I've never written a review before on here, but I figured that I should. Not just purely because I'm sponsored by this company, but more because I really feel that these decks are extremely underrated and not a lot of people own them so not many people know what they are like.
Whatever your opinion may be after looking at the pictures and reading the review (which I will try my best to be unbiased about), I sincerely hope that at some point you guys manage to try a Shen deck for yourself to see what it really feels like because it's a very unique experience
Introduction to the company:Contrary to the popular misconception,
Shen Company is actually from Spain and not some random place in SouthEast Asia. Thor, the owner, was very inspired the entire vibe of Asian culture and therefore named the company Shen, which means "spirit", in reference to a person's fighting spirit and will, and spreading good vibes. However if you think this entire brand is about Asian-style stuff, you're wrong. Shen's graphic and company vibe is oriented towards the "badass" street punk vibe, with a bit of a rebellious feel. Their products are also creative and different from others on the market. It can be seen in their branding and the colour scheme used in their various products. They make decks, as well as obstacles. Today, I'm here to talk about the decks.
Shen makes their decks in two shapes, and they're labelled as Shape A and Shape B. Shape A is an extremely hardcore shape with ultra high kicks (very uncommon to see anyone using those nowadays) and Shape B is the realistic-unique shape, which I am going to touch on today.
Please note: I have been using this shape from November 2012, and changed decks a few times since I get sponsor packs. It used to be 31mm, but now it has changed to a more consistent, comfortable shape at 32mm. However, some main parts remain to let it retain that unique feel.
I set this deck up with BRT wides and Oak wheels - my favourite combination at the moment. Also on the setup are TKY bushings and Ace Tape.
Dimensions: The deck is about 32mm wide and about 100mm long. It has a wheelbase of near 38mm (random ruler), which is considered to be on the shorter end. The wheelbase is about the same as a Berlinwood's. Therefore, the extra length in this goes to the kicks, giving them a nice comfortable feeling for you to control nose and tailslides with ease.
Shape: The shape of this deck is its main selling point. To touch on it briefly first, it has medium concave (will elaborate more on this later) and medium-low kicks. The kicks are on the boxy side. One could call them a cousin of Yellowoods, but the amount of boxiness is different and Yellowood decks are kinda way more tapered towards the tail.
Construction and craftsmanship: All of Shen Company's decks are made out of 4 plies of wood and have woodprinted graphics on the bottom ply. There is a very slight bit of flex but it doesn't really affect much. The shaping of the deck is pretty much excellent and way more consistent and has improved a lot since last year. The bottom ply is also nicely lacquered to a good shine. Thor's drill press had issues last year and so his drill holes used to be pretty bad, but now they are way better. My only concern though is that sometimes if you are unlucky you might get a deck with countersinks that aren't exactly deep enough so you can feel just a little bit of your bolts through your griptape if you tape over them. Apart from that, I really think that it's pretty much perfect.
This is the side view of another setup I used to have but it's the exact same deck shape.
Also I swear the concave isn't actually as deep as it looks from the side, it feels different when you actually lay your hand on it.Performance: Now this is where things get interesting. As you can see, the deck is firmly-pressed and of a decent thickness. The construction allows it to pop very well while still maintaining a relatively light weight. The pop also lasts for a very long time. That is important to me because I live in a humid country so some decks go soggy quickly.
As you can see from the above picture, the concave is extremely special and some other decks of the market have this style of concave as well. From the length-down, the concave on the kicks is low and close to flat, and in the middle it goes from mellow to medium, with the highest point being slightly oriented towards the tailside from the center of the deck, and then it goes back down to being mellow again. On the other axis (width), the concave isn't a radial concave. There is just enough mellowness for your finger to sit nicely on throughout and it only flares upwards a little bit more towards the edges of the deck. The dips aren't extremely defined or exaggerated but they are definitely there and enough for you to flick and lock the deck during your tricks.
Due to the shape being pretty much quite unidirectional (not strictly though, I've used it the other way round on certain trick combos and lines and it works just fine but it's just even better the right way) this deck shape might feel just a little weird at first.
I will not lie - prior to using a Shen back then, I was using a Berlinwood Wide Low and I had tried many other major brand decks on the market. It feels nothing like most conventional decks you will see on the market nowadays. I had a hard time trying to get used to it even though I felt that it was brilliant and I even put the deck aside for a while for a few months - but here's the catch: don't let it fool you into disliking it from the start. You just need to use it the right way.
And then I felt guilty about not using my sponsor's deck for a while because I love them very much so I decided to give it another shot. And yes! I made it!THE GOLD:What I discovered about this deck is that it has a very precise, fun sweet spot. By sweet spot, I'm referring to the finger positioning you need to use. There is a specific spot on the deck for your index finger and your middle finger, and once you find that, all of the tricks will suddenly come with ease. It creates a tiny pocket around your index and it's very interesting how it feels mellow, and yet it's actually medium at the same time. Also, the concave positioning makes it so that flicking on certain nollie and switch tricks is easier. I improved a whole lot on tricks like nollie and switch heels on this deck. As for flow, although the deck is boxy, the length and height of the kicks allow flip tricks to be done with ease without it being too harsh. Also another plus point is that the sweet spot helps a lot in trick consistency because you will know exactly where you are on the deck each time. It has helped me improve a lot for all sorts of tricks I have been trying to land for quite some time. I grew to love it, and I slowly got very addicted to the shape. Because of how unique this deck feels compared to others on the market, it's extremely satisfying to land tricks on! It's really difficult to describe.. I'm not raving or anything but you really need to try it for yourself to see what I mean
oh check out the amount of sexual innuendos in the paragraph above lol but in all srsness thoConclusion:This deck is made out of a whole bunch of different aspects that all tie together to make it feel like something absolutely completely different from other decks on the market today. None of that "generic" feel going on at all. For some reason not a lot of people own them and if you guys want to spend your money on something refreshing and completely different, unique, and has sick badass graphics, pick a Shen deck up. It definitely won't disappoint, and you are supporting a great company in Spain which has been really active in holding their local championships there annually. Shen gives a lot back to the community as well by sponsoring other events across the globe. Seriously though, try one. I can't even stop using mine. It's sooooooooo good. And I'm not just saying that because I'm sponsored. I'm saying that because I love the shape so much right now, along with my BRTs and Oaks. I find it to be my perfect combination for this deck.
Check out the Shen Company website at
http://shencompany-shop.com - be sure to check out their awesome obstacles too!
If you happen to be from Asia, I distribute Shen Company products on my webshop:
http://mhcfingerboarding.wordpress.com
