stick9

Don't they still make the 4500? I thought Bauer was re-releasing it, no...

Isn't stiffness relative to the player? I mean, take two players at identical skill levels, the only difference is one players weighs 140lbs, the other is 200lbs. You put both of them in the same exact skate and the results will vary. The reason I mention this is because I sort of had one of those ah-ha moments with skates. Up until late 2019 I was fairly happy with my Vapor 1X 2.0. I really like the injected lacing and the flex lock tongue and that skate looked awesome. I was bored one day so I started looking at skates on SS. I found a used pair of pro stock 70k's with edge holders. They were my size and crazy cheap. I figured what the hell. If I hate em, I'll flip or keep them for pond skates. Turns out, there was an immediate boost to my skating. Things I struggled with were no longer an issue and there were certain things I found myself doing that I was not able to in other skates. This tells me, fit is not really king. I don't think my ribcors fit perfectly. My heel is locked in, I don't have any lace-bite issues but there is some negative space in the toe box that's not there in the vapors. Yet they still out perform the vapors by a wide margin, and I think the Vapor is a much better skate. I've worn the vapors once since I got the ribcors. That was after I decided to convert them to inlines. Zero regrets.

No, but at least they are attaching a number to it like flex ratings on sticks. It wont take too long to figure out how those numbers translate to other brands, like sticks.

In the case of Bauer, yeah it was overkill and once they altered the fits the nexus was redundant. As for ccm, I think it has some customer facing value. Being able to slot into a softer/stiffer boot will nice.

On the topic of ccm fit characteristics. I like what they did and how they break down the different fits. It's far more intuitive than what I saw from Bauer. One other little nugget I liked. They list the skate lines by stiffness.

Isnt this long overdue by both companies? I mean I hated being told, based on your foot you need <insert model here>. I'd much rather pick a skate based on features.

Dude, you realize you are asking companies to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop a helmet to potentially protect against something that's litterly happened twice. I would wager, neck and spinel injuries are much higher on their list.

Honestly, if this is the sort of thing that keeps you up at night, do something about it. Don't clamor for someone else to take up your cause. You're either part of the solution or part of the problem.

How about the larger point. Why aren't people clamoring for better medical facilities in these areas or rinks?

Wanting better helmets is all well and good, but you gotta get the players to wear them. In league where Bauer 4500's are still prevalent, I doubt that happens. Gretzky said he'd retire if they outlawed his Jofa bucket. Joe Thornton threatened to do the same if forced to wear a visor.

Ugh, very unfortunate.

My fear is companies are so focused on concussion prevention overall protection slips.

I've had places warm them a little just to get a better feel for what they'd be like. Not a full on bake. Which would be dumb because you couldn't walk around in them. It's not so much materials breaking down, it's more the adhesives.

My guess, Step didn't want to be different than Bauer, they wanted to offer a better quality option. Which makes sense. Less development time and resources and easier adoption from users since it's a drop in.

Shoulders

No, Bauer is telling Bridgestone and Michelin to stop making tires that violate their parents. There is a major difference. It's their IP and they have every right to defend it. I don't know why people seem to gloss over that. Furthermore, Step knew they were violating Bauer's patents which is why they wouldn't sell Step edge in the US and their steel was stamped Not for sale in the US.

Haven't they already gone down that path? Bauer defended their patent to get customers to buy Bauer steel. Ccm bought a very highly regarded steel manufacturer to get customers to either buy their skates or swap out their holders for a ccm. FWIW, what ccm did was a bit more douchy than Bauer. CCM's play was a total c**k block.

No go on the RX3's. I really want to like them but something about how they fit just doesn't work for me. I was very impressed with how light they are and how little moisture they absorbed after playing. They are worth a look though. So close to being exactly what I had wanted.

Yeah, it's getting old fast. Those 10:30 games when it's 15 degrees out are especially bad. Although it did get me to try a full length lower base layer, which I gotta say is pretty damn comfortable.

I got my STX RX3 shoulders last night. They certainly are light and form fitting. With the exception of the bicep guards, the overall bulk of the pad doesn’t seem to be any more or less bulky than my Stealth CX7.0’s. They look to be a decent set of shoulders for the money. The 14 day trial and price was enough to get me to give them a go.

There's an old saying, it's not the hammer, it's the carpenter. IMO, kick point has zero impact on where the puck ends up, i.e. low or high. That's more a technique. Some patterns make certain things easier. For example, open face patterns help the user get the puck up high but it won't do it for you. Also, there is no right or wrong, better or worse when it comes to curves paired with kick points. A hockey stick is a tool. Some tools make jobs easier, others can make them a bit more difficult. You aren't looking for the best tool, you're looking for the tool that best suits you. My recommendation to all new players is a mid kick P88.

I recently bought an AX9 pro stock from IW. I got the 75 which is what I usually use. It felt a bit whipper than other 75 flex sticks. If I were buy another, I'd look to jump up to an 80. Really nice stick, loved the look. Blade was maybe a bit too stiff for my liking. Unfortunately, the custom Hornqvist pattern just wasn't for me so I had to find it a new home.

To me the big thing there is the tendon guard. Could the vapor be getting it's own flexible tendon guard?? 🤔

Yeah, that's what I figured. Your list prompted me to check out the STX shoulders, which I ended up buying. They looked very CL/RBZ like. As for the availability of RBZ gear. You see some here and there but very hit or miss. Yeah, the QLT was pretty disappointing. Seemed like a cost reduced RBZ line to me. Glad CCM got things back on track with the FT1.

The only shins I've ever worn where I really didn't need tape. I might break mine out again. They were shelved in favor of the Tacks due to the liners wearing away around the knee caps. Which was my only real gripe.