PRODUCT REVIEW:  Brine Swizzle (Titanium and 7075)
DATE:  1/10/07
REVIEWERS:  Flip and Alex

The Mikey Powell Swizzle technology is a year old and we finally got a good chance to really take a good look at these handles.  Since we didn’t carry this line last year, this is our first foray into the Swizzle market.  Brine manufactures both titanium and a 7075 alloy versions of the Swizzle and we sell both.

While the 7075 and titanium are definitely different alloys, there are a couple things that ring true for both models.  The Swizzle is marketed by Brine as having “Mikey Powell Zone Tak” finish.  Essentially, this is a rubber coating that starts thick towards the bottom of the handle and fades in intensity up toward the top.  The top hand-width or so of the handle has no rubber on it at all.  Even still, the entire handle has been treated giving it a glossy finish.

We really like the Zone Tak rubber finish and players will find that tape is not needed with this handle.  In gloves, this handle can be a little tacky and hard to slide the hands up and down.  However, whether or not you like this will be completely dependant on your preference.

To properly review these handles, we needed to cross-reference the “non-Swizzle” versions of these handles as well.  For the Swizzle Ti, that would obviously be the Brine Ti22 and for the 7075, it is the Ignite Supra.  The Swizzle handles do weigh more than their non-finished counterparts, but probably not a whole lot more than a bunch of tape would weigh anyway.

Starting with the 7075, the Swizzle version of the Ignite Supra is reported by Brine to have a PSI of 100,000, while the regular Supra is listed at 90,000.  The Swizzle adds about 23 grams according to our measurements.  While the PSI difference is pretty negligible overall, you can feel the weight difference when comparing thehandles in each hand.  We like the 7075 alloy in general because while it may not be the strongest, it is pretty light and has a good feel.  The 7075 has many more color options than the Titanium, which only comes with gray rubber.  The color options obviously don’t have much bearing on the handle performance, but they do add a stylish twist.

For intermediate players, the Swizzle 7075 is a good option, especially given its reasonable price.  Given some of the prices of handles lately, $70 is a pretty good deal.  However, it is not a defensive stick in our opinion.

The Swizzle Titanium is made of the same metal as the regular Brine Ti22.  As we said before, even though the rubber grip only comes most of the way up the handle, even the non-covered part has a glossy finish.  This is likely because infusing the handle with rubber takes heat or a similar chemical treatment that affects the entire thing.  Brine reports that both the Swizzle Ti and the Ti22 have a PSI listing of 140,000, by far the strongest handles that they sell.  The Swizzle version adds about 16 grams of weight, again, not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but enough to feel a difference in your hands.

Thanks to the extra weight, the Swizzle does “feel” more solid than the regular Ti22.  While there is nothing tangible supporting that claim, it’s simply a feel that you get while holding the handle.

In conclusion, the Swizzle technology is definitely innovative, but players who like the freedom to move their hands all over the handle may find it to be cumbersome.  Weight can also be an issue, but it generally has enough looks and feel for us to give it a passing grade.

Click here to purchase the Brine Swizzle 7075 >>

Click here to purchase the Brine Swizzle Titanium >>

Click here to purchase the Brine Ignite Supra >>

Click here to purchase the Brine Titanium >>