psulion22

I definitely would not use a P28 as a beginner stick. P92/29 or P88 are going to be what you want to start with. I personally would go with P88/P40 because it's a wide, flat blade without much rocker and it's a pretty vanilla curve that isn't too open. It will be easy to learn and master most skills with. I'd choose it over P92/29 because the P92 is a pretty upright lie 6 and has more rocker. I see a lot of beginners (I coach adult learn-to-play) using P92s with the toe of the blade well off the ice unless their hands are perfect and they're making a concerted effort to keep the blade down. Typically this ends up in the puck going under the toe because they don't get their hands right in time to receive the pass or pick up the puck.

I just bought a second hand pro stock stick that is too short for me, so I need to add an extension. However, it's a 1NSE which has thicker sidewalls than regular Sr level sticks. I tried one for a regular Supreme stick I have and it didn't fit (though it was for a NXG, not the current lines). Should I be getting a Jr sized one? I don't really see an option for a Int. size. Am I just going to have to shave down a wood one?

Despite what the label says, a P88 is a lie 5. It's just about as low as a PM9 and P28, and much lower than a Lie 6 P92. Edit: In fact, I just went and compared a P88 to a PM9 and the P88 is actually lower than the PM9.

The 1X Lite was a pro stock, but the Trigger 2 was a retail 70.

I went from a 77 flex to 70 flex 1X Lite and I like it much better. It flexes easily but still returns the energy quickly and still has a stiff feeling. I have a Trigger2 in both 75 and 70 and neither had the same feeling. The 70 was way too soft, it was sloppy and unresponsive. There was a lag with the release and a noticeable difference in stickhandling and receiving passes. I didn't experience any of that with the Bauer.

Maybe that's it. The HSM pic of the CCM version looks much more closed than it is, almost similar to a shorter P10. That's what I want.

Yep, this all makes perfect sense. That second curve is exactly what the Bauer Pro Custom curve looks like. The "beak" part of it is interesting, because it's almost like what Ryan O'Rielly has on the toe of his blade. The tip of the toe make a sharp angle, just not as severe as ROR's. For a while now, everyone has said that Bauer's Benn is the same as the P90T, including Bauer themselves. It is clearly not. I'd like a P90T, Bauer's Benn, not so much. Another problem is that people are using that P90T label interchangeably, or just slapping it on any curve that is inbetween, so there are many different curves that are being called P90T. Go on SLS and see how many different curves are listed if you search P90T. It's nuts.

It's one of Bauer's "Pro Custom" offerings and is supposed to be what Benn uses. From Bauer's description : "BENN NHL CUSTOM CURVE. Similar to the P92 pattern with a beak toe (aggressive toe curve / edge) that makes it easier to toe drag and pull and release shots" I found it to be much closer to a P28 than the HSM article indicates and the picture shows. It's possible Bauer has increased the toe on it for their custom offering, but the actual curve is not what the HSM post describes as a P90T.

I'm interested in that P90T. A lot of people say it's Bauer's "Benn", but his pattern is nothing like that. It's a P28 with a slight P92-like twist and a beak curve at the toe.

P14 was a great curve, but the blade was too short. Likewise, P10 may have been the best curve, but the blade is too long. A regular/medium length P14/P10 would be incredible.

Correct. Lower lie is for further from the body (because the stick would be longer) and higher lie is closer to the body. Personally, I have been using P88 for years. I've been toying with the idea of going to a P92 to get a little more lift on shots and sauce without having to lift my hands as far. The downside is the rounded, rockered toe is not quite as good for board battles or breaking up plays on defense. I'll also need a lie 5 because of the length of my stick. I tried p28. It had too much rocker and required too much technical precision to be consistent. It was spectacular when it worked. But terrible when it didn't. P30 was also really good - it's a mix of P88 and P28 with the good parts of each and not so much of the bad. I got a lot of performance out of it without the need for as much precision. But I just don't like CCM sticks, and now it looks like a good thing with it going away. There are some other good options I like - P10, P90T possibly. But when it comes down to it, I just keep going back to one of the retail curves because they are just more widely available.

I think the reason for having two different types is the same as surfboards, as mentioned above. While there's nothing to say you can't just use the control wax, I found when I didn't put the base down I had to use way too much of the control and it got messy. I honestly don't think it's making you use any more wax than you would have because you'd still have to use more control to really get the tape thoroughly coated. Personally, I coat all the tape in the base and heat it then rub it with a puck to make a nice, even coat. Then I only use the control on the lower inch or two of the blade where the puck would make most of the contact. I've also used the Sex Wax before, but nothing seems to have the longevity and control when cold of that Proformance. I don't know why.

yep 175*F

175* for 2-3 minutes, or until the boot is soft maybe 5 at most. It works best in a convection oven if you have one.

2-3 minutes is enough for Bauer skates with Curv quarters at the right temp. The composite gets soft (and cools) much faster than any old construction. I'd say the Ribcores would be good with 2-3 minutes also if they're the composite boot. I'd suggest doing one skate at a time btw. You get a better molding on the second skate because if you do both at the same time, the second skate has satrted to cool by the time you lace it up.

Correct. You want the models that only go as far back as 2016 for Supreme on your chart. I'm not sure if Vapor changed in 2015 or 2017 or even at all.

Yep. I've done many pairs of skates using this method with absolutely no issues. I don't even use a 2x4. I just put the rack on the lowest level and stick the skate in the slats upright with a dish towel.

To further this info. I went back to my store and did the Bauer scan yesterday. I had a teammate working, so he didn't really care. According to the scan, I'm a C width and should fit best in a Vapor 8.5D. I don't like the Vapor fit, so I went with Supreme 8.5D which fit great. I had spoken to a Bauer fit rep over their chat for a long time yesterday. He insisted that if I were a EE width in my MX3s, I should still be a EE width in the new sizing, just a 1/2 size bigger. I got contrary advice from someone on here, which is why I went and did the scan. So it turns out that I've never really been an EE width and the only reason I needed it in the first place was that junction point at the toe cap and quarter. You really do need to try on skates to get the proper size. Be upfront and courteous. If they have the scanner, it takes like 2 minutes and very little effort on their part. Ask to try on a Vapor and Supreme skate in the size the scanner recommends just to make sure it's correct and see which fit you like better. If it's still bothersome to you, throw the kid a $10 for his trouble. The only caveat is that the scanner is going to give you the sizing for the current line of skates. If you go back past anything with the S in the name or the line starting with the 1X 2.0, it all goes out the window. But if you do go and get a good fit and are confident you're buying the right size, maybe you'll be willing to spend a little more to get the more recent stuff. Just a thought.

I just tried on a pair of 2S Pro an hour ago. They are significantly stiffer than my MX3s that I'm wearing now. Some may be the age of the MX3s, but not all. The Carbon Curv is definitely stiffer. Another key difference is the tongue. It also very thick and stiff, when compared to the tongue with the inserts on the MX3. Forward flexion may definitely be affected in them until that gets figured out and broken in. If Bauer hadn't cut their SKUs and offered a skate between the 2S and 2S Pro, I would definitely get that because the 2S Pro may just be too much.

Here's the thing, and why I'm asking. For whatever reason, those One.x numbered skates, including the top tier NXG, have a narrowing where the toe box meets the quarter. For me, that manifests itself as tightness slightly behind where the pinky toe meets my foot, or what you're describing as the forefoot. That would seem to align with what you're describing. The slight difference in sizing between the 7 MX3 and 6.5 One.8 may be the cause for the issues, as could the difference in materials of the quarter. But in the newer model since the 1S, the toe box has a different shape and that narrowing is gone. So you may want to try a skate in the newer lines that would be the Sxx0 numbering system. Another thing to consider would be a EE width Vapor series if you can fit in the lower volume. That is a tapered boot and will just increase in width from ankle to toe rather than the Supreme which is straighter. It may give you a better fit in that area, and would be more narrow than a EE Supreme skate, so you wouldn't get the loseness up front. I get that you don't want to go into a shop and get hassled. I don't either. I'm in your same boat because I need new skates and would rather spend the money getting a used pair of the top tier skates cheaper than a mid tier skate at full price. So to go into a store to get fit and try things on with no intention of buying seems a little douchey. Nonetheless, I did just that this weekend and without doing it, I would have bought the completely wrong size of skate. Apparently Supreme sizing changed with the 1S line and I no longer fit in the 8 that I used to. If I hadn't gone in and put an 8 on, I wouldn't have known until I bought one and got it which would have just complicated things. I went in and told the guys the situation. I was up front about what I was going to do and didn't take any more of their time or effort than necessary. All I asked was for them to get me the skate and leave it, I didn't need any help after that. And they didn't pressure me to buy anything or hover over me because they knew the deal. Yeah it sucks for the store, but they weren't busy and get paid by the hour anyway, so what difference does it make to them? I just got off a chat with a Bauer fit rep, and he suggested that anyone do the exact same thing.

When you say "mid foot", where exactly? Would you say it's the base of the toes or closer to like above the arch?

Do you think the Ultra Sonic is a significant enough upgrade with the one piece boot that it warrants switching as soon as it becomes available? In other words, should I just buy a cheaper pair of say used 1S skates and then get the US's in a few months, or is the difference not big enough and I should get 2S Pros now and I'd be fine until I got around to getting a pair of USs in a year or two? With the reviews I've heard of the improvements from CCM's one piece boot, I am leaning towards the former.

Hmm. Maybe 8.5D it is! This also kind of makes sense with the new fit system coming. You and I both wore a EE Supreme before this 1S/2S sizing. If the fit was the same, and the new Fit 1/2/3 system was based on a D width, we would both need a Fit 3. But a Nexus D is too sloppy, just as you experienced with the EE 2S - too much volume and less heel lock. I'd imagine the Fit3 would be similar. So what we'll need is a Fit2 - based off this new sizing. Thanks for your help as always!

This is exactly what I found. I haven't tried a 1S, but I can not see anyway there would have been enough room in that same size. It's interesting that you went to a 7.5 D too. I noticed that the width wasn't nearly as much of a problem as the length was. I could not have worn a D width before, but I think a 8.5D might fit well enough now. The problem was always in the junction of the toe box and the quarter. The connection is thicker there and it wouldn't fit. I didn't really feel that with the 2S Pros. Did you find the EEs to be wider in the 1S/2S to the point they were too wide for you, especially compared to a EE MX3 or NXG?

I've worn 8EE Supreme skates as long as I can remember. But I tried on a pair of 8D 2S Pros last night and they felt way too small. Now I know the width will cause some of the issue, but my toes were crushed up against the toe cap. I could barely get it on. The ankle/heel padding was so thick it seemed to be causing the issue. I didn't really pound the skate down to try and get a better heel lock because I couldn't see any way that it was going to create enough room. The whole point of the skates is to eliminate negative space, so I can see that padding conforming to my foot druing the heat molding process. My question is how much will it do that? Is it enough to create at least 1/4-1/2 size, or will I have to go up to a 8 1/2?? I just haven't seen many reports of people needing to switch sizes, and I think it would be strange for Bauer to all of a sudden change the fit that has been the same sizing forever, especially without a note in the description saying such. But these things were definitely not close to fitting off the shelf. Any help would be appreciated as if I do need to go to 8 1/2, there is a pair on eBay right now. Thanks!