Best custom order experience

[ChaseTMP]

I've spent a lot of time in shaper's rooms watching my boards get shaped from mid-to-late 80's to about 2002. It was cool to watch the process from guys I got boards from such as: Jeff Timpone, Tom Stanton (at least 10), Matt Calvani (upwards of 40), but times have changed and for most high profile shapers, equal (probably more) time is spent dialing in numbers in on the computer as it is using a planer. Watching a blank get scrubbed and finished shaped just isn't as fun (IMO) as watching the template get cut, the rocker take shape etc.

I don't mind the new ordering process that's mostly online, as long as I have a knowledgeable person to talk to if I have an out of the ordinary question and the shaper/designer isn't available.

 

[SlowGuy]

Stretch.

Won't order from anyone else at this point because they are that good.

does stretch do poly boards or just epoxy? His shapes look but I’ve never seen any in poly

Stretch.

Won't order from anyone else at this point because they are that good.

Are all his boards epoxy? Just worry about the chatter on them since I surf a lot of windy bumpy waves. Boards look sick though

 

[bluemarlin04]

does stretch do poly boards or just epoxy? His shapes look but I’ve never seen any in poly


Are all his boards epoxy? Just worry about the chatter on them since I surf a lot of windy bumpy waves. Boards look sick though

only does epoxy.

I have not noticed chatter on them and I surf in fairly windy spots.

 

[racer1]

does stretch do poly boards or just epoxy? His shapes look but I’ve never seen any in poly


Are all his boards epoxy? Just worry about the chatter on them since I surf a lot of windy bumpy waves. Boards look sick though

I surf in a lot of windy waves and stretch's feel great. They aren't built like traditional EPS. He uses an EPS blank, but the stringer is bamboo and they cross layup the fiberglass. The bamboo stringer is much more flexible than applecore or traditional stringers so it doesn't chatter and nearly impossible to break.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Standard epoxy glassing never hardens as much as a Poly glass job = dead or "muted" flex - not as crisp

The ride "Sensation" between EPS and Poly is something you need to stop whining about so you can look in the know tech wise .

Key word - Standard Epoxy Glassing - not post cured

 

[trifish]

optical brightener issue?

Yeh they mentioned it would clear up and look more true after a while in the sun, but it never happened on that one. The boards great otherwise.

 

[ghostshaper]

Yeh they mentioned it would clear up and look more true after a while in the sun, but it never happened on that one. The boards great otherwise.

Nope. It's bluish tint to make white boards look whiter. Screws up color work though. Won't change unless the epoxy isn't uv stable.

 

[grg]

only does epoxy.

I have not noticed chatter on them and I surf in fairly windy spots.

wrong. He does Poly....Likes EPS/Epoxy better but does them.

 

[bluemarlin04]

wrong. He does Poly....Likes EPS/Epoxy better but does them.

Really? I asked and was told only epoxy.

 

[grg]

Really? I asked and was told only epoxy.

Stretch thinks it silly to do PU. He's done them in the past and had them glassed at Pureglass in Costa Mesa.

 

[racer1]

I'm pretty sure some of Nathan's step ups and guns for Hawaii are PU.

 

[sdfriday]

Wayne Okamoto- has made me several great boards . Great shaper , quick turn around
Brian Bulkley- excellent boards.
Steve Brom

Also had a few boards from Wayne (Oakfoils). Great shapes, very high quality construction, fast turn around

 

[Mr Doof]

I'm a Stretch guy for sure, their just the best! I tried to order a board a from Hess, I always see his stuff at the factory and hear great things about him, but...the guy took my money, lied about the board being shaped, glassed, and 8 months later I had to initiate the refund with my CC company. So I'll stick with Stretch, and I'll never order sh!t from Hess!

I get the feeling of being burned like this, have had something similar to me with other shapers, and going forward, have made similar decisions as yourself.

I like to pretend that buying a board in spring, early summer, has been the major deciding factor in getting them in a reasonable timeframe.

Before I bought my cork board from Stretch, I arranged a meeting, brought an example of a board that I was hoping would demonstrate the type of board I wanted "with your improvements', he winced at the weight of it and said he could definitely improve on it, said I'd pay 50% cash up front if I got a receipt with a hard finish date on, got a bit of scowl and then a shrug for that, then I got the receipt, gave the cash, and when I got the call to pick it up, gave him the other 1/2 of the $$$. Hess experience not much different, but no scowling .

 

[enframed]

wrong. He [Stretch] does Poly....Likes EPS/Epoxy better but does them.

Yeah, started doing them again cuz high demand. Stretch has been very good custom experience as well. Also

Steve Brom
Michel Junod
Carl Ekstrom
Doug Haut
Ward Coffey (though I didn't like the board, the experience of getting it was good)

 

[INDTUBE]

GG delivers!

 

[bluemarlin04]

I'm a Stretch guy for sure, their just the best! I tried to order a board a from Hess, I always see his stuff at the factory and hear great things about him, but...the guy took my money, lied about the board being shaped, glassed, and 8 months later I had to initiate the refund with my CC company. So I'll stick with Stretch, and I'll never order sh!t from Hess!

I had a pretty bad experience with a shaper like that. I actually did get the board but it was all messed up.

 

[Clamsmasher]

I randomly rang a guy to order a twinzer. Oz shaper, been around for a long time and he used to make boards for Martin Potter. His insta had one that made the blood rush to my pinga so I went for it.

Bit of small talk , I told him I had one of his thrusters twenty something years ago and loved it. Anyway, I get down to business and he flatly refusesd to make me a Twinzer. Which he makes. It was a frustrating and confusing conversation but he won’t make you a board unless he is sure you’ll appreciate and be able to ride it...to do it justice. LOL.

I spent the money on drugs and didn’t regret it one bit.

 

[urchined]

I randomly rang a guy to order a twinzer. Oz shaper, been around for a long time and he used to make boards for Martin Potter. His insta had one that made the blood rush to my pinga so I went for it.

Bit of small talk , I told him I had one of his thrusters twenty something years ago and loved it. Anyway, I get down to business and he flatly refusesd to make me a Twinzer. Which he makes. It was a frustrating and confusing conversation but he won’t make you a board unless he is sure you’ll appreciate and be able to ride it...to do it justice. LOL.

I spent the money on drugs and didn’t regret it one bit.

Old school. Both sides of that transaction.