CTB

Original APX, 77 flex, P92 clone.

My APX2 pro stock family

Crest is stitched, fleur de lis are screened. They're like early/mid 90s CCM replica style jerseys.

Budgetary constraints forced me to go eBay route. I think I spent about $85 combined on mine. Rather save the $ for the new gear anyways :)Thanks for the link though, that's a proverbial candy store.

It was quite hard getting those things off eBay that didn't already have a name number on the back.

Decided that Bauer APX mitts going on sale meant I had a chance to match my teams unis:

Helmet: Bauer 7500 Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: CCM RBZ 150 Gloves: Bauer Vapor APX Pants: Bauer Supreme One 80 Shins: Easton Mako 5 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: Pro Stock Bauer Vapor APX2 Evander Kane (Kreps clone/87/Original TotalOne), Pro Stock Bauer Vapor APX2 Zuccarello (P92 clone/77/Original APX), Bauer Nexus 1000 (P92/87), Pro Stock Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG (Kreps/87/NXG)

Thanks to reading some of the advice here for stripping lettering off jerseys... Before After

Light to dark Mako II E3/85 V9 E3/85 Area 51 Stealth Cammalleri E3 clone/85

Mega Air 90s (as Matix said, ankle pads were ultra comfortable, for vanity reasons I was a huge Bure fan and he wore them for a while) Vapor X 7.0 (current skate, great responsive skate, by default most technologically advanced skate I've owned) Bauer Supreme 3000 (first top end skate I owned) Bauer Supreme 4000 (had a pair custom cut toward the end of my youth hockey days, best fitting pair I had but I suppose didn't have the novelty effect of the 3000s) CCM 252 (first pair of "serious" hockey skates I owned, at least they were better than the glorified recreational pair)

Correct. At not a bad price when they were running a 20% off on their site since this was not counted as a MAP item. No idea how close this is to the retail V9E since my LHS doesn't have any of them in stock. The shaft walls are very square, it does have the elliptical taper. I really like the color scheme (or lack thereof). I was a big fan of the Nexus 1000 and the 1st generation Stealth. The Ribcore is right up my alley aesthetically as well.

Easton Pro Stock Cammalleri Blacked Out Easton (when they were previewing the V9/V9E). This was a precursor to the V9E. 85 flex, E3/P92 clone.

So the major change to the Nexus 8000 is the blade materials?

Helmet: Bauer 7500 Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: Reebok 7K Gloves: Bauer Vapor X7.0 (2, black and special edition white/teal) Pants: Bauer Supreme One 80 Shins: Easton Mako 5 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: Bauer Vapor APX Griptac P14/87, Easton Mako II Grip E3/85, Easton V9 Grip E3/85, Pro Stock Easton preliminary version of V9E Cammalleri E3 Clone/85

Ha, yeah I haven't played with em yet. Just got them today but getting anything with teal on a stock model is so rare. Helps that they're in a model of glove I already own and like.

Bauer Vapor X7.0 special edition gloves paired with my team's jersey. Always tough finding teal in retail glove colorways. Never had white gloves before but I like the model (have a pair in the retail all black too).

A bunch of updates in the last few months. Helmet: Easton S19 Z-Shock + Easton FM700 Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: Reebok 7K Gloves: Bauer Vapor X7.0 (black and a special edition white/teal) Pants: Bauer Supreme One80 Shin: Easton Mako M5 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: Pro stock Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG with tactile grip retail P92L/87 flex, Pro stock Bauer Vapor APX with tactile grip retail P92L/87 flex

Switched up some current gear quite a bit the last few months. Currently going with: Helmet: Easton Stealth S19 Z-Shock Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: Reebok 7K Gloves: Bauer 4 Roll Pro, Bauer Vapor X7.0 Pants: Bauer Supreme One80 Shins: Easton Mako M5 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: 2 Pro stock (from Yale University) Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG Pro stock (also from Yale) Bauer Vapor APX

Is that tactile texture on the Nexus? If it is drooooool. I have that on two NXG and one APX pro stock from the Yale team. Nexus is my favorite of the Bauer line and I would love to get my hands on a Nexus with the tactile texture in either the P88, P92 or P14 up to an 87 flex....at a pro stock price.

Stiffness - 87 flex cut down about 1.5" Pattern - P92L Tactile finish Period of use - Just started using it July of 2013 Reviewer is a C/D beer leaguer. Primarily wing and occasionally D. Side note - This is a pro stock stick, however from what I've deciphered on the pro stock codes, it's the same as the retail APX (P92L pattern, 87 flex, A26B shaft construction). The only difference between this and the retail APX would be the tactile grip texture, which is available on My Bauer anyway. I am also going to make some references to other types of Bauer sticks such as the TotalOne, TotalOne NXG, Nexus 1000 and the older Vapor X:60. I realize this review is a bit late to the party seeing that the APX2 is due to be released soon but maybe this will be useful for people that like to buy the older version of a line when the new one gets introduced on a discount. Blade - 9.5/10 My previous experience with the Vapor line of sticks was the X:60 and to be honest I was not the biggest fan of that model. Some of it might have been due to the fact that I had to buy it off a clearance rack in a pinch and they didn't have the curve I was using at the time (P88) so I had to settle for a PM9 which I just couldn't get used to. The other aspect of the X:60 I didn't like was that the blade played really pingy. Before deciding to venture back to the Vapor line I read up a lot on the reviews of the APX and found that the biggest improvement on the APX was using the same blade as the original TotalOne, a stick I had owned and liked the blade. The blade handles the puck much better than the X:60 and all the issues with puck bouncing off the blade are now a non-issue. I'll be honest though, having used the Nexus 1000 and NXG, the newer blade on those sticks I feel is a hair better than the blade that's on the APX. Shaft/Flex - 10/10 I absolutely love the tactile texture on the shaft. One of the other sticks I own, a TotalOne NXG pro stock had this texture on it and for me it's almost a must have on my sticks now. I've handled both the clear and grip versions of the retail APX and to be honest I don't know which one of those I'd go with if the tactile texture wasn't available. The matte finish on the clear version of the latest line of Bauer sticks just seems a little too slick for my liking. I've never been a huge fan of grip sticks either. I suppose splitting the difference on those versions would be candy caning a clear version. From reading the reviews of this stick before purchasing it, the flex of the APX has seemed to be a common concern with the stick. The dual flex points take a while to get used to. From my experience, I was most heavily playing with a TotalOne NXG with the same stiffness and blade pattern, it takes some adjustment getting used to the dual kick points. While I my hand positioning for wrist shots and stickhandling was roughly the same, I had to place my bottom hand a bit lower for slap shots than I was used to doing on my NXG. The middle portion of the shaft is extremely rigid and if you don't grip at the right spot for the bottom flex point you'll end up with a pretty weak slapper. The shaft shape also takes a little while to get used to if you're coming from a traditional square shaped shaft. In my hands it feels a bit thinner than most square shafts. Stickhandling/receiving passes - 10/10 Puck control is great with the stick. This is where I think the more rounded shaft shape comes into play, I just feel that I can make slightly more deft touches with the puck than the other types of Bauers. Shooting - 9.5/10 I used to be more skeptical when it came to the advertisements about all the high end technology that was being used in sticks, even after I had owned a couple of the nicer models that were available. However, after using all 3 of the Bauer lines of sticks, I can say that in my experience the description of how each stick will affect your shot is pretty accurate. The higher kick point for wrist shots really helps get off very clean and crisp wristers. I don't have the biggest slapper and don't unload it that often during games but I've found that the loading of this stick for slappers isn't quite as good as compared to NXG and Nexus 1000. On those sticks you can really feel the shaft kick when you hit the sweet spot, the APX isn't quite as dramatic but given my general shooting style I can't say it's that big of a detraction. Durability - 10/10 It's held up well, I'm not in an overly physical league but factoring in the normal clashing of sticks, aggressive stick lifts (both giving and receiving), blocked shots none of that has caused any problems. Intangibles 9.0/10 I've never been the biggest fan of the Vapor line's graphics. It's always been a bit more flashy, especially compared to the Supreme and Nexus lines, but since this was a pro stock stick the coloring was modified where the white portion is the same as the grip version but the red has been replaced by royal blue. I think it sort of "cools" the graphics down a bit and I like it better. Still, the stick's performance is the biggest concern for me and while I loved the understated look of the Nexus line, I can live with how this one looks. Conclusion I was a bit skeptical about this stick given my not so favorable experience with the X:60. However given that I had read about improvements to the blade and this time I was able to get this stick in the pattern I preferred along with the shaft texture I enjoy I was willing to give it a shot. It didn't hurt that since it was a pro stock I was paying a bit less than the retail version. I've certainly been won over by the APX. I certainly understand how people might be hesitant to try it given the dual flex points take a while to get used to. I wouldn't say that it's the best stick I've used, but I can see myself really enjoying playing with it for as long as it lasts. Overall score - 9.6/10

Skate: Bauer Vapor X 7.0, Size 9.0, Width D Ht./Wt.: 6'2"/175 lbs Play Level: C/D level adult league. Primarily wing, occasionally D Previous skates worn: Vapor X:40, Size 9.0, Width D (Fall 2010-June 2013), Bauer Supreme 4000 Composite custom sized (late 90's, decade plus break, Fall 2010) Time Frame: June 2013-Present Fit (9.5/10) Let me preface this by saying that I have a very thin and fairly narrow foot. Stock skates are never going to fit me perfectly but a custom job just wasn't feasible at this point in time. Also I have excessively flexible ankles, for those familiar with running shoes I always have to choose the stiffest stability style that prevents over-pronation. ***Update***Switched to waxed laces, they've helped significantly with keeping the boot tight. Depth- No issues, but depth will almost never be an issue with my foot type. Width- The narrower cut of the Vapor line fits my foot as well as any stock cut out there. Toe Cap- No issues. Comfort- Not fully broken in yet but so far there's been no noticeable pain in any areas of my foot. ***Update***I've skated in them enough times to start get them broken in a bit. They feel very stabile yet responsive even with the boot being as stiff as it is. Blade/Holder (10/10) Stock Tuuk Lightspeed 2 with LS2 stainless steel runner Weight (10/10) At my LHS I did a "foot by foot" comparison between these and my old X:40s, these felt considerably lighter. I remembered when I first started looking at the current generations of skates a couple of years ago and picking up the X:60 and marveling how light top end skates had become, given that this is the next generation of the X:60 that still holds true. Protection (10/10) Solid feeling skate, have yet to take a hard shot off of it though. Durability (10/10) Since I've put relatively little use on these skates it's tough to make a fair assessment. However my X:40s held up very well considering I bought them used, I'm going to venture the guess that these will hold just as well. Performance (10/10) Once again referring to my foot type, I'm always going to need a lot of ankle support. My previous pair of skates just weren't getting it done anymore so I decided to move up the model chain. The extra stiffness of the boot makes such a big difference. I was having some issues with my edges slipping a bit in my old skate, particularly the outside edge of my push off skate during crossovers and that has been solved. I was also having an issue with feeling that I was tilted too forward when I was bending my knees particularly on long skating strides up and down the ice. Again, that's been corrected. I can't wait until these get a little more broken in and I get used to them more. Final Words I had long regretted having to move out of my old Supremes given that they were customized and the best fitting skate I had ever worn. For the past few years I had always wondered what a modern top end skate felt like. I know that the APX and APX2 are now considered top of the line skates, I was still intrigued that the X7.0s were a newer version of the X:60s. Not having skated in either of the APXs I can't comment as to how they feel and perform, but I am more than satisfied with the X7.0s. I realize that as of this writing they have been phased out and are no longer in current production, but I'd highly recommend these if you're a Bauer fan and looking to get into one of their top skates.

Equipment Reebok 5K shoulder Reebok 7K elbow Bauer 4 Roll Pro gloves Bauer Supreme One80 pants Bauer Vapor X5.0 shins Bauer Vapor X:40 skates Sticks Easton Stealth S19 Roy/100 Bauer Nexus 1000 P88/102 (2) Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG Prostock coding P92/87/W03/NXGSE

Helmet: Bauer 4500 Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: Reebok 7K Gloves: Bauer 4 roll pro, Bauer Vapor X7.0 Pants: Bauer Supreme One 80 Shins: CCM U+12 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: Bauer TotalOne NXG Pro Stock labelled as P92L/87/NXGSE , Bauer Vapor APX Pro Stock P92L/87/A42A updates in bold

Stiffness - 102 flex cut down about 2" Pattern - P88 Clear Finish Period of use - September 2012 - present Reviewer is C/D Adult League player that goes to plenty of stick and puck sessions. Side note - I was given the Nexus as a replacement for a TotalOne (pre-NXG) I broke right around the time they discontinued the old TotalOne and before they introduced the NXG. I had known about the Nexus line but had not been overly anxious to try one out. Blade - 10/10 Responsive blade that is not overly "pingy". In the high-end Bauer lines I've previously used a Vapor X:60 and Supreme TotalOne (pre-NXG). The feel of the puck falls in between the Vapor and Supreme, less pingy than the X:60 and a little livelier than the T1. The blade has held up well over the length of time I've had the stick with the normal chips but nothing that compromises the feel. I also like the slightly textured coating on the blade. Shaft/Flex - 10/10 The Nexus flex profile seems to go along best with my style of play. I don't have an overly heavy slapper and tend to use this stick when I play as forward and do most of my shooting from the circles on in using more wristers and snap shots. Shots come off clean and allow for a natural follow through where you don't have to feel like you're trying to overcompensate your motion in order to his the sweet spot on the kickpoint. Stickhandling/receiving passes - 10/10 The responsive blade and clean vibration in the shaft make stickhandling a breeze. I can refer to the cliché of "never having to worry about finding the puck on your stick". Hard passes are dampened the appropriate amount and you don't have to worry too much about passes bounces off your blade. Shooting - 9/10 As I mentioned earlier, I don't have a particularly heavy slap shot so I didn't notice any drastic changes using this stick (full disclosure I've started using a Total One NXG in softer flex and have noticed a pronounced effect on my slap shot). Wrist shots and snap shots come off very cleanly and there's no need to try to flex the stick extra hard to get a little more zing to those types of shots. I'm not one to necessarily pick corners with my shot, but the smooth motion with which the stick allows you to shoot lets you aim the puck nicely. Durability - 10/10 It's held up well, I'm not in an overly physical league but factoring in the normal clashing of sticks, aggressive stick lifts (both giving and receiving), blocked shots none of that has caused any problems. Intangibles 10/10 I love the understated look of the graphics. I've liked how the Nexus took a cue from the Easton Stealth RS with the cool black theme and added in some nice grey accents. It sort of adds a little bit of mystery and intrigue to the stick. Or another way to look at it as the Darth Vader of sticks, lethal with a chilling sense of power. Conclusion As I've been a pretty loyal user of Bauer sticks the last few years, running the gamut of Vapor, Nexus and Supreme, I've found the Nexus to be the best combination of sensitivity and power for my particular style of play. The only thing I'd want to change with my experience is going with a softer flex to see how much it affects the load on my slapshot. I've used my current Nexus and my old TotalOne with a 102 flex that's even a little stiffer given that I cut off about 2" and found that all things being equal the Nexus has a whippier feeling flex although that might have to do with the different flex profiles between the two. I recently started using a TotalOne NXG in an 87 flex and left the shaft about 1/2" longer and can feel a pretty dramatic difference with my slapshot loading. I can a hazard a guess that an 87 flex in the Nexus would feel even whippier. Overall score - 9.8/10

Helmet: Bauer 4500 Shoulder: Reebok 5K Elbow: Reebok 7K Gloves: Bauer 4 roll pro, Bauer Vapor 7.0 Pants: Bauer Supreme One 80 Shins: CCM U+12 Skates: Bauer Vapor X7.0 Sticks: Bauer TotalOne NXG Pro Stock P92L/87/NXGSE, Bauer Vapor APX Pro Stock P92L/87/A42B updates in bold