Chadd

If the Bauers are too wide in the heel the RBKs would be a major mistake. You should look into a 703/G3 first and go from there. You could even consider ordering Vapors with an AA heel.

If it's "coming soon" or "on the 25th" it isn't your current gear.

Other than the ones posted in the topic about the game?

Open for review

Obviously we all hope he makes it, but it's not going to stop us from making fun of the family obsession with Kovy. ;)

Chrome (SE) and reflecting the color of the wood.

I like the original 795s a lot more than the RBKs. Silver/grey and white just don't go well together.

Dad had a 912 for a while, nice little car. I've been keeping my eye open for a good deal on one.

Evidently my opinions more accurate than theirs were.

No stars but all solid players. Instead of having a big name stud who can kill penalties, run the PP and play 30 minutes a night, they have guys who all fill different roles. I like that strategy as one injury doesn't hurt as much.

They do have some sticks but they are only available in Europe. They're a small company with some good people.

Check your local rules because in some leagues it's illegal to remove them. i've already removed the ear guards, first thing i did. i was talking about the clear plastic peice that the two screws go in near top of the helmet on each side, these two screws are responsable for adjusting the length of the helmet. right underneath the screws theres a small plastic piece that isn't there for pro stock helmets, but its on all retails. im wondering if theres anyway to remove it, because its special screw hole concavity shape may pose a problem. Removing it voids the certification. I was told that the pro helmets can't have it becase those helmets had to be a solid color.

Mission Fuel AG 110 10 EE Previous Skates: Mission S500, Kor Shift1, CCM 852, CCM 952, CCM 795, Salming F1, Graf 727 Intro I'm a big believer in the Mission supplefit concepts and loved my S500 skates. I converted a lot of people that I know into Mission skates, in large part because they saw how happy I was with mine. I was given a pair of the Fuels and I compared them directly with a new pair of S500s. Much of this review is a direct comparison to the S500, my favorite skate and the direct predecessor to the Fuel AG 110. Fit The Fuels are much wider in the heel than I expected and much deeper in the ankle than I am used to using. They are also a little bit longer than S series skates, maybe 1/4 of a size larger in my size. I had difficulties getting my heel to stay locked in, even with a D width skate that I tried on. After breaking them in, they now feel sloppy and not nearly as responsive as my S500s. 6/10 Blade/Holder No changes that I can see have been made to what I believe is the best holder and steel combo on the market. I can't say enough good things about the pitch, check my other reviews and topics if you want more info. 10/10 Weight I really don't care about weight as much as I do comfort. I don't have a scale to compare weights but I don't feel as though the skates are holding me back in any way. Slightly lighter than my S500s, but not a "holy cow" moment when you pick them up. 8/10 Protection If you block a shot, you are going to feel it. After using my S500s for a while I've adopted the Paul (Flamingo) Coffey shot blocking style of getting the hell out of the way. If you get hit in the feet with slappers a lot, these really aren't for you. That said, I have caught a few shots in the feet but have never had any serious damage. 7/10 Durability I've had these since December 2005 and they still look like new for the most part. I don't use these as my primary skates, the S500s I got at the same time get much more use. These are relegated to officiating and pickup games while my S500s are drying. There are a couple spots where the outsole is pulling away from the boot and that's another reason they get less use. 6/10 Conclusion I had high hopes for these skates and maybe that's part of the problem. I absolutely love my S500s and I was expecting an improvement, however minor, with the new model. I don't think that is true in this case and it is a major disappointment to me.

Looks more like he's covering up you.

RBK 8K Fit - Damn, this bad boy is small. I can normally wear a medium in most helmets but this one required some modifications. I got mine used here on MSH and got it without trying one on. After removing the dial and the straps and putting it at the largest setting, it's a decent fit. Your mileage will vary. Ventilation - Coming from a Jofa 690, I didn't notice any improvement in airflow. In fact, I would say that my 690 seemed to be cooler. I haven't worn them both on the same day to test this impression though. The EPP foam seemed to block a lot of the air vents (even before my modifications). I don't know if this was just a mis-alignment in the foam on mine or if this is a common problem with 8K helmets. 6/10 Protection- It's the only helmet that I've every owned that bends and squeezes so much with almost no effort. Ok, my old Jofa 235 is worse but nobody expects an ounce of protection from that. The plastic shell seems much softer than any other helmet that I've owned. I don't know if that the shell is a different material or just thinner to achieve the lighter weight. 6/10 Weight - No doubt about it, this thing doesn't weigh much at all. That is the number one selling point of the helmet and it really delivers on that feature. 10/10 Durability - I've only been using the helmet a couple months so it's premature to make any type of decision on durability. It does seem to collect scratches, on the way to and from games so I've started using an old Oakley helmet bag. N/A Intangibles- It's very light and fairly comfy (after a bit of work). I don't really notice it on my head and I guess that's what you want in a helmet. I still find my 690 to be more comfortable but I look forward to trying the RBK in some cooler months to see if it feels better. Conclusion - I would never pay full retail price for the 8k, it's an astronomical price for a helmet. I have some concerns about the overall protective-ness (if that's a word) of the helmet, but it's more than enough for the (normally) pretty mellow beer leagues where I play and ref.

TPS Response Plus Flex: Siff Curve: Sundin Pro Blade: It doesn't feel as good to me as the original Responses but is more durable. The blade feels like an XN10 or R2 composite blade as they are the same blade. 8/10 Flex: I've always preferred the R flex as they intially have better performance for Tme. The problem is that TPS shafts tend to "break in" more than any other brand that I've used and the R flex gets a little whippy after a while. That said, this is an S flex and seems to be holding up a little better over the long term. Slappers are pretty good with it and I don't notice much velocity loss on my wristers. 8/10 Stickhandling/receiving passes: I'm not the type to make a lot of moves but I never have to look down to know where the puck is on my stick. That could be because I've used so many TPS products over the last couple years. It feels very comfortable to me. 8/10 Shooting: Very consistant and you know what to expect on every shot. I'm never surprised by one shot taking off much more than another or one being much weaker than another. Any inconsistancy comes from me and not the stick. 9.5/10 Weight and Balance: At 455g, it is about average in terms of weight but the overall balance is very good. The R+ has more weight in the shaft than the XN10 and that makes the overall balance a little better, even if it is a bit heavier. 9/10 Durability: I got this brand new and it is holding up quite well after a few months of irregular use. There are a couple chips on the blade from skate blades, but nothing that makes me fear that the end is near. 10/10 (so far) Intangibles: It's a pro stick so it must make me play like a pro right? Conclusion: Very solid and reliable stick. I've had great luck with TPS sticks over the last few years and this is another example of those experiences. Good performance, good feel and good durability all add up to one very useful stick. This is a pro stock stick and not a retail model

He's listed at 5-7 but that has to be with his skates on. I've been to a couple of games where he was scratched and he spent most of the time hitting on the wives and girlfriends, most of whom were bigger than he is.

Some of the RBK jerseys look OK, that one looks like crap.

The shift one has about one eyelet lower than a vapor.

It's been a while, I figured it was time for an update: Helmet: RBK 8k Not bad, could use more ventilation Shoulder pads: Sherwood 5030 pretty light and holding up well Elbow pads: Jofa 8025 - Light small, no bicep cuff. Sometimes use DR EP44 with the bicep pads removed. Gloves: Salming PG1 very comfy and durable as hell Pants: Tackla 9000 fantastic pants Shin pads: Hespeler classic found them on eBay Skates: custom Mission S500 best skates I've ever owned Stick: TPS Response+ Sundin pro stock, R2XN10 tapered shafts. I'm also testing sticks for a new company.

We've had a couple discussions about it. It looks like a very interesting skate but the version at the show that I saw wasn't a final version accoring to the local rep.

Open for review

Still rocking the Salming TF1?

Mike hinted that there may be one coming eventually

Open for review