# Were the KSL Jet6 vanes just big cash-grab?



## PregnantGuppy (Jan 15, 2011)

I got a sample bag from my coach to evaluate. I also highly doubted the aerodynamics claims, and indeed I noticed no significant difference between SpinWings or KSL vanes (or Spider vanes for that matter).

One small thing I did notice is that the bend at the base makes them go flatter on the arrow shaft, so they seem to stick a bit better. Not worth double the price of SpinWings, but it was an interesting feature. On the other hand, the shrink tape was horrible for me, even though apparently some people like it. It never actually shrank enough, despite applying a decent amount of heat, so they kept slipping.

Now, whether it's good or bad to have the national coach endorsing a product like this, that's a different matter altogether, and one in which my opinion would be possibly affected by the fact that I'm not a USA citizen. I would certainly be a bit upset if my national coach was using his position to further his personal brand, though.


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## theminoritydude (Feb 11, 2013)

Pretty sure he’s reading this.

Anyway I threw my unfinished pack away.


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## tooold (Jul 26, 2015)

I like them, if for no other reason that they are a dream to apply to the shaft. The curve on the foot of the vane (mentioned above) makes it sit beautifully on the arrow. I also like the shrink tape. It makes a much cleaner finish than having bit of tape sticking up. Finally, I think they are a bit stiffer than the spin wings which seems to make them a bit tougher.

The down sides are that they are expensive and don't come in a range of bright colours. I'm thinking of trying an experiment of getting some longer spin wings and trimming the ends down so I can use the Jet6 shrink tape to secure them to the shaft.


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## liquidator4711 (Aug 4, 2016)

tooold said:


> I like them, if for no other reason that they are a dream to apply to the shaft. The curve on the foot of the vane (mentioned above) makes it sit beautifully on the arrow. I also like the shrink tape. It makes a much cleaner finish than having bit of tape sticking up. Finally, I think they are a bit stiffer than the spin wings which seems to make them a bit tougher.


+1 on the above


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## liquidator4711 (Aug 4, 2016)

Also - best way to get the shrink tube to stick is using a candle (and the small silicone disks to protect the vanes while doing that) - then they shrink and stick properly. A hairdryer doesn’t cut it.


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## moomooholycow (Sep 15, 2016)

I use them because of ease of application and the fact that they group similarly to most other wings I've used, save ultra soft Brady vanes, which don't group well for me for whatever reason. Also, unlike many here, I've had excellent results with the shrink tubing and a hairdryer.


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## iArch (Apr 17, 2015)

I have also found them pleasant to install and group slightly higher with better clearance than my low profile-50 XS wings. I also agree that the price is pretty high. My overall favorite are Spinwings.

For the KSL Jet6 shrink wraps, you need to leave 1-2mm overhang on the double sided tape (as noted in the instructions) on each end of the vane, and use a lighter (easiest) to shrink them. Or just use pin striping tape. With installing them properly, I have had no issues at all.

Currently more than half of the male RAs still shoot the Jet6 brand, but I think they use the newer series of Jet6 vanes. IMO vanes can make a few points difference, but for the most of us...vanes are vanes and it’s mainly preference.


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## OCBrent (Sep 27, 2007)

I Don't have a hairdryer, but my wife's $400 one with a "condenser", worked perfectly on the shrink tubing. Without the condenser it didn't get the tubing hot enough. The condenser opening was about equal to the width of the shrink tubing, so it allowed you to get very close to the shrink tubing without heating the vane. I did do a switch in thinking, and I like heat shrinking tubing now. 
Previously I tried a heat gun and a torch, and I'd end up heating the vane too. I have not tried a candle as mentioned above. 

I haven't gotten to try their latest version, which I think is softer, but I found their first version to be "brittle" and hold a crease, chip, or rip (much more so than Spinwings) if it got damaged from other arrows, etc...


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## EvilGarfield (May 30, 2018)

I mean, shrink tubing is used in electronics since decades. I don't get why they had to pick one that needs to be heated that much to shrink decently, especially if it's to be used on carbon shafts, which we know don't like heat. That's just poor design. 

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## PregnantGuppy (Jan 15, 2011)

iArch said:


> Currently more than half of the male RAs still shoot the Jet6 brand, but I think they use the newer series of Jet6 vanes. IMO vanes can make a few points difference, but for the most of us...vanes are vanes and it’s mainly preference.


I think the whole point of this thread is to ask whether we see those RA's shoot the Jet6 vanes because they're actually good, or because it's what the national coach is selling.


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## theminoritydude (Feb 11, 2013)

I guess the $4m question is, REALLY?!


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## teebat (Oct 28, 2013)

But they have that cool graphic showing the wind going through the veins with superpowers, how could they not have been the best veins in the world?

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## teebat (Oct 28, 2013)

fango0000 said:


> I was just wondering if anyone is still shooting the Jet6 vanes? I remember that they were generating so much hype leading up to the Vegas tournament this past year and were being sold for a crazy price of $35 per pack of 50. I thought that this was outrageous for pieces of precisely crinkled spin wings that come with some fancy shrink wrap. All of my colleagues who have taken university level fluid-dynamics and engineering say that the videos they were showing for the advertisements about the redirection of the airflow with that crinkle in the wing is trivial and causes no significant effect on arrow flight. I just find it amusing that after the product was launched, I've heard nothing about it and all the RAs and people who were given free packs switched back to their regular spin wings.
> Man they pushed those vanes so hard at Vegas, every time I pass by that table I would get stopped and I would internally roll my eyes. [emoji481]
> 
> What I find discouraging is that our national head coach's name is attached to these vanes that in my eyes appear to be a cash-grab using his reputation in the US as an appeal to authority to convince unsuspecting archers that this is the next big thing in archery.
> ...


But they had a cool graphic showing the air flowing to the veins with superpowers. How could they not have been the best veins in the world?

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## fango0000 (Mar 16, 2011)

theminoritydude said:


> Pretty sure he’s reading this.
> 
> Anyway I threw my unfinished pack away.


Considering that I am pursuing my career in something that you can actually make a living on instead of recurve archery in the US, I'm totally fine with pointing out my opinions in a public forum. :darkbeer: In this case, Im more discussing the product itself than the person.

I'd just like to see some empirical evidence on the superiority of this product for such a steep price. I'm not opposed to being convinced that this is a good vane choice haha.

Now as for the amount of conflicts of interests I think our national head coach has and some of the shenanigans I've heard about JDT/RA selections...that's another can of worms that I won't open here :darkbeer:


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## fango0000 (Mar 16, 2011)

So far it sounds like people are paying the ultra-premium price for that ease of application but not necessarily in performance and the rubber shrink wrap is a hit-or-miss. Interesting.



> Currently more than half of the male RAs still shoot the Jet6 brand, but I think they use the newer series of Jet6 vanes. IMO vanes can make a few points difference, but for the most of us...vanes are vanes and it’s mainly preference.


Ah, that is news to me - I will take a closer glance at some of the USAT pictures. As far as I was aware all of them switched away. I just wonder if there are any incentives to using it while you are an RA especially if you are a male being coached by Lee. But yeah, its definitely preference and price for me. 



> I guess the $4m question is, REALLY?!


Who knows :darkbeer:



> But they had a cool graphic showing the air flowing to the veins with superpowers. How could they not have been the best veins in the world?


Haha, I am lucky enough to have lots of archery colleagues in engineering so they can give me scientific insight to these things. I'm more on the biomedical side so I think the graphics at least look cool :wink:


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## fango0000 (Mar 16, 2011)

tooold said:


> I also like the shrink tape. It makes a much cleaner finish than having bit of tape sticking up


Buy a roll of 3M 1/8in 471 tape to use for end tape and you'll never look back :wink:


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## GoldArcher403 (Jun 25, 2014)

I shot with them for a solid 4 months. I can only only say that they are a vane and they do what they are meant to do. Nothing magical going on there. Little to no difference in grouping when I tested them against other vanes. I ended up going back to my trusty old XS Wings.


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## iArch (Apr 17, 2015)

fango0000 said:


> Ah, that is news to me - I will take a closer glance at some of the USAT pictures. As far as I was aware all of them switched away. I just wonder if there are any incentives to using it while you are an RA especially if you are a male being coached by Lee. But yeah, its definitely preference and price for me.


While there’s no requirement to shoot the vanes, there’s always an incentive to get sponsored by K&K.


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## whiz-Oz (Jul 19, 2007)

I seem to remember openly predicting that this was farcical when they came out. 
Nobody managed to convince me how airflow could be deflected without any structure to do the job.

I didn't instantly see a huge leap in scores across the board, which would obviously be the case if these things were magical.

You may safely add these to the pile of archery accessories which were guaranteed to make you shoot better by the use of nebulous claims and graphics that aren't supported by science or aerodynamicists..


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

This product follows a long trend. Not sure how anyone who has been paying attention cannot see it by now.


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## DarkLightStar (Apr 7, 2016)

I got to see some of these vanes up close this weekend. The part of the vane that channels the air is incredibly small compared to the size of the arrow it is affixed to. 

Park Sung Hyun managed a 1405 with Spin Wings. I don't know how she did it with such primitive vanes. Maybe practice?

I still like Spin Wings. Guess I'm old skool now.


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## Rael84 (Feb 22, 2016)

Now there are shark vanes from KSL. If I see them on the line I'll have "Baby Shark" enter my head and stay there for at least an hour! While that probably won't help the guy shooting the shark vanes, it will probably hurt my scores.


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## linga115 (Feb 24, 2013)

if it matters to anyone. Lancaster put them on sale 

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/k-k-archery-1-3-4-ksl-jet6-vanes.html

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/k-k-archery-2-ksl-jet6-vanes.html


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## tunedlow (Nov 7, 2012)

Tried it. Not worth the price. Going back to spin wings after this indoor season -those worked the best for me, elivanes second.


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