wtf is basalt

[rawbertson.]

What would happen to this board if one were to put it in the water? is it still wood for most of the deck and just 1 layer is basalt?

[flamincheney]

What would happen to this board if one were to put it in the water? is it still wood for most of the deck and just 1 layer is basalt?

Yup, like you described. Moisture will eventually lead to it sogging out and delaminating like any other board.

[texasplant]

Are these boards more chip resistant than a standard deck? I only really skate transition/parks so I don’t often razor or break boards, I just replace when they go soggy or chip pretty badly. Would be keen to have something that holds its shape for longer (supposedly).

Would they be less likely to warp also?  Huge pet peeve of mine.

[Mbrimson88]

Are these boards more chip resistant than a standard deck? I only really skate transition/parks so I don’t often razor or break boards, I just replace when they go soggy or chip pretty badly. Would be keen to have something that holds its shape for longer (supposedly).

Would they be less likely to warp also?  Huge pet peeve of mine.

Less likely to chip - maybe / maybe not.  Someone else had posted a pic of their board with a big smashed end, but that seemed more like an unfortunate one off type thing.

Other people who have had them for months say they hold up pretty well all round, so it really could go either way there.


Less likely to warp - they are still wood based, but from my own experience with people, if you are leaving your board in a hot car all day every day, they are more likely to warp no matter what the wood or brand, as per one guy who would always complain about his setups, then when he started putting the board in a cardboard box (just a normal board box) his board was way less likely to have any issues.

That is what I suggest to anyone who keeps their boards in hot areas, car or similar places.  Keep the board in a board box or other insulated thing and it is surprising how much the board stays nice and fresh feeling, fewer warps, etc.


* Heard a small number of DBX boards were here in AU, but I still haven't seen any yet.

[SwitchBenihana]

I have had 2 basalt decks both I got on slight sales. They chip, ding, and wear mostly like a normal deck but keep their pop longer. I don't break boards so I can't comment. One is my travel setup and it's lasted me 4 months and at this point it's fairly razored and chipped but feels familiar.

I wouldn't pay full price.

[Texas_Tone]

Yea I’m still running mine as well, definitely has kept its snap, but performance wise not really much a difference, slightly lighter but since I ride regular trucks not a huge amount, definitely getting razortail and has a couple dings, but it would have been retired if it was a regular board, so they do offer some sort of longevity compared to a regular deck, worth the 120 price tag?? I’m not to sure about that

[rawbertson.]

My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

[Mbrimson88]

My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

Curious if you know if they ended up in two pieces like normal wood boards, or if they were difficult to actually separate, like some other composite type boards that can crack or break but are way harder to actually snap into two or more pieces?

[rawbertson.]

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My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

[close]

Curious if you know if they ended up in two pieces like normal wood boards, or if they were difficult to actually separate, like some other composite type boards that can crack or break but are way harder to actually snap into two or more pieces?

The shop gave him a flight deck to replace the first one 

[Sloppy Krooks]

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My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

[close]

Curious if you know if they ended up in two pieces like normal wood boards, or if they were difficult to actually separate, like some other composite type boards that can crack or break but are way harder to actually snap into two or more pieces?

[close]

The shop gave him a flight deck to replace the first one 

Get a critique of both decks from him. I’d like to hear the differences

[Mbrimson88]

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My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

[close]

Curious if you know if they ended up in two pieces like normal wood boards, or if they were difficult to actually separate, like some other composite type boards that can crack or break but are way harder to actually snap into two or more pieces?

[close]

The shop gave him a flight deck to replace the first one 

Thanks for the pics.

Doesn't look like any kind of manufacturing drama, but just looking at pictures never tells the whole story.

Certainly looked like it took a lot of impact for it to break like that.

[rawbertson.]

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My friend has broke 2 of these now on flat ground and he is not a board breaker at all usually. Seems like gimmicky crap, not gonna recommend my shop to order them. Starting to think DLX actually isn’t that good anymore other than spitfire.

[close]

Curious if you know if they ended up in two pieces like normal wood boards, or if they were difficult to actually separate, like some other composite type boards that can crack or break but are way harder to actually snap into two or more pieces?

[close]

(deleted images to reduce spam - see posts above of broken bloards)

The shop gave him a flight deck to replace the first one 

[close]

Get a critique of both decks from him. I’d like to hear the differences

Me:
so what is your overall impresion of the basalt boards from both of them

Javier:
They are good while they are alive lol
Otherwise they are not as strong as marketed
My flight board is unphased and I’ve skated it way longer than both basalt boards put together
I am for sure not buying one ever again

me: any difference between the two boards?

Javier:
Not at all
One was a 8.25 lasted about a week
The other was the 8.5 lasted two sessions

me:
and you broke both on flat ground flip tricks?

Javier:
Yup
One was a switch flip which I don’t even do that high
And the other was a nollievarial heel which I’m horrendous at

me:
when it was new, did it feel any lighter, or easier to pop?

Javier
Yeah it’s way thinner and feels cool in your hands
The lava plys are a little creaky
It’s light af
And the snap feels like you don’t really need to pop
You can just click it
And you’ll still get height
It’s a good feeling but I wouldn’t trade that for piece of mind
I prefer a crispy polar board normal wood


he does weigh more than me (probably 180-200) and he does break boards, but not usually that quickly. I actually still kind of want to try it. I imagine it would razor tail etc. still but i have heard it maintains the pop through the razor tail. would definitely be getting MOB grip for this just to keep up with the life of the board. or just re grip it after 2 months

[ferguu]

Ya'll ever hear Aesop's fable about the two trees? The Oak tree is mocking the Willow tree because even the slightest breeze causes it to bow it's head, then, one day, the wind blows really hard and the Oak tree is toppled while the Willow tree stays standing, untouched.

What I'm trying to say is perhaps it makes sense that these boards would actually be more likely to snap when compared to a flight deck / normal 7 ply - you guys have said these basalt boards are brittle right? They're like the Oak tree, they can't take a heavy impact because they don't bend as much. And people always say that flight decks don't really die, they just sog out and go all floppy, just like the Willow tree. Swear I heard Professor Schmitt say something to this effect in a Ben D vid as well.

"Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed." What a legend. I think it's Newtons second law as well. I guess future board-innovators should try to find the perfect middle ground between stiff and bend. Like a smart material. Or Laffy Taffy.

[Rick Trapasso]

Not sure if this has been talked about already. But I would be curious to know the ecological impact of using basalt vs wood. Maybe using less wood, and mixing it with other materials like basalt would be a more "green" option for skateboarding moving forward?

Most people seem to enjoy these and say they last a bit longer than a standard 7ply. So maybe dlx is onto something here that is better for the environment?

Unless harvesting and manufacturing with basalt has some negative consequences that I'm unaware of.

[Síota]

Not sure if this has been talked about already. But I would be curious to know the ecological impact of using basalt vs wood. Maybe using less wood, and mixing it with other materials like basalt would be a more "green" option for skateboarding moving forward?

Most people seem to enjoy these and say they last a bit longer than a standard 7ply. So maybe dlx is onto something here that is better for the environment?

Unless harvesting and manufacturing with basalt has some negative consequences that I'm unaware of.

We have a group studying carbon capture using basalt, but I'm not gonna pay €150-€170 for one. I think a regrowth program it's probably better.

[Rick Trapasso]

Expand Quote

Not sure if this has been talked about already. But I would be curious to know the ecological impact of using basalt vs wood. Maybe using less wood, and mixing it with other materials like basalt would be a more "green" option for skateboarding moving forward?

Most people seem to enjoy these and say they last a bit longer than a standard 7ply. So maybe dlx is onto something here that is better for the environment?

Unless harvesting and manufacturing with basalt has some negative consequences that I'm unaware of.

[close]

We have a group studying carbon capture using basalt, but I'm not gonna pay €150-€170 for one. I think a regrowth program it's probably better.

They are def expensive. But I wonder what the breakpoint in price is  where they end up being a better value (and possibly better for the environment?)

[Free Grip]

Not sure if this has been talked about already. But I would be curious to know the ecological impact of using basalt vs wood. Maybe using less wood, and mixing it with other materials like basalt would be a more "green" option for skateboarding moving forward?

when bonite came out it was specifically because powell had trouble sourcing quality wood. this was lightly talked about on the nine club, but rarely openly discussed as a major misstep. during that season the wood powell had was trash and george decided to add the black "bonite" layer in between maple and poplar layers to compensate. it was marketed as stronger than usual but in reality it was much lower quality than a classic 7 ply maple wood deck. only reason was because powell couldn't get enough quality maple to do it the regular way. it was a short term solution to a supply side problem

that all goes to say, i suspect supply chain economics are likely to drive any reduction in wood use. with basalt or flight decks ten or twenty dollars extra on the sale price is a huge leap for profits on the razor thin margins of a single skate deck, so composite decks make sense in terms of marketing a higher price point. and the traditional maple we all know and love only comes from pretty much one geographic area and the majority of the skate industry is based in an entirely different geographic area. for decades folks have toyed with using anything but maple in deck construction.

louisville slugger still makes wood bats for the simple reason that people still buy them and swear the feel is better. and its the traditional bat of the sport, so all the pros are expected to use the same gear. for me personally 7 ply maple deck is always going to feel right to me.

[Rick Trapasso]

Expand Quote

Not sure if this has been talked about already. But I would be curious to know the ecological impact of using basalt vs wood. Maybe using less wood, and mixing it with other materials like basalt would be a more "green" option for skateboarding moving forward?

[close]

when bonite came out it was specifically because powell had trouble sourcing quality wood. this was lightly talked about on the nine club, but rarely openly discussed as a major misstep. during that season the wood powell had was trash and george decided to add the black "bonite" layer in between maple and poplar layers to compensate. it was marketed as stronger than usual but in reality it was much lower quality than a classic 7 ply maple wood deck. only reason was because powell couldn't get enough quality maple to do it the regular way. it was a short term solution to a supply side problem

that all goes to say, i suspect supply chain economics are likely to drive any reduction in wood use. with basalt or flight decks ten or twenty dollars extra on the sale price is a huge leap for profits on the razor thin margins of a single skate deck, so composite decks make sense in terms of marketing a higher price point. and the traditional maple we all know and love only comes from pretty much one geographic area and the majority of the skate industry is based in an entirely different geographic area. for decades folks have toyed with using anything but maple in deck construction.

louisville slugger still makes wood bats for the simple reason that people still buy them and swear the feel is better. and its the traditional bat of the sport, so all the pros are expected to use the same gear. for me personally 7 ply maple deck is always going to feel right to me.

Yea this is a good point tbh. And feel has always been an issue with the experimental deck constructions. It just seems like these dbx boards are generally perceived to feel good by most people.

Idk.

Thanks for the perspective though.

[EXTRA SPICY]

Respecting or honoring deck reviews from someone who skates black wheels is fucking wild.

[rawbertson.]

Control Woodshop has stepped their game up MASSIVELY in Canada in the last year
I am predicting shop boards are going to become insanely popular here very soon if they havent already. the new boards are already available at my local shop (Brightside skateshop in Waterloo Ontario brightsideskate.com) and skull skates in BC. They now have spooned kicks like BBS, Twin kicks, have heard nothing but good things so far. so I dont think Basalt Decks will take off here as we are the ones who are hoarding all da hard wood.

[theloniousmonk]

Control Woodshop has stepped their game up MASSIVELY in Canada in the last year
I am predicting shop boards are going to become insanely popular here very soon if they havent already. the new boards are already available at my local shop (Brightside skateshop in Waterloo Ontario brightsideskate.com) and skull skates in BC. They now have spooned kicks like BBS, Twin kicks, have heard nothing but good things so far. so I dont think Basalt Decks will take off here as we are the ones who are hoarding all da hard wood.

Good to hear that control is now making their boards with the spoon nose. My local used to use them back in 2003-2008 and I skated a lot of them in that time.
Lb skate has a 8.6 shape that looks like something id like to try, might have to pull the trigger now that I hear they are spoon nose

[Woodshop]

Control Woodshop has stepped their game up MASSIVELY in Canada in the last year
I am predicting shop boards are going to become insanely popular here very soon if they havent already. the new boards are already available at my local shop (Brightside skateshop in Waterloo Ontario brightsideskate.com) and skull skates in BC. They now have spooned kicks like BBS, Twin kicks, have heard nothing but good things so far. so I dont think Basalt Decks will take off here as we are the ones who are hoarding all da hard wood.

Copying this to the Woodshop thread too, cause this is good info.

Thanks for posting!

[RoaryMcTwang]

Ya'll ever hear Aesop's fable about the two trees? The Oak tree is mocking the Willow tree because even the slightest breeze causes it to bow it's head, then, one day, the wind blows really hard and the Oak tree is toppled while the Willow tree stays standing, untouched.

What I'm trying to say is perhaps it makes sense that these boards would actually be more likely to snap when compared to a flight deck / normal 7 ply - you guys have said these basalt boards are brittle right? They're like the Oak tree, they can't take a heavy impact because they don't bend as much. And people always say that flight decks don't really die, they just sog out and go all floppy, just like the Willow tree. Swear I heard Professor Schmitt say something to this effect in a Ben D vid as well.

"Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed." What a legend. I think it's Newtons second law as well. I guess future board-innovators should try to find the perfect middle ground between stiff and bend. Like a smart material. Or Laffy Taffy.

Between this and the Touz 550 jeans nerdery, slap has been on fire recently!

[JakeBeskatin]

I just bought my first Palace deck, the Jahmir Brown from the most recent drop.
First day it shot out in traffic and got ran over by a new 5 series beemer
Popped his side bottom fender off, he stopped in traffic, downtown Philly and started buggin so I grabbed my shit and took off.
Board is absolutely fine, shit took it like a champ
Will buy again

[Cesarr4e]

Hola peeps! Sorry if this has already been discussed, but I really want to know more about the weight difference between the regular 7-ply and basalt-construction DLX boards.

I religiously ride the dreamer shape (8.38 X1 4.50 X 32.25), and I'm considering getting this same shape in DBX construction. The question is, does anyone know how much the basalt dreamer shape weighs?

I'd really appreciate your help, guys!

Thanx!

[rawbertson.]

Hola peeps! Sorry if this has already been discussed, but I really want to know more about the weight difference between the regular 7-ply and basalt-construction DLX boards.

I religiously ride the dreamer shape (8.38 X1 4.50 X 32.25), and I'm considering getting this same shape in DBX construction. The question is, does anyone know how much the basalt dreamer shape weighs?

I'd really appreciate your help, guys!

Thanx!

about 4 minutes in he weighs a bunch of boards
it is on the lighter side 1312 grams but he had a baker board that was just normal wood that weighed basically the same
one of the crooked boards was 1370. its nothing signficant, its less than a bag of doritos

[ndsr]

In the 80s we had Boneite. It wasn't good.

I traded a brand new Santa Cruz for a slightly used Cab with boneite quite possibly the worst trade of my life.

[manuduncan]

Wknd is selling their version and it goes up to 8.75 which is tempting

If they really do last the equivalent of at least two boards then $115 is good value

[Chalupa]

Wknd is selling their version and it goes up to 8.75 which is tempting

If they really do last the equivalent of at least two boards then $115 is good value

Anti-Hero has an 8.62” x 32.56 (14.75” WB) and 8.75” x 32.62” (14.62” WB) as DBX Classic Eagles. I can’t remember when the 8.62” came out but the 8.75” is from the newest drop, which some shops already got.

I’d be interested in a “B.E.E.F.” WKND deck if they do an SN shape, but my local has the Manderson DBX deck, which is close enough.

[TwisT]

Sci fi Branding it's Basalt deck as the "poser stomper"

https://scififantasy.co/products/poser-stomper-skull-deck