Dave

Open for review.

Pretty easy: the first number is the foot height. One foot is 30cm. The second number are inches. One inch = 2.5 cm. I am 6"2: 6x30 + 2x2.5 = 185 cm (Well, I am 184, but what the heck). Someone 5"10: 5x30 + 10x2.5 = 175 cm.

nice stick!

Despite my disappointing experience with Sande in the past (custom order never arrived), I think I will have to give the MayPro a try. On the paper it has EVERYTHING I am looking for in a glove (longer fingers, nylon, goatskin, vented gussets).

I was measured once with a Bauer/Nike gauge and the result was laughable. It sized me one size too big. I wouldn't put much trust in gauges like that.

If I remember correctly, the 8090s are the resurrection of the Mega fit.

Open for review.

Yesterday I had just looked up Ponty's pics on a different occasion: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=4019&st=15

Product: Mission '03 M-1 pants, black XL Reviewer specs: 6-2, 220 lbs. Intro/Intangibles I got these a couple of months ago and used them maybe 20 times. Protection This pant is a tank. If protection is your main issue, these pants will take you into any battle. The back protector is a really great feature. It is huge, protects the entire lower back, yet it never get's in the way. It is constructed in a way that it stays close to the body but still flexes with every movement. All other pads are very sturdy, too. 9 out of 10 points Fit/Weight These pads fit rather loose which goes along with quite some bulk. The bulky feeling was toned down once the pants broke in. The lace-up + two belt system works well. The huge back protector never gets in the way. The massive protection comes along with a rather high weight. For the amount of protection these pants are well fitting (if you like loose fitting pants). One thing really bothered me though: The velcro-closures that fix the zippers are poorly constructed. As it is a massive two-ply nylon closure it really gets in the way while skating. On every stride the two closures rub against each other and catch up which was really disturbing. As I never open the zippers I simply cut off the velcros, cut out the zipper's heads and stiched up the zippers so they wouldn't open up. 7 out of 10 points Craftsmanship/Durability Oh well. First of, I got the '03 model on closeout for 80 bucks so my expectations were not overly high. However, I have been disappointed by the craftsmanship put into these pants. The outer nylon material is not high quality. This goes along with a lot of small details that declass this product. I mentioned the velco closures. The eyelets for the lace-up front are much thicker than the nylon fabric which causes the eyelets to fit sloppily. The list goes on. Finally, the pant died after 20 icetimes because of a ripped-out belt. The lower of the two belts is not floating around the entire body. The right end of the belt, which was less than a foot long, ripped out at its end seam. I had lost that ripped out part at the rink so I couldn't sew it back in. It was obviously worth a warranty claim, yet as I bought it in the US (living in Germany) I couldn't return it to the place of purchase. With all these downsides, especially the ripped belt after only 20 icetimes, I give it 4/10 for craftsmanship/durabiliy. Considering that this pant retails for 139 USD, which is a high-end price tag, one must really expect more from a pant. 4 out of 10 points Conclusion This sure is a highly protective pant. If you like loose-fitting pants and if you do not mind its bulkiness, give it a try. However, don't expect much in terms of overall quality. If you can find them on closeout (currently 50 bucks at hockeygiant), they are worth the money. I wouldn't pay much more for them, though. Overall 5 out of 10 points

Product: Nike V-Force Elbow Pads size L Reviewer specs: 6-2, 220 lbs., 16 inch upper arm circumference, 12.5 inch forearm circumference Intro The V-Force line is a SMU made only for the THG-shops. It is basically a V12 with different straps. I modified the upper-arm strap following a hint from Jay. This modification makes the pad much more mobile without sacrificing protection. Fit The best thing one can say about the fit of a pad is: I don't even feel like wearing one. Well, you'll never find a pad that you don't feel at all, put this pad is as close as it gets. I don't ever have to think about the pad during play like I had with other pads. And most importanly: This pad does not slip down my arm. Even if I apply force to it it won't move out of place. Sweat absorption is good, too. The only downside was that it only gets perfect once you modify it. 9 out of 10 points Protection I am a fairly big guy who likes to throw his weight around and who takes physical abuse. So these pads had enough chances to prove their protective qualities. I have never felt the slightest pain on my arms with these. Thumbs up. 10 out of 10 points Weight I didn't go out weighing elbow pads in stores, but these are significantly lighter than anything I've tried on before. 10 out of 10 points Durability After half a year of use they do not show signs of wear. Only the middle strap wore out slightly. 9 out of 10 points Conclusion In my opinion there is nothing in the market that could match all the qualities of these pads. You might find more protective pads, but you won't find another pad that is extremely light and comfy while still providing pro-grade protection. Overall 9.5 out of 10 points

Helmet: Bauer 5000 white - good helmet, looks bulky though. I'll get a black Carbster anytime soon. Cage: Jofa chrome cage - second to none in terms of weight and space-between-bars Shoulder: Bauer 5000 - VERY protective but I am looking for something less bulky and less movement-restricting so I'll get V12s Elbow: Nike V-Force (THG SMUs), unbelievable light weight and comfort, especially after Jay's modding-tutorial. Gloves: TPS Response Plus custom (14", longer fingers, black cable-knit) - those gloves rock, great mobility and the Digitech palm really gives a good grip on all sticks; on the heavy side though. Pants: Mission M-1 - well, good pant for the price, I like the protection (especially the back protector) and the inner liner; I dislike the poor workmanship, the badly constructed velcros that close the zippers (I cut off the velcros that really got in the way during each stride and stiched up the zippers so they do not open up, I don't use the zippers anyway); the amount of protection goes hand in hand with too much weight for my liking, I also prefer less bulky pants. Shins: Bauer 5000 - they get the job done, but they are bulky. I'll get V12s. Skates: Graf 705 teclites with factory-installed t'blades - Great comfort, fit is very good though the boot is too "roomy" for my flat arch. Might look for something with more ankle support. Sticks: Bauer TriFlex Gold (2x P106, 1x P88) - great stick, especially for the closeout price of 240 USD for 3; A XN10 stiff Tucker is on its way to my house, I'll see if it really is that good.

Maybe Eagle is in alliance with Sande

AFAIK anybody can order custom TPS gloves through any TPS retailer.

As he just said, Cable Knit is TPS' version of Nylon. It is some seriously rugged stuff. For more info, please refer to my old thread when I first got the gloves: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=1481

Some more pics of my custom Response Plus gloves with Cable-Knit (click pics for larger images):

open for review. Do not forget to notify a mod once you have submitted your review so he can approve it.

Open for review.

Open for review.

Reviews on Bauer 5000 helmets here.

Reviews on Eagle X80 gloves here.

Product: Graf 705 teclite w/ t'blades (size: 10 regular) Reviewer specs: 6"2, 210 lbs., flat insteps and arches, normal heel, wide mid- and forefoot. Intro I bought these skates six months ago. It was love at first lace-up. The skate is made of Graf's new teclite material. This stuff is awesome: light, doesn't soak water, is slightly flexible instead of rock-hard, and it holds up really well. Fit The skates has a regular width heel and a wider mid and forefoot which fits my foot perfectly. The arches are rather high, but it only took my flat feet three skates to get used to it. Nowadays I appreciate the extra support under the arch. The ankle part is only moderately high which translates into very good ankle mobility and forward flex (these are my first skates that I lace up to the top eyelet). The heel-lock is awesome for me. A slight downside is the oversized tendon guard. Overall a very good fit, both for comfort and performance. If the did add a grip liner à la Bauer Vapor or Nike V12, the fit would be even more perfect. 9 out of 10 points Blade/Holder The skates came with t'blades "out-of-the-box". I had t'blades on my previous skates (Vapor 8s) and I am truly amazed by their performance. Awesome glide, hard bite, constant edges. A nice detail is that Graf does not rivet the holder but use screws instead. This has allowed me to change from a white to a black holder and to add 2 mm heel-lifts on my own. The heel-lifts bring me more on my toes and this translates into a better knee-bend. 10 out of 10 points Protection I took some shots to the foot and both the teclite quarters and the thick felt tongue protected me well. 8 out of 10 points Weight No, at 1040 grams per size 10 skate this is not a skate you buy because it's light. Yes, it's still light enough to be a top performance skate. Heck, I weigh 210 lbs... what difference can 0.5 lbs per skate make? 7 out of 10 points Durability Now this is the category where this skates really shines. My skates are six months old and they have gone through some battles. Yet, except for some minor skate cuts on the toe caps, they look like new. The teclite material is some tough stuff. 10 out of 10 points Conclusion I'd highly recommend this skate to anyone looking for a high performance and yet comfortable skate. The "best skate" always depends on your individual foot-type; if these skates fit you well (and it fits a broad range of feet), they will reward you with awesome comfort and support. On top of this, you get a skate that is virtually indestructible (provided you maintain them well). Overall 9 out of 10 points

Reviewed Products: Bauer 5000 shoulder/elbow/shin pads (2002 model) Reviewer Specs: 6"2, 210 lbs. I own a set of Bauer 5000 protective pads (shoulders, elbows and shins) for about two years now. I bought them in Paris, France and it did cost me a fortune (about 400 USD for all three pads). Protection Protection is what you’d expect from line of high-quality and massive pads: overkill. Shoulders (9 out of 10 points for protection): - Very good all-around protection, customizable with removable rib guards, belly-pad and biceps protector. - I have only removed the biceps-thing and I have re-installed the rib-guards after breaking a rib without the additional rib-pad. - Gel pads are of doubtful quality/function IMO. They started loosing some (ugly sticky) gel after a while and I feel they are rather a gimmick than a functional part (see below). Elbows (8 out of 10 points for protection): - Excellent forearm coverage (poly inserts), despite the crappy removable wrist-guard (I have never used it). - Here again: the function of the gel pads is a big question-mark. It’s a very small (in diameter) gel-thing that covers only a part of the elbow-bone. IMO it’s a marketing gimmick. Shins (8 out of 10 points for protection): - Protected me very well from a number of big slappers I took to the shins. My only beef with it is the part just below the knee-piece (between knee and shin), which is poorly padded/constructed so that it often hurts in that spot when I fall straight on my knees. - And again: a tiny gel-pad that is more visual than functional. - Excellent calf-protector made of a solid (and removable) plate of polyethylene. Great feature! Fit/Comfort Shoulders (7 out of 10 points for fit): - Nicely wraps the upper body because of the segmented design. Stays in place in all situations. - Very bulky should-caps (football-style). Due to the huge caps I’ll look into another pad for next season (maybe Easton Synergy). - Definitely on the heavy side. - Could be better vented. Elbows (5 out of 10 points for fit): - Extremely bulky pads. - Pads don’t stay in place and slide down my arms despite the inner neoprene wrap. - Upper part (biceps protector) is poorly constructed, doesn’t wrap the arm well and restricts movement. Shins (7 out of 10 points for fit): - Despite their bulk those pads fit rather well and don’t restrict skating mechanics too much (compared to the protection-level they offer). - Straps could be better placed. Quality/Durability As for the fabrics use for those pads I can’t say enough good things about the antibacterial liner. I don’t know if it actually prevents bacteria from growing, but I had the impression that my pads stays stink-free for quite some time. I wear my shin and elbow pads right on my skin (short sleeve top, short compression short only) and the liner was skin-friendly and looks like new (although I have washed my pads three times over the two years). In general the whole 5000 line is well made, no breakdown and only slight (inevitable) wear and tear. So I give 5 out of 5 stars for quality. Summary Shoulders: 8 out of 10 points Great pad if you need maximum protection and don’t mind the bulk of the shoulder-caps. Elbows: 6 out of 10 points Good protection but too many downsides (bulky, movement-restricting, won’t stay in place) Shins: 8 out of 10 points Pretty good protection, an awesome calf-protector and few flaws.

Yes, ModSquadHockey has its own forums (w/ subforums) for product reviews. MSH's (upcoming) collection of reviews will provide hockey players with easy-to-find information on any piece of hockey equipment. Here is a short summary of our review system: ~ All members of MSH are welcome to review any hockey-related product. ~ All reviews must meet predefined standards and be compliant with our Terms Of Use and have to be approved by a moderator of MSH (see below for details). ~ Reviews cannot be discussed in the review section. If you want to add your own review to our review section, please follow the steps below: STEP 1 Step 1 has been changed, simply go to the appropriate review forum and start your topic. Please be sure to follow the same naming convention and format when writing your review. STEP 2 Your review is posted just like any post in an existing topic. Go to the appropriate subforum and open the topic that names the product you want to review. Click the Reply button to add your review. Before you start to write down your review, please take note of the following rules: 1. Please only review products that you have thoroughly tested! A review of a stick that you have used 3 times or of a skate you haven't even broken in has no value. 3 months use should be a good clue for any product. 2. All reviews must reproduce the exact name and specs of the reviewed product (e.g. name, flex and curve of a stick). 3. If useful, you should give a short impression of the reviewer's specs. For example, a stick review is more useful when you know the size and weight of the reviewer. 4. All reviews should be divided into sections as suggested below: For sticks Blade Shaft/Flex Stickhandling/receiving passes Shooting Weight and balance Durability Intangibles Conclusion For skates Fit Blade/Holder Weight/Protection Durability Intangibles Conclusion For protective equipment Fit Protection Weight Durability Intangibles Conclusion 5. The final rating of the product and (if possible) the ratings for each section are made on a 0 to 10 points scale. STEP 3 Once you have finished and posted your review it will not appear instantly. MSH moderators will receive an email stating that a review has been posted. The moderator will then verify if your review meets the standards mentioned above. If this is the case, he will approve your review and it will appear in the review section. If it does not, he will tell you what has to be redone. Please do not reply to topics in the equipment review area unless you are also contributing a review. All other responses in this are will be deleted, regardless of their quality.