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flip12

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Posts posted by flip12

  2. Posted · Report reply

    On 10/17/2025 at 6:06 PM, Davideo said:

    Excellent, thank you. This is exactly the type of info I was looking for. The few minutes I've messed around with toe curves I didn't like them, but it could also be I'm not used to how much they open up. I briefly used a P92 the other day and it just felt like I was using a pitching wedge.  But I also know that my shot is a relatively weak aspect of my game and spending some time with a toe curve might be worth a try. Do you think a P71 would be better fit than just a P92? I think I can adjust to more modern shot mechanics more easily than an open face.

     

    P92 is actually a heel curve even though it's often identified as a toe curve. The pitching wedge effect comes from its openness, not its curve profile.

    I haven't seen Praux's Malkin in person, but Malkin has based a lot of his curves off the PM9 shape, just like Kovalchuk has. Praux's Thrashers-era Kovalchuk curve is definitely PM9 based. It has the same profile from heel right up to the shaved toe. It's got the same very closed face up until the toe as well. Depending on which Malkin the P71 is based on, it could be basically the same as the ThrasherChuk, but with the toe shape closer to the original PM9.

  3. Posted · Report reply

    5 hours ago, Hills said:

    Graf still makes skates, so you can try and get something similar to the G35. Any store that sells Vaughn goalie equipment should be able to order you in Grafs. I would try and contact them and see what options are available for you.

     

    9 hours ago, BigH said:

    Yes, if possible. They have proven to be far superior to any of the other skates I have had.

    H

    Following what @Hills suggests, Graf still has the 735 lineage alive for now in the 755: https://grafhockey.com/skates/ice/player/g755-pro/

    It might not be quite as stiff as your G35s, but the cut and fit should be the same.

    They're not cheap though, $730 at Ice Warehouse right now: https://www.icewarehouse.com/Graf_Classic_G755_Pro/descpage-GCLG755.html

    • Like 1

  4. Posted · Edited by flip12 · Report reply

    On 3/9/2025 at 4:29 PM, VegasHockey said:

    My point is is simple. Young players should train on what the pros use. For us old men, and non-pros, go with whatever makes you happy. 

    A good example is Connor Bedard, he used to use TRUE skates with Flare steel. He now uses Bauer skates and conventional steel. Some would argue that watching old footage of him prior to this change, his skating was significantly better. I personally agree with them. 

    Is FBV good theoretically? Yes. I 100% agree that separating the depth, width, and bite angle of a hollow can have advantages. As an engineer, we know that everything is not 2 dimensional, especially when you start incorporating profiles into the equation. It really is a matter of determining the correct pound per square inch that provides the optimal result for the specific situation. 

    There are some companies that have been trying to do a variable hollow; very aggressive at the toe, flat through center, and medium aggressive in the heel. Pairing this with a profile would be fantastic. However, since this is something that can't be adopted widely across retail without a significant investment, it will likely fail. 

    I find your reasoning not so simple. Considering whether "young players should train on what the pros use" and using your Bedard example, I come to the opposite conclusion. If a young player finds something that elevates their play (as you say you think Bedard's boot and steel choices did for his skating) they're optimizing their performance, which is directly connected to their visibility and chances of making it to and beyond the next level. If instead they opt to stay inside the box of what's in the pro arsenal, they could be leaving performance on the table, diminishing both their chances of making it to higher levels, as well as their degree of excellence at those levels. Once they get to a level where they're professionally outfitted (team buys, EQM does the work, sponsorships could be available, etc.) then the element of "being a team player" with your equipment preferences could come in. Until that, I'd say it makes the most sense to do whatever you can that's legal to elevate your play. Not to mention that "what the pros use" isn't static, it evolves. Those pros who do use what pros used when they were kids are few and seen as curiosities--Sidney Crosby being the best example.

    Consider the clap skate as a counterexample. The technology was there collecting dust for around a decade before some elite skaters finally gave it a fair shake. Then everyone switched and all the world records fell, not necessarily in that order.

    Just because the pros don't use it doesn't mean it's not any good. There's a significant familiarity bias when the margins are razor thin.

    • Like 2

  5. Posted · Report reply

    7 hours ago, Dmitrakov said:

    With all due respect this is a crazy take haha. My dolomites feel like a weighted rubber training stick and they are severely bottom heavy compared to todays sticks, along with the synergy from 2 decades ago. They blade and shaft torque open and you feel it. I would say there is definitely tech that has improved the stick game, maybe the lightness of todays sticks hasn't "improved" the stick game per say, but the release/balance/power of these sticks compared to the latter is two different worlds in my opinion

    I do tend to use my Dolo with an end plug, but that also helps focus the feel for me with newer sticks like Hyperlite and Praux VF. Torquegate never bothered me with my Dolomite.

    Balance is a stick by stick issue and I don't think stick balance has improved linearly over the years. A lot of super light sticks have really strange balance. The only stick I've used that felt perfectly balanced for me without any counterweight like a 25-30g Tacki-Mac and or a 20-30g end plug was my RibCor 2. I think that was around 430g. Felt amazing. My least tweaked stick with good balance right now is a Malkin pro stock SE16 that's right around 450g and has a 30g Kovalchuk Tacki-Mac on it. Without the Tacki-Mac, it feels dead to me. With it, it sings.

    I don't sense much more power from newer sticks. This could be tested though. Get one of those testing machines to shoot pucks with NOS Synergy, TPS XN10, G3, etc., and compare it to the latest and most expensive models and see how much more powerful the shots are with the same swing.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    I have an original Dolomite I bust out sometimes. I think it shoots just as well as anything I've tried since. Sure it's heavier, but the balance is nice so I don't notice the weight. I think the newer sticks are mostly marketing hype. There has to be a narrative that promotes their superiority otherwise there's no reason to try anything new, and certainly not anything more expensive than its previous iteration. The original Synergy is a lot closer to today's sticks in performance than it is to the sticks that were around at the time of its release.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    2 hours ago, A2rhino said:

    The Mako just has so much of a VH and True feel to it. Especially in the open carbon heel and rivets in the tendon guard. 

     

    Interesting read.

     

    https://iceskatehistory.co.uk/mlx

    Easton had the exposed shell thing going for a few years before the MLX acquisition. Mako is 100% MLX crossed with a full-fledged production capacity and budget. I think some of Cruikshank's ideas were emphasized as well. True still hasn't really done a flex tendon that comes close to the flex of the MLX tendon, and the Mako tendon guard was even softer.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, A2rhino said:

    Good to know, thank you. Not sure why I thought he was.

    I can't say definitively he wasn't involved at any point--maybe Cruikshank consulted him here and there? But from all I've read and heard about MLX going to Easton, Cruikshank was the one that was touted as their personnel acquisition. Scott seemed to distance himself from the Mako when presenting his initial launch of VH Footwear hockey skates on here. It could be anything, but the tone of his remarks makes me think he didn't think Mako was the way to go with what they had started.

    Maybe that's how he got to sell his portion of MLX and not get blocked for 5-10 years with a non-compete clause, if he had anticipated or even just contemplated launching into hockey under VH, it would have made sense to make sure that that was legally possible.

    • Like 1

  10. Posted · Report reply

    17 hours ago, A2rhino said:

    Far from an expert on this but wasn't Scott Van Horn (TRUE) the creator of the Mako Skate? You may want to try the True Shift Max holders as I have heard they are at an aggressive pitch. I currently am having my Trues swapped out for the new Speed Shift holders as they are less aggressive. 

    Scott wasn't involved with the Mako at all from anything I've heard. Somehow he didn't even have a noncompete after the sale of MLX or VH Footwear wouldn't have been able to release hockey skates. Dave Cruikshank was involved. Easton already had plenty of engineering and product development in house.

    • Like 1

  11. Posted · Report reply

    On 7/28/2025 at 11:06 AM, Leif said:

    What does anatomical mean? If you mean more like the human anatomy, well there’s a massive variation in foot shape. True toe caps are closer to the shape of my feet (think duck’s feet), Bauer (e.g. 2s Pro) aren’t and give me a lot of discomfort as they assume the completely wrong foot shape i.e. like a pasty. Maybe you mean Bauer have less height. 

    I finally found a good visualization for this. Please excuse the tone, this is not my video, if it were, I wouldn't use the patronizing voice, but I believe the presenter means well. In any case, the summary is short and to the point.

    You see the "foot shaped" shoe discussed more readily. The usually mean the toe box looks ugly because it's meant to allow the toes to spread naturally rather than wrap them up in a pretty torture machine.

    Old Bauer toe caps were much more like the left "Standard Shoe" and have drifted toward the right "Foot Shaped Shoe," just without the extra space for the big toe to splay.

    I'm not sure what a pasty is. Duck footed I had to look up again, but it seems like that's more about the alignment of everything between the toes and the hip where something makes the toes point outward rather than straight ahead. That wouldn't affect the alignment of toe box shape though. What part of your foot did the 2S Pro toe cap hurt?

  12. Posted · Report reply

    7 hours ago, bthompson1286 said:

    Bauer Vapor Skate Fit Evolution (2009–2025)

    Model Heel Fit Forefoot Boot Height / Instep Pitch Fit Notes
    Flylite (2025) Narrow to med-narrow Tapered Lower instep More aggressive Returns to tighter wrap like APX2 but modernized.

     

     

    • Flylite: Brings back older locked-in feel with modern materials.

    Where is this info from? Flylite has the highest facing over the instep of any Vapor to date, and it doesn't have the thickest Vapor tongue of all-time to compensate.

     

  13. Posted · Edited by flip12 · Report reply

    Some of the CXN pitch came from the stock steel as well according to Icehockey360.ru: https://icehockey360.ru/baza-znanij/geometricheskie-parametry-stakanov/

    I don't know if it's just me but his pitch percentages don't translate to what I feel on the ice. CXN's pitch is supposed to be the same as True Shift's. True Shift didn't feel at all forward to me (although I know to many it does). CXN felt more like skating on Cobras, but they're significantly less pitched according to his measurements.

    My current set up is LS2 with the steel pitched by shifting the balance point back 20mm, which is standard on most Prosharp profiles if I'm not mistaken. The +1 makes it feel much better. I'm thinking of trying +2 next. My guess is +2 might feel more like the CXN or Cobra feel I prefer.

  15. Posted · Edited by flip12 · Report reply

    On 8/8/2025 at 6:30 PM, Sniper9 said:

    The cutouts in these is minimal compared to what Bauer tried on a couple of occasions with the triangles on the vapor 8? And also the slots on the one90? Also Bauer steel is/was not great particularly back then. 

    I actually really like the Vapor 8 and 10 steel, the black perforated steel with the series of triangular cut outs. They went with fewer cutouts but larger cutouts on the XX. I think by the time of the XXX that was pretty much dead. I'm not as experienced with the XX perforated steel, but from what I've heard it was more prone to breakage. The black finish on the Vapors 8 and 10 perforated steel was more than just cosmetic going from posts I've read on here from more knowledgable members (I tried searching for the references but Google's not helping).

    I currently have three pairs of that original black perf steel. I have some Fly-Ti steel I can compare it to once our rink's compressors get fixed. The problem for me has been the Custom+ holders. They're so old they can only sustain a couple of hours of skating before they crack or shatter.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    11 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

    How are you dropping sizes when the Bauer toecaps have been getting more anatomical and less volume? Or is it bc the longest part is now in the big toe area and tapers shorter whereas before the longest area was like where ur third toe would be? If that's the case then I can see your point. 

    For me I wore 7 catalysts, Bauer, and CCM. But that's just me. You do bring up a good point regarding the toe caps if someone has their longest toe being their big toe or second. 

     

    Yes, exactly because of the changes in toe length. The height of the toe box has never been a problem.

    • Like 1

  17. Posted · Edited by flip12 · Report reply

    On 7/17/2025 at 9:35 PM, Sniper9 said:

    If you were a 9 in Bauer you should be a 9 in true. I'd try a 9 wide before going to a 10 wide. Why did you jump from a 9 to a 10?  Also you said catalyst pro, so does that mean they are pro stocks? If so, then they were made for another players feet so certain areas could be adjusted accordingly. 

    True skates have quite a lot of padding in the heel pocket unlike other brands. So that area does break in and get thinner after baking and after some ice time, and will create a couple mm if additional length once settled. 

    Same size from Bauer to True, even with the difference in toe cap shape? Bauer's most recent toe caps have all been more anatomical than True's. True's are more symmetrical. That's what kills it for me. If True's toe caps had the same floor plan as Bauer's, I could do a 9 in True no problem. That would probably be better even, considering the roomy, disconnected feel I got from my Catalysts no matter what I threw at the problem.

    With each step towards a more anatomically shaped toe cap, I've dropped a half size in Bauer: 10D in Vapors in the 90's toe cap (Vapors 8 - XXX), 9.5D in the XXXX generation toe caps that were more anatomical, and 9-F1 in the 2X Pro that were even more anatomical. Hockey Tutorial says they've made further adjustments to the toe cap on the FlyLite, but I haven't handled them in person yet to see if it makes any difference for me. In my 9.5R Catalyst 7s my toes were as pressed against the toe cap as they could be without restricting motion or causing discomfort.

    • Like 1

  18. Posted · Report reply

    5 minutes ago, A2rhino said:

    Hey there guys, 

    Needing some help here. I'm shopping a pair of these skates online and needing some help with fit. I currently am in a pair of Bauer Mach skates, size 9 fit 2. 

    I recently bought a pair of the Cat Pro's in a size 9 D and they were crushing my toes.in the toe box to the point that I couldn't get my foot completely in them. I reordered a pair of the 10 D and my foot fit in them with my toes against the toe box but after kicking the heel back they were better. With that said, My toes are still smashed in the toe box. I am thinking of sending them back for a size 10 E. in hopes that they will fit better but was just told from TRUE that Once the skates are baked you will gain about 1/4 to 1/2 size in length and width if that helps you. 

    Now I'm really confused with what to do.. Any experienced help is VERY MUCH appreciated. 

    Were the 9D and 10D Trues baked?

    Personally, I felt like the 9-F1 Hyp2rlite felt like I'm used to from 9.5D Vapors: snug all around the foot, just feeling the toe cap but not jammed.

    Catalyst 7 I have 9.5D and I'm confident I couldn't do a 9D. I think ideally I would have 9.5C, because the Trues just feel too big in all areas but the length. Tying them tighter doesn't help because then I have no forward flex...so 9.5C and a different pattern cut probably.

    Before they were baked I was worried I had ordered the Catalysts too small. I couldn't get my foot in. Post bake they were comfy but not really the fit or flex profile for me. I'm guessing 10D will be way too big once they're baked on you. 9.5D is a decent bet if you're happy with 9-F2.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    I don't know how, but my Catalyst 7s were absolutely killing my back last night. I strained something in my upper back sleeping on it funny or something and it felt like a robot was trying to pull my upper back apart like pulled chicken when I was skating in my Cats. I switched to X:60s midway and not just the pain but the tension in my back went away completely.

    I've tried everything I can think of to make Catalysts work for me. I had a good skate or two in there, but in the end, they're just like trying to shoot with Chara's stick and my lesser frame and incomparably inferior strength. Boots that have more flex in their ankle like Vapors, especially tech-mesh builds, are just so much better for my performance and general wear and tear it seems. I'm almost certain that was the last time I'll try those skates.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    Strangely, my VF is incredible at slap shots. I found out by accident because I never take them because it's not allowed for the old players league (over 35), but I took one in warm up yesterday and it was much stronger than any slap shot I've gotten out of any of my other sticks--I have enough for a team full of lefties. To see if it wasn't a fluke, I took a few more, including a last one with about half power put into it. It zipped top shelf bar and in. Overall the stick plays alright, but the slap shot kick really stands out. Not that it's much use to me, but it's kind of fun as a novelty. I'm just curious though, has anyone else experienced this with their VFs? It's possible I'm not engaging the kick right on other shots. It took me a while to learn how to adjust from low to mid kick. I had assumed VF would work with either of those approaches. This feels like it actually has a lot more kick than I've previously gotten out of it.

    • Like 1

  21. Posted · Report reply

    12 hours ago, A2rhino said:

    Agreed. I used it for years and actually still have 5 sticks. 4 OLD SCHOOL Easton S19"s and an old Warrior W12

    S19 Darbys! I'm jealous. I have one ST dressed as the Stealth tease. That thing has held up like a tank. I keep coming back to it, even though I'm mostly rotating P28s these days. I keep wondering about the origins of the Darby. I know there's a story about it being named after an Easton exec, but from what I remember about that story, he wasn't even a hockey guy. My guess is it's Ray Bourque's curve.

     

    4 hours ago, sturdy22 said:

    Being an avid user of the P106 and P89 I agree With your description of the 1616.

    I still have P106 and P89 blades that I’m saving and went with the 1616 because of the comparison to the 106 in the description. I have A bunch of PROs and I really Like the 1616 and have been using it for about a year over the others.

    my son just got a 1910 in a righty so I can’t use it but it’s a nice curve and I think it will be my next purchase.

    That's good to hear about the 1616. I think I'll get one next time I order from Pro. It looks almost exactly like what I want in a curve.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    2 hours ago, pgeorgan said:

    Inside out, because when you inevitably go to retie them on the bench mid-game, it's damn near impossible if they're outside in. You can't make any micro adjustments you have to undo the whole skate. 

    That's a good point. Inside-out or under-over instead of over-under is definitely easy to adjust. The counterpoint is, it slips more easily. So while it's easier to adjust, it's also more prone to slips that require adjustment.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, pgeorgan said:

    Are they? These look pretty much identical shape to the last two iterations. 

    Pretty much. It's the facing creep that I'm looking at. The first Vapor with injected facing, APX2 stayed true to the classic Vapor L cut. HyperLite pushed it a bit more toward Cupreme C cut. FlyLite is definitely C cut. I get that they have the flex zones engineered into the facing part, but it's a different animal now, in my mind. Plenty of Supremes across the years have been more Vapor than this: 7000 and one90 come to mind.

    I get that times change, but to me, quintessential Vapor is 1. L-cut, 2. TechMesh, 3. Low kick tongue. I have and deeply appreciate all sorts of variations on classic Vapors, even Vapor wannabes like EQ5. Each deviation from the three Vapor hallmarks is a downgrade in my experience.

    • Like 1
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