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Many thanks! I had assumed based on the review that you had gone w/the medium, but thanks for clarifying. And, many thanks for all of the extremely helpful feedback on the STX gear overall

Very helpful - thanks!

About to do the same. One question: Curious if anyone has thoughts on shoulder sizing (for the Surgeon RX3) for folks between sizes. I'm in the large in terms of height, but on the skinny size. Tempted to go with medium so I can take better advantage of the lower profile/form fitting features of the pads. I know this question came up earlier in the thread, so just checking back it.

Any chance you've tried the STX surgeon shins? There's a big sale on their site, and I'm tempted to try them out.

I'm trying to decide between Vapor and Supreme shins. I like the Supremes, but I haven't been able to try on the Vapors in the right size. I'd go with the Supremes, except that I wear my tongues out, and I get the sense based on reviews and product descriptions that the Vapors might be a lower profile, making it more comfortable to wear them under, rather than over tongues. Does anyone have experience with both lines? Any advice would be appreciated greatly.

After a lot of agonizing, I wound up ordering the JAMM girdle. It just arrived today, so I haven't skated in it yet. But on first examination and after trying it on, it seems almost exactly like my old Tackla. The only difference (other than branding) is the butt pad (not the technical term, I realize), which feels more like the pads on more modern girdles than like the old-school Tacklas - i.e., multiple pads, rather than a single one. I obviously can't speak to the quality yet or on-ice performance, but I will say that I'm very pleased with the fit and prefer the feel and profile to the True, Bauer, and CCMs that I've tried on. Here's hoping that it holds up. And, regardless, I'll share my impressions once I skate in it.

Update on the girdle: I tried Eagle, but told me that they hadn't made girdles in eight years but couldn't help me out. I'm currently thinking I might go with the True or try the JAMM. I worry about the JAMM because it's an unknown brand, but if it really is the same as the Tackla, that's something I know and like. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try on the True. But, based on some posts on here and the photos, I get the sense that it's similar to the Warrior, but a bit more adjustable and has a bit more protection. I liked the Warrior, but I didn't love the thigh pads, which struck me as a bit too wide (i.e., they felt like they could/should have been more curved to get the girdle, rather than pant, feel). I wonder if the adjustability in the Warriors would solve this issue.

They definitely are longer than my Jofas! It's hard to believe that I used to wear wrist slash guards because there was so much space between most elbows and the short-cuff gloves that I liked. Times have changed. Fortunately, my Eagle PPFs have a very short cuff. Even with that, it's close. I wish the Warrior elbows were about a half inch shorter, particularly because I don't play in the chippiest league. That said, I think the mobility should be ok for me. And, the off chance of a bit of cuff brushing on pad seems worth the general advantage in flexibility that the Warriors seem to have over every other elbow pad I tried. If there were a comfortable and flexible pad that exposed a bit of forearm, I'd gladly go with that. But all of the smaller pads I tried also weren't very comfortable and actually felt more restrictive than the Warriors. Maybe the STX Surgeons that folks have recommended would do the trick?

How have you found the sizing on the True XC9? I've seen some folks note that it runs long, but I was curious if you'd found that to be the case

+1. I used to skate on Grafs and loved them, but I've read all the accounts of declining quality and, sadly, it's become pretty hard to find them in a lot of shops. So, insight from someone with recent hands-on experience would be great.

Great idea. Which girdle of theirs have you been wearing?

Is anyone familiar with the JAMM girdles? I found a couple online (e.g. https://www.hockeydogs.com/j5000g.html). They look a lot like the Tackla, which is tempting...

I've worn Eagle gloves for years, and am always pleased to come across other Eagle fans. The shoulder pads look great - thanks for the suggestion! Based on photos, the Eagle girdle looks spot on - exactly like the Tacklas of the past. Sadly, I can't find them for sale anywhere, other than a stray pair on Sideline Swap.

Thanks for all the help and for sharing the thread!

Many thanks for the suggestions, althoma1! I'd never heard of STÄRK, but these look pretty nice, and I am always happy to support smaller companies putting out good stuff.

That's the cheapest I've seen them (at least in the States)

I'm checking in with the brain trust again because you all were so helpful with my last request. As I continue to look to replace some very worn-out gear, I'm also considering picking up a new girdle and pair of shoulder pads. Girdle: I'm using an old Tackla that I've had for 15+ years. Based on photos of the 4500, it looks pretty similar. I've been happy with it and would gladly replace with one of the Tackla options, but I can't track down one in my size. I'm looking for something that's comfortable and protective, with the usual caveat that I play beer league these days and am not looking to throw any huge hip checks or earn more PK time by laying out in front of slappers. I've tried on the Warrior Covert, the Supreme ACP Pro, and the Jetspeed. I haven't tried the True, new Tacklas, or any other models. Of the three I tried, the Warriors felt most familiar - I'm not used to the "wrap" style. But I also couldn't tell if they were less protective (and, if so, in a way that mattered for my purposes). Any thoughts? Or, has anyone had experience shifting away from a girdle and finding a traditional pant that you liked a lot? Shoulders: I've been using Bauer Supreme Classic shoulders for a while. I'm hoping to stay with something light and flexible. I've found some Sherwoods that look very similar (the "vintage" lace-up look) on Sideline Swap. But, I was just wondering if anyone had other picks for beer league shoulders. (I know a lot of folks don't even wear them for beer league, but I'd rather not take the risk.) Thanks!

Thanks for the great suggestion. Picked up a pair of Alpha DX today on clearance. I remain intrigued by the STX, but getting these for the same price and being able to try them on made the difference. I preferred the Tacks to the other CCM and Bauer offerings (thanks for the recommendation, xstartxtodayx), but found the Warrior to be more flexible

Interesting, flip12. Any sense of the best contemporary analog to the old Jofa JDP 6035? Based on rooting around online, it looks like the 6035 became the Reebok 6k: http://www.sports2k.com/forum/index.php?/topic/44868-jofa-a-guide-to-elbow-pads/. But, I'm curious if there's something on the market today that's fairly similar.

Thanks, Althoma1! The STX Surgeons sound great. I may root around and try to figure out whether the added padding of the RX3 is worth the extra cash as compared the the RX3.1

I picked up the Tacks 710 with a 580 cage, and I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the advice on that front, everyone. I tried on some elbows but didn't bite the bullet. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the Tacks or Warriors that others had recommended in my size, so I'll see if I can either find another shop that does or try ordering some to the LHS. I was struck by how bulky everything felt that I did try. The protection seemed great for the most part, but everything felt like it would restrict motion. Maybe my impression is distorted because my old Jofas are so broken-in (who am I kidding, worn out) that I hardly notice them and because I'm so far behind the curve on the technology and styles for the pads. Curious if folks have noticed a substantial "break-in" period with newer model elbows, or if you found pairs that struck you as providing more flexibility.

One more helmet question for folks: has anyone had any experience mounting the CCM cages on the Reakt helmets? In my experience cages tend to be standard - I've used the CCM/Jofa on Bauer helmets for years. But the Reakt struck me as having a slightly odd shape, and I have read that some of the newer helmets aren't made to accommodate cages or are only made to accommodate specific cages. If I could only mount the CCM on the 710, I think that would make the decision for me.

Thanks! Will definitely check out the Tacks for elbows and shins.

Thanks, Miller55! Will check out the Supremes. Good call on SLS, but last I checked, Jofa elbows were going for 200+. I love mine, but not sure I could justify that....

Many thanks, Vet88. I tried on a handful of helmets today and am deciding between the Reakt 95 and the Tacks 710.