New from Renfrew this year is the Pro-Blade XT hockey tape. Of the many new features of this tape, the most noticeable would be the new serrated edges. Also called pinked edges, the small cuts along the sides of the tape are supposed to prevent fraying and be easier to rip or tear. Additionally, the Pro-Blade XT tape is supposed to provide superior wear by lasting longer on your blade, as well sticking to the blade or handle longer by using a new adhesive. Thanks to Renfrew sending us a few rolls of tape to demo, we were able to put these claims to the test. Read on below for our review.
In our time spent using the Renfrew Pro-Blade XT hockey tape, we didn’t find that it tore any easier than other tape we have used. There were occasions where we struggled just as much as with any other brand of tape to tear it off the roll. The new pinked edges seemed to provide no help in that aspect, and continuing to keep a small pair of scissors for tricky tape remains a good idea. On the positive side, the pinked edges did seem to help quite a bit with preventing the tape from fraying around the edges. This seemed to be a non-issue with the Pro-Blade XT tape.
As for the adhesive, it seemed to hold fairly well. Renfrew claims that the new adhesive “sticks to the blade and handle longer,” and we didn’t have much of a problem with the tape peeling off the toe or heel while on the ice. Tape around the handle seemed to hold fairly well too.
Unfortunately, we found that the durability of the tape was not great at all. We noticed that the tape on the bottom of my blade seemed to split and wear away quicker than with other tape we have used. Additionally, we faced instances of this tape ripping or tearing off the face of the blade within the first few shifts of a game. I wouldn’t recommend this product if you don’t like changing your tape all that frequently.
When looking at all of the claims that Renfrew made regarding their new Pro-Blade XT hockey tape, its hard to not be really disappointed with the end product. If you’re going to buy a roll of tape solely because it will not fray around the edges, this may be the product for you. However, in most other areas this tape didn’t really live up to the hype.
If you’ve used the Renfrew Pro-Blade XT hockey tape, drop us a note in the comments and share your thoughts! Did you have a similar experience to us, or were your experiences with this new tape a bit better?
This tape is horrid. Seriously. I would never recommend tape like this to anyone ever.
I can agree with this review. I got the tape as a demo months ago and the durability seemed to really be lacking (rips, tears etc). It tears easy on the ice but not while taping the stick hah!