carodz

I have this Bauer bag from ~2010 that's just crap. Don't remember if it was their cheap one at the time or what. Interior pockets tore very quickly after I got it, seemingly just from the bag being heavy, and now the skate pockets are torn (yes it's old but I didn't play from 2011 until this year so it's been used pretty minimally as far as gear goes). I like their new bags but I'm wary based on the quality of this one. I am totally in the market for a new bag, but need something durable as I'm a big guy and my gear is pretty big and heavy. I've also been eyeing the IW bag, I might give it a try.

About the Reviewer Size: 6'2", 230lbs; I'm wearing a size 10D in these skates. Experience: Played inline hockey throughout adolescence, started playing ice hockey in 2010 but was injured (broken ankle) in 2011. Skated sporadically since then but started actually playing hockey again in July 2016. I'm not completely inept on the ice but am definitely at a "novice" level. Enough about me; below are my thoughts on the skates so far. Skates were purchased mid-June, and I have skated on them about once a week since then (for 1-2 hours at a time). Very brief first impression in the "Show it Off" thread here: Fit I have a wide, deep foot--my first pair of skates were size 10.5D Vapors and were absolutely brutal pain-wise due to lack of depth and width (I was busting out of the top of the skate over middle of my foot). I could tell the size 10, D width N9000s were going to fit great out of the box, but baking them made them feel even better. I actually chose these over the 1N because I felt like the 1N had less depth due to the lacing system (not sure if that's actually true, just what I perceived having tried them both on). The guy baking my skates at HockeyGiant did a questionable job IMO (didn't follow Bauer's instructions), but the skate still molded pretty well (I can see a nice punch where I've got a wide spot in my forefoot). I still wonder if they could be molded even better "anatomically", but I am quite satisfied with how they fit width- and depth-wise. The liner for these skates is nice and soft, and combined with the ankle padding, they are fantastically comfortable. Since this is my first Curv boot, I was anticipating needing the ComfortEdge that the 1N skates have, but I have had very minimal problems with the lateral stiffness causing any discomfort. I've been using Bauer's Speed Plates (bought separately) and, combined with the stiffness of the Curv boot, I feel as though I get great support and responsiveness out of these skates. I recently added Powerfoot inserts which have increased this feeling even more. Overall fit: 9.5/10 Blade/Holder I'll be honest, there was a little bit of an adjustment going from the TUUK LightSpeed Pro holder with Super Stainless runners that I had on my old Vapors to the LS Edge and LS3 runner that these have. I actually really enjoy the extra height and noticed I can get much "deeper" into hard turns. The larger radius profile of the runner is what took adjusting to, as I sometimes felt like either my toe or heel would do things I didn't want it to (this could be due to poor skating technique as well). I'm still undecided whether I preferred the small radius over this larger one; I think I like the way it feels at the front of the skate but not the back, if that makes sense. Steel holds an edge pretty well, however, and I am actually looking forward to getting another pair of runners to keep as a backup I can quickly swap out if need be. Blade/Holder Overall: 9/10 (only deducted due to my personal uncertainty about the stock runner radius) Weight/Protection These certainly aren't the lightest skates out there, but I wouldn't exactly call them heavy either. Handed one to my dad and his first comment was on how light they were. Of course, the Curv composite is extremely rigid. I've yet to take any major slashes or shots to them but I expect they will hold up quite well protection-wise. Overall weight/protection: N/A (haven't really tested protection and I don't personally care about weight) Durability These skates still look pretty much brand new. Part of that is because I'm not abusing them when I play and I take good care of them post-skate. The black printed graphics on the inside of the line have faded a bit. I'm a little concerned about wear near the top eyelets (I wear long shin guards) as the graphics were gone from there very quickly. The liner is quite soft, so it remains to be seen how well they hold up; I do wish they had the wear patches in these areas that would have come on the 1N. There are very few scuffs on the outside of the boot; like I said, they appear almost brand new after skating on them for a few months. Overall durability (tentative): 9/10 so far (TBD long-term) Conclusion I can't express enough how much I love these skates. They fit me very well and the liner is quite soft to the touch, so I find them extremely comfortable. They're exactly the amount of support I wanted for my size, but I don't feel hindered by how stiff they are. Personally, I think the black and blue graphics look great (even though I've always been more partial to black and red). I had planned at first to change the black/blue laces to white ones as soon as I could, but they've grown on me. Overall score: 9.5/10

Has anyone had to remold theirs yet as their foot changed or skates broke in? They still feel great arch-wise but it looks like a larger gap is forming between the non-arch side and the skate liner. Hasn't made a difference that I can tell but I am wondering if eventually it will become a pinch point (or if I've lost some support gradually and not noticed), and whether this is a sign that I should remold (been skating on them since July ~once a week). I also don't want to remold if I don't have to since they've been so comfortable to date. Thoughts? I'm leaning toward "if it don't feel broke don't fix it".

Just wanted to say, I installed these on my Nexus N9000s (used the extra shim) and noticed a huge difference. The skates already fit amazingly well but these inserts make it even better. Didn't realize how much I moved my toes (and how uncomfortable that was) until now.

So I've been on a 5 year hiatus from playing hockey after an ankle injury, and when I got hurt I was at a pretty novice level. To ease back into the game, I bought some new skates and paid for an 8-week "Adult Hockey 101" session. Well, when I signed up, there were supposed to be 2 other people in the session with me; however, 3 weeks in and they've both been no-shows. Turns out one guy got injured outside of hockey, and the other never paid, so essentially I'm getting 8 weeks of 1-hour private hockey instruction at a huge discount compared to what private lessons would be.

For some reason, the only things I think are a bit much are the black laces. The pictures I've seen of a few pros wearing them with white laces look much more "traditional", which I like better. Honestly a lot of the blue is covered by my shin guards/socks. Overall they're great-looking IMO and I love the fit. The depth/width is great for me and I got some Speed Plates baked into them a couple of days ago, so I am really enjoying being able to skate for a couple of hours at a time without any pain.

Vapor X:20. They were way too shallow and narrow for me and caused some bad pain. Also had too soft of a boot for my body size (I'm 6'2" 230lbs). Have skated on the N9000 twice and liked them so far, although it took me a bit during the first skate to get used to the LS3 runners. I never realized how much more energy I could transfer with a properly stiff boot. I have a pretty long stride and I can feel every bit of it being driven into the ice as I push off. I hope they remain comfortable, I was a little worried about going with the Curv boot without the comfort edge but it hasn't bothered me yet.

New skates--Bauer N9000. Almost sprung for the 1N but couldn't justify the price difference and I thought these were more comfortable (I think the lacing system lost me some depth on the 1N but maybe I'm just crazy). Still excited! Highest-end skates I've owned thus far and very comfortable with baking.

From my own personal experience (broken fibula, surgery to repair using 2 screws), don't push it. Even after I was able to walk normally again, weird things will cause pain and running/skating falls into that category. I lost all of my lower leg muscle tone, too, which made my right leg feel weird for a while even once I started walking again (though our bodies regenerate that muscle astoundingly fast once we use it again). Granted, I did not do any real PT beyond a balance board and ankle movement exercises (probably should have) and I had a bad medial sprain in addition to the fracture, so YMMV. Not to hijack too much, but I have struggled with getting back on the ice on a regular basis since then (5 years ago) due to phobia of being injured again, and the realization that my cheap, painful, poor-fitting skates probably contributed to my injury. I am finally going to take the plunge by purchasing new skates that fit well (and springing for skates stiff enough to support my size) and taking some skating classes to get back into it. If anyone has any suggestions for getting over this fear, I'd appreciate it.

Chadd, any chance we can get some kind of photo/video documentation of how well the skates mold via baking? He also mentions baking them in the comments for his more detailed review video. It is the same guy though. http://www.youtube.com/user/Hockeytrainingaid/videos?view=0 http://myworld.ebay.com/hockey_training_aid?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 https://twitter.com/HockeyTA/following I realize this is not the eBay thread, so feel free to move/delete this as needed. For some reason it just really pissed me off that he was so "grateful" toward Easton for sending him the skates in his video, but immediately turned around and sold them on eBay before they hit stores. I'm sure crap like this happens all the time, but I feel like it probably makes it harder for legitimate operations such as MSH to keep doing what they do.

What a crappy thing to do.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?/topic/53168-stropping-leather-honing-technique/

I remember seeing it mentioned during a game broadcast, not sure if they mentioned if it was open to the public or not.

Awesome, I'm quite jealous. Nothing better than Hawks black and red IMO.

Only one semester left until I get my Bachelor's degree. Finished up the Fall with 4 A's and a B, so I'm pretty happy about that. Also, Merry X-mas to me: my girlfriend got me tickets to see the Hawks play in Dallas during Spring Break (see the red star below). I'm pretty damn happy. I've been to hundreds of minor league games (CHL) but never an NHL game.