flip12
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Posts posted by flip12
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On 12/30/2025 at 7:53 PM, stick9 said:The VF is very older Supreme like but the pattern just doesn't work. I also tried their VF which I did not care for.
On 12/31/2025 at 3:03 AM, stick9 said:I don't think so...
It just reads like you have two different sticks in mind, but you call them both VF.
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1 hour ago, stick9 said:Let me throw something at you... Do you think it's the quest for reduced weight that's causing the durability issues or is it maybe manufacturers looking to increase profits? I think it's the latter and the weight reduction is their way of selling it to you.
Circling back to PRO. I wonder, those who love them...do they love them because of the price and or the patterns or is it because it's a really good product? I have PRO custom and a VF. The custom is essentially a 2N but with a mega stiff blade which I hate. The VF is very older Supreme like but the pattern just doesn't work. I also tried their VF which I did not care for.
Is there a typo here?
Also, why the false dichotomy: price and patterns or good product? Price, patterns, and product can all go in one.
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5 hours ago, stick9 said:Meh, I'm not sure I agree. PROs lineup is their thing not necessarily a snapshot of the greatest playing or selling sticks. I think they did a really good job at creating a line up to suite a wide variety of users. JMO though.
The best stick I've laid hands is the Jetspeed FT5 Pro. Great feeling and shooting stick with excellent durability and it looks fantastic. I like em so much Ive considered order some customs.
Runner up goes to the Nexus 2N. Not as good as a shooter as the FT5 Pro but it holds its own. Really nice feel and pretty durable too.
Opinions vary yes, but I never said Pro's lineup was that good, just that it was evidence that there's not some steep climb from their sticks, which are more like top sticks of yore (circa 2015 say), to the top sticks of today. If their sticks were clearly inferior, it wouldn't be all that tempting to buy them, no matter the price. If a product is no fun to use, the price feels like a rip off, even if it's not much in raw currency. Pro's sticks might not have that extra oomf of whatever Bauer, et. al. are selling for $400, but the oomf doesn't really justify the $200-$300 price difference, especially when you have more individuality baked into Pro's offerings. That's the evidence I had in mind.
To be fair, I will also say I'm fairly biased towards Pro at the moment as well. I still have my misgivings about Geppetty, but the sticks play nice and hold up better than others; True I'm looking at you. I'm a sucker for just about any PM9-based curve, which are becoming harder and harder to find, but he offers several that all work better for me than my preferred retail curve, P28: Kovalchuk Thrashers (my favorite at the moment), Kovalchuk New, Malkin, P46, and PM9 itself. I'd much rather buy a marginally less than stick with an a lot less than price tag with a curve that much better suits me than some really expensive cookie cutter (read profit maximizing) piece mass produced and mass marketed by the overlords.
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I'm with @xstartxtodayx. Most of the latest and greatest is just rearranging the deck chairs. Great for marketing, but the ship is still the same. The viability of Pro's lineup is strong evidence if not proof of this. If the technology were clearly superior between 2005, 2015, and 2025 sticks, Pro's OG lineup would show it. The big inflection point remains packaging the T-Flex + composite blade as a unit in the Synergy. Since then, any changes have been more subtle than substantial.
To answer the main question, though I haven't tried a ton of different lines, the one stick did just work for me off the shelf a bit better than anything else I've had was RibCor2. It just had a combination of soft blade feel when puck handling with good pop on shots and, most importantly, perfect balance.
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7 minutes ago, BenBreeg said:So we went in and just did the scan to see. It’s interesting to understand how they feel they are able to prescribe based on a static scan. It just spits out, “Quad”, which is what we were going to try anyway but that isn’t based on any information other than the foot scan they already do. I feel like skating is too dynamic and there are far more variables that would go into getting to a real starting point.
There's also no scan for personal preference; that's in the brain.
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16 hours ago, JAY4114 said:Where is the curve of the p14 positioned? Does it have a toe hook like a p28? If so is it as pronounced/noticeable?
Bauer P14: curve is all over. I haven't seen one in person in a while, but the most similar curve I can think of is the classic Sher-Wood Coffey, but with a very different blade shape. Coffey's all chunky and beaky while Bauer P14 is rather svelte.
CCM P14: curve is at the heel. Absolutely nothing happening at the toe; calm seas.
P28s vary in how hooked their toe curve is from so subtle they're almost nonexistent (CCM and Warrior), to a noticeable bump (True--but with more heel curve than toe), terminating in hooked and hooked again (Bauer, Pro). Easton's was somewhere between True's and Bauer's degree of toe kink, if you can find one.
I'll second @Buzz_LightBeer's point on the P46. It's quite unique in today's lineup of P92 and P28.
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CCM's P14 is the same as Bauer PM9 which is the base curve for P46. It's just a PM9 shape with shaved toe and P92 curve with a tiny bit of toe added. Bauer's P14 has some similarities, but it's much more aggressive in both its toe rocker and curve depth.
Not sure about P77. Can't think of any other than the Sher-Wood Coffey, but isn't that obsolete today?
Pro Stock Hockey Sticks offers P46. If you really love that curve, that's probably your best bet.
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On 12/3/2025 at 10:33 PM, iceman8310 said:Are the Bauer V Cut Tech mesh skates based on the X:60 or X90 or just a tech mesh skate on the current last?
Some vapors fit and some did not.
The ribs are APX/X7.0 style (X90 continued that configuration); X:60's ribs were more Porsche 911 compared to the X7.0 Lamborghini slashes.
As for fit, I wonder if you could order them in Fits 1-3 or if it's all via the Length Forefoot/Heel paradigm. I've seen plenty of pro customs with the L F/H markings and none with F1-3. That doesn't mean they don't exist though. Depending on what did or didn't work for your fit in specific generations of Vapors I'd think a proper custom order would take care of it, if Mosocas are still offered. Vapor up until recently was always low volume, but the little changes to forefoot sidewall shape, toe cap version, or tongue thickness could nudge a player one way or the other. Mosocas weren't subject to this though, since they were never retail. There was possibly a more standard package offered to teams at lower purchasing levels, but specs could be made to tune the fit. Prostockhockey had a ton of Duncan Keith Mosocas in at one point a few years ago. The big difference that stood out between pairs was the toe caps. All of them were represented: the original shaggy Vapor toe caps from 8 - XXX, the naked toe caps from XXXX - 1X (both of them), and the Twiggy toe caps from the 2X Pro. Tongues and liners could be further specified if desired, and I think maybe even internal padding types and thicknesses could as well if I'm not mistaken. Naturally, with so many variables, it's a complicated spec space to navigate.
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On 11/26/2025 at 3:37 PM, LFGR said:Does anyone know of an existing table of the measurements of all the blade holders out there? Particularly, height of the forward pillar, the rear pillar, and the ramp angle (i.e. the forward lean angle).
If one doesn't already exist, I'd be happy to compile one from user-submitted measurements.
I think this would be very useful info for folks trying to modify skates to work with their biomechanics.
It's very much in the spirit of MSH's DBs. The closest thing I've seen is Icehockey360.ru's measurements comparing boot and holder dimensions for the sizes he was trying: https://icehockey360.ru/baza-znanij/geometricheskie-parametry-stakanov/
It's on the older side now, and there were some surprises in there which makes me wonder about his methods. The general trend that emerges already in his measurements is that the industry was trending toward standardization. I think that process is now complete. True's new holder is supposed to be more in line with Bauer and CCM and I vaguely recall Warrior's skate representative saying on HockeyTutorial that their holder has the same pitch as the others. If those observations aren't mistaken, most of the value in the holder db would be to archive historical idiosyncrasies which have gone the way of the cookie cutter in recent years.
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Our local shop is just so so but they do have a try-3 profile option for those with Bauer or CCM holders. I did it and ended up with some very strong opinions about the different options. Something like that might be good, if it's available in your area.
Overall, as usual, profile is 100% personal preference. While 9'/10' might be quite popular and effective for a lot of players, for me, I personally hated it. I felt twice as good on the same Catalyst 7s after switching their profile from the stock 9/10 to Ellipse II.
I suspect an individual's profile search is akin to finding 3D local maxima. 9/10 might just be optimal for your son. But it might also be a completely different paradigm suits him better.
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What's with the Piet Mondrian tape jobs?
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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On 9/12/2025 at 12:44 AM, shooter27 said:Was moving this week and came across these blasts from the past. Brought back a lot of memories.
Good find! My vote for best skate of all-time.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Warrior's customizer has been broken for about 10 years.
Your favorite sticks from the last ten years?
in Ice Hockey Equipment
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I remember when the original Synergy came out. My impression was the durability was spotty. Mine was very durable, as were most of my teammates', but one of our defenseman snapped his in half on his first shot at his first practice with it; got it warrantied, but I never saw him use one ever again. This was just high school level, not as high as it sounds like you were at, so our use was very likely much less damaging and demanding, but there were lots of Synergys in those years and they usually held up for a good portion of a season if one wasn't unlucky.