stlBeerLeagueChamp

Model: 14”, Black with white accents, purchased October 2010. User Info: 6', 200lbs, skill level - adult rec league sub-par :P, skate 2-4 times/week. Price Paid: $96 at LHS Fit (10/10): I went to my LHS and immediately fell in love with the fit/feel of the glove. It has a narrow fit but loose in the wrist area. Fit my hand perfectly and it came down to the price difference between these and the Eagle PPF (which felt about the same) The glove had a good break-in feel but each time I use them I think they feel better and better! Protection (9.5/10): It’s a pro-level glove, and has all the plastic inserts and stuff you would expect (except for a locking thumb, I think the other gloves do this better). How protective is the glove? I haven't ever been injured on my hands or even really felt any impact..so I suppose that speaks volumes! I get slashed a lot by the "way too serious" guys in the league a lot as well so..I subtracted a half point for the "hardly locking thumb" Weight (10/10): This glove is extremely light with the fabric on it instead of the leather. When I first got them my hockey buddies were messing around with them and the words "It hardly feels like anything is there" were the most common. They are still some of the lightest gloves I have felt even after messing around with the new high-end gloves while waiting for sharpenings. Durability (6/10): The exterior of the glove still looks fantastic, however after 10 or so months of playing 1-5 times per week holes are beginning to form in between the extra layers trying to prevent this on the palm. If you look at the palm of this glove there are several different spots where they have extra layers to prevent this and it seems like those are what is causing the thinner fabric to rip apart..kind of counter-productive huh! Despite the small holes forming (they are getting bigger each time I use them) they are still extremely comfortable and have taken the shape of my hand/fingers well. Intangibles: A nice looking glove if not a little on the flashy side. I wish they had used a stitched logo on the cuff rather than the iron-on. I don't get compliments on them other than the weight aspect. Graphics are still 100% in tact and haven't rubbed off as I supposed they are sublimated into the fabric. I have come to dislike the extra layers in the palm, and my next glove purchase will be a one-piece palm. Conclusion (8/10): Excellent protection and great styling, am a little disappointed with the palm's durability though! I'm not sure I could have gotten better for the price I paid, as I said earlier the Eagle PPF were the closest comparison for me and the price was doubled!

Bauer Vapor X:50 Flex: 87 Curve: P92 Stick'um Height: 6'0 Weight: 200 Postition: Beer league forward Used since: 4/15/11 Aesthetics: When I first went to the LHS to look at sticks I was unimpressed by the aesthetics..I thought the stick looked boring. After playing with it and seeing it in a few other people's hands I am warming up to it. Tastefully classy. 8/10 Weight and Balance: I had originally intended to go into the shop and purchase a super high-end stick like the X60. After getting a feel for most of them it came down to the X50 and the X60. I thought both felt phenomenal coming from a noticeably heavier shaft/blade combo. They were very close but the X50 had a "slight" blade-heavy feel and I just thought it felt better. I could not tell a weight difference when they were both in my hand and knew that I couldn't go wrong with the X50, I saved $100 to boot! 8/10 "slight" blade heavyness (i like it) Blade: I will say that this was the one area I was concerned about when buying a one-piece. I was coming from a "durable as *$ " Easton ST blade so it had a lot to live up to. It has performed admirably! In a couple months of about 3-4 times a week usage I haven't noticed any sort of issues with durability or premature breakdown. I think I will give the "feel" aspect to the ST though, on the ST the puck just feels softer if that makes sense.. 7/10 Shaft/Flex: I really love the feel of the shaft. It is a more round feel, and is now my shaft-feel of choice and one of the main reasons I chose this stick over some of the Reeboks and Eastons that I held. I would say the 87 flex is maybe a little stiffer than advertised but not by much. 9/10 Stickhandling and Passing: I'm terrible at both, but I will say that this stick has a feel that give me a much greater amount of confidence to try stuff in game than I had before. I will say that I noticed a huge difference in the way the puck comes off your stick when it's a one piece as opposed to a shaft/blade combo. It's hard to explain but it just feels more solid and crisp. 9/10 Shooting: Love the way this stick shoots. My game is more "hang out around the net and get dirty goals" kind of game and on the one timers and quick "just throw it on the sprawling goalie" shots it feels great. When I do end up taking snap shots or slap shots it also feels fantastic. I'm not sure if I'm really all-in on the Multi-shot intellisense stuff but I do feel like my shot is harder and more accurate. I've also gotten compliments from my teammates and the like.. 9/10 Durability: Fantastic so far! There are a few rock-chips in the paint from the slashes and hard play but I can't imagine anything other than a ridiculous slash breaking this stick. I was concerned about peeling because the shop I bought it from had some peeled-paint X50's that were a little cheaper. I will update if this becomes an issue but for now.. 10/10 Conclusion: The best stick I've ever had would be a completely accurate statement coming from my mouth..I encourage all of you to give this stick a try if you want an X60 but can't afford it! I hear it's basically the same stick save for some "Aircraft quality carbon" that you will only find on the X60..

My first review, here goes: Bauer Vapor x4.0 - 9EE Foot size - narrow to medium heel, average arch, wider forefoot Play two-four times a week Last skate worn: CCM Tacks 352(circa 2000) 9D and Bauer Supreme one60 9D A little background on me: I have been playing inline for quite some time but was recently urged to give ice a shot(OMG IT'S MORE AWESOMER THAN INLINE). Originally growing up in Tennessee there was not a whole lot of ice hockey around until late high school..and it was too expensive for me to get into. I picked up my tacks on Craigslist for $20 about a year ago and they have been a hell of a skate. I slowly got more serious and decided to join a league and get some new skates that would be lighter and faster (5-6 months ago). After doing a bit of research and listening to/reading reviews I decided to pick up a pair of the Bauer Supreme one60s. I thought these skates were amazing at the store the way they fit my foot so snug. Well after a few times out on the ice and my feet killing me I decided to bake them a second time to see if they would loosen up. They didn't. I also thought "well if I just skate in them more they will eventually loosen up" and it never happened (6 months of skating in them two-three times a week). Well after doing more research and measuring I figured out that I should be wearing a wider skate..whoops! Ok so I'm at the hockey shop again and this time they have every single skate in that price range in my size! After skating around a while in the one60's I had a way better idea what to look for in a new skate. My biggest complaint with the one60's other than forefoot fit was the lacebite..I felt like the tongue pad did a terrible job of protecting that area and I usually left the top 2 eyelets undone. After trying on 8 different pairs of skates and walking around in them and getting a feel for them I chose the Vapor x4.0..Here is my initial review on them and I'll keep it updated as I skate around in them more (I've had about 7 skates on them so far) Fit (9/10) ----------- Fit with the EE width was SPOT on in the forefoot, and the more I'm skating on them the more I realize how uncomfortable the D width supremes were. The one area I was a little concerned about was the heel and how they felt more open than say the Reeboks, but after having them baked and skating in them a few times I'm noticing 0 "empty space feeling" in the heel and they are locked in pretty well. From my experience now with 3 different pairs of skates it will always come down to the way a skate fits me no matter what..The choice I was left with from trying all those skates on were the Vapors and Reebok 7k..I think the reebok had a softer feel and the heel was a little more snug, but the forefoot felt like I would be floating around in there quite a bit. The Vapors were stiffer which I liked. Blade/Holder (9/10) ------------------- Coming from the Supremes to the Vapors I am getting the exact same holder/steel. I thought this combo was way better feeling than my old Tacks and the supremes took a lot of shots right on that part of the skate. I can't imagine having issues with this holder/steel combo at the level hockey that I play. Weight (8/10) --------------- I want to say they feel a tad heavier on the foot than my Supremes, but I'm not noticing extra fatigue at the end of the game.. Perfect for developing or intermediate players and plenty sturdy for.. Protection (9/10) ----------------- Since i'm not a good enough skater to get out of the way and I play a lot of D..I get a lot of sticks and pucks all over my foot. I took a pretty hard shot off the outside of my skate the other day and I felt it a little bit but probably would have been hurting/limping in my tacks. I want to say the shell feels stiffer than my supremes but I thought those had pretty decent protection too. Assume this is my final score unless I come back later with a terrible experience. The tongue feels thinner than the supreme and tacks tongue..however these skates gave me the least amount of lacebite while trying on other skates and it does a really good job of fitting behind the shin pads. I think the plastic strip in the tongue makes all the difference. Durability (10/10 so far) ------------------------- These feel much sturdier than any skate i've ever had on my feet. Also knowing people that have been skating on the same pair of bauers for 15 years has me thinking I won't need to worry about durability on these skates. Hell I see a lot more older vapors on people's feet than I do any other brand/type..I have faith! Will keep this updated as I skate on them more.. Performance (10/10) ------------------- I actually feel like the siffer boot compared to my supremes puts a little more pep in my step if that makes sense.. I do know the boot is made to be a little more forward-pitched and I can say that I prefer that. These skates are absolutely awesome and give me a lot more confidence than my other skates! Overall Assessment ------------------ I've been extremely happy with the skates thus far. If there was ONE thing I could change, it would be the way it looks. I'm not really one for flashy skates and while I do feel like it's tastefully flashy, it's not as tastefully flashy as last years vapors or my supremes. The red liner is kind of ugly. If you are looking at a skate in this price range I feel like you will be extremely satisfied with the fit, performance, and stiffness/durability of this skate!

First post! Helmet: Rbk 4k with stock cage - The helmet is ok and I'm picking up a visor soon Shoulders: Easton s1 - light and effective for my level of play Shins: Easton s13 - Fit the best and has plenty of protection Elbow: Warrior Projekt - Fit way better than other brands, also soft protection instead of the concussion plastic ones Pants: Tackla 800 - Gets the job done but they are ugly bright red hah Skates: Bauer Supreme one60 - I like them but too narrow. Graf or CCM for my next boot soon Gloves: Warrior Eraser Pro - Love the feel, not the most durable even with all the "extra" material in the palm Sticks: Bauer X50 hall curve (my fave) Warrior Johnson shaft with Easton ST blade hall curve