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Thanks, all. This is great! Just made a big Amazon order. And, @xstartxtodayx, agree completely about washing gear being the most helpful. Appreciate your tips on approach. In the past, I'd always just gone the conventional detergent route, but will give your method a try

I've tried many over the years, but just curious if anyone has a favorite.

I'd check out the Vapors. I have skinny lower legs, and when I was looking a few years back, I found them to be the narrowest option (or at least the option that fit me best).

I'm planning to try customs for my next skates, but worth noting that customs can feel like a bigger risk than retail, even if the price tag is similar. That's in part because you can try on traditional retail skates before you buy, but also because return and warranty policies have gotten much more attractive of late. Pure offers the 30 days on all skates, True off the shelf come with the fit guaranty, and up until very recently CCM had the long warranty policy. Dropping a lot of cash on a pair of skates can be stressful, but the ability to try them on before you buy and know that you can skate on them and return no questions asked can make the big cash outlay feel a little safer. The upside of customs is incredible, and I know many folks on here have spoken about good customer service experiences with SVH if there were fit issues, but the risk for many consumers may still appear greater.

Those look great! If you don't mind my asking, how much did those set you back? Also, did you have a flex thumb option?

I have one of the round 70 flex redlines in a Benn pattern. The shape reminds me of an old Easton Cyclone that I had in the early '00s. The Pro may be even a bit rounder than the Cyclone was. I don't have particularly big hands, so YMMV, but I like the shape/feel, and it isn't too round at all for me. That said, I haven't used a 70 flex stick since that Cyclone (when I was a freshman in high school). Since then, I've played with everything from 77-110. I sometimes feel like the stick is a bit "insubstantial." To be clear, I like it, and it handles well, but in puck battles or if I take faceoffs, the combination of flex and shaft dimensions occasionally make me feel a bit like I'm playing with a junior or intermediate stick. If there were a non-custom option to get the round shaft with a 77 or 85 flex, I would grab a few of those in a heartbeat.

It looks like CCM will stop offering the 90-day satisfaction guarantee after this month. I've never used the guarantee/warranty before. I was hoping to try a couple of skates before the window closes, but I wanted to confirm the terms. I realize that it says "no questions asked," but I also imagine that there are some limits or checks in place. If I bought two pairs (ideally trying FT4 Pros and 100ks), am I right to think I could skate on both and then return one or both? Or, does the policy generally only apply to one pair at a time? Apologies if this has been covered before - I think it has, but I can't find the thread. Many thanks.

I've used girdles for about 25 year, and I got a bunch of advice on here a couple of years back when I was looking for a replacement for my very old Tackla girdle. (Thanks, @xstartxtodayx!) I was able to try on a bunch and didn't love the offerings I tried from Bauer, CCM, & Warrior. The Bauer full wrap style didn't work for me either, and neither the CCM or Warrior offered me the same fit I was used to - both were fine, but felt more like I was wearing traditional pants. I actually wound up ordering a JAMM 5000 after some discussion on here. I hadn't been able to try one on in advance, but the JAMM appeared to be a rebranded Tackla girdle, and it was - it fits exactly like my old Tacklas (albeit not stretched out from many years of use). There are more limited adjustment options than on some of the newer major brand offerings - just a belt and draw string, so no velcro or length adjustment offerings. I've been very happy with it. It's comfortable & as protective as I need for beer league. And, in fairness, it's just as protective as the models that I wore through high school and college without incident. I'm a taller, skinnier guy, so I can imagine that the limited adjustability might matter less for me than for folks with giant quads, etc.

Thanks, @VegasHockey & @Sniper9. @Sniper9, I've only used SuperFeet, not speed plates, but I should check them out. How have you found the Cat Pros in comparison to other skates when it comes to pronation? I understand, of course, that there's no better way to figure out if skates work for you than by trying them. But, the custom dynamic complicates matters. And, I'm a bit wary because I felt like I was pronating more in the Cat9s than I was used to in other skates.

Many thanks, @VegasHockey & @Sniper9. That's very helpful. I was pronating significantly on one foot w/the Cat 9s, and I couldn't get a great heel lock (I have narrow feet). I like the idea of the lighter skate and greater forward flex that the Cat Pro offers, but I worry that the same issues I encountered w/the Cat 9 would recur w/the Cat Pro. I assume that the SVH custom would take care of the heel issue, but I don't know if the pronation issue would necessarily be better.

For folks who have opted for the Catalyst Pro skates instead of the SVH customs, I'd be very curious to know why. I understand going for the Cat 9--at least at my LHS they are significantly cheaper and are available immediately off the shelf. But, at my LHS the price difference between the Cat Pro and the SVH custom is actually relatively small. The Cat 9s didn't work for me, and I haven't found an option I love at retail, so I am considering going the custom route. I'm trying to figure out if there's any reason to consider the Cat Pros instead of the SVH customs. Thanks!

Apologies - I didn't realize they had made a big change. So, OP, please disregard my Verbero take, but my PSHS rec still stands. @Stewie & @Hills: I'm not a big social media guy. What have they been up to?

I've used both Verbero and Prostockhockeysticks. I picked up a couple of the Verbero Cypresses some time ago when they were on a big sale, and they were not good. Like All Black sticks and a number of smaller brands out there, the savings become negligible because they play like what I would imagine a budget stick should play like. Which is to say, if your point of comparison is a cheap stick from the major brands, the Cypress might be ok (or even might better) than the major brand option. But, if you're looking for something that will perform more like a higher-end stick, the Cypress won't. They felt heavy to me (a balance issue, I believe), and the puck feel wasn't good. Like a bunch of folks on here, I liked prostockhockeysticks a lot better. As @Stewienotes, it can be tough to do apples to apples comparisons with these because part of the draw is getting unusual curves/specs. So, if you're anything like me, you might wind up with sticks where you don't have a good retail comparison on hand. That said, I've gotten four and been happy with all of them. They're light, puck feel is good, and the curve/customization options are great. (The rounded shaft option really is excellent.) I haven't played with a high-end retail stick for a long time, so I can't offer a comparison there. But, they compare well to pro stocks that I've used. I will note that I've found the flex ratings a bit inconsistent, but that's not unique to PSHS. Overall, I'd recommend PSHS over big name retail because of cost. I like them as an alternative to buying pro stock off of SLS because it's easier and reliable. Geppetto (the guy who runs the brand/site) seems very nice, and I like what he's doing. But, if you can find what you want on prostockhockey or on SLS (from a seller that you trust), those might be cheaper/better alternatives.

I had one of these in a Forsberg pattern - great stick.

I'm pretty sure I could do with less volume than I have in the 70ks. They never fit me like a glove, and actually probably are a bit too bulky for me, but I've been happy in them more because they remind me of a traditional boot, so I can tie them tight and still get a bunch of forward flex. To @Sniper9's comments, the slight give in the boots means I've probably noticed fit issues less (even if the extra give in the boots might mean they don't perform as well as stiffer skates I've had).