improved feel and mechanical strength. The metal is made of an advanced Metal Matrix Composite alloy that combines the light-weight and strength of ceramic particles nearer to the lower cost of aluminum.
Properties of MMCs
The SM2-C shaft provides superior properties at almost half the cost. Not only is it a better value, the design, look, feel and even balance is far extraordinary!
What exactly is a Metal Matrix Composite? We take high property aluminum alloy and melt-mix in ceramic particulate in a patented process. This metal is then poured into a huge block called an ingot, which is then drawn down to a 5 inch round cylinder, called a billet. This billet is then pushed through our patented skull shaped extrusion die which creates the lacrosse shaft. Then the 120 foot lengths are heat-treated to a T-6 hardness and then cut to shape and drilled. The shaft is finished after the surface coating is hammered into the surface and then printed and endcaped.
Made of a revolutionary ceramic particulate aluminum, it is lighter then titanium, stiffer than steel (based on specific weights measurements) and stronger than aircraft alloy 6061-T6. This material isn't just stronger, it's also more fatigue resistant than 6061 T-6. Nothing is stiffer, even the titanium shaft pales by comparison.
The advanced Metal Matrix Composite is significantly stiffer and stronger than the standard aircraft aluminum used in everything from mountain bikes to missile. In fact, the MMC metal is 13.5% stiffer than even 4130 chromoly steel in a weight-to weight comparison.
This additional stiffness increases your stick check force. Whippy shafts absorb energy, they don't dish it out; Since the shaft doesn't deflect during the compression load of a stick impact, more energy is transferred into your opponents stick. In other words, if your stick bends when you hit his stick, your stick is absorbing your own impact and your not denting his shaft!
Greater shot speed also comes as a result of this additional stiffness. Just like stick checking, more shot energy is absorbed in the whippy shaft as you throw the ball. The SM2-C shaft is so significantly stiff that it transfers more energy to your shot, where you want it.
The MMC material has been used in the mountain bike industry specifically because of its low weight and extraordinary stiffness. MMC framesets now hold two World Championship titles, four NORBA titles and numerous other wins by team Specialized. Specialized Bicycle Inc. has been using, testing and selling the same exact MMC metal in their high-end mountain bikes for over three years with outstanding results. They call these high performance alloy bikes their M2 series. Mountain Bike Action voted the M2 Stumpjumper the number one mountain bike in their August 1995 issue. "Grade A+. The M2 chassis delivered the lightest, most natural feel on the widest variety of grades." "In one word, stiff! The bigger you are and the faster and more aggressively you ride, the better the M2 chassis performs." "Over all rating: Grade-A+. Can't beat the price. Of the ten bikes in the MBA shootout, the specialized rates #1 in performance.." The specialized bike price; a cool $1,200.00. The SM2-C is a deal by comparison.
The difference isn't just in the advanced Metal Matrix Composite alloy, it's also in the revolutionary Skull Shape. Not only does it feel more comfortable in your hand, because we put more metal in the corners where you needed it and less where you don't, the SM2-C shaft is over all stiffer and more durable than almost anything. As you can see in the detail, the shaft has a much greater wall thickness on the edges than on the flats. This edge-taper creates a I-beam on each edge that makes the shaft overall stronger and stiffer, while at the same time lighter.
Similar to taper-wall tubeset mountain bikes, we make the SM2-C shaft stiffer and stronger by putting more metal where you need it most, --in the corners. By increasing the amount of low-weight metal in the corners it creates eight tiny I-beams in every corner. This not only adds stiffness, but it adds strength. And since it's made with light-weight ceramic particulate aluminum it hardly adds any weight. In fact, it gives you greater wall thickness than a standard heavy-duty defence shaft. Yet, because its tucked into the corners, it adds hardly any weight.
The biggest difference of our new shaft isn't the metal, it's the shape of the shaft. Too often the other lacrosse companies just make shafts out of more expensive metal, instead of thinking about how to make the shape itself stronger and stiffer.
Increased edge radiuses not only make the shaft stronger and stiffer, it also makes the shaft more comfortable in your hand. The exterior edges are radiuses 72% greater than standard lacrosse shafts. This greater curve not only makes it more ergonomic, but it also helps decrease impact damage on the corners. This is because a circle, will always be stronger and more durable than a hard 90° angle.
Again to help feel which makes it easy to tell which direction of your stick is facing. The curved edges are fitted for fingers tip grip and sensitivity.
Since it's often difficult to determine which is the front of the shaft by feel, we have formed in an inverted curve at the front of the shaft. These finger curves help identify which is the front and make the shaft more comfortable in your hand.
Since the most pointed part of the shaft will be side used for the impact of checking, the thickness of that wall has been increased by 132% to insure their shaft gets dented, not yours.
Lighter then titanium, stiffer than steel(based on specific weights measurements) and stronger than aircraft alloy 6061-T6. The SM2-C shaft weighs .4925 pounds per attack length. By comparison the titanium shafts weight in at .466 pounds. This is not a numerically significant difference in total over all weight. But in reality the SM2-C shaft is. The titanium is 58% heavier than the SM2-C.
How can the weight of an attack shaft in both metals be about the same and yet the titanium weighs 58% more? The real difference is that the SM2-C shaft has a wall thickness almost double the wall thickness of the titanium shaft! And anytime that you have more material, it will be stronger.
To make the shape of the shaft more resistant to impact damage we radiuses the interior angles at twice the radius of the exterior angles. That makes the wall thickness thicker where it needs to be, on the edges and thinner on the side walls to reduce the weight. This extra thickness in the corners also makes the shaft stiffer throughout out the length of the shaft. This also means greater shot speed and increased stick check force.
If you think that's all, your wrong! We couldn't just stop there. We wanted to make the best shaft on the planet. So as we pondered what color to paint it we started to experiment with different aerospace metal finishing techniques. What we came up with has never been done before in lacrosse.
A special high-impact coating has been added to improve the look and feel. Significantly better than just painting. In fact, the surface finish doesn't just look good, it makes the shaft stronger and more resistant to impact.
Just like old west blacksmiths, and sword makers, we take a special machine and repeatedly hit the surface of the shaft with steel. This Shot Blasting helps the metal molecules to align and form a stronger, tighter matrix. This tighter matrix makes it more resistant to impact failure and fracture initiation. In other words, since the metal is microscopically hammered down on the surface, it keeps a fracture from starting on the surface and tearing into the metal and acts like millions of tiny shields keeping the fracture wedge from splitting the molecules apart and causing a fracture from tearing the metal.
This impact resistant surface doesn't just make it stronger, it also gives the shaft a slight grip surface and a sturdy post-industrial look.
Endcap: The shaft is, of course, tipped off with a hi-grade plastic standard endcap. We know the first thing your going to want to do is tape the cap down. But rest assured, you don't have to. The cap is so tightly fitted you don't even have to worry about it.
Free stick grip? Because we are concerned about any damage that could be caused during shipment and storage, we have included, free of charge a shaft protection mesh tube. This tube goes on easily and comes off easier. It prevents abrasion, scratching and looks good. In fact, this mesh tube could even be used for a stick grip!
Screw Anchor Holes: Holes are double drilled at the end of the lacrosse shaft in both the attack and defence versions. So, if you can manage to tear a hole, there is another attachment hole on the other side of the shaft. These holes are also adaptable to a soon to be released Haute Stick Product.
The Headlock bolt is designed specifically for use with the SM2-C shaft. It locks down the head tighter and wont tear up the drill hole. Are you tired of having to constantly find bigger and bigger screws because the hole keeps stripping out? By using this socket head screw it makes attaching and removing your head significantly easier. Again without damaging the hole. In fact, since the HeadLock has tighter threads, it can support greater weight than the standard, even if it's not screwed all the way in!
We saved the most important part for last. Our pricing is very competitive with the other high end lacrosse shafts. Our shaft is 41% more inexpensive than the same length titanium shaft and yet has comparative and superior properties. The shaft is finished more professionally and is furnished with more extra accessories. The special introductory price for the attack length shaft is $59.95 and $94.95 for the defence length shaft. In the past, due to materials costs, the price for the defence shaft was roughly double minus 5%. Since we have been able to reduce the cost of the longer shafts, the price has been reduced significantly. For comparison, the difference between the attack length and that of the defence length titanium shaft is $37 dollars. The difference for ours is only $18 dollars. In fact, the titanium defence shaft is more than twice the price of the SM2-C defence shaft!
So you decide, is it worth twice the cost for a titanium shaft designed two years ago?
All the unique features of our lacrosse shaft design are patents pending to protect the shaft from imitations. All Designs, Logos, Artwork, Advertising Copy, Trademarks,Patents (both design and utility) Copyrights and all other and any intelectual property is property of Haute Stick Lacrosse.