Cavs019

I don’t agree with that. Machs have a ton of flex in the upper and once you go down a level in Bauer you start to get a lot more cheap plastic and poly material throughout the boot. the M5 Pros feel like a toy compared to the top end model. With NHLers you still see some guys in Ultrasonics and 2X Pros etc but they’re probably just using their remaining custom stock on what is still a pro stiff boot. Most are in the new model every year. The amount of guys still in tech mesh V Cuts or Marleau-esque CCMs/RBKs can be counted on one hand at this point. CCM is a different story - their 2nd from the top are excellent. Bauer I wouldn’t touch especially if you’re looking for something to last a long time.

That’s probably why I love the Mach’s so much. The forward flex on them is insane with the flex notch feature while still keeping lateral stiffness. Everything else has felt like a ski boot to me.

I am a lifetime Vapor guy who recently switched to fit 1 Machs and the eyelet mechanism differences are reason enough to choose one model vs the other. In my experience: - Traditional Mach eyelets: easier to tie, wrap around my foot better after baking, flex better. - Vapor injected system: stiff, doesn’t wrap that well, shreds laces, feels weird and inhibits forward flex. YMMV. You can dial in pitch differences et al with a good profile, lifts, etc. My prior Vapors were custom with traditional eyelets but I’m assuming you’re looking at off the rack here. I don’t feel MOAR POWER or LESS AGILE vs my old Vapors but the Machs certainly fit great which helps me maximize what I have as far as skating ability. I also will take an all black skate over the abominations that are the new Vapor designs any day of the week.

Looking to clear out some of my extra gear. All is mint with minor marks from storage. Prices include shipping within the US. Happy to work a deal on a bundle if there’s interest in multiple items: - CCM RBZ Shoulders Senior Large: $130 - CCM 19K Pro Stock Elbows Senior Medium: $125 - Bauer Pro Series (new version of the nexus) Gloves Black 13 Inch: $125

I picked up a pair of Machs coming out of FT2s and absolutely love them. The softer upper reminds me of my old One90s from back in the day and the heel lock is exceptional. My setup is top eyelet undone, 263 Pulse Ti on a 7 Fit 1 - absolute butter.

I’m in the Pros. I also really liked the 100Ks I tried if you want something a bit more flexible. I also found the APX2 felt way more anatomical and fit close to the foot. The Hyperlite just feels massive and sloppy all around even in a fit 1. @VegasHockey I remember you had a similar experience when comparing the 2X Pro to the 1X 2.0.

I went from APX2s to Jetspeed FT2s (and now FT4 Pros) and absolutely love them. I had a similar experience with the newer Vapors (2X Pro and Hyperlites) and did not like them at all. They felt ski boot-stiff even when leaving the top eyelets undone and I’m not a fan of the clownshoe toecap.

Any reason you’re not looking at CCMs as well? I wore Bauers for about 25 years before recently switching to the CCM one piece boot. Best skates on the market currently IMO.

I prefer the T shaft. The C and E feel like I’m playing with a toothpick. R is ok but not ideal so long as the rest of the stick is in the specs I normally use. There’s no right answer here really just a matter of preference. My favorite shaft shape of all time was the double concave on the CNT Stealth and TPS XN10.

Awesome! Do you mind adding a picture of what the toe cap and material behind it looks like without the XS tongue attached? I’m curious what I’m going to run into once I remove the FT2 tongue.

Has anyone successfully done this and it so, any tips for removing the old tongue and lining up the holes on the toe cap before drilling? For context - I have a pair of FT2s lying around and I’d like to install the slim XS tongue to get a bit more volume out of them. Thanks guys.

Speaking of the FT6 Pro line, any word on when the skates will be available for custom orders?

The biggest issue with the annual releases is that they more or less cripple smaller shops. Otherwise I don’t really care as no one is forcing any of us to buy the new release. The Trigger 4 is my favorite out of all the builds and I’ve been able to stock up for cheap the more “dated” it gets.

The suspension system on the shins is cool, reminds me of my old RBK 6Ks which I loved. That being said - the high thigh guard on these is a dealbreaker for me. I love my FT4 Pro shins and one of the best aspects of them is that the thigh guard barely extends above the kneecap. The ones that extend too far always get caught on my pants which I find absolutely infuriating to deal with mid skate. Back in the day I would just cut them off RBKs/Jofas or opt for something like a Nexus shin that let you adjust it down to “zero”.

CCM XS is the best holder IMO just based on the fact that you can readily find STEP blacksteel for it at retail. I’d rule out the Tuuk Edge entirely given that it’s going to be phased out for that new ODIN/rental skate-looking holder in about 2-3 months. Not sure what their plans are to continue supporting it or manufacturing Edge steel but my guess knowing Bauer is they’ll want to funnel people into the new model.