JSK81

http://www.icewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=ACWRIS9 For some people though, the fact that they have a Reebok logo means they're not protective enough. Jofa gear was just so much better in every way!

The heat wave is finally over, at least for a while. Temperatures over 80F makes all the polar bears, tauntauns and ugly bald finns suffer.

What radius other players use is irrelevant. Everybody's different and you should choose what works for you.

The biggest difference is that the NXG's cuff is a lot more open. I personally liked them a lot more than the original TO's. They fit snug but the cuff doesn't restrict movement anymore.

I gained a lot of lenght after baking. My toes were cramped unbaked, now they're just barely touching the cap.

Height - 5'10" / 177cm Weight - 195lbs / 89kg Pad size - Medium Rec level winger Fit - 8/10 First of all I need to point out that the minimal fit issues I have with these pads are because of my gorgeous beer gut, which seems to make them ride up a bit at times. Also, the shoulder blade portions on the back tend to crease a bit cause I don't have massive shoulder muscles. There are a lot of segments and folds which help them contour around your body better. Width wise they are pretty much perfect for me. The shoulder caps are sitting right where they should be, and that's the most important fit feature for me. These shoulder pads are short, meaning that they don't cover the lowest part of your stomach or back at all. There are no removable extensions that many other products have. They also aren't the lowest profile pads available, especially the sternum and spine guards bulk out noticeably. Although CCM claims the bicep pads are adjustable, that is not the case with my pads. Protection - 9/10 These pads are made of the U foam, which is a ridiculously light and greatly impact dissipating material. Some of the portions, such as the sternum, spine and bicep pads and the clavicle guards are hardened for added protection. I play non-contact hockey, but as we all know there is some rough play involved especially in front of the goal in addition to the less accurate guys shooting the puck at you. I've never felt unprotected wearing these pads, all the important areas are covered solidly. Weight - 10/10 CCM isn't kidding with the product name; these are crazy light compared to any other product on the market. They also don't absorb any sweat so they stay light and obviously dry out extremely fast. Durability - 9/10 I've had them for over 6 months and there are no signs of wear or breakage. Some edges have mattified a bit from jersey abrasion but that's all. Intangibles As with every U foam product I've used these need some breaking in. After a couple of uses they definitely became more mobile. I should also point out that they breathe very well which is a great feature for people like me who get hot and sweat a lot easily. Conclusion If you're seeking for shoulder pads you hardly feel at all, get these. They might feel a bit stiff initially but they will break in after use. Some other products might have better rib and belly protection, but if you're looking for great shoulder, sternum and spine protection in a really lightweight package you can't go wrong with them. Overall score - 9/10

The tool is used for the runner screws.

They were uncomfortably tight before baking both lenght and width wise, my toes were pretty cramped. Tightest spots were in the the forefoot. After baking they fit very well without pressure points nor negative space and my toes now only lightly touch the cap.

I have to admit I gave in and got myself a pair too. First of all, everything people have said about the excellent heat moldability is true. I was very sceptical at first - especially when I tried them on unbaked - but after baking they opened up a lot and fit my feet like nothing else. I went with size 7D, the same size I wear on NXG's and I'm happy I didn't size up even when they initially felt really tight. After first skate I had no discomfort whatsoever, they really feel like you're wearing comfortable shoes. Actually, the feeling reminds me of wearing a pair of high end snowboard boots. My arches are very high but I didn't get the feeling I needed my custom footbeds at least for now, so I'm not surprised flat footed people have had problems with the arches. Skating with them was extremely easy and natural for me, even with the lower quarters there was no feeling of any support missing and they were very, very agile. It also felt like I could skate faster than with the NXG's. With that said, I still think you need to have some skating technique to get the most out of them; beginner skaters will likely not benefit that much from the features. The forward pitch on these skates is very noticeable, and I would guess people with straight posture and very little knee bend might have trouble adjusting to these. I heartily suggest you let someone who really knows their thing contour these. I didn't get them sharpened at the shop I bought them from, but instead took them to a shop which offers FBV and the guy pointed out that with the pitched runner he's afraid a lot of shops with uneducated sharpeners will ruin the shape when people ask for different radiuses. The only thing that can ruin them for me now is the durability. Time will tell how they hold up, and if Easton has defeated the durability issues I can imagine these skates will be a hugely important product for them.

Sorry, the shops that sell them don't list them on their websites... Gear prices are actually on the low side here compared to other European countries (excluding easton gloves and sticks) but I would guess shipping is expensive.

We have a decent amount of pro stock sticks available in Finland.

Stiffness - 77 flex Pattern - Custom toe curve Grip finish Reviewer is your standard rec level sucker with a decent beer belly. Blade - 10/10 This particular stick has a custom toe curve. These sticks were sold by a local hockey shop which apparently wasn't satisfied with current Bauer offerings. However, blade specs are the same as on the normal retail sticks, meaning it has the Power core 3 / Aero foam II construction and the Pure Shot blade profile which reduces blade deflection. Shaft/Flex - 10/10 Of all the currently sold sticks, Nexus shaft shape is my personal favorite. It's the same square double concave shape as on the Supreme series, but without the corner texture. The Elastech construction is supposed to make the stick handle more abuse without failure. I'm not hard on my sticks as I play non contact hockey as a winger so I can't comment if it actually helps. Balance and weight are great. It's not as light and balanced as the TotalOne NXG, but close enough. Nexus flex profile basically means the handle and hosel portions are softer and the middle part of the shaft is stiffer, which results in very easy loading. This stick feels softer than other Bauer models at the same flex rating. Stickhandling/receiving passes - 9/10 Blade feel is what I would call crispy but not pingy, I find it's pretty much right between top of the line Warrior and Easton blades. Catching passes isn't as easy as with the softer blades, but they seem to stick to the blade easily enough. Probably because of the excellent balance, good feel and the curve that suits me well this one seems to be the best puckhandling stick I've ever used. I shoot harder with other sticks but when I occasionally perform a successful deke, it's almost always with this stick. Shooting - 8/10 This stick is designed to be very easy to shoot with. It doesn't excel in any shot, but instead does all pretty well. Durability - 10/10 As with all the Bauer sticks I've used, I've had absolutely zero problems so far. Keep in mind that I'm not hard on my sticks so I'm not an expert on stick durability. People who break sticks will break this one too eventually. Intangibles I'm a huge fan of the subtle graphics, this is one of the best looking sticks in the market in my opinion. Conclusion This is my favorite all-around stick. It doesn't shoot lasers but instead it's a very versatile product. Balance and shaft shape are perfect, it has a very natural feel and it's very hard to find any major faults in it. Overall score - 9.4/10

Good to hear everything went well Neil!

Baking does not increase volume.

I agree, it's time to move on. I just realized today how much I dislike self-centered, privileged people who think they're better than others.

I hate when that happens. Have you tried asking the officers "Don't you know who I am"?

Go Teemu!

To be honest, balance got better after I cut the stick (about 3 inches). One of the things I like most about the Mako II is the really soft flex. It means I can cut it down quite a bit without turning it into a rebar.

To me the balance (75 flex/grip/E28) feels pretty much the same as the original RS (75 flex/grip/P3). It's not as light as a Nexus 1000 or a NXG, but there's no way I'd call it awfully blade heavy.

Mako II 75flex E28 - thanks IniNew!

Just pretend it's y instead of j!

Not sure, but I remember a certain sports store in Helsinki selling them last season. These are the exact same as the team-issued ones; nash palms, "Jokerit" screen print on the inside cuff and without the U+CL embroidery.

Thanks to my brother for a late christmas gift, although I seriously have too many pairs of gloves.

Not instagramy enough for you?

Huge thanks to Warrior for the stick!