stick9

It was free and I didn't like it. So I have this really flat ring that I never use. Hmm, maybe I could use it to grind off the first few passes of new steel or in the odd chance I sharpen for someone else and they require many many many passes to un-bleep their edges... When it dies it dies. I won't replace it or be buying a flat grind. Im simply pointing out an alternate way to use a tool you may already have. Especially if that tool is going unused.

JMO. That kind of defeats the purpose of THIS ring. When cutting a new hollow I always do a few passes with the flattest ring I have. This allows me to flatten things out without burning up passes on. I do this on brand new steel too. Now if you want to start cutting a hollow, that's a completely different purpose. For that I'd say your best bet is just to use whatever ring you plan to sharpen with. I can see where you're coming from I just don't think it would be as useful as flat cut.

Sparx is now offering what they are calling a Flat Grind ring. Curious how much this differes from their old cross grind ring. https://sparxhockey.com/products/flat-grinding-ring

Larger or thicker doesn't mean a higher level of protection and vice versa. My knock on some of the newer gear has been durability and price. I also find some of the newer stuff a bit gimmicky too. Defenders aren't a bad choice. They've always been a great pad. I might opt for a padded shirt with a lower profile pad for better mobility.

I had the same experience. I think every boot/holder/runner setup is unique. The same goes for player needs and wants. Some setups just work with little to no tweaking, others require tweaking. Some tweaks are just personal preference as opposed to "I can't skate in these skates".

The modern golden era for gloves was around the time of the Vapor 1X Pro, fantastic glove BTW. I lump the FT1 into that mix, another fantastic glove. Back on topic... I'd go with the Sherwoods. I've heard lots of positive feedback on them. I don't quite trust Warrior like I used to and Trues are still less than a 1-percenter in my parts.

Nah, it's all good. Anyway... I never had issues with the edge holders and runners. I liked their familiar feel and that shape is iconic. But, I'm going XS with Blacksteel here. I prefer CCM's release over the trigger. It's easier to use. We all know how big a PIA the trigger can be. That said. Don't think I haven't thought about slapping some edge holders on my retro Tacks. Man that would be killer.

It reads like only lower end skates had the plastic dial. Which up until the FT6 all skates except pro stock had the plastic dial.

No not really. My 100K Pros came with the dial pictured on top. I bought them when they were released, so about 3.5 years ago. Is STEP steel not justification enough? BTW, there is another XS holder coming. No more screw. It will be a plunger mechanism similar to a trigger

Full disclosure. I have the Pro version. I know that wasn't the ask so I'll stick to things that SHOULD be the same for both. First off, the retro Tacks are simply an XF or XF Pro with a different graphic and liner color. Some things I assume are common between the two models... The XF and XF Pro are a completely newish or tweaked boot. CCM extended the facing up along the mid foot adding depth to the skate. New swanky tongue on the Pro. The new toe box design (no more removable tongues) feels a touch wider but with less height inside. It looks small from the outside. There is a lot more padding throughout the skate, including down into the toe box. This was a massive improvement over my last skates. Out of box comfort was pretty decent. The heel on the Pro is narrower than a 100k of the same size and fit. Feels a bit deeper too, though maybe that just the padding. There are some decent video reviews comparing them to other skates.

As a bruins fan, I have never seen him use a Jetspeed in game. And it started out as a PM9-ish than moved to the more open P88. Towards the end he was using something with a toe hook as mentioned.

I went from a 100k Pro sz 6 tapered to an XF Pro in the same fit. Overall the fit is very close with a few exceptions. The XF's heel is narrower than the 100k. There is more depth around the insteep (CCM says this was intentional to fit more players). The toe cap has less negative space. All that said, I'd try both. Dropping to a tapered might be too extreme. Fwiw, the it's way nicer than the 100k. Definitely an upgrade.

If I recall correctly, the XL steel is standard steel with a longer profile. If correct that would mean any steel can be converted to XL steel. Regardless. You should be able to get 254 to feel like 263 by simply profiling your current steel.

HAHA love the name. Doesnt looks bauer to me unless bauer has decided to get rid of the trigger blade release mechanism. Holders look to have some of feature on the heel similar to the old Cobra holders. Could we be seeing yet another Marsblade holder??

Coming from a 100k Pro the stiffness was a concern. It was noticeable, though I didn't feel like the skate was restricting me. I had to work them a little harder to get them to do what I wanted at times so my legs felt it. Oddly, my chronic hip flexor and lower back issues seemed to disappear. Overall, super impressed.