Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Hey there....

I got my 3 pack of 125gr Slick Tricks this afternoon. I couldn't wait to open them up and assemble them.

First impressions:
- These things are teeny!!!
- They look kind of like a small scaled down Muzzy 4 blade.
- The blades are DULL! [:'(]I mean, when assembling them, I could actually put my fingers DIRECTLY ON THE BLADE and I didn't get cut!! (If I tried that with my Magnus Stingers, you'd hear me screaming all the way from Richmond, VA as I would be amputating my finger tips!!!)
- Assembly is straightforward and pretty easy. One blade goes this way, the other goes that way, and they sort of snap together and held tight with a washer/metal bushing.

Flight:
They fly great right out of the package, and yes, they do fly just like field tips. From 30 yards away, they flew right smack into the bullseye of my "Black Hole" target just like my 125gr field tips. Penetration was not anything to rave about (due to the blades being dull). They penetrated out the other side of the Black Hole, with only about 4" or so of arrow/broadhead sticking out. Since the blades were already dull, I figured "what the heck" and shot all 3 Slick Tricks from 30 yards and they gave me 3" groups (left, right, and bottom of the 6" bullseye). To me that is fantastic flight without any tuning issues or anything!!

See the images below and you'll see what the 125gr Slick Tricks look like on an XX75 2315 Easton Camo Hunter aluminum arrow...

Butch A.

Edit:
Final thoughts.... Thank you. Slick Trick.... But, I will be sticking with my Magnus Stingers. Those things also fly beautifully just like field tips, but they penetrate and slice so much, they have actually scared me... The Magnus Stingers penetrated the Black Hole target so hard, the fletchings were starting to penetrate through the front!!! [&:]

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

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RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Edit again... (I deleted the horrible blurry close up of the Slick Trick broadhead).

Here is a better idea of what the Slick Tricks look like compared to other broadheads. This is a quick shot of inside my bow case....

Top: 125gr NAP Thunderhead
Middle: 100gr Magnus Stinger 4 blade
Bottom: 2 of the brand new 125gr Slick Tricks.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

My thoughts exactly. Very small and unbelieveabley dull out of the package.. but they do shoot great. I am going to try and sharpen them myself and see what difference it makes. If the don't sharpen up well, I will be sticking w/ my Muzzys.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Yeah, I know... I liked how well they flew and how good they grouped. They are kind of funny looking at first- it's like looking at a common field tip with 4 teeny tiny blades sticking out.

Dull isn't the word! I'm serious... Call me whacked, but I actually ran my finger down one of the blades and it didn't slice me! It didn't even shave hair off my arm! WTF.... [:'(]

I'm going to take the Slick Tricks apart again and go over each blade with a wetstone and see if I can get them as sharp as my Magnus Stingers. My 4 blade 100gr Stingers are so sharp, they will cut me, just by looking at them! ;)

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I am going to try the same thing... I think if they get sharp enough, they could be very destructive to a deer. Otherwise it's like shooting them w/ a butter knife!
Let me know how you make out and I will do the same.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Deal! [8D]

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I found the same thing when I bought a pack of Slick Tricks. Very well made and they look tough as nails, but I've had lawn mower blades sharper than they were. I didn't even bother shooting them, I just took them back and got some NAP Crossfire broadheads to try. While that are not as heavy-duty as the Slick Tricks, they have a similar blade profile and surface area and the blades are actually razor sharp. I think I'm also going to try the 100gr Magnus Stinger 4-blade heads too. Whichever flies better between the two will get the nod this fall. I had a post about my findings a little while back regarding the Slick Tricks, and I'll say again what I said aout them then. They appear to be good heads, but for $22 for 3 broadheads I expect them to be sharp right out of the package. Anything less is unacceptable. However, if Slick Trick eventually figures out how to sharpen their blades to an acceptable standard, then I'll reconsider them.

Mike

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Oh, you will LOVE the Magnus Stingers! One little trick I did with mine was, I took the spare rubber O-rings from the box of Thunderheads and put them on the Stingers. That way, I could tweak the broadhead snug and get it aligned vertical with the bow string. My 4 blade Stingers fly excellent just like my field tips. They've even hit the exact same hole as a previous field tip! Can't get any better than that! :D

Word to the wise about Stingers (like me, Dairy King, and other have posted).... They are DANGEROUSLY SHARP! They will fillet you like a fish at 20 paces!

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

C'mon all you outdoorsmen pick up that stone and sharpen them. :DIf I can do it so can you. And besides, the point on those suckers will open the way for anything that might follow.At 260 fps I wouldn't even want to get hit with the edge of a penny let alone one of those. So touch them up or mail them to me to discard.:D;)

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I've found that I lack the skills to put a fine edge on a blade and generally domore harm than good. Ihave mynice hunting knife professionally sharpened just for this reason. But that is beside the point in this case.

Slick Trick broadheads cost $22 for 3 heads and come out of the package dull. NAP Thunderheads cost $30 for six heads and are razor sharp. This tells me that it is more than possibletoeconomically sharpen broadhead blades to an acceptable level of sharpness at the factory since the Thuds cost over $2/head less than the Slick Tricks. The end user should not have to sharpen the blades on a broadhead, especially one that he has to pay a premium for. It's indicativeof a lack of quality control and attention to detail.I work hard for my money and Idon't have a ton of it, so I'mnot going to paymore for less.

Mike

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I am starting to feel as though I should be more strict on blade sharpness. I have seen several other posts as well about the blade dullness on the Slick Tricks. I have been a diehard Slick Trick shooter for the last 3 years. I have never had a broadhead perform as well as the Tricks. I have taken 12 animals with them all pass throughs and stuck in the ground 4 inches. Great bloodtrails as well. I am not defending the sharpness of the Tricks, but am wondering how I could have any gotten any better performance than I have had by doing additional sharpening. If anyone knows of a commercial sharpenerto use on these let me know. If I can make my blades sharper I would love to, but the results I have seen out of the package have been pretty impressive.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

If anyone knows of a commercial sharpenerto use on these let me know.
[/quote]


With my Slick Tricks i use a sharpener similiar to a Smith broadhead sharpener thati picked up at a garage sale (angled carbide blade type), i found by holding each blade andsharpening at a slight angle with light pressure i can get them very sharp.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I want to get my broadheads scary sharp. I was looking in the cabela's magazine and saw the Smith sharpener, looks easy enough to use, is it and does it really work??

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I just switched from the Tricks to the magnus Stinger Buzzcut 4 blades. I actually think the buzzcuts flew better then my Tricks did and of course a whole lot sharper. I also think that the Buzzcuts will penetrate better and cause more damage.....

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I too am wondering how all of these people are getting "dull" blades. Are they actually dull like a butter knife or just not as sharp as other mass produced heads like NAP or Magnus?

I recently received 17 packs at our store and while I didn't check everyone of the packs the ones I did check were plenty sharp enough and would shave hair.

Someone commented on how it is possible to ecconmically sharpen heads since NAP does it so well. Well NAP has tons of money at their disposal, when compared to Garry at Slick Trick, for the very latest and best equipment made to sharpen their blades. Garry, on the otherhand does not. He is a start up company (less than 5 years old) that is making a superior broadhead and is able to get the blades plenty sharp enough for hunting. No they aren't NAP sharp but they are sharp and sharper than most Muzzies I have tried.

I am quite sure that as time goes on and the slick tricks become more and more popular and he is able to invest more money into better equipment the blades will continue to evolve into ever sharper cutting edges. They have, in fact, been getting sharper since the first ones I tried.

I also wouldn't consider $22 a premium price to pay for three heads that are as well made as a slick trick. A little above average but not premium. A premium price, IMO, would be something along the lines of NAP crossfires or razorbacks, Montecs, Crimson tallons, etc... where the cost is $10 or more per head.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I'd say more like cheap steak knife dull. The ones I got would not shave hair at all, and required a lot of effort to cut printer paper. My hunting knife is a lot sharper that the Slick Tricks. Broadheads are supposed to be razor sharp, not sorta sharp or just sharp enough. The Slick Tricks don't, in my opinion, cut it (pun intended).

Mike

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Bigbulls,

I am not putting down Slick Tricks. I like them, and am amazed at how well they fly and the excellent groups I got with them. I was just a bit disappointed in the overall sharpness of the blades, that's all. I mean, they are sharp and if I really ran my finger down the blade -AND PRESSED- then, yes, they would cut me like anything would of that nature.

Slick Tricks blades are like a well used practice broadhead. Strong, very accurate, flies exactly where you aim, but seem to be not 100% razorblade sharp. They are NOT like an old kitchen butter knife. They are a great blade and if Slick Trick can finely hone their blades, then, the small company will take off like a rocket and blow away all the competition.

I can only compare Slick Tricks to my NAP Thunderheads and my new Magnus Stinger 4 blade broadheads. Slick Tricks fly way better than my Thunderheads, flyequal to (maybe better than) the Magnus Stingers. But as far as overall sharpness, the Stingers blow away everything I have ever seen. The Stingers are so viciously sharp, they are just like a surgical scalpel. Run my finger down a Magnus Stinger (not even pressing hard) and it will cut me. Now THAT is sharp! [8D]

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I dont have much experience with "big" game hunting and slick tricks but I have shot a boar with the slicktricks. At 17 yards out of my 60#jennings the arrow blew through one shield, lung, nicked the liver and then out the other side.Complete pass through. Who needs more than that for sharpness?

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Well it appears that not everyone will agree on this subject. I guess it comes down to personal preference. Any broadhead will work if it is placed in the perfect spot so I guess its a question of what head will work the best on a not so perfect shot. I would rather have a head that israzor sharp out of the package thena head that requires me to have to sharpen it. I have used the Tricks and they do fly well but I had some bad experiences with them so I switched to the Buzzcuts. I'm sure that other people could use the Tricks for years and never have a problem. Im just not a fan of the new trend towards the small blade heads with the short cutting plane. I know it helps the head to be more accurrate but I dont ever want too see a big buck in front of me again only to havethe arrow kick off the ribs.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I know you guys were not putting down ST's but just giving your observations.

I also know that Garry will continue to improve on the sharpness issue some people are having with them. I just hope it does not become a wide spread problem.

Heck I still shoot every head on its intended arrow regardless of how sharp or accurate it may be, even though I know they will most likely be dead on, so I end up having to resharpen all of them any how. I am a glutten for punnishment I guess.

FWIW my son uses 100 grain stinger two blades. Aint shot nothin yet but maybe this year.;) Even though those are definetly out of the pack scapel sharp he practices with them and I still gotta sharpen them before the season. Heck they may as well start out as a butter knife.[8D];)

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

i do agree with you bigbulls, if u have to reshapen why be so sharp to start with? i shoot g5 i do like them but they are very high priced, i try to buy from local pro shop(i like the guy thats why!)he is 31.95 for a pack of 3. as long as i stick it in the dirt after the shot i wil never replace them!;)

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

When I saw this post I expect it to be another slick trick love fest. I'm glad there are people who will give an honest evaluation.

As far as the sharpness issue there is a point where sharpness is a detriment. I don't know if the principle applies here but when the blade was the weapon of choice they were not sharp because a sharp blade would not always break bone just stick in it therefore blades were kept some what dull to avoid the problem. I would use the same theory in my head choice. Sharp yes, but so sharp that it would stick instead of seperate, no.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I'm really surprized about all of the talk about the blades not being sharp. All of mine were extremely sharp. I believe 5-shots test blades were also sharp. I do know that they are a lot thicker then 90% of the blades out there. I'm wondering if that may have something to do with peoples perception of sharpness.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

It might be... Maybe they just need a different edge honed on the blade. I don't know. I like the Slick Tricks and how great they fly. I am quite sure they will do the job and will punch a huge hole in a deer, but I would just like to see them a bit more sharper, that's all. I don't know if they could getlethally sharp like the Magnus Stingers, but sharp enough to cut you if you are not careful.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I thought I read recently where 5 Shot mentioned that the blades are being sharpened differently and are better and expects them to get better as time goes on. I just got some ST's and they are sharp, but don't feel as sharp as my RM Turbos, GT Centurions, etc. They feel about like my older Wac'ems and current Innerloc EXP blades. (Wac'ems have made their's sharper as of late as well) If I recall correctly, Gary gave an explaination on another board that made some sense. I can't find it so I'm going off of memory, but I think what he said was is that the blades are much thicker than the average blades -0.030 to 0.035. and are honed at a steeper angle for longevety and toughness of the edge. He maintained that they are just as sharp as the sharper blades, but don't feel like it due to this angle and each will cut the same, but not shave the same,which is what we are really after. He also gave a link to some sharpening sight, but I can't find it. It makes some sense, but just doesn't seem right when you feel them side by side.

I hope I'm getting this right, but take it with a grain of salt because I can't get the exact words or who said it, I just remember reading it - I think it was over on AT if someone else is better at searching.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

That actually makes a lot of sence. We hear the same thing about the G5 montecs. People say that they are extremely dull and are unable to be sharpened but my fingers[:@];) can attest that they can get very sharp.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Makes sense...

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Hey guys...

I bought a small broadhead sharpener the other day (it's exactly like the Smith sharpener that is the Cabelas catalog).

Except, the one that I got was from Dick's Sporting Goods and it's made by Bohning. Same thing. Same sharpener... $5.99 or something like that...

I carefully took apart the Slick Tricks and held the blades with a pair of needle nose pliers and gently went over the blades with the broadhead sharpener. Then, I carefully buffed each blade with my wife's finger nail buffer/emery board thing that she has (she's gonna kick my a$$ if she finds out! [&:])
Anyway, I got the Slick Tricks really sharp now and they still fly perfect like field points.

Long story short, the Slick Tricks can be sharpened up really nice to where they will be lethal and devastating to a deer. NOW I am all set! :)

Butch A.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

ButchA.... I just ordered the same thing! Haven't gotten it yet though... for the same purpose..

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I bought some ST 100's about a week ago. They were kinda sharp but not scary sharp like some of the other BH's out of the box. All I did was buy some jewelers rouge and a tanned peice of leather(strop). I mounted the leather to a 2x4 and rubbed in some jewelers rouge. Took the ST blades to the leather strop about 20 times...Holy scary sharp!!! All they need is a quick cleanup on a leather strop and they are good to go. Basically all the strop does is clean and polish the edge to make it razor-shave-your-arm-hair-sharp.

Please note. When doing this you pull the blade away from the edge...You DO NOT push the blade edge into the leather.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Hi, this is Gary from Slick Trick. I don't post on forums very often, don't like spam and don't have a program to push the heads. I like to have average guys advertise the heads voluntarily just because they like them. I appreciate the feedback on the sharpness, always looking for any improvement I can do. If manufacturing can make them sharper they certainly will. I ship them based on running them against the hair on my arm, and I get a fine bouquet of hair when I do that. They do have a strong bevel which I prefer. Heads that may wow you with their shaving abilities with thinner bevels can dull on entry on a rib and actually be duller when penetrating an animal than seemingly less sharp blades. What really counts is cutting through an animal of course. Not too long agoa guy told me the blades didn't seem sharp, I told him about running them against the hair on my arm, and he replied backhe then found they were very sharp.Frankly I have found checking blades that they consistently get hair, if you get blades that you doubt please send them back for replacement. Certainly mean for them to be sharp, but nothing is perfect, recall a dealer posting once that they had gotten a case of Thunderheads that were dull as a bowling ball. Hard to believe, but maybe it happened. I ship heads to 5 shot to test, and don't do anything but pull a pack out of the middle of a supply. He finds they shave and are plenty sharp to hunt with, same as I do. Field reports are the same as his tests report, depending on location they bleed as well as anything, and have great penetration.And as I think somebody said, a simple carbide sharpener willpolish an edge back to shaving sharpness after if has beenquiver dulled, you just use verylight strokes many times on an edge, 15-30, and they will polish back to shaving. Speaking of penetration, guys forget to consider cut. The more you cut with a given design, the less penetration of course. Some designs penetrate better than others, and if you check 5 shots tests, no design, "cut on contact" or whatever, cut for cut, outpenetrates Tricks. Also keep in mind that bone and tough tissue is what limits a passthrough, his tests with plywood and tire correlates to what hunters find. If you hit where you aim and only hit ribs and lungs on a deer a 45 lb longbow will get a passthrough with just about any fixed blade head. In relation to Stingers mentioned above, consider that a Stinger 100 cuts 1 1/16 X 3/4", I believe, which is a total cut of 1.81". A magnumTrick 100 cuts 1.125 X 1.125, which means it cuts 24% more. Is 24% significant? Would you be pleased if your paycheck came 24% less? Would a Trick penetrate better if the blades were smaller and cut 24% less? Sure. But the trick, pardon the pun, is to cut as much in all 4 directions to cut a vein or artery and open up as good a hole as you can while having good odds of a passthrough. The 1 1/8" magnums do that. But for those who want a smaller head for even more penetration, Trick 100 and 125s, while I have not gotten it up on site yet, but you may order just write 1" STANDARD, now come in a 1" STANDARD size 3 pack. Or, if you have the magnums all you have to do is order 1" STANDARD blades which will fit the same ferrules. Some guys may choose to use the 1 1/8" magnums on deer, and switch to the 1" standards on elk or hogs. Although I informed my Africa dist of the availability of the 1" blades, and he ordered all magnums, saying they were doing fine with the magnums. The reason I tag them standard is 1" 4 blade Tricks cut 18% more than the 1 1/8" 3 blade heads and open as good or better hole. Anyway, gotta go, I appreciate you guys, andwill do anything I can to improve Tricks or please you, and if anybody is not pleased with Tricks just send them back for a full refund, THANKS GARY

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Thanks Gary! That is the information I was referring to pretty much. I was going nuts because I almost thought I imagined you posting that somewhere else because I couldn't find it!

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I just ordered some slick tricks, shot em, sold em. Using the same grain heads, there was no comparison on penetration between a slick trick and a magnus stinger into my broadhead target.....throw some hair and bone into the mix and I believe the steep blade angles of the STwould create even more friction.I'm sure if you hit a deerin the goody box either broadheadwill blow right through....too badwe don't always him em where we want to. I'm going to stick with the stingers,they fly just as well and I like the ease of resharpening.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Well 4buck,

I can tell you that a 125 grain slick trick will absolutely penetrate entirely through a spine, completely severing it, and exit the brisket. They will also penetrate the upper back ribs, travel through the lungs and still bust through the bottom ribs and cut the leg bone (not the shoulder blade but the thick round bone) in half.

I don't think penetration is much of an issue with the ST's. A foam rubber target is certainly not the same as a live animal.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Well BIGBULLS,
Sorry I blew up and offered an opinion??? I thought that was what this message board was for? I just said I don't like the steep blade angle....my personal opinion, am Inot allowed to give it? Don't have to get Sassy cause I don't care for the broadheads you shoot!

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I agree with 4buck on this one. I switched to the Stingers as well. Not everyone will agree on a broadhead. There are so many good heads available and the Tricks are a great flying head no doubt but if anyone thinks the Stingers don't fly just as well haven't shot them. I shot the Tricks last year but Im just not a fan of the short blades but to each his own......and thats a good thing or there would only be one broadhead choice and that would be boring.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

I wasn't jumping your butt. Just rebutting that the ST's do not penetrate well.

You had a concern that it would not do good on heavy bone hits. Remember your "too bad we don't always hit em where we want to" comment? So I offered evidence that it does, in fact, do very well in those instances.

Pull your panties out of your butt.[&:][8D]

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Hey, I'm all for personal observation, I can't argue that they don't break bones, and they do fly well so hitting shoulder blades shouldn't be a problem. Seven years ina Physics department, and seeing the poortarget penetration, led me to believe that the steep blade angle would have greater friction, ultimately leading to less penetration. Physics don't lie.....everything about archery pertains to it in some way....mass, velocity, kineitic energy......(> friction = less penetration.....no matter what the cause). Just going back to the basics.

RE: Slick Tricks arrive (First impressions....)
 

Hi, physics don't lie. True. But that doesn't mean people can't draw wrong conclusions.If you like physics, check out 5 shots tests. You will find that no head that cuts as much as a Trick outpenetrates it.3/4" plywood mimics bone pretty well, and there isn't much tougher tissue than a tire. Ifyour friction theory was true,it would be provenin thoseconsistent, controlled, repeatable tests. Itisn't.See for yourself. I will tell you that aMichigan dealer told me theyare gettingpassthroughs with a big hole with Tricks through the shoulders of 500+ Russian boars. Said they couldn't believe it, but they and othershave done it. Not too shabby penetration,similar resultsto5 shots tests. But other heads kill also, different strokes for different folks,shoot whatever pleases you and I hope youget something for the skillet.