Cosmic

Can anyone comment on when Mako 2 will release, without getting into trouble for leaking? I am guessing that you cannot give an exact date, but if I just knew a quarter (Winter 2013-2014; Spring 2014, etc.), then that might be helpful. I am going to the US for Winter Break (Dec 22-Jan 8 2014), was considering a pair of Makos, but may wish to wait for Mako 2 (or get Mako hen it goes on clearance), if I knew the estimated release date.

If you click on "FIT CHART," from this link: http://grafcanada.com/product-lineup/skates/ultra-g7-classic/ Then how would you describe (in the Mako) what this site is calling "Heel Instep"? I am learning that my heel instep is large, and I am thus requiring a deep Heel Instep. Does Mako provide this?

I am in a similar position- Mako or VH? (or maybe Nexus/Graf) I think the Mako will end up being a bit less pricey when all is said and done (because I will be in US over Winter Break and will find a deal on Boxing Day). The question thus becomes whether the VH will provide significantly more comfort for the ball of toe issues I have been having. Style is not a consideration for me- I actually like the look of the Makos; and find the VH to look rather unappealing. Even with color customization; I think the style of VH is just wrong. But, I really do not care; I just want my feet and wallet to both be happy. Not sure if this video of this kid's goalie skates has been posted yet:

My background: I just am getting back into hockey after a long payoff. I have been playing inline and ice since my return. The inline is on a hot court, probably 85-90 degrees or so with 100% humidity (at night, which makes it tolerable). Ownership: ~3 months & 20 skates Fit - I purchased the Medium/Medium combo (head size=23.5 inches). The helmet did not seem narrow enough for my head, but it somehow seems to have taken form. The cage was way too short with the chin-cup sitting right on my mouth, so I had to buy and install the Large cage. Now that I am properly fitted with Med bucket/Lrg cage, everything feels pretty much perfect. 10/10 Protection - Will hopefully never need to be able to really comment on this. Thus far, just a couple of sticks that grazed my cage, which would have hurt had I been not wearing it, but the cage did its job. I play beer league so no contact aside from random collisions and just jockeying for position in front of the net. n/a Weight - The #s do not lie, and I believe this is the 2nd lightest high end helmet behind the Easton E700. However, the difference between this and the Easton is that the padding in the Re-AKT repels sweat, whereas the padding in the E700 absorbs it. So, by the end of a skate, I wonder how much the water weight bridges the gap in weight between these two helmets. Cage is the lightest on the market. 10/10 Durability - So far so good. Hopefully I got the new and improved anchor screws. One day I had the helmet fit particularly tight and forgot to use the occipital slide to loosen the helmet each time I took it off on the bench, and I scuffed up the back of the helmet (and my shaved head) as a result. My fault though, as this has not happened since, as I now slide this each time I take off the helmet. 10/10 LATE EDIT- So the top center piece of EPP foam is starting to come undone. This makes for a really difficult fix, as the SuspendTech is in the way of my being able to get glue up in there safely. I mean, I could get the glue up in there, but chances are, that the glue will not end up where it is supposed to be (between the shell, and the inside of the top/ center piece of EPP foam). I tried to fix it, but my fingers are too big and clumsy. Hopefully, this issue does not spread and become a plague of loose EPP foams. -2 for (updated) Durability = 8/10 Intangibles - Visibility seems pretty good. Also noteworthy is the sweat factor- I sweat like a faucet, and I never get sweat in my eyes. Sure, when I take off my helmet, my shaved head is drenched, so a quick towel off and I am feeling good. I towel off the inside of the helmet after each skate, it stays surprisingly dry. So, I do not know where the sweat is going, perhaps it is evaporating? If so, then great!! 10/10 Conclusion - Sure, the price is expensive, but I play with guys using 1980s Koho and Jofa helmets. (Late edit- I do not think that this helmet will last 25 years, as the foam is aleady coming undone.) So, if I use this helmet for years and thousands of skates, then it will come down to 1 cent per skate, is how I see it. It is hard to find anything wrong with this helmet. At first, I was lukewarm on it, but the more I use it the more I have grown to like it. For pure value, sure, you can pick up the Mission Inhaler or the CCM V-10 for half the price, and get better than half the helmet. But, I am happy to shell out a little extra money to be perfectly comfortable when I am playing a pretty challenging (physical, fast paced, requiring endurance, etc.) game. LATE THOUGHTS (after having bought and tried the Mission Inhaler) - In the initial review, I discussed what I thought might be low cost/ high value alternatives. I have since tried on the CCM V-10 (which I had seen had gotten good reviews) and it does not fit my head at all- a piece digs in to the top middle back of my head like a knife. I have since purchased, and have been using the Inhaler, and actually prefer it to the Re-AKT. The Inhaler's top center piece of foam is easier to re-set, due to lack of SupendTech, and ease of access. I also get a more snug fit with the VN foam, and find that the perforations keep it from getting too hot. So, if you have a head like me, and are trying to decide between a $100 Inhaler or a $200-$300 Re-AKT (new on is up there in price), then I would advise considering the Inhaler. Remembering though, that I am a beer leaguer, and I appreciate that full contact might necessitate "better" protective technology (realizing that nothing is concussion proof, and some statements about the "revolutionary" protection may just be marketing) Final Score - 40/40 (updated for durability issue = 38/40)

thanks Fatwabbit!! New: Oggie Ergo Grip 8K shins Jofa elbows I already had the T1 tapered shaft/ Easton Mako II Iginla pattern Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Height - 6'2" Weight - 215 lbs Pad size - 16 inch (tucked behind skate tongue) Level of play:Beer Leaguer Location: Indonesia (and thus distance to nearest LHS that stocks my size, where I can try things on, is about 10,000 miles +. Special thanks to all the guys here who helped me sort out the details of proper sizes to buy, as most of my gear has been dialed in pretty nicely. As described in various posts of mine, I am overseas, far from an LHS, and thus I have to rely on reviews and sizing estimates to order my gear prior to having it shipped out here. And once I have it, shipping back creates an expense that is prohibitory. Fit - 10/10 These are very comfortable and hug the leg well, even before strapping in. I wear these for inline without tape, socks, or anything else holding them in place, and they sit really nicely on my leg. When I wear under Reebok Edge Compression hockey socks (when I play ice), these shins completely fuse with my leg, and I forget that I am wearing shins. Only issue with fit is the area at the bottom does not give much of a comprehensive wrap, if you want to tuck the skate tongue behind the shin. It can be done, but you leave yourself pretty vulnerable down there around the lower shin/ankle. Not deducting points, as Bauer offers Nexus for those who want to tuck skate tongue behind shin guard. The stated focus of this shin is anatomical fit, I assume when tucking behind skate tongue, and this pad accomplishes this. Protection: 8.8/10 This is by no means a beefy shin. The plastic and padding is fine, for pucks coming straight on. I have taken a few ice pucks (hard shots) straight on and did not feel anything. I did, however, take a weak inline shot head on and for some reason felt a knock- no pain, but I felt it. This was odd, after having not felt hard shots from ice pucks. As far as I knew, the shins were being worn properly. The knee protection (PORON XRD foam donut at knee) and calf wrap (big piece of Vent Armour Foam on outside of each shin) are great. I also like all of the Vent Armour foam flaring off of the knee area. However, the inside of the shin offers very little protection. I instinctively stick out my foot sometimes to block shots (I wear Skate Fenders so I am well protected in my feet) and took 2 inline pucks to the inside of my calf in the same session. Each puck hit the low density foam on the inside of these shin guards, but still stung and left bruises. I would like to see a bit more padding in this region. Weight - 8.8/10 According to IW, a 14 inch weighs 612 grams. This seems about standard for a high end shin guard. If this shin brought about protection above and beyond the norm, 50 grams under standard weight, then I would give it a 10. However, it does neither. Somehow (according to IW), the Nexus weighs in lighter, even though it is a volume fit and thus seemingly a beefier shin. Durability - 10/10 After about 8 ice sessions and 8 inline sessions, these are holding up great. I always remove the liner and air dry as soon as I arrive home, and these pads are in turn looking good as new, except for the scuff on the face where I slid on my knee during inline (on a rubber sport court) to try to block a pass on D. No real damage done, just a little scuff. I expect these to last quite a long time. The skate guard pad at the bottom, to add life to the skates. This seems standard on all high end shins. Intangibles 9/10 Nothing really significant, beyond that which already stated. They look cool, which I do not really care about, but alot of the younger guys at inline comment about how much they love the look (since it is too hot to wear inline pants where we play, so the shin guards are actually exposed during those sessions). Value wise, I think that Nexus 1000 might be a better value ($30 cheaper, 34 grams lighter in the 14 inch model, and beefier; albeit minus the Vent Armour Foam and PORON XRD donut), especially if you tuck the skate tongue behind the shin guard. I have not tried on the Nexus or seen it in person since I got back into hockey; I am just going off my assessment based on reviews and videos I have seen. Conclusion Great comfort and fit, seemingly protective enough in the areas that you will need it, standard weight for the type of shin that it is. I am happy with this shin for inline and tucking behind the skate tongue. If tucking over the skate tongue, then one might want to consider a higher volume fit down at the bottom of the shin, as these are made to contour around the lower shin, and seemingly not around the skate. Overall score - 46.6/50

Height - 6'2" Weight - 215 lbs 15 inch Level of play: Beer Leaguer. Played for one year in 7th grade (1988-1989), and 3 months when I was sophomore in college (1995-1996). So, I have not really had the experience with all of the different evolutions of gear, but I try on what I can out here when I have a chance to see what the other options are for gear. Location: Indonesia (and thus distance to nearest LHS that stocks my size, where I can try things on, is about 10,000 miles +. Special thanks to all the guys here who helped me sort out the details of proper sizes to buy, as most of my gear has been dialed in pretty nicely. As described in various posts of mine, I am overseas, far from an LHS, and thus I have to rely on reviews and sizing estimates to order my gear prior to having it shipped out here. And once I have it, shipping back creates an expense that is prohibitory. I ended up getting 2 pairs of gloves in this model due to my not being sure if I was going to be able to have my gear hauled. So, I saw this in a shop out here, tried them on and loved the fit, so decided I would just ensure that I at least would have gloves. I was fortunate to then have my friend haul the motherload, which included a pair of these inside. Fit - 10/10 Last time I played, there was no such thing as tapered or contoured fit. It was all "traditional fit," so to speak, but since this was the only option, no one even called it that. So, I wore some high cuff Coopers back in the day, rich in negative space at the hand, which I do not like. When I was researching gear and planning my purchases, it seemed that tapered fi would make the most sense- tight in the hands, but loose in the cuff for mobility. These gloves literally fit like a glove in the hand. I love how tight they- really perfect. I have standard hands I suppose we might say; not beefy hands but also not ET type fingers. So, for standard proportioned hands, these will give a nice anatomical wrap in the hand, without limiting mobility in the wrist. My friend says there is one particular angle where wrist mobility is hindered, a certain way of flexing where the cuff gets in the way, and I think I found this one angle, but for me, with my bender style, I cannot say that this one particular semi block gets in the way. For a real slick stickhandler/wrist roller though, maybe it might bother him/her. FWIW, I have tried on a pair of Warrior Franchises out here, and was not impressed with the fit in the hands. I could see how it had a more smooth wrist roll, but the difference is so subtle that I would not minus points from the Vapor APX. All personal preference of course, I just do not like traditional fit/ 4 roll for gloves. Protection: 1/10 I have taken 2 ice pucks off of these gloves- one off the backhand and one off the cuff. I felt neither. Both were just saucer passes that floated, but still, 50 mph ice pucks can hurt if one is not properly outfitted. So, in these mini tests, we have success. No one slashes me, or at least I never feel the slashes if they are. I suspect that there are better choices for those encountering high velocity slapshots (Pro Stock, maybe NXG); but for beer league with mostly fellow benders, these are rather ideal. LATE EDIT: I took an inline puck slapshot to the right thumb last night. I felt it pretty much immediately, even though I took the shot to the glove right where I thought I was fully covered. Here are pics of my thumb, 14 hours later, after ice, anti inflammatory, and some cream: Turns out the thumb block below the Bauer embroidered cuff logo, and the Bauer Vapor APX logo'ed block, is PE insert only, no foam, and so of course the puck found its way there to hit me. And it is a good thing, because if I took an ice puck there, thinking that I had protection and just being (unknowingly) brave, then I would been smashed pretty good, and not so optimistic about a rapid and speedy recovery as I am about this occurrence. It may seem extreme to drop the protection score to a 1, but in this case, I feel like a product is only as good as its weakest link. And if this block of protection cannot even protect me against an inline puck, then I hate to think what would have happened if an ice puck were to have hit me there. Weight - 9.3/10 According to IW, these weigh 297g in 14inch; CCM CL500 weigh in at 272g for same length. I think Easton has a high ender at 14 inch coming in high 260s/low 270s as well. So, not the lightest high end glove, but light regardless. Durability - 10/10 After about 8 ice sessions and 8 inline sessions, rotating 2 pairs, no signs of wear. Each pair of gloves looks good as new, and I sweat like a faucet, so this is significant. I suspect that these gloves will hold up well. I bought these with durability in mind; the black palm has some sort of super durable liner and features, and it is holding up. I have been using Tack Macs, which I also suspect are also helping, and I air dry immediately after each use. Just a random tip that I gathered somewhere, when air drying, hang upside down so that the gravity pulls the water out. Also, don't forget to pull the little flap out. Intangibles - 9/10 I knew that the puck feel would be compromised due to the super durable palm, but this is something that I just figured I would live with. No one counts on me to carry the puck from end to end anyway; if anyone did, then our team would be in trouble!! Personally, I would rather have a compromised puck feel, with gloves that will hold up for a couple of years, than great puck feel, with palms that sport holes. Maybe the puck feel is actually great, but I have dulled senses and it is me lacking puck feel. Most likely, a combination of both. So, a bit of a trade off with these gloves with performance maybe taking a bit of a hit. What sets the scales into the positive are the silver shavings in the palm. Maybe this is gimmicky and just satisfies my psyche, or maybe the silver shavings are actually warding off staph infection. Conclusion These are about as expensive as you can go for retail. For comfort, durability, and hygiene, I think these fit the bill. However, for performance, these may not be the most ideal option. So, if comfort, durability, and hygiene are a priority, with performance still of course being of importance, then these are a great choice. Otherwise, if performance is a higher priority, then the Pro version (or anything with a thinner palm) might be the better option. Overall score - 39.3/50

How is the depth in the Easton Mako, in the area that I am failing the pencil test in my Bauer Supreme One.9 LE's? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GM6Ms-ZoAc

Height - 6'2" Weight - 215 lbs Pad size - Large Forearm (at widest point)- 12.75 inches Bicep (at biggest) - 14.25 inches Length of arm from inner elbow to inner wrist- 11.5 inches Level of play:Beer Leaguer Location: Indonesia (and thus distance to nearest LHS that stocks my size, where I can try things on, is about 10,000 miles +. Special thanks to all the guys here who helped me sort out the details of proper sizes to buy, as most of my gear has been dialed in pretty nicely. As described in various posts of mine, I am overseas, far from an LHS, and thus I have to rely on reviews and sizing estimates to order my gear prior to having it shipped out here. And once I have it, shipping back creates an expense that is prohibitory. Fit - 3/10 According to the CCM sizing chart posted at IW, size Large (biggest size manufactured in this item) is to fit 5'9+. This has not been my experience. I think that a more accurate sizing chart would read: 6'0-, as in "Think twice about trying these on if you are over 6'0, or at least try on in the store. I list my measurements above for reference. The elbow and forearm straps are just too tight, and uncomfortable. The bicep strap gives me plenty of room. Granted, I have large forearms and small biceps. Also, the length of these pads is short. I wear 15 inch Vapor APXs, and can fit an entire Shock Doctor Wrist guard between the elbow and the glove, without anything bumping onto anything else. This is not due to short cuffs on the APX's, but rather, short forearms on the CCM CLs. Protection: For beer league, 9/10; for full body, 6/10 There is very little slash protection, as the forearms not only do not come down very fat, but they also do not give much of a comprehensive wrap. This is fine in beer league, where the hooking and slashing is pretty much non existent, but I would not feel protected at all wearing these in a chippy league/ game. Sure, I have seen pics of pros wearing these, but I suspect they have been modified from retail to give more coverage. These are good for protecting the elbows from falls, I will give credit in this regard. Weight - 10/10 In addition to being crazy short, and crazy non comprehensive wrapping, these are indeed crazy light. In defense of the product, I did know going in that they were short (and thus ordered the Shock Doctor wrist guards to bridge gap between elbows and gloves), and did not give the best slash protection. I opted for lightness and moisture repellant materials, and I got what I ordered. So, 10/10 here. Durability - 3/10 After about 8 ice sessions and 8 inline sessions, the elbow strap is coming undone. In reading some reviews on HockeyMonkey regarding the CCM Crazy Strong (which seems to use same mechanism and material where I had my problems), this seems like a rather common problem. I detail my experience on a thread on MSH (with pic) here: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/64699-how-to-repair-ccm-cl-elbow-pad-material-that-is-falling-apart/ Kudos to CCM/ Reebok for sending replacment pads. They say they fixed the shredding neoprene issue with the latest batch. Intangibles I love the concept of the U Foam. As a guy who sweats alot and seems to have a ridiculously heavy bag even though I try to buy all the lightest gear, I appreciate CCM's dedication to this concept, technology and material. Conclusion If you're 6'0 and under, sweat alot and play in beer league, then these pads will rock it, assuming that you do not strain the elbow strap and they hold up for you. However, if you are a bigger guy, and/or playing in full contact/ chippy conditions, I would advise against using these. Overall score - Not really fair to tally up, because of all of the "asterisks" in this case- the damage incurred on the pads, sizing and fit issues, and the different variables considered in who these pads would be appropriate for (beer league vs. full contact). For a smaller guy in beer league, these are perfect (say a 9.5/10), for a bigger guy in full body, these would seem just inappropriate (4.5/10). So, in this case, one score does not really do the product justice. And I do look forward to CCM/ Reebok's future offerings in this line, or whatever elbow they release that furthers the U+ Foam technology, as this is IMO the best material on the market right now in terms of protection/ lightness/ comfort/ moisture repellant properties. (Honorable mention: Vent Armour Foam)

This is helpful, thanks. When these go on clearance and I can get another 20 or 25% or whatever the deal of the day is, I am picking these up for sure. In the meantime, keeping my fingers crossed that a conversion goes well.

Can you please refer me to the "how to punch out the toecap" tutorial?

I am considering a pair of Makos. Anyone who is a semi expert on the skate, will you please comment on my post? http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/64666-easton-mako-feet/

Is that a layer of of black tape that you put over white tape? I use a Sharpie to darken the top of my white tape, but it is not pretty and looks kind of messy.

Is that Red Bank, New Jersey, Exit 109 off the Garden State Parkway?

CCM CL shoulder pads with TotalOne bellyguard. Special thanks to IW Team-Chase for sending me the belly guard:

When I was determining my equipment, the one aspect of the CCM CL Shoulder Pad that I did not like was that it does not come down very far. Everything else (protection, lightness, lack of moisture absorption), I liked, so I am now using these pads. I asked the good people at IceWarehouse, if they could find me a spare bellyguard, and throw it in (thank you IW Team-Chase!!). To attach the bellyguard, I just put 2 pieces of velcro on top of the U Foam at the bottom of the chest plate, and here we are. Let's see if it holds. I skate Sunday/Tuesday (but not tonite), so we will know in a month or so if it is holding up:

No jerseys yet, will be getting fitted for the team I play for and ought to have them in the next couple of months. We are red and black, and thus the gear will all match (since I am an MSH'er, I must match, right? HAHA) Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I was always wondering why there is no video highlight reel thread for MSH'ers. I do not have any clips yet (every time my wife films, she catches me exhausted or just plan blundering), but I will within a few months.

Helmet: Bauer Re-AKT w/ Titanium Cage Shoulder: CCM Crazy Light Elbow: CCM Crazy Light Gloves: Bauer Vapor APX Pants: CCM Crazy Light Shin: Bauer Supreme NXG Skates: Bauer Supreme One.9 LE Stick: Bauer TotalOne Tapered Shaft (102 Flex), Warrior Dynasty AX1 Blade Patterns (Kopitar for Offense, Zetterberg for Defense) Bag: Bauer Wheelie Jersey: Awaiting my old school jerseys (Rangers Messier and Graves); and new jerseys pending for the teams I will be playing on; borrowing jerseys in the meantime

Taxes ... mortgages ... banksters ... politrixians ... "Give me liberty, or give me death." - Patrick Henry

Interesting. I tried on a pair of 8.5 Reebok 20Ks today and they were TIGHT. I am guessing I would be 9.5 in Reebok 20K, as I did actually fit my foot into the skate (with a HARD press of my toe against the toe wall), but nothing in this region, in my size. So, according to these estimations, I think I would be 9.0D. Just out of curiosity, why are you looking at the 2nd tier RBZ? Is it strictly a cost/ benefit thing, or do you think that the 2nd tier has some features that are advantageous to your style?

I just called CCM-RBK (good thing Skype calls are inexpensive). The woman that I spoke with tells me that people are generally fitting 0.5 sizes smaller in RBZ, than they fit in Bauer Vapor. She said that she was a size 6.0 Vapor and 5.5 in RBZ. I am a 10.0 EE in Vapor. So, according to her results, then I would seem to be a 9.5 in RBZ, or even a 9.0. She also said that RBZ will only have 2 widths: D and EE (no DD), and that people who fit EE in Vapor can fit D in RBZ. Of course, she recommended trying them on at the LHS (always sound advice); I wish that I had an LHS.

So I have been gathering equipment via online shopping, and accumulating it at a friend's house in the area that I used to live (Los Angeles Beach community). I met my wife in that area, and her step son lives there. My wife and I now live in SE Asia. My wife's kid was scheduled to come out and visit us this summer (for what it's worth, he is a nice kid and we get along well, as he is also interested cosmic matters (the ET coverup, spaceships, time travel, metaphysics, electromagnetic fields, etc.). He had happily agreed to haul my gear with him on the plane, about 6 weeks or so when I asked him. For the past 6 weeks or so, I went ahead and had delivered to my friend's house, everything that I will need, except skates (need to figure a way to get fitted still). I had everything shipped to my friend's house for her to pack, and just hand off to him the day before he was scheduled to step on the plane. So earlier this week, I wake up to my wife yelling at her ex- through Skype. She was in the living room, I was sleeping in the bedroom behind a closed door, so I awoke to the sound of unintelligible fury. When she walked into our bedroom, she sadly said, "(My son)'s Dad won't let my son come out here, he says he has to take a college prep math class during summer school so he can get into college." The kid is in 7th grade, and in the top 5% of his class. We will see, it will all work itself out, just less than ideal, moreso for my wife than me (I will get my stuff out here come hell or high water).

I did not ask. The guy was really nice on the phone, and happy to answer all questions and expand upon all types of things; he would have talked all day if I did not thank him and end the call.

Just got off the phone a couple hours ago with CCM. Here is the 411: * July 19 2013: CCM RBZ Ice Hockey Skates launch * Spring 2014: CCM RBZ Inline Hockey Skates launch - no plans for CCM RBZ Shafts nor replacement blades; just the RBZ 2 OPS --- --- --- EDIT/ UPDATE: just called CCM again last night to inquire about CCM CL shaft/blade 2 piece combo: Cosmic: "Will CCM be releasing the CL shaft/ balde 2 piece option?" CCM guy: "No, CCM is moving forward with just the RBZ." Cosmic: "So, will there be RBZ shafts and blades then?" (to which the previous response was "No," by a different guy, one week ago). CCM guy: "The RBZ shaft/ blade combo is not presently available." So I responded, "I know, but what about in the future, will you be making the RBZ blade/ shaft combo?" CCM guy: "It is not available now, I cannot comment on whether it will be out in the future." The way it sounded, there may be a lid on the future release of the RBZ 2 piece. I realize this is pure speculation, after having lived a life full of my asking questions to "people in the know" who were made uncomfortable by my questions (because they were hiding something, or advised not to release intel on future plans). So, it just sounds like there is at least a chance for the RBZ 2 piece.