Casey 1988
Shun the frumious Bandersnatch!
I mean wouldn't all the current Wizards be like the Nikko Wizards minus the old top?
No I was meaning the plastic type that the Nikko Wizards came in.
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[Gateway] Gateway Wizard
- Thread starter Fosterjon35
- Start date
No I was meaning the plastic type that the Nikko Wizards came in.
thatdirtykid
* Ace Member *
Nikkos came in a variety of blends so thats hard to say. Just about every Nikko I laid hands on were softer than PWs.
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rusch_bag
* Ace Member *
I tried googling it and saw there were many different special blend runs, but most websites have them for sale as just special blend with no number attached. I wasn't sure if they settled on something. Thank you for your knowledge.
There are people who know more about it because I just skipped them. It seemed like a pretty poorly thought-out plan with an obtuse numbering scheme that was confusing. That and I like firm putters and all the Special Blend seemed to be SS flex; they were not really going to be my cup of tea anyway.
Hopefully someone who actually likes them will chime in, since I don't really mean to shut down the discussion of them just because I thought they were confusing.
I did like the stamp. :|
thatdirtykid
* Ace Member *
The problem with gateway is all the different blends.
The coolest thing about gateway is all the blends.
Wizards are cheap, I buy them all. Sometimes don't know what I am getting.
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The coolest thing about gateway is all the blends.
Wizards are cheap, I buy them all. Sometimes don't know what I am getting.
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
I live 100 miles from Gateway; Wizards are the go-to players pack disc and it's fun to grab something oddball and try it out. They have so many plastics that from one run to the next are different; Eraser, Money, Organic...I have no idea what the difference is between a Money Wizard, and Eraser Wizard and a SS Sure Grip Wizard. I have had several of all of them and what they are overlaps from run to run. Organic usually feels like SS Sure Grip as well. The Special Blends I felt could have been labeled SS Sure Grip and it would have seemed legit to me. To me it's a huge confusing web of different way to sell me an SS Wizard. :|
I know, I've just had my Wizard geek card revoked. Do I just shred it, or do I have to send it back to someplace?
rusch_bag
* Ace Member *
You know more than 99% of the people out there. I think you can keep it. I just learned that $$$ and SSS are different yesterday. I love wizards but I never know what to order. I normally just get x outs and hope something sticks. I like my putters on the firmer side but I still want the plastic to have just a hint of give so I can feel like I can grip it. The ones that are like porcelain are too much for me. I also do like them to have some tack to them. The Nikkos I have seem to fit what I'm looking for the best but of course they are the one that isn't around anymore so I am looking for something similar.
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That's the frustrating thing if you are ordering. Stuff changes.
I have some really stiff Eraser Warlocks; they are a great combo of firm with a little give and good grip. I was at an event last year and without really checking just picked up a Warlock off the Eraser pile, looked at the weight and tossed it in the car; it's more like SSS than firm. So two Eraser Warlocks, totally different flex. If I was being super picky, I'd be mad. Of course if I was being super picky I also would have, you know...checked the disc before I took it. :|
But the point of the story is that I have some Eraser discs that sound like exactly what you would want, but I can't tell you to order an Eraser Wizard because God knows what you are going to end up with. That's the issue with Gateway and all the plastics and such; I can't recommend anything sight unseen.
What you can do is call them and tell them what you are looking for and they do a really good job of selling direct to you like that. It's weird since you would never call Innova or Discraft or...anybody else, really...and expect them to pull a disc to your specification. Gateway will, though. If you can just roll with it, that's the best way around it that I've found.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gateway is different. If you don't embrace the weird, they are really frustrating to work with. If you can accept the weird and roll with it, it works out. I used to love the fact that when I ordered from them, they would forget to ship and I had to call them a week later. I loved it because I always got two freebie discs. I got mad when I ordered five and they shipped right away; the per disc price math I did was based on seven discs and I felt ripped off. :|
Had some wizards stamped for my wedding last year, groomsman/others gifts. Asked for grey with pink stamp to match colors and cake topper. They hooked me up with these beauties, Lunar-PWP and Lunar-SS.
High shoulder so I'm not a huge fan of putting with the SS but the PWP are amazing fliers. Super stiff. With a little wear a power hyzer release they stand up and glide straight for days. Just love the flight/feel. I've lost a couple now and am concerned with losing more. :\
Mild-flex
High shoulder so I'm not a huge fan of putting with the SS but the PWP are amazing fliers. Super stiff. With a little wear a power hyzer release they stand up and glide straight for days. Just love the flight/feel. I've lost a couple now and am concerned with losing more. :\
Mild-flex
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BuzzzChief
Double Eagle Member
So in the end, it depends on which flavor of Nikko wizard is the one you're looking for.
I have a small stack of them in various flexes from super firm to somewhere between SS and SSS. They all have a similar feel/grip to me. Like normal Sure-Grip plastic with a tiny bit of rubber. Nowhere near as rubbery as the $ blends. Most of them started out slightly chalky, but it wore away quickly. The key with the Nikkos is the low-profile shape of the nose/shoulder and the thin flight plate, that makes all the difference.
I just picked up a winter wizards stamped hemp Wizard that has the more typical flight plate and high shoulder, it feels significantly taller/deeper to me just feeling it. I'm sure it putts fine.
I have a small stack of them in various flexes from super firm to somewhere between SS and SSS. They all have a similar feel/grip to me. Like normal Sure-Grip plastic with a tiny bit of rubber. Nowhere near as rubbery as the $ blends. Most of them started out slightly chalky, but it wore away quickly. The key with the Nikkos is the low-profile shape of the nose/shoulder and the thin flight plate, that makes all the difference.
I just picked up a winter wizards stamped hemp Wizard that has the more typical flight plate and high shoulder, it feels significantly taller/deeper to me just feeling it. I'm sure it putts fine.
xare
Birdie Member
So I can actually explain this one. They were going through a phase of trying out new blends and I loved some of these Special Blend runs. But the general concept was that since they already had the normal "S" plastic, then all the other things like Eraser, Money ($), Organic, and all the other "standard" variants of theirs, they were wanting to make Special Blend a new consistent blend that was different from the rest of them.
So some of these special blends had things thrown into there like ballistic nylon shreds (which was my favorite run - these Wizards literally cooled up tight, low shouldered and had a chalky grip without being chalky), and then there were things like the chemicals/plastics that were used to make the soft touch "plastic" of car dashboards (I think this one was SB18 or 19).
They marketed them all as Special Blend, but didn't really want to announce which blend was which. I think they got up to a batch in the 50s before picking an exact formulation. Most of the discs in a certain SB run was one color or sometimes swirly (like the car touch run was almost all brown or gray swirly). They also were all the same flex for the most part (sometimes SS/SSS in the same run). So often the difference between a blue Wizard SB 13 to a SB 14 might be as minor as just being SSS rather than SS.
SB 13,14,16, and 22 were all velvety feeling and varied in flex from stiff (16,13,14) to S/SS (22). SB30 was basically RFF flex.
I think the real intent was if "S" plastic was intended to feel "velvety" then they wanted Special Blend to be more "silky". I also think they intended for Special Blend to be chalky (and to absorb the Chalky runs under this "label"). My favorite runs of Wizards thus far have all been Special Blends apart from the $ type Wizards.
thatdirtykid
* Ace Member *
I agree 100% its fun to see what you get. When I am trading for wizards I just ask if they are fairly firm. My SB17 is one of my favorites.
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Animage
Double Eagle Member
The two PIAS no longer stock wizards by me. I don't even have a clue what all these new plastic ones even are to order any anymore
The PIAS near me doesn't stock Wizards, but there are always good Wizards in the used bin. Why people get rid of Wizards is beyond me, but they do. Gateway sponsors so many events around here that they are common players pack discs and they get traded in a lot.
R-Ogre
Double Eagle Member
Probably my most fun disc purchase was a gateway overstock putter pack. 8 Wiz a magic and a warlock in all kinds of plastic.
the1discChallenge
Eagle Member
I'm sure it's been discussed, but I don't quite know what to search for the answer. Can anyone recommend a plastic that's firm, but not slick? I like the softer feel, but still prefer a stiffer putter. I think S is what I'm looking for, but it's been a long time since I've thrown Gateway putters.
Buiscutboy
Double Eagle Member
My SS Wizards/Voodoos are slightly softer than like, a KC Aviar, but much gripper. My S Warriors are about the stiffness of a KC Aviar, but much gripper again. So in my limited experience SS has a bit of give to it, S is a grippy dinner plate.
the1discChallenge
Eagle Member
I think as summer approaches, I might look toward a grippy dinner plate. I picked up an orgo Wizard that's a little bit tacky which is great for this 45ish degree early spring weather, but I think SS or S will be good for more heat.
