Andoy

I've been wearing Jofa 6070s for the past 11-12 years which I believe are the 7k equivalents. No problems with them other than the liner ripping over time, exposing the foam inside. The difference between the 7k and 8k is that the kneecap and shinguard is attached by leather/fabric. The 7k kneecap and shinguards are attached together. Calf protection is virtually non-existent in 7ks as 8ks have more calf wrap. Hopefully you can come across a pair to try on in person before purchasing. I didn't realize how much they're going for on ebay.

Keep up the good work! All the aforementioned tips are solid. My 2 cents is to not be afraid to fall (and you will) when learning to skate - I found that this approach helped me figure out my edges faster. Don't forget to wear your padding!

I've been using their sticks (Savoy Special) for a while now and while their blades stay pretty stiff, their shafts whip out pretty quickly.

BASE Savoy Special Flex: 75 Curve: P88 Lie: 6 Length of usage prior to review: 4 months Current level of hockey being played: Beer League Prior sticks used: Warrior Dolomite, NikeBauer Vapor XXXX, Bauer One95 Background: Base has been around for quite some time now but it was just recently that they expanded. Since they're based in my town (Burnaby, BC) it was alot easier for me to drop by and check out the sticks. I got an "off the rack" stick (no customization). For 15 dollars more, customization allows you to choose your own stick colour, blade finish, as well as your name/number and a jpeg logo on your stick. However, since they did not have my flex off their racks, I was forced to a bit over 1 week for my stick to come from the factory which was a little annoying. I did not have to pay any shipping. Anyways, on to the stick: Aesthetics: Regardless of what colour you choose, BASE aren't going to win any beauty pageants compared to other companies' offerings. The primary colour is black with various trims depending on what you choose. I got the retail red/orange trim. 6/10 Shaft: The shaft is rounded and is very simlar to a vapor XXXX/Dolomite. For those that want more girth, I believe they offer a thicker shaft shape. Since it's personal preference I'm not going to give a score. Weight/Balance: Coming from the One95 which was a little heavy compared to most high end sticks (but very balanced), the Savoy Special is lighter. The problem with a lot of the lighter sticks is that they tend to be heavy blade heavy...this stick isn't really blade heavy and feels pretty balanced. 8/10 Blade/Feel: Having been spoilt by the feel of the one95, I was expecting recieving passes to just bounce off the blade. To my surprise, I was able to just resume playing as usual. The blade is very stiff and feels pingy similar to the early generation Warrior Dolimites. By default, all BASE sticks come in Sharksin coating, which is equivalent to Easton's Ztac. Many people I've come across are surprised it chips off easily but most Z-tac sticks I've seen back in the day are just the same. I didn't need it as I tape from heel to toe but a nice touch nevertheless. It is no one95, but the feel is pretty good. If you didn't have hands then, then you won't have hands now. I can stick handle with my head up with confidence. 8.5/10 Shooting: Shooting is great with this stick. I find that it doesn't torque much and for someone that prefers mid-kick point, the low-kick point on this stick is something I got used to. 9/10 Durability: I'll go ahead and make a bold statement and say that beer league is harder on sticks. It's because there is a lot of stick work (especially at lower levels) and hockey sticks are constant to slashes as well as improper shooting technique. I've taken alot of slashes, deflected a lot of pucks and it's still going strong. 9/10 Value: I bought my stick for 159.99 plus taxes. However, if you choose to customize your stick it's an additional $15. On the plus side, if you order the same stick with the same specs, then you don't have to pay the $15 should you wish to purchase the same stick in the future. There's also additional shipping fees if they are to deliver it to your place so it stacks up close to $200ish before taxes if you order a customized stick and have to have it delivered to your place. And with that price range you're probably going to consider other high end sticks that are readily available at your LHS. 9/10 without customization, 7.5/10 w/ customization + shipping fee Conclusion: In my opinion, BASE have a solid stick with lots of customization options that will appeal more towards younger players. It doesn't look like a high end stick but it performs like one. It kicks well when shooting and although pingy, the feel is there. They offer a variety of retail curves offered by the major companies as well as some pro stock patterns. For those that know what pattern/lie they want and just want to go the non-custom route, 159.99CAD is a great deal for a high end stick.

I got quoted 279.99cdn by my LHS. Luckily I found a pair of brand new 5000x's for 99 bucks online. If you live in the US then I'd try somewhere else. On another note, I can back up everyone's posts that Eagle has once again changed the fit of the PPFs. There is no way I can use Eagle gloves anymore because I can't fit in them. The fit is just totally different from when they first came out.

The part where it lists the pattern numbers for the TO stick is kinda blurry but is there a P10 in there?

Whoa. Can anyone here confirm that the new PPFs have the kangaroo pockets? http://www.cyclonetaylor.com/players/gloves/eagleppfsr.html

Now that the stick has been out a few months what's everyone's feedback on the X:60 stick? From a beer leaguer perspective I still see alot of one95s but that could just be because it's still fairly recent. I'm looking for something performance-wise like the xn10 (if possible) and I can get a great deal on either the one95r and X:60 (sorry guys, employee discount).

Anyone here prefer to use iron sights instead of the upgrades? FAL is also my weapon of choice right now...really good for one shot kills and very accurate.

Kudos to Vaughn for having MSH2 palms on most of their glove line. Sucks to hear about the PPF I bought a pair when they first came out and couldn't be happier. Then I tried the second generation ones at my LHS a few weeks ago and they felt a little off. I'm curious to see how the third one feels for myself.

Are the PPF pants = Tackla 5000x?

I felt exactly the same way in regards to turning with FBV. I'll try a deeper setting and see if it corrects my problem but since I've only spent 2 hours on 90/75s i'll give it more time. The additional glide you get on this is unreal!

Thanks for the explanation. Now $10 doesn't sound so bad! Can't wait to try it.