JoeJeeps

Funny you should mention that. Last time I was in the market (8 years ago?) I decided the original T90 sticks were great for the money and I bought a couple. They have been absolute tanks. Sadly, the heels are cracking after a few seasons (and many years sitting in a garage). That's why I'm here looking for suggestions.

Thanks for the suggestion on the True A4.5. I'm really not familiar with any of their product line. I don't think True was even a thing when I was last playing regularly. 😉

You're kind of confirming what I've been seeing. Just getting back in to the sport at 40 years old I don't need the latest and greatest, but think I should be able to find a dang good stick for <$175. I got the impression the Rekker 365 was prone to breakage. It's weird to me that they are already on clearance. The "Project" sticks look like a solid (and durable) buy for a rec leaguer. Thoughts on the RX3? The only thing that's holding me back from liking it is the weird shape of the grip. Is it a positive in your mind?

Bauer, CCM, and Warrior don't compete on price due to brand recognition, sponsored players, etc. Their top end sticks are $300 and that's that. In your opinion, which manufacturers consistently offer the most technology, latest construction techniques, and lightest sticks for the lowest MAP prices? Sher-Wood seems to offer 99% of the performance at half the cost. STX maybe? One of the "generic" offerings like All Black or No Name? (I understand there are occasional deals to be had on sideline swap and through pro stock sites...that's not my question.)

Custom orthotics could provide a depression for the fibroma to fit in to which would relieve the pressure. It sounds like you need to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to see what's going on.

Any chance you've got an accessory navicular bone? It's basically an extra bump on the side of the foot most people don't have. They're painful and make for difficult boot fitting. https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/accessory-navicular-syndrome-(1) Regardless, with flat feet you typically want to add some sort of rigid support in the form of a custom orthodic or SuperFeet. Giving your foot a more natural shape will narrow it and lift your arch to a point where you're not slamming in to the side of your boot or shoe. DON'T add things like Dr. Scholls gel/foam insoles. People with flat feet typically have a foot that's too flexible as it is and those types insoles (while they feel good at first) tend to do more harm than good over time. I'm the king of bad feet so I understand how much it sucks. I've had three surgeries to move my heels, remove extra bones, and straighten my forefoot.

That's odd. Most skates don't have any arch support built in. Is it the side or the bottom of your foot that hurts?

I was surprised when you said they had them. I just looked...they're down to one set of one size in the black steel. Will be interesting to see if they get more.

Cheaper on eBay even with shipping from Canada. 😉

I recently switched leagues just due to cost. In my first game at the new place we won 7-1. It was a total ass beating. Next morning I check the website and it says we lost 5-6 in OT with no individual stats posted at all. Eventually they "fixed" it to say we won 7-1 in OT...still no individual stats entered a week later. LOL. I started driving a little further to this place because they offer a monthly subscription instead of giant up front league fees. At the end of the day I'm paying about 1/3 the price for leagues, but obviously you get what you pay for. I keep telling myself that getting credit isn't important. I'm there for the love of the game and cheap pricing. 😀

What parts are you taping? Just the attachment points or all along the top of the blade?

I purchased some x800 skates a couple months back and upgraded to Step Blacksteel. They squeak when I'm walking from the locker room to the rink. I really don't notice any movement or noise when I'm skating. Once they're cold (or wet) I don't notice any noise on the way back to the locker room. It's the weirdest thing ever. Normal?

What's your issue with the collarbone fit? I find it comes up a bit high around my neck, but hoping it will loosen up a bit with use. Elbows, shins, and gloves have been great for me. The pants are the only thing I returned and that's basically personal preference as I just didn't need that level of protection up around my kidney's and back.

Yes, it's gone. Last year they had a huge "end of season" sale in March/April I believe. Wait for a bit and it should pay off.

We're the same size and you're thinking about smalls? I don't think there's a chance my ass would fit in smalls. Oddly enough, the guy in the pro shop I frequent tried to convince me I needed a large. I told him he was crazy. He muttered something about playing for 45 years and wandered off.

Yes, I'm a medium in both pants. The old Super Tacks (10+ years old) were roomier and heavier. The Jetspeeds are more form fitting, but there is a lot of stretch fabric through the crotch so I actually feel like I've got better range of motion. I'm 5'10, 165 lbs, w/ 32" waist which puts me squarely in the medium category of most brands size charts.

Learned this from a figure skater...you can pick up little foam donuts at most pharmacies. Place one over the painful area and wrap your entire ankle with a few layers of foam pre-wrap to hold it in place. Then tape over it or just put your sock on and it will stay in place. Should keep you going until you can get your skates fixed up.

I like my new Jetspeed pants. They are more form fitting and 2 lbs lighter than my old Super Tacks. I think you'd be a large simply due to height, but try on the mediums and see where they hit you on your leg. There's a 1" length extension built in to most of the CCM pants so the medium might work if you let that out.

Any thoughts on the CCM FL80? Like everything else it seems to have been discontinued, but I found a guy selling new old stock for $100. It looks like a decent mid-tier helmet with a listed weight of 460 grams.

Small update. I've done some stick and puck and laid back drop in at this point. The elbow pads were pissing me off. The sides of the center cap were flared out instead of form fitting like I was hoping. With no strap there to pull everything in tight the inside edge was constantly rubbing my pants at the hip (more on that in a second). Thankfully it was an easy fix. I put a roller hockey ball in the elbow pocket, tightened a couple zip ties around the outside of the pad, and then heated with my wife's blow dryer for 5 minutes. After it cooled overnight I took the zip ties off and now that center portion wraps around my arm perfectly. If you've ever broken in the webbing of a baseball glove by securing a ball in the webbing this is basically the same concept. Works great. I'm sending the pants back. While they definitely sit close to the body on the inside and through the legs there's a LOT of hip, kidney, and low back protection that sort of flops out up top. In a checking league I'd probably view this as a positive but as an old guy I simply don't need all that. I bet I looked 30 lbs heavier through the midsection with these pants on and they were definitely part of the problem I was having with my elbow pads rubbing. I ended up trying on some Jetspeed FT390 pants last night and while they weigh about the same and offer good protection the upper padding stays in much closer to the body. I think that's the direction I'm going to go.

I like the looks of that helmet. Would you say your head is more oval shaped or round? On Ice Warehouse they are showing it as an oval fit which I think would be good in my case. As for the cage...I was using a fishbowl, but thinking about switching to a titanium cage. They're like half the weight and it would keep me cooler.

I'm getting back in to hockey at 40 years old. All my previous equipment is 10+ years old, heavy, non-moisture wicking, etc...old school stuff. Since I'm now in a 40+, non-checking league I'm trying to shed pounds and bulk when it comes to my equipment. When I was last in the market the Easton s19 was all the rage and they proudly advertised the weight at 325 grams. Now it seems like these specs are a big secret among manufacturers and maybe we are going backward in regard to this metric. I see current helmets at 600+ grams and that's simply too heavy for my liking. I realize that weight shouldn't be the first consideration in purchasing a helmet, but provided the protection is there then it is certainly a close second for me. Any suggestions?

I can't help you there since my old pants are CCM. I'm 5'10" 170 lbs with a 32" waist. At 6' tall I'd be more concerned about length than the waist. There's only a small (2"?) overlap at the knee with my shin guards.

I soak them with OdoBan every few months. You can pick it up pretty cheap at home improvement stores. It knocks out the smell and kills 99.9% of germs.

So far my living room testing is looking good. Everything seems true to size. Each piece of equipment is lighter weight and more breathable than my corresponding CCM and Bauer gear. The shins and gloves are a total win. The fit for me is basically perfect. The pants and shoulders seem to fit well but I've never had anything this form fitting before. I think STX calls it their "anatomical" fit and they aren't kidding. I suspect I'll like how streamline they are, but I need a game or two to be sure. The elbow pads are a question mark right now. They move well enough, but they just don't seem to fit as close as all the other gear. My initial thought is that the center cap is more bulky than I'd like. Maybe with a little break-in period they'll be fine.