Chadd

first of many pics of my stuff.

Mods...perhaps we could just pin "It comes out in the Spring" on top of all equipment related threads. Steve...It comes out in the Spring. You're assuming people would bother reading it.

I have a list of the members who PM'd me last time we asked.

Open for review

I'm still using Adobe 6 and had no problems.

Everything manufactured by Easton now has an massive-ass, IN-YOUR-FACE logo on it now. It's such an eyesore on their gloves - it just looks disproportionate. Yeah, but now everyone in the rink will know what brand you're wearing.

No Isn't that five out of the last six years now?

Open for review

That's ok, I'm waring a Graf hat. I have a graf bag :) I think I still have a pair of 703 shoulder pads in a bag somewhere. I think it's just about time to ebay all of my old gear.

That's ok, I'm waring a Graf hat.

roduct: Mission Pure S500 Carbon 11 EE Reviewer specs: 6'-1", 230 Intro These skates arrived on a Wednesday morning. I played open hockey at lunchtime that day, my beer league game the next night and a 24 hour charity game on Friday into Saturday. I never had a hot spot, pressure point or any pain, let alone a blister. Fit When you put on an S series skate there is a little "ffft"noise as you slide past the padding and your heel slips into the pocket. Unlike most other skates on the market, the heel pocket is created by building the skate to the form of an ankle/foot joint and not by using a ton of padding to make it comfortable. I found that my S500s broke in almost one-quarter of a size, so I probably could have gone down to a 10.5EE. I thank Justin for answering my many questions about fit back on CB. His guidance got me a lot closer than I would have been on my own. 9.5/10 Blade/Holder Wow. I was a Custom+ guy and I figured I would try this gimmicky new toy for a little while and then throw my Custom+'s on after a couple of games. In fact, the ability to match up a Custom+ to the Pitch rivet holes was a selling feature to me. I never got around to taking my Pitchs off the skates. I tried all three settings and found the neutral to be perfect for me. They use the best steel on the market right now and are very solid. My skates are now over a year and a half old and I still have no problems with the holder or the steel. 10/10 Protection If you're going to block a shot, make sure it hits your toe cap. Otherwise you will get a bruise. That said, I never got more than a small bruise while blocking shots with these skates. They're no worse than the 852s that I used for years before switching to the S500. 7/10 Weight Light enough for me. They about the same weight as a Graf 703 and they were the lightest skate on the market prior to the recent rash of super-light skates. I never notice the weight at the beginning, middle or end of a game. 9/10 Durability I've been using them for 18 months and only one small issue. There was a slight bit of tearing at the base of the tendon guard. I went to a shoe repair shop and had them stitch some black leather over the problem area and the problem was resolved for $20. I think the size of my legs and my propensity to sit back on my heels when playing defense caused the problem to be worse than in most other cases. 9/10 Conclusion It's not a skate for someone learing how to skate who has no ankle strength. It is a fantastic skate that allows you to get the most out of your stride. Factor in the forward-thinking supplefit concepts, the best holder and steel on the market (Pitch) and quality construction and you have one hell of a skate. No tonly do I skate in them, I have my partner at the shop in them and we have at least 8-10 guys that we play hockey with in them as well and they all love them. I've only had one customer that didn't like them and if they said "vapor" on them they would have been fine. 9/10

Product: Mission M-1 pants, black XL Reviewer specs: 6-1, 225 lbs. Intro/Intangibles I just retired these pants after three years. Protection Excellent thigh and hip protection. In fact, the pads on the thighs are so thick that they actually take a little while to really break in and form to your leg. I've never been in pain after blocking a shot that hit any of the padding in these pants. I also love the spinal protection pad. It has a bit of pressure on your back so even if you bend a bit, it stays with you. This feature was retained for the newer pants. 9/10 Fit/Weight The dual belt and laces allow you to customize the fit to the way you like it. They are not a light pant, and considering the amount of protection they offer it's not a surprise. If you have thin legs and like a snug fit on the thighs, stay away from the M1 pant. I have large legs and don't like the legs to be snug and they work well for me. 9/10 Craftsmanship/Durability Every significant part of the pant held up well for me, but there were signs of wear over the years. The velcro tabs would catch and not stay closed so I simply cut off those tabs after a year or so. After three years the material attached to the eyelets pulled away from the pants and the strap buttons started to fall off, but that's not entirely unexpected from a pant with that many miles on them. 7.5/10 Conclusion It's a very protective pant that worked very well for me. They are/were more protective than most other pants in the $99 price range, their original retail price. I got mine much cheaper than that off of eBay and I couldn't be happier with them. Obviously there are a couple minor details that would be nice to change, but the simple fact that I didn't replace them for three years should tell you something. 8.5/10 I'll try not to wait three years before reviewing my new pants, Tackla 9000s.

I can't agree when so many people have never had that problem before using Vectors. It's a very common problem with the top couple models, but not with many other brands. Lace bite is just not common with Vectors here. Never had any customer complain of lace bite on a Vector, any Vector, and I sell lots of them. Compared to a high end Bauer, the toungue is much better and does not break down as fast. I don't see what the problem is. Even my partner at the shop got lace bite from them and he has been playing for 20+ years and never had the problem before. I never had the problem with any skate but I see a lot of people with that problem. 90% of the time it's a 6.0 or higher Vector, the rest of the time it's a Graf.

I can't agree when so many people have never had that problem before using Vectors. It's a very common problem with the top couple models, but not with many other brands.

I've seen more cases of lace bite from Vectors than any other skate.

There's a guy here who does 9/16 for forwards and 7/16 for defenseman, regardless of age. size, ability, etc...

Not as many as your dad's shop, but I don't have the space for all of the crap he wanted me to buy. Not to mention the stuff I have is much nicer than his pile of crap.

When Bob started telling me I would be better having a couple of table top machines, then pay extra for his personal exhaust, his cross grinder, etc...than I would be with a double or triple head system,he lost a lot of credibility

I've said similar things about M-E, just about everyone I know who has talked to him has said that.

this is hollow and I'm fine with it, not radius. If you change your radius, you may need to change your hollow.

You can't have a radius that is great for agility and very stable, those concepts are at odds with each other. If you have a problem with the radius you are currently using, post that info and I'm sure someone will be able to make some suggestions as to what you should change.

Quick update: Gloves are still holding up quite well. The only visible signs of wear are on the palms where the grip was applied. The grippy stuff is peeling off in some spots but that's not surprising given the amount of use.

Not too bad from what I recall. I haven't seen them in quite a while though.

The new rebellions are vertical like a tuuk but it's exposed.

The Crews on the Rebellions I tried were pretty bad. Rebellion has a new holder this year that is actually pretty nice. It's like a Cobra or ICM but uses the same type of attachment system as a Tuuk Custom + and will come in white or clear.