VegasHockey

Decent price and options. I tested a Hoapa stick a long time ago, and it was respectable. I wonder if their sticks have gotten better. I did notice they mention the weight of 360 grams at 58" length. Kinda of sneaky.... "Notes: Hydrogen 360g weight standard 58” inch senior stick. Shorter stick means lower weight." https://hoapahockey.com/collections/sr-custom-sticks/products/hydrogen-2-pack

I am interested to hear your feedback on the Mach. I got them when they released and HATED them, I think I used them about 5 times before selling them. I assume I disliked them mostly due to the 263 holder, which I could have replaced with a 271, but overall I didn't like the way the skate fit compared to CCM and TRUE.

It depends. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. An example would be this pair I am selling online that has some upgrades but very few modifications to the actual fit of the skate: https://sidelineswap.com/gear/hockey/skates/6508133-ccm-ribcor-100k-pro-stock-hockey-skates

I personally prefer to seal the old holes and then drill out the new holes. Too many stores try to use whatever lines up and the holders end up twisted. If you do it properly, it not that big of a deal.

I have had multiple pairs since launch day and would rank their durability as a B+ overall. Because the boot is solid gloss black and the graphics are minimal, it will show every single imperfection, much like if you have a black colored car. Overall the boot and liners are very durable. If you can find a pair of Pro Stock, that would be ideal, since those usually have the upgraded liners (clarino) and extra padding too.

All brands are trying to either develop their own IP or materials to avoid licensing costs or royalties that need to be paid to other brands. While I would like to think this is to help lower the cost of products, it's more to increase the profit margins. This is also why all the big players are trying to go direct to consumer and cut out stores, so they can have significantly larger profits. One example, the CCM AS-V Pro skate. Wholesale for most stores is about $620.00 (with STEP Blacksteel), depending on the store size and their booking discounts. Retail is 1199.99 (with STEP Blacksteel) which leaves a store a decent margin of about 50% if they sell the skates at full price without discounts. If CCM can instead sell that product directly to the consumer, they make their wholesale margin plus the retail margin for the same items. That's a pretty significant increase in profits. This also allows the companies to own the relationship with the consumer directly, which is also profitable. The company that is best known for doing this is Apple, and they have been VERY successful at it. Bauer has been VERY aggressive with DTC (direct to consumer) and has been closing retail stores at an aggressive pace in 2023. This has many stores, both big and small, concerned that Bauer wants to own the end-to-end sale of their items to increase profits while decreasing their overhead on selling to retailers. Don't be surprised if in the next few years you see Bauer attempting to partner only with big box retailers and closing the accounts of all medium/smaller stores. Bauer already closed a few big stores in 2023, and some of those stores were selling more than 20M in Bauer product annually. Away, I have gone way off-topic, so I will step back into the shadows.

I notice the balance more than the overall weight. Seems the balance point is higher up the shaft due to the lighter blade. Definitely has more pop and feel than the FT5 Pro. I also took some significant slashes last night in front of the net and expected to see some battle damage, but the stick looks like new. I like the FT5 Pro graphics more too, but they will have the FT6 Pro in chrome soon, so that might look excellent.

End of June is the official release date, but most bigger stores should be getting them now.

I ended up zip tying it closer to the bottom, and it seems to fit better now. Testing it again tonight with the new modifications.

Visibility with the cage is good. I don't know if I can say it's better or worse than the previous Re-Akt Titanium, it feels the same, which is good. The cage is light, the i2 coloring provides good visibility. My only complaints is the chin cup sits very forward in the cage, and I am not a fan of the chin cup sitting directly on my chin. However, I think I can make some slight modifications to the cage to pull the chin cup closer to the bars. Overall, I think the new Profile III Titanium is a good cage. I have no regrets about purchasing it.

It almost seems like a blend between the OG Profile II and the previous generation Profile III. I am testing it tonight and will let you know if the new design is good or bad.

If you weigh new STEP steel (out of the box) and new XC Blade (out of the box) I think the XC Blade weighs about 11 grams heavier. I have been testing the XC Blade MC and LC variations. So far, I don't see any significant benefits or negatives. I tried 3/4", 7/8", and 1" ROH. The best overall was the 3/4" ROH which gave good bite and a decent amount of glide. 1" ROH on the XC Blade, I felt like I was losing too much power on starts and stops. However, I have moved back to using my Flare. I feel the attack angle and glide is better with my Flare compared to the XC. I also have my Flare profiled with an SSM Natural Curve profile, which I like much more than the Quad 0 that comes on the XC Blade.

Yeah, it's really hit or miss with people. I know a ton of people that use Sparx and think they are good. I also know a lot of people that dislike them. Personally, I am a big fan of the Elite machine. Pretty sure that's the best sharpening machine I have ever sharpened my skates on.

I personally dislike Sparx. For some reason, it just doesn't have the same glide and bite as when I sharpen my skate by hand. I recently used a Sparx to sharpen since I was taking apart my primary machine for cleaning and the Sparx sharpening felt terrible. I obviously checked the edges and hone the steel myself. It just didn't feel the same and did not feel good. Oh well.

Price will be $1,149.99 USD

79.99

I think CCM will take those off Amazon before the end of the week. It's against their terms to sell through online marketplaces such as Amazon.

Got the Profile III Titanium today. It's the same shape as the Profile II. Both have been revised for 2023. It comes in a gunmetal color (matte black) and the i2 (oreo) which is pictured below. Pictures below are a size L cage on a size M Super Tacks X.

I would say the heel is a standard A on the regular width skate. If you need a AAA heel, these might feel sloppy for you.

Supposedly.

I assume your old steel was heavily sharpened, and the profile has been worn to be more rockered, which means less contact between the steel and the ice since your old steel was more of a 8' profile. The new steel would have been 10' profile, which has more contact with the ice and steel, so the standard hollow would feel more aggressive.

Rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits should work.

Interesting. Kinda reminds me of the spray you can use for baseball that stays tacky. https://www.rawlings.com/product/BGS.html

What site had them for 11.99?

Send me a DM. I might have some top tier stick options for you at a low price.