Davetronz

Just ordered my new custom jets this morning. Really great experience with Scott so far. Can't wait to have these on my feet.

I'd suggest shimming before moving the holder (or a combination of shimming and moving the holder if the change by shimming isn't drastic enough). What his son might benefit from is a higher-cut boot as well with a bit more support.

Gotta love the ones who won't even lace 'em up before ruling them out.

Congratulations to you and mom on the new addition to your family! They make really small skates now. Start him early! The beer was extra frosty - it was the first thing that came to mind when it was all said and done.

I forgot how "awesome" these things feel the day after.

Thread resurrection time. I got my third tattoo today, this one on the side of my left leg. I'll need one small touch-up (on the "r") and it'll be good to go!

Divorce papers, process, payout, mortgage/land titles, etc. all cleared and finalized today. Feels like a huge weight off my shoulders. Yup, I've already gone for a beer to celebrate!

I'm currently wearing the APX. I've baked the Mako, but I haven't had an opportunity to demo the skates on ice. Here's some observations for you: - I fit a 7.5D in the APX and a 7.5D in the Mako. - The Mako has better heel lock/a narrower heel for me than the APX. - The Mako has a wider toe box and forefoot for me than the APX (had to punch my APX, wouldn't be needed in the Mako). - The Mako has slightly less volume through the forefoot, arch and instep than the APX, but it's REALLY close to the APX. - My APX feel stiffer than the Mako. - The Mako feels slightly shorter cut (maybe closer to a Graf cut) with more range of motion. - The Mako has more aggressive forward pitch/stance than the APX. - The Mako seems to have more build-up in the arch of the skate, compared to the more flat arch area in the APX. - The interior materials of the Mako seems softer and more comfortable, especially in forefoot and toe box than the APX. - Both skates give me a lace bite feeling on on the upper part of my ankle near the upper eyelets. I've remedied this completely in my APX by doing outside-in lacing, but didn't try this on the Mako. - The Mako wraps a LOT over the top of my foot and has a fairly close lacing pattern. My lacing pattern in the APX is normal. Hopefully that helps a bit.

I'll also chime in that my 7.5 in Bauer is the same 7.5 fit in Mako for me.

Do you feel that this is a problem related to the holder itself (blade channel cut at an angle or fastening system uneven), or an issue with how the boot was lasted or how the holder was mounted to the boot? Thanks for all the information thus far, Chadd.

That's awesome. Great to hear good customer service stories like this.

Reviewer Details: 28 years old / 5’11 / 205lbs Location: Calgary, AB Playing Level: Men's div A/B and rec league hockey (former minor league rep team player) After a lengthy search for "the best skate socks", I picked up a pair of Bauer Vapor performance skate socks on the advice of a couple MSH members. I've been using them exclusively for approximately 5 months now. Fit: The sizing on the package is true for my application. I'm a 9.5-10 shoe size, and I fit really well into a size large pair which is advertised for an 8-13 shoe size. The sock definitely fits tight all over the foot and doesn't seem to bag out, bunch up or relax over time. My calves are fairly muscular and I definitely struggle a bit to get the socks all the way up on my leg, especially right at the top hem of the sock, but they definitely aren't falling down when they're in place. While the socks are tight, they aren't restrictive or painful. Someone with larger legs might not be able to get them all the way up their calves comfortably. If you have a larger or wider foot (approaching the 12-13 size), the socks might be fairly tight for you. 9/10 Protection: This is definitely a thicker sock, but not in the same way as a wool sock or a regular old gym sock. I'd say they're slightly thicker than Coolees socks. This adds to the protective qualities of the sock. I feel that my foot is protected from any seams, rubbing, etc within my skate. The sock also has a double layer of fabric in the area most commonly affected by lace bite, and are double-walled in the ankle area. 10/10 Weight: I think the weight and protection of the sock go somewhat hand in hand. I will add that the socks are still fairly light weight, and don't seem to gain a lot more weight when wet. They feel like a well-built product in your hands. They aren't flimsy like a pair of sweat socks. The weight might also contribute to their warmth. I find these socks a bit warmer than most other pairs that I've tried, but I tend to prefer that over frozen toes. 10/10 Durability: I've been using these socks for approximately 5 months, an average of 3 times per week. I try to wash them after every use, and when that isn't possible I wash them at least once a week. I dry them in the dryer and this has not caused them to shrink or wear. I've noticed nothing in terms of durability issues. There's a bit of pilling around the ankle and heel, but it is extremely minor. No loose threads, no tears, no broken elastics. The socks remain as tight and functional as the day I first bought them. 10/10 Intangibles: I think I paid in the neighborhood of $17-20 CDN for a pair of these socks. At the time I thought it was a bit much, but they've been worth every dollar and more. I was buying a ton of other socks, trying to find something that worked and felt best for me. Since wearing these socks for the first time, I've had no inclination to so much as try anything else. There's no grips on the socks and they don't move around when I slide my foot into my skates. The sock stays where you want to wear it and doesn't twist or move. This is the most comfortable pair of socks that I've ever worn inside skates. Conclusion: These socks rock, plain and simple. I might just be the fussiest guy when it comes to skate socks, and I have a big box of all the socks that didn't make the cut to prove it. The Bauer Vapor performance skate sock is the best out of anything I've tried, and I'll continue to wear them exclusively. I want to thank the Overall Rating: 9.75/10

As far as I know they all buy from the same buying group (someone correct me if I'm wrong). So they should be able to order them in for you.

Did you check Source for Sports? I haven't been to a single one of their locations that hasn't stocked them.

How is the adhesive on the pads when the liner of the skate gets wet? Any issues with durability?

I'm pretty sure that they're sold one per package (individually), therefore, no, you should be OK wearing just the one on your right heel.

I've found that most Source for Sports locations in Alberta have them, so that is where I'd call first in Vancouver.

Reviewer Details: 28 years old / 5’11 / 210lbs Location: Calgary, AB Playing Level: Men's div A/B and rec league hockey (former minor league rep team player) I picked up a Bauer X60 Adaptable Core Pad (ACP) "girdle" last season, and I've given it a fairly good run within the last 4-5 months. Fit: The X60 ACP doesn't just fit close to the body, it literally hugs your body. I wear a size 36" pant, and I found that an XL was the best size for me. The adjustable spine protection gives a bit of room to customize how close or tight the spine protector fits against your body. I tend to fit best into a +1 length hockey pant, and due to this I found that the X60 ACP ran slightly short. It wasn't in the "concern" range, but I would have preferred the legs/thigh pads to be a bit longer. If you're looking for a tight-fitting alternative to traditional pants and you're not an overly tall or large player this is the solution for you. I found that I had to size down shells when wearing them with this ACP. Size XL ACP, size L shell. 8/10 Protection: The ACP has awesome thigh padding and really protects the hips, kidneys and spine. Unfortunately, I noted a few drawbacks in regards to the protection: - The thigh pads don't wrap around thicker legs enough. I have decent sized quads, and I was constantly taking pucks just inside of the leg where the padding didn't quite reach. - There is little to no protection on the back of the leg. I like at least a little bit of padding here. - The tailbone padding is sufficient, nothing over the top, but the area between the hips and tailbone is fairly unprotected. There's a thin layer of padding, but it doesn't do much to absorb the impact from a fall. The protection is sufficient for rec/shinny, but I never really felt 100% secure wearing these at higher levels of competition. If you're a player who lands backside first or between your side and tailbone frequently you might want to consider pants with better padding in this area. 8/10 Weight: This ACP is definitely light when compared to its overall level of protection. It takes up hardly any space in the hockey bag. 9.5/10 Durability: I noted a few durability issues while I was wearing the ACP consistently for 3-4 months of play. First, the thigh pads are adjustable at the lowest part with a piece of spandex-like material and Velcro that secures around your leg. Due to having larger quads I ended up having some exposed scratchy Velcro across the front of the ACP that was getting stuck to the graphic on my shell. I placed a piece of opposing Velcro over this area on both legs to solve the problem. The spandex-like material that made up the fastening system also caught on the scratchy Velcro underneath and began to run/deteriorate within a matter of weeks. This material also stretched out over time, and I found myself tightening the straps more and more as each month went by. I felt that Bauer could have designed this area of the ACP a bit better in regards to durability. 6/10 Intangibles: The inside of the ACP is red. This red coloring was "bleeding" over my base layer quite badly with sweat. I was wearing a white UA shirt for one ice time and a teammate thought I had received a cut on my back during the game because of the amount of red that had transferred onto my white shirt. Mainly cosmetic, but I'm not sure why the dye would "bleed" so much. I wear suspenders with all hockey pants, otherwise I find that I'm pulling up my pants all game. The X60 ACP comes with nylon loops on the hips and back of the ACP, but they do not have bachelor buttons. When I went to add bachelor buttons onto the loops I found that the loops at the hips were way too far to the side of each hip to work with suspenders. I ended up sewing on a couple of new loops closer to the front of the ACP. From there I had no problems with attaching suspenders after the modification. Conclusion: This is a decent piece of equipment, but as noted, I have some extended durability and protection issues. It meets the needs of the average rec league hockey player who is looking for a low profile, close fitting pant with decent thigh, hip and spine protection. Overall Rating: 7.5/10

They say "Our Time"

I was there at 11 until around 12:15. Yup, I dug through everything for 1.25 hours!

The results of the Hockey Canada equipment sale today: - Nike hockey pants, size L +1 long. 2-piece. (no model, help me identify them - an identical pair in XL had an IIHF tag inside, but this one has nothing - super protective) - Easton Synergy SE Elite Grip Forsberg 85 - #30 Nike 56G Womens jersey IIHF authentic, worn, but no name bar (Szabados - spare jersey? practice?) - Itech padded goalie mask bag - Canadian Hockey Skills Academy track jacket - UnderArmour Heat Gear Battle LS compression shirt - UnderArmour thermal base layer pant/underwear - Nike fitted sweat/training pant - Nike Dri-fit track pants There was a ton of apparel (mostly sizes XL and XXL), and not much equipment. A fair bit of the equipment was womens or smaller mens sizes. Some REALLY good deals though.

With that haul you must have been one of those guys that started camping out on Thursday night! Unreal haul.

Gear from the Flames equipment sale today. MHP520 pro stock 2-piece pants in pretty awesome shape Jofa 8800 shoulders - new with tags Laundry bag

Hmm, you have different outsoles than I do. Mine are a thinner, all-black outsole compared to your thicker, all-white outsole. I'd venture to say that yours are a bit older than mine

I know it's not equipment, but my jersey is in there and I haven't shown that to you yet... I got to pick up some new "hardware" for the first time last night for my rec team after a 5-0 shutout victory to sweep our opponents in the best of 3 final series and win our division. We have to return the big cup to the league at the end of Summer, but we get to keep the small one forever. The big cup has quite a bit of weight to it. I carried it into a local pub last night for a beer with the guys and we got a nice round of applause (sadly, no free beer though). Now for a two week golf season before the Summer league starts up!