Scopes

Glad I used the search before I posted this too! I have experienced terrible sharpenings before, likely due to incompetent skate techs, but I had always assumed there was a level of finess required - is this true? I'm a fair believer in by hand > by machine, but if this machine does what it's supposed to do, perfectly every time then it seems great. Hopefully someone with experience sharpening skates can give insight whether an automated system could be comparable to doing by hand.

Leafs June 15th http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/292111a2#/292111a2/1

Jofa porn

Promoting the anti-flop, you'd have to be nuts to show that off.

I think that totally depends on how the stick was repaired, there are a few methods out there that I have seen that work quite well.

Product: Eagle x705 Use: Two months, usually 2 games and 2 practices/scrimmages weekly Height: 5'11 Weight: 195lbs Position: Left Wing, Left D, right shot Fit 9/10 These gloves are a classic fit and are true to size. The X705 is a budget glove and was purchased as a backup pair to be used while training. They broke in quickly but did not last long enough for me to adequately judge them. Weight/Mobility (8/10): There are lighter gloves on the market; however, the Eagle X705 provided excellent mobility. The mid level protection allowed good finger dexterity and the index finger is a 3 knuckle design giving a large range of motion. From new the gloves were loose feeling and did not require any form of breaking in to feel comfortable. The lock thumb is nice and stiff and what you would expect out of a modern glove. Protection (8/10): I was happy with the level of protection these gloves offered, plastic inserts over single density foam are more than adequate for practice and shinny play. Durability (0/10): The stitching ripped on the upper hand only months into these gloves lives. Because they were purchased in a clearance sale the store did not want to return or exchange them. I was very disappointed in the lack of longevity these gloves showed as I have had excellent, though more expensive, gloves from Eagle in the past and expected these to be constructed to the same standard of quality as the rest. Though I would like to attribute this to an unluckiness the lower hand stitching also started to give, which leads me to believe this was more than just coincidence. Aesthetics: (10/10) Classic Eagle 4-roll looks, very nice. Tufftek exterior with Eagle MSH3 palm. Conclusion: (7/10) I may have got an unlucky bounce on these gloves but I was quite disappointed with the results. Initially everything was as expected, a solid budget glove to be used as a second pair, but with time they fell apart and were relegated to the junk pile. Aesthetically they are great, protection leaves nothing to be desired and overall they have the makings of a great budget glove. If durability was not an issue (though this may have been an isolated case) I would have no hesitations of recommending this glove to anyone. Edit for rating numbers.

Product: Reebok 11k Sickick 3 Grip P91A, 1'' cut Use: Nine months, usually 2 games and 2 practices/scrimmages weekly Height: 5'11 Weight: 195lbs Position: Left Wing, Left D, right shot Aesthetics: 9/10 Subdued flash adequately describes this stick. A dark colorway with light, reflective lettering provides classic hockey stick looks as well as some modern flair. Weight/balance: 9/10 Although not the lightest stick on the market, the 11k feels very balanced in my hands. On defense once handed stick play is very comfortable and the stick is cooperative in the sense that it is light enough to poke check with while having enough weight to actually knock the puck away and disrupt play. As a winger the weight of the stick assists in its solid feel requiring a hard stick check to knock the puck off the blade. The 11k is an excellent weight and the balance makes the stick easy to control with one hand. Blade: 9/10 The blade of the stick is very stiff and after months of use has not lost any rigidity. As an aggressive stick checker this blade has been stepped on smashed and jammed many times, and still is holding strong. I play every game with fresh tape covering the toe and have not had any issues with the blade. Thought The rounded toe has not given me any chipping issues. Shaft/Flex: 9/10 This stick has a nice mid point kick to the flex pattern and is consistent in its pop. After nine months of use, the flex remains very much the same, not having flexed out or developed any strange flex patters throughout the stick. The shaft profile is a square with rounded edges which feels nice in the the hands. The grip feel is not overly tacky which allows movement of the lower hand with ease though having enough hold to prevent the stick from twisting in the hands when a hard slap shot is taken. Stickhandling/Passing: 9/10 From a defenseman's perspective this stick is great for throwing out long flat hard passes, and as a forward it is easy to receive a puck either on either side of the blade. The P91a works excellent with the shaft for cradling and protecting the puck while having plenty of loft for saucer passes. Shooting: 10/10 I love shooting with this stick. The puck absolutely explodes off the blade and I find that the accuracy is unparalleled. The consistency of the stick makes it very easy to get used to, because the same thing is expected with every shot. Every shot is usable with this stick, it does not favor any specifically. Durability: 8/10 I have had very good durability with this stick. Despite lots of graphic flaking and cuts and dings the stick has held up very well for the abuse I have put it through. It's going on nine months without breaking which is incredible for me. Conclusion 9/10 The Reebok 11k is a great all around stick, very durable, consistent and fun to play with. I would recommend this stick to anyone. I have enjoyed using it and would purchase another. Now that it is no longer RBK's flagship stick, great deals can be found on it making it a very good value for a stick.

That looks awesome, really nice work.

Happy with the current setup: Helmet - RBK 11k - F480 cage Shoulder - Itech frankenpads Elbow - RBK 7K Pro Gloves - RBK 8K Pro Pants - Bauer Supreme 2000 Shins - RBK 6K Pro Skates - Graf G35 Ultra Sticks - RBK 11k 102 flex - P38 Sticks - Bauer TotalOne 102 flex - P91A Sticks - Easton Synergy ST 85 Flex Cut 2'' - P4

Picked up some shin's the other day, went for one skate in them and they feel long, used to a 15'' and these are 16'' so I might have to go shins over tongues now (yikes). Need another good skate to really figure it out though . Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us *Edit: rotated photos

Nice collection!

What is that? Lower back pad?

Kamloops Blazers WHL End of Year Sale Friday, May 11th from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. The store will also be open on Saturday, May 12th from 9:00am – 12:00pm. These hours are in addition to the Blazers Store being open on Thursdays from 11:00am – 3:00pm, or open on request if you visit the Kamloops Blazers Office. Many store items will be on sale, as well as used hockey equipment including gloves, goaltender pads, etc. Location: Interior Savings Center - Kamloops BC

Those are absolutely unreal. So jealous that you found a pair of brand new ones, they are one of my all time favorite skates. Enjoy them.

Flop for days - a must have. I couldn't skate with my tongues under shin pads to save my life.

Product: Superfeet Yellow - Size: E 9.5-11 Time Used: 11 months Personal Specs: 22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs, Size 10.5 shoe, size 9.5 skate, in Graf G35 On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey Fit: 10/10 Trimmed to match stock insoles in Graf skates, they fit like a dream, are easy to slide in and out and once in are well seated and anchored. Comfort: 9.5/10 As with any changes to skates, you are going to feel some discomforts initially. I was having troubles with my feet pronating in my skates (rolling inwards) and the Superfeet have helped stabilize my foot in my boot. It took about 2 weeks of regular use to get over the initial shock of a new insole. I have very flat feet so this most likely did not help with the break in/adjustment time. I now have no issues whatsoever with the comfort and the top material does a good job keeping my foot in place on the footbed. There is ample venting in the insole, and I have not noticed a difference in foot temperature since using the insoles. Performance: 10/10 I bought the Superfeet to help with my feet pronating (rolling inwards), and they have cured the issue fully. They provide excellent support and are a shallow enough volume that they do not affect the boot's overall fit. My entire leg stays more square to the skate when fitted with Superfeet, and I am able to really drive out of turns and explode into strides without any feeling of give or loss of balance. Durability: 10/10 I take my insoles out after every ice time, which means removing and inserting ~10 times a week. The makeup of the insole is a plastic heel cup, that runs from the heel to mid-front of the arch, with a yellow insole laminated over top. There have been no issues of the heels delaminating or really anything wrong with the insoles at all. The top finish (yellow) has remained yellow (I skate with socks on) and does not retain very much smell. They dry almost instantly (<1 hour), and have not began to break down at the forefoot which still allows for easy installation. FInal thoughts: Once I got over the initial shock of something new in my skates, I was able to use these without issue. They provide excellent stability, are easy to install (place old insole on Superfeet, trace then cut), are low volume thus do not make a noticeable difference in volume of skate, and have great durability. I would recommend this product to anyone looking to have their foot better supported in their skate but would caution the break in period because for me it was quite miserable (nothing out of the ordinary for skates with me). Final Rating: 9.9/10 Recommended: Yes

The end of our rec league season, finished 3rd overall. Not bad for consistently ~7 guys showing up. I'm 4th from right.

Damn, that looks nice! It's going to make for a stinky closet though.

I wish I didn't have to, needed something highway friendly.

Yea, it was a great vehicle, a great feature was there is enough room to park another car under the hood, so any mechanical work was a breeze. Despite the < 120km/hr speed limit, concrete hard ride and massive wind buffeting with the top off it was probably the most fun I've had on 4 wheels. My friend has a TJ Rubicon, and although it's got a lot of fancy new bells and whistles - it still is a Jeep, and you notice it a lot on the highway and everywhere else for that matter. It would be nice to see if they could do something about the on-road abilities of a Jeep.

My old jeep, '89 YJ 4.2L I6 miss it a lot. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The new whip, '06 Mazda 3 GT Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Helmet: RBK 11k Skates: Graf Ultra G35 Sticks: RBK 11k, Staal 87 flex, Bauer Total One P92 87 flex Gloves: Vapor 10 Elbows: Bauer comp Shins: Nike Quest v12 Pants: Bauer Supreme 2000

Product: Reebok 11k Helmet - Large Time Used: 4 months Personal Specs: 22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs, Hat Size: 7 3/8'' On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey Fit: 9/10 This helmet has a very good overall fit, which is further assisted by the adjustability provided by the fit clips and the occipital lock microdial. Compared to other helmets I tried, such as the Cascade M11 and Bauer 9900 the RBK 11k sat lower on my head which I felt gave a better fit. The Occiptial lock microdial helps a lot with fine tuning of the helmet, but there are two lock settings for the entire dial - a high and low, though the lock does not seem to want to stay in the lower position without first loosening the dial and putting on the helmet and then tightening it. The interior foam liner is very comfortable and in general the helmet feels like a well fitting hat. I was in between the medium and large size and was instructed to size up, which has treated me quite well. Protection: 10/10 As I said before, the helmet comes down quite a bit on the head, sitting just above the eyebrows and extending down the back of the head quite a bit giving ample protection. I have taken a few good shots including a slapshot off the top of the helmet without any issue. I removed the ear protectors as I felt they were not adding to the protection of the helmet and have not noticed any problems in doing so. Weight: 10/10 Compared with previous helmets I have used this helmet is on the lighter side, although there is enough to the helmet for me to feel sufficiently protected. Durability: 10/10 I have not had a single issue with this helmet during my time of use. Breathability: 10/10 I sweat quite a bit because of my longer hair, and this helmet keeps my head at a good temperature in any situation, from hot arenas to cold outdoor shinny games. I would say the helmet has excellent breathability. Intangibles: There are many colorway options for this helmet's inserts, which I think may help match team colors and can provide an extra bit of customization for wearers. Conclusion: This is a great helmet, it does everything that a solid hockey helmet should do, and despite the somewhat steep price tag you can't really be too careful with your brain. Final Score: 9.8/10

Bauer TotalOne Flex: 102 Curve: P92 Personal Specs: 22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs. On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey Use: 2.5 Months Aesthetics: 10/10 This stick looks great, I love the matte look of the blade, and the subtle but sharp graphics. The stick I got is pro stock model, which was grey graphics on a black stick and looked damn sexy. Weight and Balance: 1010 The stick is quite light, although still has enough weight to it that you can comfortably knock the puck off someone else's stick. It's great for stick checking and is heavy enough so that when hit it does not have a complete mind of its own. The balance is great, very easy to control one handed while poke checking or shielding the puck with your body. Blade: 10/10 This blade is excellent, there is incredible puck feel and flex while the checkered matte finish looked great. The blade was very consistent, which was a nice change because all passes and shots made the same way reacted the same. I did break the blade of this stick, but it was an unfortunate play where the stick was jammed into the boards head on and any stick would have broken under these circumstances. Shaft and Flex: 10/10 The mid kick of this shaft was very easy to get used to, very easy to pre-load in a shot and quite predictable. The kick is perfect for any range of shots, from a big slapshot to a simple snapshot it was easy to put the puck where you want it to go. The concave square shaft felt nice in my hands, and the non grip finish was great. Passing is very easy with this stick, even though I had a fairly stiff stick it was still easy to put a puck tape to tape. Stickhandling and Passing: 10/10 Stickhandling with this stick is a breeze, the blade provides exceptional puck feel and I find myself knowing exactly where the puck is on my stick without having to look at it. Passing is very easy with this stick, even though I had a fairly stiff stick it was still easy to put a puck tape to tape. The p92 curve is also perfect for saucer passes as it got the puck up and sat it flat in the air. Shooting: 10/10 The mid kick is perfect. This is easily the best shooting stick I have ever used, the puck explodes off the blade, and accuracy is pinpoint. Durability: 10/10 The stick is quite durable from what I have found, I do a lot of stick checking as a defense man and it held up to that test. I broke the blade after 2.5 months of use, but this was not a fault of the stick it went straight into the boards and snapped like any other stick would. Unlike other sticks, the Total One did not chip as easily as others on the blade and shaft from stick on stick contact, which was a major bonus for me as many of my other sticks have fallen due to this. Conclusion: The Bauer Total One is without a doubt the most fun I have had with a hockey stick in a long time. It was everything I expected it to be and lived up to the hype. Quite lite and perfectly balanced, it is easy to shoot pass and check with, and puck feel is incredible. It is priced competitively with other sticks of this caliber and I feel would make a great addition to any stick quiver out there. Final Rating: 10/10

Product: Graf Ultra G35 Skate - Size 9.5, Felt Tongue with Yellow Super Feet installed. Time Used: 14 months Personal Specs: 22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs, regular/wide forefoot, narrow heel, little to no arch. On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey Background: My skate history has been simple: CCM Tacks including 752 and 1052 . Once CCM discontinued this line, and it was time to purchase a new pair of skates I decided to give Graf a shot. I went with the top of the line, as I felt this would be a pair of skates that should last me quite some time. Fit: 9/10 After heat molding these skates, and wearing for a couple weeks I noticed that I was getting cut by side of the boot about 2'' about the talus bone (ankle bump). I had been used to my broken down Tacks with little ankle support, so the new ultra stiff boot was a big change for me. After tightening up the upper part of the boot the problem stopped. The width fits my foot quite well, and being sure that I keep from over tightening the lower half of my laces I have no foot issues with these skates at all. Protection: 7/10 On defense I take a lot of shots off the feet. The felt tongues are a huge help when taking a puck off the laces, however the sides of the skate leave a little padding to be desired. I have had quite a few bruised feet and ankles as a result of taking pucks, but this is nothing surprising. They are nowhere near as padded as the CCM Tacks, but they also weigh quite a bit less, so sacrifices had to be made. Blade/Holder: 8/10 The skates came with Graf's stock NT-Lite Ultra 5000 holder and blade system. The forward pitch was a big change for me as a defenseman, skating backwards initially felt quite strange but I had the blades re-profiled to a more neutral pitch and was quite happy with the results. The blade's steel leaves a little to be desired as I noticed they get nicked quite easily, but they do hold a good edge. Weight: 9/10 For me these skates are plenty light. Moving from CCM Tacks, the Graf boot is noticeably lighter, although not the lightest boot on the market this is most likely due to the traditional materials used in this skate. I have no issues with the weight, but compared to a other brands top end skates it is noticeable. Durability: 10/10 I have been using these skates for more than a year now and they show no real signs of use other than cuts from other skate blades. I take out the insoles and dry them after each use on the ice and this has seemed to keep up the appearances and functionality. They have retained their ultra-stiffness throughout this time as well, which is nice as you do not have to get used to a floppy boot. Performance: 10/10 This skate does everything I need it to do. I do not feel like I lose any energy in the boot, and as a stiff boot it still has enough flex when needed. Intangibles: The skates look great, a classic skate look: black with white felt tongues. I have found that if on the ice for many back to back sessions, the skate may not dry due to the materials but if you have a semi-heated dry room to store them in it should be no problem. Conclusion: As on of the top end skates on the market these skates initially disappointed me. I was expecting to step into a boot that would fit my feet perfectly, was was instead presented with something that cut my foot and was a pain to use. After correcting my lacing technique and changing the pitch of the blade I was much happier. These skates were my first experience with Graf and all things considered I am happy with them. The skates are prone to cuts, because the outer is Graf`s leather like material, but that`s just part of hockey. Final Score: 8.5/10