stick9

Kg, I think you inadvertently pointed out the flaw in VT testing. The end user will never take into account all the particulars of the test, merely assume that 200 pages of copier paper will stop a bullet. Mom & Dad go and buy junior helmet X for Christmas because they read on the inter web that it has a 5 star rating. Doesn't matter if it fits, how he wears it or what he does in it. The report says it will reduce concussions.

Maybe not bad, more like flawed or incomplete. Other independent testing agencies (UL, CE, CSA and the dozens I have forgot or don't feel like listing) have set standards and guidelines in place. If a manufacturer doesn't follow those standards and fails testing, the agency does not grant approval. In most cases that means you are not allowed to sell your product in a certain market. This is done before the product is released to the public, not after the fact. The data is the data, but data can be very subjective. Look, it seems like they want the right thing, but does their testing tell the whole story. How do their findings relate to the real world? Does a 5 star helmet actually reduce the risk of concussions on everyone who wears it? Hockey isn't played in a lab so how effective is their testing? I've played for a long and have yet to have a giant hammer pop out and hit me in the side of the head. Ideally, VT should work on creating a metric or baseline along with a test procedure that all manufacturers can follow. That would allow companies to use those metrics and procedures during the R&D phase. New materials and assembly methods could be vetted before even going to market.

Pretty much my view of independent test ratings. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEB7WbTTlu4

If you like Kessel maybe you could ask for hot dog emoji sewn to the back of your jersey......better yet wear #11 and tell people it's two hot dogs in honor of Phil. Call it the dual dog.....heck of a nick name.

Looks very 1S esque. Too bad I'll never get my foot in one.

JR, any chance that LS3 SS steel is available as replacement steel? Then again I suppose you could just get the LS3 and have the heels and toes shaved.

Having spoken to an EQM at the AHL level. He tells me there are a good number of players who have no idea what they are skating on. They simply hand their skates to the guy who does the sharpening. He did say there are some guys who are fanatic about it, but nothing like you see at the retail level. Again, I don't think it's an major factor. If you believe that, then you have to believe that he wouldn't be the same player on a different ROH, and that's just crazy.

I don't thinks it's all that big of a factor. I'm willing to bet guys simply skate on whatever they are familiar with. I don't believe they look to it as a performance gain or loss. I can see them saying to the EQM "skates feel a little dull or a little too sharp", the EQM tweaks the hollow and asks "is this more what you're looking for".

If the skates are essentially the same, then why go with a company with almost zero exposure at the NHL level and zero marketing? Unless of course you are familiar with the brand and want to be loyal. And isn't that on the brand, not the consumer? For example, CCM is doing a no questions money back guarantee on a product they know is at the very least equal to their competition. IMO, Graf sat on an outdated product catalog for way too long. I also think, at some point their "fit for every foot" approach actually hurt them.

Best of luck to Vaughn, but I can't help but think this is about 10 years too late. This should have happened when Graf was still somewhat of a player in the market. Its going to take a seriously compelling product. Simply equal to CCM & Bauer just won't do. It will need to blow them out of the water and at a lower price. They'll sell some skates, just not enough to make it work.

Attention Mako skate lovers. Monkey is blowing out all Easton gear and they are offering an additional 35% off when you use the code easton35.

Player Details Male 5'9” 170 lbs Forward C level Men’s League Playtime - twice a week Product Reviewed Bauer Vapor 1X Pro Size 14” Gloves Owned: Warrior Luxe, Bauer Supreme One70, Eagle X70i. Overview: My Luxe’s are showing some signs of age. I play a lot of back to back nights and even though I unpack all my gear to dry, there are some night where my gloves feel a bit soggy. I figured a second set of gloves wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I’ve tried plenty of different gloves at various MSH events so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted…more so what I didn’t want. I almost settled for the X900. A friend offered to let me use his pair of 1X Pro’s for the night. I was sold pretty quickly. Initial Thoughts: Honestly, they’re kind of visually boring and the 10 second fit you get in a store doesn’t tell the entire story. It’s a hockey glove so the real question is, how does it play. One thing that’s obvious right from the start was this glove offered an elite/pro level protection. On the design side, there are a few things Bauer could have done differently to score some extra style points. I think the black version should be all black, logo and all. Fit: Tapered - Snug fit in the fingers & backhand; relaxed fit in the cuff. It’s not as snug as the Supreme but not nearly as loose as the Nexus. The 14” is on par with other manufacturers of the same size. All in all, they fit like you’d expect and are sized accordingly. What’s odd about the fit profile of this glove is the Vapor seems to be somewhere between the Nexus and Supreme. Based on other Bauer products one would think the Vapor is one of the ends of the spectrum, not the middle. 9/10 Comfort: It comes down to a few key features; a 37.5 liner with XRD foam padding along the backhand and thumb, a soft Nash palm, 3 piece index finger, breathable gussets and the 3 piece Free-Flex Thumb. Props to Bauer here. The combination of these features make for one of the most comfortable gloves I have tried. One slight annoyance here. The comfort foam padding in the thumb is only attached at one end. It tends to move when you remove the glove, it goes right back to where it should be once you put it back on. No big deal, I just find it annoying. 9/10 Weight: Weighing 317 grams for a 14” it’s not the lightest glove but it’s certainly not the heaviest. For comparison, the standard 14” 1X is 305 grams, the Supreme 14” MX3 is 318 grams and the 14” 1N is 344 grams. 9.5/10 Mobility: I would have gone with 10/10 here but the pro style cuff isn’t as mobile as the Free Flex Cuff on the standard 1X. The Pro Style cuff isn’t restrictive, just not nearly as open as what you get on the standard. The 3D Free-Flex Thumb allows the thumb to bend at two different points, which is a more natural feel when gripping the stick. You get a 3 piece index finger and segmented back roll to allow your hand to properly grip a stick. 9/10 Break-in: Break-in time seemed fairly reasonable. It’s a pretty mobile glove right off the shelf and the Nash palms have a really nice feel right from the start. Like with any glove I’ve ever used, they always feel much better once your hands start to warm up. Playing during the summer in some really warm rinks may have helped speed this up. 9/10 Palm: Pro Ivory Nash with an Ivory Nash overlay. A grip texture has been added to the overlay. Comfort and stick feel is very good. The Nash palm was one of the features that swayed to the 1X Pro. I didn’t really care for the suede palm on the X900, it was OK but it left me feeling disconnected. The suede on the standard 1X felt a little better but I didn’t care for the durability patch they add. The pro nash is clearly the way to go. 9/10 Protection: This aspect of the glove hasn’t really been fully tested. I’ve broken my left hand three separate times, I’m not looking to try for a fourth. The 1X Pro has dual-density foam with plastic inserts in the fingers, backhand, cuff-roll, and cuff. You’re also getting Poron XRD & comfort foam along the backhand as well. I expect pro level protection and it looks as though the 1X Pro will deliver. 10/10 Durability: So far so good. The outer shell is a pro style cable mesh & nylon, I expect it hold up well. Not having used nash palms before, I am curious to see how they wear. The overall construction of the glove appears to be excellent, no loose threads or iffy looking areas inside or out. Durability is more a long term category, so I am rating on the cautious side. 7.5/10 Intangibles: Protection & Comfort are the big ones, it’s really what makes this glove stand out. Though the 37.5 liner and 3D free-flex thumb are worth mentioning, but it would still be a great glove without them. Overall, a nice step up from the 1X, definitely worth the extra $10. Final Score: 9/10 Conclusion: The guys at Bauer put together a really protective glove without sacrificing comfort or mobility. Styling is a bit understated but so is everyone else’s. If you’re looking at a 1X or any glove in that price range, I suggest looking at the 1X Pro.

I noticed you didn't shim the heel. I thought the CCM holder was 1mm taller than the Edge holder. I assume that wasn't an issue during the remount?

I heard pretty recently that at some point in the season BOS & STL had a deal in place that included Shattenkirk & Louis Eriksson. St Louis wanted Boston to take on a ad contract in the deal and things broke down. Same source said both sides regretted not making the deal.

He's now traded picks 1 & 2 from that draft for questionable returns. Larsson and a pick or two or Larsson and a prospect wouldn't have been a bad deal.

I figured that wouldn't be an issue for you (or others here for that matter), just curious about the potential root cause.

Wonder if heating the steel during sharpening is having an affect on how it sits in the holder.

Funny, when I was at Winterfest I said something to the Warrior rep about purchasing Graf. Anyway, can't say I am surprised, reasons already listed.

Bring this one back up. I ended up with a EVH Wolfgang Special Stealth Edition. EVH is now own by Fender. The Specials are built in their Mexico facility and are rather nice. Recently upgraded my amp. After much deliberation I ended up with a Panama Guitars Fuego 15 combo, one of the first to get one. Great sounding amp, very similar in tone to my friends Hiwatt 30 Lead.

My thoughts exactly Stewie. The RBZ's are the only shins I've ever owned that stay in place without tape. Gloves look nice, wonder if they went with mesh gussets, ventilation was my only beef when I demo'd the Tacks and 4 Rolls.

I was able to talk to the CCM rep and use the P29 at SummerJam this past weekend. The P29 is far more aggressive than the P19, it's deeper and more open. I used it for most of the day. I thought the P19 blade had a bigger more forgiving sweet spot, where as with the P29 you had to be right on it. I believe it had more rocker as well. The P29 seems to be a more exact clone of the Sakic/Hall/Draper patterns. I used the 6052 glove as well. I really liked them, only drawback I saw was ventilation, they were a bit warm (FWIW I found this to be an issue with CCM 4 rolls as well). Overall, a nice comfortable glove with great mobility.

Was disappointed the learn the Ultra Tacks stick doesn't offer the P19.

Yeah, sort of leaning towards the strat. Seems like the safe bet in terms of buying blind. The charvel is tempting...I loved those old san dimas necks. That first setup can be a pain, but if you do it right it's much easier to maintain. If you change gauge strings, you need to reset the bridge, and you must block the bridge from bottoming out when you change strings.

I don't believe was inexperience on the part of the shop or the person doing the sharpening. I tried two different hollows, 5/8ths & 3/4 and two different depth channels. The 3/4 with the shallower hollow was a bit better, but still more grip than I am accustom to. I have two sets of steel so I'd like to do an actual side by side test between zchannel and a FBV. Why pay for a zchannel if I am getting just as much glide with a FBV... All that said, if I could drop the grip and keep the glide I would be sold.

After a few months of staking on nothing but zchannels, I'll be switching back to a good old trusty FBV. It's just too much grip for me. The glide was great, and they seemed to hold an edge pretty well but I want a little give every now and then. I don't like feeling locked into the ice all the time. Switching hollows and channel depth didn't really help that. It got a little better, but now enough to make be a believer.