IPv6Freely

Okay, glad it wasn't me since my advice on sizing and stiffness was pretty much spot on. That's why I was confused.

Who was giving bad information?

I went 33+2 on the pads I have on their way now, but also added an aggressive curve and extra stiffness to them as well. The 34+1 didn't fit me at all. I'm in a 33+1 Brian's now.

I'd agree with you, it's a nice mid-way point. The big boxy shape is what's kept me away from the Warrior pads.

It's not so much wear I care about (though they do wear in a much different way than traditionally constructed pads), or even the awful glued on logos. It's really more that I'm just not seeing the weight savings as enough of a factor to switch to them, and don't see anything else appealing about them. Or put more simply, it's not that I think they're worse; I just think they're no better.

I don't remember this having ever been posted in here. Here's a video of the 3D scanning process:

By the way what size are you?

Vaughn are by far at the bottom of the list as far as innovation. Vaughn is extremely traditional in almost every way. If you want innovation, stick to Warrior and Brian's. I would personally avoid the Bauer but that's mostly because I think their Supreme series is... really low quality. I hated the cheap feeling to them, even on the pro-level stuff. Heck, I had a friend of mine who knows nothing about goalie pads look at the 1S and ask me if they were "the cheap brand" because of the horrible feel of them and the ridiculous glued on logos. They're quite light for sure, but not enough for me to look past the other issues. FYI Reebok doesn't do hockey anymore so you're just looking at CCM (unless you're buying models from a couple years ago). You mentioned not buying pro-level or even top of the line Sr level pads so that basically eliminates Passau as well. You can get a full set of Passau for the same price as just the pro-level leg pads of all the other companies, thanks to the Canadian dollar. As far as quality/price at the low end, you just won't beat Brian's. Period. Their lowest tier (Netzero) is going to be better quality than almost every other companies mid-level stuff. They also have all the innovation going for them. Smart straps are incredible and I'd recommend them to anyone. I have the entry-level Brian's from a couple years ago (S-Series) and could not be happier with them for a lower-tier pad. Personally, I'm in the stiff pad fan club. I'd much rather kick out a rebound and have the time to get set than to have the puck hit me and die in front of me, which is just begging for a bang-in rebound, in my opinion. On top of all that, the previous model Warrior (G2) were really nice, and very innovative. If you're interested in innovative companies (and from your description, it seems like you are) that would immediately eliminate Vaughn and CCM, and push Brian's and Warrior to the front. My personal recommendation for you is Brian's. Either the Netzero series, or the old Subzero 2 SR level pads.

Errr... whoops, that's exactly what that is. Sorry. Go here instead: http://www.hockeyworld.com/Reebok-Skate-Lock

https://www.purehockey.com/reebok-hockey-skate-lock-eyelet-4-pack-2014 These are actually pretty nice because I'd only been able to find them in white previously.

Should be, sure. But I like the idea of two different "zones". Whether it's actually doing something or not, I don't know. Definitely not a half size too big in my case. The other benefit is that I like having three eyelets unlaced to put my skates on, but once on the 3rd from the top eyelets I find difficult to thread the lace through unless I have brand new laces with still-stiff aglets. The locks allow me to not have to thread those eyelets.

I bought the locks from... HockeyMonkey, I think? I can't remember if it was HM or IW. Either way, you can just buy them loose. That's exactly it. The lower half is barely snug on my Makos. The top half (last 3 eyelets) are much tighter. I like the lace locks (in eyelet 4) because no matter how tight I make the top 3 eyelets, the 5th eyelet and below stays loose. Skate size is correct.

And even then I think the old guys loved them because they were, for the most part, just plain black.

I installed lace locks on my makos. I once had a pair of RBK skates which, while fantastic looking, didn't fit me well. But I loved the lace locks.

Really? The Makos are selling like crazy now that they're being cleared out. I mean, those are the only skate Easton has made in a long, long time that was worth buying, so that's the only one that matters for the purposes of this conversation.

I just don't think there are enough delusional people that think Graf is a respected name in the industry to actually resurrect them.

Actually, I was just thinking... this is meant to break down scar tissue right? I can imagine that being a whole lot more useful for somebody who actually had surgery, yea?

I didn't see much of a difference besides it being sore after :P The real issue is just the fatigue in the feet (BOTH feet. Actually, the left was almost MORE tired) very quickly. That will just take time.

Almost there!!!

I'd suggest 15% seems way too high, but I obviously don't actually know for sure.

That's been exactly my thought this entire time. Just delaying the inevitable.

Sorry, I thought we were talking about the 1-piece. Nevermind.

Getting close to a year at this point. I know a few people who have a set of them. I think they went retail around March?

It's been available to the public for a long time. It also came out long before the 1S did ;)

First time in four months on the ice. Wearing the helmet because I imagine a concussion plus blood thinners equals bad news. Was only on the ice for 15 mins or so, and needed my ice pack almost immediately when I got home, but man it felt so good to be out there. Both feet and legs very fatigued and tired quickly. My ankle was mostly okay, only slightly wobbly. Stopping was a bit uncomfortable, and the initial push of a backwards c-cut (like I was backing into the crease) was painful. But it will get there. Just have to keep building strength. If nothing else, it was huge for the mental aspect!