beedee

Forgot to mention I picked up a pair of large, CCM HP45’s at last years Anaheim Ducks sale for only $25. They have worked out great.

I didn't rebake them. In hindsight, I probably should have given that a shot, oh well. I was able to sell them for what I paid, so not a huge deal. This is a great point, and probably why the Hyperlites in the same size and fit as the 3x I tried on when shopping for skates last year felt so big/hollow on my feet when trying them on in the store. My current 3x Pro's have been baked once, skated on in one game since the bake, and one game and one public skate before the bake. I also added Elite Wax Laces after the bake and they have helped achieve some sort of wrap over the top of my feet without the laces slipping and loosening the wrap. They didn't feel quite as "hollow" as the Hyperlites though when trying them on in the store, I'm sure the Hyperlite tongue contributed to some of that feeling.

I went from a 7, Fit 2 Vapor 3x (wore for a year) to a 6.5, Fit 3 Supreme Mach (wore for about 6 months) and am now in a 7, Fit 2 Vapor 3x Pro. (all skates share the same size footbeds, runner and holder lengths) The Supreme Machs felt amazing right out of the box due to the padding, and I did like how the lace facing wraps more over the top of your feet compared to the Vapors. However, once the padding settled in, I found I had too much slop in the ankle area and heel lock was lacking. I used Elite Waxed laces on them (and my other skates). Before someone asks, yes I did try on the Fit 2 Supreme, it was too tight in the forefoot area. Beyond what a breaking in would fix. I went back to my local shop and tried on the Vapor 3x Pro, and it just "felt right". I really wanted another line of skates to work (tried on Trues, yes they were baked), tried and used the CCM warranty on JetSpeeds, RibCores and Tacks (a few games and pick-ups in each) but in the end, the Vapors just work best for me. Hope you figure it out soon, the journey was frustrating but kind of fun.

I took some sand paper (and rolled it up) to the "teeth" of the injected eyelets to dull down the edges before I replaced the original laces with Elite Waxed, all is well. Skates have been great!

Thank you. I put a small dab of E6000 on a toothpick and applied it to the piece that was folded over after wiping it down with rubbing alcohol. Gently applied enough pressure with my thumb for a few minutes and then wedged something between the tongue and the affected area to further apply pressure. Worked out perfectly. I did pick up some waxed (and shorter) laces today, had them on all my previous skates as well. This is my first time owning skates with injected eyelets, hoping they aren’t too much trouble.

Thanks.

I recently acquired these 3xPro's (2nd-hand) and noticed there is a small portion of the liner abrasion reinforcement piece on the medial side of the left skate that has kind of peeled back a tad, and one stitch has come undone. Nothing major by any means, but I'd like to prevent further peelage. I am planning to go to my local shop tomorrow to see what they say, but I know we have some seasoned players in here that may have some suggestions. I was thinking a small dab of some silicone adhesive (Shoe-Goo, E6000, etc.) might do the trick? Maybe just a small piece of black cloth tape over the area and wrapped over the top? Also, would you recommend filing down those little "teeth" in the eyelets? One of the laces already has been shredded a bit.

My experience, I used to wear the Vapor 3x and currently wear the Vapor 3xPros, 7, Fit 2. The Hyperlite in the same size/fit felt bigger to me when trying them on side by side. Could have been due to the Hyperlite tongue, ::shrug::

I remember wearing one of those COOPER neck guards in the late 80's!

These look miles better than the previous generation Tacks (graphics wise).

In theory yes, but in reality, no. Also, the Vapors will have you pitched more forward than the Supremes. I made the switch from 3x Vapors to Supreme Machs earlier this year. At first the Machs made me feel like I was only skating on my heels and the back half of the steel. I quickly adjusted after a few public skates and a couple beer league games.

Might be able to find some on SideLineSwap, eBay, Amazon.

I know you didnt ask, but I've had my Machs for almost 6mo's now and do love them. I have low arches and for me the Machs (and Vapors) didnt irritate my arches like CCM's did. I really wanted the CCM line to work for me, but I found all of them made my arches feel like they were on fire (even with SuperFeet, which I am not a fan of for my foot type). The JetSpeed line was the worst offender regarding arch pain. TRUE's were more comfortable to me (yes they baked them) but Bauer still won out for fit and feel.

I love my Machs.

A friend of a friend grabbed a couple things from the Ducks sale. CCM HP45 Pants for me, and RBK 20k PRO shins($20) for my buddy. The shins are in amazing shape considering their age, my pants are about a 8/10, but for $25, I can't complain!

Did anyone here in SoCal go to the Ontario Reign sale last weekend? I saw the prices from previous years on another forum and they didnt look that great. I live about an hour away but didnt want to make the drive in case the prices sucked. On another note, the Anaheim Ducks sale is this weekend.

I recently acquired a Re-Akt Ti for my Cascade M11 a few months back. Really liking it compared to the original thick bars and heaviness of the M11 cage. I was looking at the newer Profile cages to replace my M11 cage, but I didnt care for the new look of them.

Same with Mark Messier with the Cascade M11, right? I still have mine, fits me really well.

Interesting how there is no copy about the newly implemented facing on the JetSpeed skates in the catalog.

I tried on the FT6 Pro Elbows this weekend at Pure Hockey, I thought they felt great. Light, and locked my elbow in nicely and didn't shift around. Tried on a competitors brand high end elbow and much preferred the overall feel of the FT6 Pro. No binding, odd strap pressure or anything when bending and flexing the elbow in the FT6 Pro. Even just the regular FT6 felt great to me. I didnt get a chance to see if they had the shins, but I would love to try them on next time. I play D and use some old Bauer S150's, they've been good, no real complaints. Wondering if the JetSpeed line overall would be more streamlined compared my S150's?

What didnt you like about the Mach tongues? Mine feel great to me.

I'd love the link too. I've done a few searches but haven't come up with anything. I'd like to add some to the knee-cap portion of my older Bauer S150 shins.

You're welcome, and yes, the extra savings of being in an Intermediate size is awesome! Regarding the pitch, correct. The Supreme had a more "on my heels" feel than my Vapors. So much so that my first public skate in them felt pretty weird, felt like I was only using the back half of the steel! Regarding True's, that is interesting that you felt like you were more on your heels (but you could be right about your old steels contributing to that), most report that they have an even more aggressive pitch than Vapors, making you feel further forward. I have never tried Trues out on the ice, only tried them on in the store. To me, the TF line felt really open in the toe box area (similar to a Vapor), the Catalyst line felt more narrow overall, with more padding in the boot compared to the TF line. My experience with CCM is that they made my arches feel like they were on fire. I have pretty low arch, and even after putting SuperFeet in, the pain was not something that I could ignore. Tried JetSpeeds, SuperTacks and RibCores. Obviously everyones foot is different, so if CCM works for you, that is great! Some good deals on FT4's out there right now!

After wearing Vapors for the last five years or so I ended up in a Supreme Mach. I tried on every CCM and True Catalysts but nothing felt as good as Bauer does on my feet. That being said, I went down a half size and up in a Fit. My Vapor 3x were a 7, Fit 2, my Machs are 6.5, Fit 3. They both have the same length runners/holders/footbeds. The boot length feels VERY similar. The Mach having more volume allows my feet to splay properly without any additional pressure on the outside of my feet. The Vapors did have a bit of pressure on the outside of my feet, as well as on the instep, I wore them for over a year. I tried on Hyperlites in a 7, Fit 2 and they felt like my foot was in a cave. Also, when standing in the Hyperlites, I felt like it was easy for my ankles to "rest" outward, no matter how many lacing variations I tried, they seemed to lean towards the outside edge for some reason. Prior to my old x500 Vapors (which I also never loved) I had Graf Ultra G5, never loved them after 3 years of trying. Before that I was in some Supreme ONE90's (which I don't recall hating). Lastly, my foot scanned at a 6.5 and in between E to EE, closer to EE. 6.5, (my previous x500 Vapors were 7EE). 6.5 Fit 2 in either skate had too much pressure in the outside of my feet, elongating them enough to put too much pressure on the toe caps, enough that even after breaking in I wouldn’t be comfortable in them. I have almost 3 months of using my Machs once to twice a week and love them. Slight adjustment period due to the Supreme being more neutrally pitched compared to the Vapors, but its all good now.

Man, this thread takes me back! I had a pair of those Graf Ultra G5's many years ago. Tried to love them and get my money's worth for 3 years but could never get them quite right after multiple punches and what not. Had the worst bunion pain ever right where the boot met the toe-cap on them. Also had issues with the blade loosening up, and like you, tried blue loctite. I also remember them giving off some crazy "whaaauuunnnnt" vibration noises when stopping.