Andoy

so those gloves are not ccm? i have been looking everywhere for those gloves if you are willing to look past the branding on the cuff, i'm pretty sure you can EASILY pick up a pair of similar gloves ;)

The core pads look interesting. Most girdles don't have sufficient (if any) kidney and back protection.

Foot shape: wide forefoot, med arcd. Coming from: Vapor XX Usage at time of review: 6 months, 3-4 times a week. Intro After doing alot of research I was steered into the direction of the one90s. I was looking for a skate that would last me more than 1 year and fits properly. Fit The one90's fit is unlike any other. The zero negative space concept means that the skate forms to your foot and feels like a sock. Right off the bat they felt great without any obvious pressure points. A few days later I noticed that my left heel was slipping a little bit. This is due to my narrow heels. The one90s are so thermoformable that a little bit of heat with your heat gun and you can literally mold them with your hands! These skates are now an extension of your body. Blade/Holder The LS2 Power features a longer runner, something that I was able to adapt to without any problems after 3-4 skates. Supposedly the holders are stiffer and while I do not feel the difference it was a pleasant surprise to find out that the steel that comes with these holds an edge very well and does not chip unlike the steel in my vapors. This is a good thing because there isn't much steel in the first place. Weight The way skates are these days, weight is no longer an issue. Durability So far so good. These have taken pucks, rubbed off the boards and they don't show signs of wear aside from cuts to the toes. Conclusion Aside from the price tag, I don't have much to complain. The fit, comfort, weight and the durability of the skate so far seems to be meeting the majority's expectation. If your foot fits, I highly recommend that you consider these skates. Special thanks to OTG and Hockeymom for their insights and helpful threads!

So what they made the colors worse and added an X? Seriously though, can I expect 06 ice skates to start droping in price soon? Id really like to convert a high end pair to inline. No. I wouldn't bet on it.

User 5'10 155lbs 85 flex Iginla Curve used for 8 months before review Background After some consideration I decided to give OPS one more shot. Enter the Synergy ST. It is fairly light at 450grams and has a reputation for being one of the more durable sticks in the market. Blade The blade is very solid,durable and has a 'hot' face. I prefer my sticks that way. It is also very stiff even 8 months into it. Shaft The shaft shape is more of a traditional shape, but is a little concave. It also kicks Passing and shooting This stick is really good. Because of the good feel offered by this stick giving and recieving passes is much easier. My shots feel solid and there's no lag when the shaft kicks. [9/10] Balance This being a one piece is very balanced compared to the shafts i have used. Because of the light weight of the blade, you can completely wrap the blade in tape, wax it like crazy, and it'll still feel good. [10/10] Intangibles I like the blue colour even if it stands out. I was a big fan of mission's 'beemer blue' and this stick kinda reminds me of my old m-1. The graphics stay on (they don't peel off) and for those that care about cosmetics this stick still looks good even after 8 months of abuse. Durability Easton has created a tank of a stick while keeping the weight down and the performance up. The problem is that the ST is not completely bulletproof. While the shaft and blade are durable, the part of the stick where the shaft meets the top of the blade is not durable. My first ST i broke in that spot and it broke right at the hosel when i took a simple slapshot when clearing a puck out of our zone. Luckily it was stil in warranty. The replacement i got held up well until a slash at that same area. A huge chunk was missing. [6/10] Final Thoughts I would recommend this stick. It's reasonably priced, a good performing stick. Durability is fairly good with the exception of the hosel. But for me I would probably just stick back to tapered shafts.

I know how KORs are a low cut skate. How does it compare to the cut of the vapors? And also for those that have used these skates how is the durabilty on them so far?

8rinks? yep. haha i play in that league currently. my name is on that cup! ;)

Helmet: Mission Intake w/ Itech Aviator Visor (HS22?) Shoulders: CCM 752 (Canadian tire SMU) Elbows: CCM 752 (Canadian tire SMU) Shins: Nike V10 Pants: Mission M2 Skates: Bauer Vapor XX Stick: TPS R2 w/ Harrow composite blade (#4), Mission M1, CCM Vector 100 Gloves: Nike Quest 2 Base Layer: Puckskin longsleeve

I am having THE exact same problem as you. bump in the heel, 5'oclock position. That is because your heel is positioned too low that it the area that needs to be padded isn't covered. If you can find a way to put heel lifts inside your skates they should feel MUCH MUCH better.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the X100 deluxe and X100? Both frames are polycarbonate (dx is mirror, reg. is tinted). dx shield has anti scratch coating?

its bad attention in the way that people are gonna be embrassed to buy their stuff Don't be so sure. Judging from the initial reaction alot of people here in Vancouver like the new Warrior line. Good or bad, i think Warrior struck gold with their marketing campaign. Like the what the other poster said, any publicity is good publicity!

Is there any difference construction/material-wise from the Harrow v3 tapered composite blades and the 06 christian ones?

Those skates fit nothing like the XX You beat me to it! the 8000 is more like the XX or the XXX :lol: 8000s felt completely different than XX's to me Really, the 8000 are'nt like the XX. heh not even close!

I just got a pair of XXs and coming from a pair of 8000s they don't feel the same at all. Do you use waxed laces? If so that may be the case. Also, try skipping eyelets.

These look awesome. The Symth Curve looks like a Kovalchuk pro. Too bad we don't get Warrior/Innovative here in western Canada :(

Length of usage before review: 5+ months Used with Louisville R2 shaft. Intro: I have used several blades prior to using Harrow's V3 tapered composite blade (Easton Synthesis, Synthesis hybrid, R2, Bauer XV) and none of them have lasted me more than 2 months. Since none of these blades offered a Recchi equivalent, I decided to brave it out give the Harrow blade a try which turned out to be one of my best hockey investments to date! Contsruction: "These high modulus carbon graphite blades are made with a woven reinforced sock and a foam-injected core for reduced vibration and enhanced feel. The low-kickpoint design lowers the flex for added puck velocity." -taken from Harrow's site. Stiffness: When i first recieved the blade i tried bending it as hard as i could and it was very stiff. 5 months later after use and abuse it still has the same stiffness. I tried bending my R2 blade after 2 months and it twisted rather easily. 10/10 Weight/Balance: The blade is fairly light but felt slightly bottom heavy when paired to my R2. The R2 was the lightest blade I've ever used and the Harrow V3 blade is around the same weight as the Bauer XV. The hosel is slightly longer compared to most tapered blades. It's slightly bottom heavy (slight!) but it it may not feel that way when couple with a shaft that's a bit more heavier like the 6k. 8/10 Stickhandling/Passing/Recieving passes: I find that the stiffness of the blade contributes to good puckfeel. The foam injected core does a good job of dampening hard passes and pucks rarely bounce off the blade. I find that the feel is similar to a Bauer XV blade.9/10 Shooting: Shooting is very good with this blade. Little energy is lost in the transfer when shooting with this blade and the stiffness of it results in a quicker release compared to wood blades. 9/10[ Durability: When I was at Harrow's site, I read that they had a 30-day warranty on their blades. To best of my knowledge, no other company offers a warranty on their blades (I think Mission does this as well but I'm not too familiar with their products). Aside from your regular scratches, this blade is holding up very very nicely...the R2 and the other blades lasted me only 2 months while this has already doubled the lifespan of my other blades. And it's still as stiff as when I first got it. Intangibles: For those that like to spray paint the bottom of their shaft/blades back, Harrow has already done this for you! The decals do not peel off with your taping...call me anal but for something you've spent money on you don't really want it to look shoddy after 1 tape job. A gazillion tape jobs later, my V3 blade still looks fairly new. One thing i'd like to add. Their blade patterns are "clones" of Bauer's and Easton's patterns but they're not exactly like it. For example, Easton's Sakic pattern is a 1/2 mid curve while Harrow's Sakic clone is a 1/2 Heel. Just look closely when browsing at their pattern chart. Conclusion: There IS an alternative. For only $39CAD you could have one of the most durable composite blades in the market. Most hockey companies have sacrificed durability for performance. Harrow/Christian have found a nice medium to that in a blade that delivers exceptional performance without sacrificing durability. Performance wise I recommend the R2 but if you want something that performs almost like it but is much more durable, I highly recommend the Harrow V3 composite blade.

Mission M-1 100 flex Reviewer 5'9" 150 lbs. Other sticks used: CCM Vector 100, Easton Synergy, TPS R2 Usage before review 2+ months My first high end OPS. I expected good things out of it and boy did it ever deliver! Flex: 8/10 (Personal Preference) While i usually prefer whippy sticks, I did not have any problems whatsoever adjusting to the slightly stiffer 100 flex. This stick has a long taper and it flexes uniformly and returns back into shape very well. Feel/Stickhandling/Passing: 10/10 Mission uses a soft blade in the M1. It has both pros and cons(more on that later) but let's talk about the pros first. Feel is amazing with this stick. It usually takes me a while to adjust to new OPS because most graphite blades are very hard and I end up having to keep my head down just to make sure i still have the puck. With the M1, there is no transition phase...which is important because you shouldn't have to worry about these things in the first place. Passing and stickhandling is excellent because it feels like you're one with the puck. Shooting:: 10/10 Of all the sticks/shaft combos i've used, the M-1 has the best "kick" hands down. Whether you're just a beer leaguer or playing competitive hockey, you will feel that your shot's velocity will have increased. Not saying that your 30mph slapshot will change into 80mph, but you will feel a change in shot power for sure. Accuracy is also very impressive with this stick, the shaft does not twist or torque and as a result, shots will be consistent. Durability: Shaft [10/10] Blade [3/10] I went out for a morning skate and took maybe 5-10 slap shots when I noticed that my blade felt softer than usual. To my surprise when i took off the tape, there were large cracks running throughout the face of the blade as well as the heel! I was really disappointed because the M1 quickly became my favorite stick and for this to happen...well it sucks! On the other hand, the shaft is one of the most durable shafts in the market. On what would be a nick or a heavy scratch on the Synergy, Vector 100, and R2..would just be a little paint chip on the M1. In the 2 months I've been using the stick it has been slashed and even stepped on yet it still looks pretty new. Intangibles The shaft shape is your traditional box shape...maybe a bit rounder than Easton sticks. It's all PP here so I'm just going to leave it at that. The M1's paint job is very appealing. The Beemer blue is eye catchy yet surprisngly not distracting when playing on the ice compared to some paintjobs we see out there (synthesis grip, TPS R2, Xn10, etc.). I wish Mission offered their L-2 in the Beemer Blue paintjob...I will be the first person to get one if they do! Conclusion Mission has created a very solid stick that can perform with the rest of the high end OPS out there. People who buy this stick will be surprised with how well this stick performs. Unfortunately the durability of the blade is what has turned me away from getting another M1. People who take wristshots and snappers should be alright, but heavy slappers is another story. But I think Mission has addressed this problem with the new Hex-1 stick. I will however, plan on getting an L-2 shaft in the future. If the L-2 is as durable and can perform like the M1 shaft, then I'm there!

CCM Vector 100/Stiff Flex RH Recchi Curve Reviewer 5'9" 150 lbs Other sticks used: Mission M-1, Easton Synergy It was the first OPS that I got (79.99 cdn!) but when my friends got me an M-1 for my birthday, it became my backup. 2 months later when my M-1 broke, I've started to use it and still do to this day. Flex: 7/10 (Personal Preference) I am not really a fan of stiff sticks. I only got it because it was on sale. Like the previous reviewer said, this stick flexes smoothly but it doesn't have that kick like most high end OPS. Maybe it would've done me better if they had regular flex available but if you are the right person for this flex, it will work you wonders. Feel: 6/10 Coming from the M-1 which offers superior feel (blade was soft and had a foam core), I struggled to corral passes for a while because the blade was thin and very hard but when I got used to it, it was smooth sailing although once in a while I would get the odd bounce off my blade. For a low end OPS you can't really complain! Stickhandling: 8/10 Because of the avg feel of the blade, I couldn't keep my head up for a while when handling the puck. But when I was finally able to, it was alright - not the best! The shaft felt solid. The blade of the stick is bulky compared to most OPS. Passing: 10/10 This is where the 100 excelled. The Recchi curve is perfect for passing. I'm a defenseman so getting your passes to your forwards is crucial. It seems like this curve really loves the long stretch and saucer passes. Recieving passes is not that bad either. Shooting: 8/10 Because of the bulky blade, slapshots are hard to do with this stick. Wrist shots are pretty good though. I can get a pretty hard wrist shot with this sucker. The only thing about this stick is that it doesn't have a quick release like most OPS. Durability: 8/10 The shaft can take a pounding. After taking and recieving slashes it seems like the shaft can come back for more. Durability with the blade is another story though, the toe of the blade started to split after a 5+ games. This has also happened to 4 of my friends that use the same stick. Overall it is a durable stick, it's lasted me 8 months so far. Intangibles Picky people probably won't buy this stick. It's ugly! The orange/diarrhea colour will probably turn off most people - heck if it wasn't for the sale I probably wouldn't even considred this stick! I'm not really a fan of the radius shape as I prefer traditional shaft shape. It sorta hurts my hand if I don't have a proper grip on it. For a low end OPS, the CCM Vector 100 is nicely balanced and can outperform most sticks that share its price range. It's also pretty durable and if you tape the toe of the blade from the very beginning, you should be able to avoid the toe splitting problems for a while. I would recommend this stick to people that want a starter OPS. It's definately a bang for your buck especially if you can get in on sales!