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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.

Many thanks, xstartxtodayx!

althoma1: this is fantastic. Thanks so much for all the advice.

I'm just getting back on the ice after an injury & the pandemic kept me out the past season and a half. I now have an excuse to replace some gear that has seen better days: Jofa elbows pads and Hespeler shin pads that I played with through college and have had since almost the turn of the millennium and a Bauer 5500 helmet. Sadly Jofa and Hespeler have gone the way of white Nike skates, so no chance I'm getting "more of the same." And, I know that helmet technology and offerings have changed a lot in the last decade. Question for the group: what would be your pick if you were looking for a new helmet, and a new set of shin and elbow pads? I play beer league these days (B/C), and I'd rather spend more on the fun purchases (sticks, skates, gloves), but I also don't want to penny wise and pound foolish. Hoping to swing by my LHS to try some stuff on, but any advice would be appreciated greatly!

As a longtime Leetch --> Lidstrom --> Getzlaf user, I feel your pain.

I'd be really curious to know if the demise of wooden blades has led to more standardization in pro curve usage & pro stock patterns. In the days when you could take a torch to your blade, it was cheaper and easier to experiment. Whereas, I can imagine that - in our current market - many players have become accustomed to the retail offerings and might be less likely to mix it up or fix something that isn't broken once they are better positioned to acquire custom curves. I could, of course, be wrong, and would be curious to hear from folks who are more knowledgeable about stick acquisition & customization at higher levels...

I'd love to see All Black or one of the budget stick brands that caters to beer leaguers just double down and sell their sticks in vintage patterns. Anyone else remember the black and white Louisville Lockjaw blades with the wicked hooks? Or the Easton Eurocurve? I think it would be a niche market, to say the least...

I've been skating in Ribcor 70ks for a few months now. I have a very narrow foot and, as a result, hadn't skated in a CCM since the VacuTack days. I, too, was skeptical about the claims that the skate would accommodate all foot types. But so far I've been pretty happy. The boot is definitely softer than most of the other to-of-the-line offerings from Bauer & CCM, but - for a beer league consumer - I think it's a solid option. It doesn't require the same kind of extensive break-in time that some of the other options do, which is great for those of us who might not be skating enough to get through the break-in period quickly. I do worry a bit about how fast the skates will break down. But, honestly, at this point in my playing "career" I'd probably rather have a skate that's comfortable for most of its life and then breaks down, then a skate that's too stiff and then too soft (my experience with my last pair of Bauers). FWIW, I am a big fan of older model skates and had been attracted to the Nexus as a more traditional boot, but found it much too wide. The Ribcor offers me some of the same feel, while offering a better fit for a narrow foot. To the earlier comments, I lace mine pretty tight, but - because of the construction - I find it comfortable to do so.

+1 on the Ribcors if you decide not to go the full custom route. The feel reminds me a lot more of skates that I loved from the pre-composite-boot days. Like you, I wasn't wild about the Vapors or Jetspeeds out of the box, and I second the comments about baking helping a lot, but not everything. I don't know anything about the 80ks, but I've been happy with my 70ks. They certainly aren't as stiff as the top-end Vapors & Jetspeeds, but I found them to be very comfortable out of the box.

Thanks - greatly appreciated. As with sticks, etc., I always feel like the question with non-major-brand gear is the relative value. It's one thing to pay half the price for gloves that are good, but not quite as good as the top of the lines from Bauer, Warrior, etc. It's another to go out and buy an entry-level glove at an entry-level price, thinking that you're getting a deal on a high-end glove. I've had this experience plenty of times with sticks - i.e., it's not that the off-brand sticks are ripoffs. It's that they - all too often - perform like similarly priced major brand sticks. So there's no real savings, and you wind up buying gear/sticks of a quality you wouldn't otherwise purchase.

Has anyone tried the Verbero gloves? I found a great deal on the Cypress 4 Rolls. I'm a sucker for "traditional" style/4-roll gloves (I'm a longtime Eagle wearer), and I was considering picking up a pair. But I was curious if anyone had tried them on/had any experience with Verbero gloves, generally. Thanks!

Ty, I hope you'll take JR up on this offer. Personally, I would be thrilled to have more brand (and pattern) options available and am always enthusiastic about supporting small business. But, like many other folks on here, I've had my fair share of bad experiences with non-brand-name sticks that offer the world and perform poorly.

That's my recollection of how the VacuTacks worked back in the day. The boots came without the blades, and (unless I'm mis-remembering) were heated before being placed in a vacuum bag.

I had a couple of pairs, and I remember the experience being pretty uncomfortable as well. That said, I remember the skates fitting great (the last pairs of CCMs I bought before my current 70ks). JR's point about improving materials eliminating the need for the process/extra piece of equipment sounds right to me (like most of JR's points). But I do wonder if vacuum+heat molding of great materials might make some of us hesitate a little longer before going the custom route.