n3gkiwi

Had to pull the trigger - just got a great deal on a pair of these. Coming from Bauer Vapor APX's, what can I expect? In store the eyelets/flex seems much lower

Jumped on the bandwagon and glad I did... Most comfortable elbows I have ever used (at least for me).

I have no experience myself but was trying to get a rough budget for a personal sharpener so looked into accessories. People on the forum have mentioned they like the Blademaster BR100/BR200 or the "Edge Checker".

You can use this chart to compare 3/4 & 1 inch to FBV equivalents: http://www.blackstonesport.com/FBV_Comparison_Chart.pdf In theory you are supposed to get more glide with similar bite with FBV, but there is no comparison of exactly how much glide compared to traditional hollows you will get. No one can say that you get 1 inch glide with 5/8 bite. I have felt more glide on the ice using FBV versus traditional hollows. I have the same problem but it will be the exact same problem using a traditional hollow, BFD, or FBV.... Still it's frustrating playing on soft ice, with a 10:45 ice time, after 5 beer league teams have already played on it with little to no break in between scraping/cleaning. Then another day I'll go play at an arena with harder ice at 7am that no one has skated on. Lately I have just been using a 90/50 FBV setting and just try to adjust.

How are the stock insoles on these?

I live in Richmond, and got them done at Sportchek. I only get them done by 2 guys there though. If they aren't there, I won't get them sharpened.

Ha I have some of those 20% off's. Quit trying to get me to spend money. I was debating for a bit but they were just literally a smidge too big. If I tightened up the bottom strap all the way, they would move just a bit. I barely even strap the top strap tight on my elbows. They felt nicer than anything in the store though

Found a pair at Sportchek for $79. Was real close to getting them but they only had a medium. While they fit well on the tightest level, I think they'd loosen up. I think my problem is I seem to be between a small and a medium. Prefer the length of the medium, but tightness of the smalls....

Like these ones? http://www.prohockeylife.com/hockey-elbow-pads-senior-hockey-elbow-pads-c-3_18_72/warrior-projekt-sr-hockey-elbow-pads-p-7536 I was looking into ordering a new pair of elbows.

Going to try this out. Have always used a 1/2" ROH. Think I am going to go with 95/75. Place I will get them done at says they do X5 to X9 (X5, X6, X7....) in terms of sharpness. Anyone know which one I should get?

Background: 170lbs, 5'10 Icetime: 1-3 per week Product: Bauer Vapor X40 Elbow Pads - Size Medium Previous: Old pair of Easton ST's Timeframe: September 2011 - February 2012 FIT/MOBILITY: I picked up a pair of these as my old Easton's cap cracked. I decided to purchase these as they were less bulky, and as I was using an older elbow pad I was use to a lower profile. The fit of these are great. The elbow joint donut is what keeps your elbow in place. I did not think this was a problem until I realized I did not have to keep pulling my elbow pads up during an ice-time. The anchor (middle strap) holds your elbow joint in place and is also a nice feature as it is the only strap I now use to adjust my pad (this is also good as I don't need to stretch the other velcro straps which could loosen over repeated use). One thing to note on these elbow pads (like many Bauer's) is the top strap is meant to be fairly loose. It seems very bulky at the start, and if tightened can feel uncomfortably big. It wasn't until I loosened it and tried on some other Bauer's that I realized this. I now wear this top strap fairly loose with the top pad nicely protecting the side of my elbow without inhibiting mobility. The reason this works is my elbow stays locked in due to the elbow joint donut and anchor strap. The extended bicep elbow wing may seem like it could hinder mobility however with the top strapping fairly loose, it simply hinges beside the elbow and does not restrict movement at all. 9/10 PROTECTION: Coming from lower profile (OLD) elbow pad these provided great protection comparatively. I have taken a few hard falls on these and have yet to take a bruise or scratch because of them. The forearm and bicep guards are what provides the most protection in regards to slashes. The forearm guard fully wraps around my arm overlapping with the other side of the pad which is nice knowing there are no gaps. The bicep guard is very protected as well and the extended bicep wing comes nicely over the side of the elbow joint. The elbow pads provide nice protection on the top of the arm. My classic shoulder pads have no problem overlapping them. They do not ride all the way to my wrist, so you may want to get slash guards however I prefer to have shorter elbow pads so I don’t restrict my gloves for stickhandling. 9/10 CONCLUSION: There was a small break-in period however due to the multi-segmented padding it was much easier than expected. Durability wise I have yet to have any problems. Value wise, these are great elbow pads and I would strongly consider any Vapor elbow pads. It is a good balance of mobility, protection and comfort without a huge profile.