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Custom wheels and knock off twigs, come on.... 😁 You don't need to pay full retail for sticks and you don't need to go to a smaller company to save money. The resale market and pro-stock markets are decent enough. Right now there are 16 listings on sideline that meet my exact specs. All are under $300US, that's $415 for you north of the boarder folks. In a pinch I'll grab a pro-stock off HSM for $210US. The question is, if you can afford custom skates why are you nickel and diming sticks...

especially after the fabled Iron Lotus incident.

You just need to have some friends that work or own a hockey store 😉

Pretty sure at this point they have zero interest in making the study better or relevant or useful. They’re just doing it and churning out results that people then haphazardly use.

Ok all. Getting a little off topic here. I wasn't asking whether people should wear neck protection or not. I have made a conscious choice to wear it (I owe it to my family), and I was asking what was the most comfortable. Happy to have a debate on products. Thanks all.

Well, if you start to get higher levels mandating it they will be more demanding and you might see better designs end up on the market.

I don’t care what anyone says. Tan mitts/pants for outdoor games are always a chef’s kiss

I've been hunting a VGK CCM V08 size small for 6 years!

Yeah, you’ll want to order your same Bauer/CCM size which is likely 1/2 size larger than the TF9. I made the mistake going to same size in the Cat 9 as I had with the TF9 and they are way too snug. Half size up fit perfect

You may want to consider adding some adhesive backed shot blockers. At the very least it seels off the area and prevents chipping.

Oy. I personally think you shouldn't progress on your own and take this to a professional to look at.

This is the best finishing stone money can buy: https://amzn.to/3G0W0d1 This is a great stone for removing damage to the blade, and then doing a final pass: https://amzn.to/3SE36fb Both of those stones will not damage coated steel, assuming you use the ceramic side. The diamond side is going for removing significant damage on steel.

I keep hearing people say this, but even if it this type of injury was under reported by a factor of 1,000, you’re talking just a couple of people a year. Regardless, if people want to wear additional protection anywhere on their person, no problem. Whatever makes you feel comfortable on the ice playing 👍🏼

This was an informative reply to the OPs question.... To your analogy of not driving or showering at all is bogus. Not wearing a neck guard would be like not wearing your seat belt while driving or something similar in terms of reducing risk while partaking in the activity. Not driving at all would be more like not playing hockey at all. Also, neck injuries in hockey is way under reported. Only ones actually documented are probably the ones that cause severe injuries, and I doubt anything beer league related is even documented. But anyways....

I am fine not wearing a neck guard. If something happens, it was meant to be, and I accept that 🤪 Statically, I am more likely to die in the shower (It is estimated that about 1 person in the U.S. dies every day from a bathroom-related injury occurring in either the bathtub or the shower) or in my vehicle (car crashes remain a leading cause of death in the United States, with over 40,000 annual fatalities). According to available records, there have been a total of 24 reported cases of hockey players dying on the ice since 1905. So should I never shower or drive? If others want to wear protection, I am fine with it. I don't judge. I wear a full cage instead of a visor, mostly because I spent a lot of money getting my teeth fixed after taking pucks to the face when I was younger. I also wear it because my wife likes my face and wants to keep it the way it is, lol. People sometimes joke about me wearing a cage, then a year or two later, I watch them take a puck or stick to the face and their teeth are blown out of their head.

If I had a dollar for every person that quoted VT ratings... I appreciate what VT is doing, however they need to refine their testing process more. Too many times, I have had parents “explain” to me what is the ideal helmet for their kids, quoting VT ratings. They push for a helmet that doesn't fit the player's head, and cannot comprehend ideal fit is responsible for 90% of the helmet's effective protection. Things like rate sensitive foams, liquid/gel pods, and all of this other new technology are only effective if the helmet fits properly. All hockey brands perform internal testing and then partner with other companies and universities for third party testing. The fact is, if a helmet gets CSA or HECC certification, that is genuinely all that matters. That is the standard. Think of it this way, there are many cars on the road. They all must pass crash safety testing. However, some cars have better results than others, this could be in all categories or in select categories. Regardless, if they pass, they are approved and sold. I like how they word this specifically: https://driving.ca/features/safety/2023-vehicles-worst-iihs-crash-tests "ratings don’t mean they’re unsafe, but they could be better."

That testing process is not the end all be all, it is not perfect by any means and has some flaws. There are many threads discussing the shortcomings of their tests and lots of opinions on how much different people value, or don't value their findings. I'm sure the ones discussing the Tacks X helmet here have already decided whether or not the VT ratings mean anything to them. I've heard that CCM does their own testing (or uses another lab/University) which is more thorough than the VT tests and I'd guess their results are pretty good which is why they're expanding the usage of the 3D Printed webbing.

That, and quality control, sadly

Currently Trigger 6 Pros, just recently switched back to those after using FT4 Pros and LX2 Pros for a while. The LX2's were harder to find since I like a P90TM curve and it's not a standard Warrior curve, but I found a couple pros that used them and that supplied me with a bunch over time.

I wish that we had something like Sideline swap here in Europe. Pro stock is hard to find and get.

Apologies, I read your post too quickly, and after having too many drinks, assumed you meant the HZRDUS skate compared with the Catalyst. The TF fit bigger than the HZRDUS and the Catalyst.

Cat9s fit like normal skates did. While the TF fit way bigger.

I find that the real comfort from the X is evident if you have it on for a long time. (more than 2 hours, etc). Whereas my old helmet (Fitlite 3DS) would develop hot spots around the temples, the X does not.

About 4 minutes.

A lot of pro stocks come with a factory installed extension. Sounds like you cut yours around this area.

Thanks. I’ll see how things progress. If it looks like it starts to get worse and appears that the boot is being compromised in any way I’ll try a thin layer of clear epoxy first. Im personally just not a fan of the shot blocker look. I know I know. But that could wind up being a necessity so appreciate that advice These were $500. So not the end of the world in terms of them being very expensive skates. I’ve used the clamp multiple times trying to find the exact spot but it’s hard to pinpoint. I def have some relief but it’s not completely gone. The inner foams are very compressed where I punched it out. I’m going to try the cotton ball trick as my last option and then just see if it goes away from using them over time. I’ve only skated in them 3x so far. It’s annoying and I got blisters but nothing to the point where I couldn’t skate anymore. This is just a very new experience for me with modern skates. I’ve never had pain in that area before.

Appreciate the feedback guys and Thank you sniper for the childish replies and then suggesting i could’ve just pushed the area out with my thumb. Thats ridiculous and yes I’ve been using a heat gun and nothing has melted. Happy Thanksgiving! I’m really not concerned much about the integrity of the boot as the pictures make it look much worse. I’ve punched out the forefoot of each skate with great success. I’ve been having difficulty with two small hot spots that I figured would’ve been the easy part. I’m not sure what secret scientific approach there is besides adding heat to the area. Obviously, I should’ve used heat from the beginning and maybe went a little easier on the clamp at first. You live and you learn. It’s a tricky spot to locate. I just tried the lipstick trick last night. I’m pretty close to having these feel pretty dialed in. im skating on Saturday so we’ll see how they feel. If they fall apart or melt off my feet while I’m playing I’ll be sure to post pictures

With winter tires. Normally 19 inch black VW rims.

Super minor, just use a dab of flexible glue like shoe goo and clamp it. It will hold. I used shoe goo on the liner for my vapor 1X tendon guard, previous owner had used his one skate to pry his other skate off. Shoe goo did the job. It’s been about 18 months. injected eyelets are a bitch, in my opinion. Maybe waxed laces will help keep them from being snagged.

They also said BladeTech makes the best low kick stick on the market...

Pretty much what I do. I tilt the gummy stone just a bit on coated blades.

I think a white cuff would've been great, kind of how the Flyers do it now which looks so so good.

+1 for Bauer speedplates

The steel didn't have a profile, it was pro stock but unused. The sale allowed you to add a profile and sharpening of your choice for free.

Yeah, it got off topic. It happens. But one thing that has been pointed out is that most of the neck protection on the market today is actually lacking in genuine protection. Wearing a cut proof mock neck isn't going to prevent you from getting a crushed trachea if you take a slapshot to the throat. This is mostly due to manufacturers not focusing on these products, they usually go to where the money is; reactive not proactive. I would imagine we will see lots of new companies "pop up" too. If it become a standard globally at all levels we will likely see some new and updated products released. Hopefully these will provide better protection and also be significantly more comfortable.

FT Ghost is basically the FT7 Pro, changes from the FT6 Pro to FT7 Pro are mostly in the blade. Softened the blade, made some minor adjustments to the kick point, other minor changes too. If you like the FT6 Pro but wanted something a little more tuned, the FT Ghost is a good option. Proto is basically a updated version of the Nexus 2N Pro XL (extra light) version. They got rid of the 5 sided shaft, sticking with a more traditional Nexus shape. Updated the carbon, carbon layering, stiffened the blade, added boron, and a few other changes. Lots of updates and modifications to an already good stick. I personally prefer a softer blade, so the FT Ghost is more desirable to me. The Proto was very good though, but the stiff blade was not my personal favorite. If the Proto could be made with a slightly softer blade it would have been a very difficult time for me to decide between the two of forced.

My son shot the Proto on the ice last week. Said it actually does feel like cheating, just a crazy release. Felt like it might last about two games tops. Ha!

They mention how important fit is, and yet still go by the larger helmet if the head form fits inside a range of 2 sizes. They also don't try on multiple helmets sizes to get the best fit either. VT could easily make things better by showing the helmet fitting process for each model they use.

You're right in that helmets can't protect against whiplash. But that's not to say there isn't substantial impact to the head where helmets can play a part in minimizing the damage, both to the skull and its contents. No helmet is concussion proof. But they are not created equal in how much they dissipate the impact to the head either. Re: the helmet has to fit for it to work discussion, the VT STAR lab actually wrote a whole article talking about the importance of fit when assessing helmet performance in the lab and how that relates to real life: https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/publications.html#56 As usual, the story is more nuanced than the popular discussion. Also as usual, it's still not perfect. It never is.

I’ve been using Hoapa sticks for a couple years now. The first few I bought I liked. I knew going in that I was getting the same as a high end stick. The biggest reasons why I tried them was because of the customization. The latest sticks I’ve bought have been almost like the top brand name sticks. The bed part is they are built and shipped quickly. You get them within ten days. Their PRO+ two pack sticks are $200. I have trouble finding pro stocks that are close to what I like. I agree that pro stocks are a great way to get quality sticks for half of retail.

It should be noted that the retail X, at first, the nest tech can feel hard and pretty stiff, but once it "warms up" it becomes much more pliable. In the end, I did get fitted for a custom version. Should take about 2 months to get it. Fitting process was simple and quick. Helmet shells seem same as retail, it's the nest tech that's significantly different.

Found this interesting, albeit not surprising. You can clearly see the outsole on Connor McDavid’s “FT6P’s”

Maybe I'm a mutant. 13 years in Graf 703's. 10 years in my current custom APX. But I'm also not a large guy, or heavy.

No, I can easily get 3+ years out of a pair of skates.

Customs don't last longer than retail skates.

I think if you can't find anything at retail that fits well and doesn't cause you pain, then the only natural decision would be to go full custom. I skate with a lot of people who buy $1100+ skates, complain about the pain they have, yet refuse to pay the small fee to upgrade to a custom skate... It's not logical.

Being able to afford it doesn't necessarily mean being willing to spend it.

Because a lot of people can find comfortable fits for stock skates. Especially off the shelf Trues mold and fit so well the non-custom are fine for a lot of people. I suspect a lot of people need to actually just take time fitting their skates and trying things on. There’s a huge gap between ordering Vapors online because “Bauer is the best” without ever trying anything on, and going full custom. A pair of off the shelf $500 Trues would probably be the best option for a huge number of people. But the world too easily pushes the narrative of you need the most expensive things all the time no matter what.

Too round for me, I can't get a solid grip when shooting and the stick twists in my hands a lot. Feels like I am holding an intermediate stick.

Just picked these up