mojo122

Gonchar was an early Mako convert... The Mako is the refinement of the MLX skate. I'm waiting for the refinement of the VH skate.

When it comes to skates CCM is a stronger competitor to Bauer than Easton and VH combined. There's a reason for Bauer's dominance and it's not their marketing.

VH

Goalie cut FBV http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/62142-goalie-skate-sharpening-issue/?p=946779

Looking forward to checking those gloves out in person.

No, The Re-Akt 100 is a new model in addition to the Re-Akt.

Whatever happened to concept of a traditional (non-carbon) toecap becoming available? Going from the experiences of the Synergy 1500 I would pass on a skate with a carbon toe.

How about a picture of the tendon guard from the back of the skate...

Has the Franchise glove run finally ended? http://www.mywarriorhockey.com

No skate is going to be bulletproof.

Nice...congratulations to the little guy!

I really liked the gray custom Superfeet. Got mine from TSR, who also do a fair amount of lift installations.

How pliable were the skates after you baked them? How long did you keep them on for? Were they completely cooled down before taking them off? If done correctly, you wouldn't have any need to immediately re-bake them. Better off waiting until you skate in them and see how they feel, and see whether or not you have any hot spots and go from there.

I had to struggle to get mine on before having them baked, so I would ask whether or not you have the right size? For me these were the most uncomfortable skate out of the box. Without baking you're not going to get the foot wrap/fit that the Mako provides. While I can see your apprehension in having the ankle issue that some experienced happen to you, I would point out that there are many of us skating in Mako's who didn't get that problem. I would bake, and if you experience the ankle rubbing over the top of the boot, then you can spot heat that area and roll it out.

I didn't know which runner had it. I applied it to one of the runners of my second set of steel and placed them back in the Bauer storage case. By the time I got to using the second set of steel some 3-weeks later I had no idea which blade was which. Installed the runners and knew which one it was when I skated on them. I'm older, but not crazy. No way I'm letting my wife touch any of my equipment!

I did try it only one skate and did noticed a slight difference. Like everything else I'm sure profile, ROH, and skating style all play into it. Factoring in the number of applications you get out of the jar it's not expensive to use, so I plan on sticking with it for the foreseeable future.

Yes the liner gets wet from your sweat during the skate, but the liner itself is not soaking up the moisture like a sponge does. My impression is that the weight doesn't change significantly when you compare them before and after.

Not really going to be able to know for sure unless someone gets a pair before the summer release and skates in them. I didn't have the high ankle rubbing issue, but it will be interesting to see if those that did don't have that problem with the Mako II.

Best place to start is where you normally go for your gear, unless you're unhappy with them for some reason or they're not a Warrior retailer.

Have to go through an authorized Warrior retailer. Sounds like for the moment they're still being made in a North American plant, but that will change at some point. If you want custom Franchise's you should order sooner rather than later.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/65570-2014-warrior-hockey-catalogue/?p=994763 Discussed in the Warrior catalog thread.

Background - 5'9 180, wide forefoot, solid heel, flat arch. Recent Skates: Bauer Supreme TotalOne’s and TotalOne NXG’s Fit: Both my previous skates were customs so I really had the fit locked in with them. Prior to baking I really had a hard time getting my feet into the Mako skates. You MUST have this skate baked to get a true appreciation as to whether or not you have the right size as they really open up during the baking process. While I could use a tad bit more volume I have not experienced any lace bite issues or any of the ankle rubbing that some skaters have experienced above the comfort edge on the skate. Ideally my size would be a quarter size down from what I have, but customs are not an option with the Mako skate. 9/10 Blade/Holder: While the CXN holder/steel setup looked pretty good, I have been skating on nitinol runners made for LS2 holders, so because I really like the nitinol’s and have two sets of them, I had the CXN holders switched out for LS2 holders with 3mm heel lifts. The lifts give me the same aggressive forward pitch that comes with the CXN setup. Since I never used the CXN holder or steel this feature will not be rated. Weight: Mako skates are not the lightest skate currently available, coming in slightly heavier than my NXG skates, but pretty comparable to other high end skates on the market. The skate offers both comfort and performance which more than make up for it not being the “lightest”. 10/10 Protection: I have a bad habit of placing my body in front of pucks, including my feet. Protection is not bad, but for sure it is not the most protective boot out there. I give that current distinction to the Supreme NXG, which is almost bulletproof. I have taken some pretty hard shots of the boots and while I have not had any serious injury, I have had a couple of good bruises as a result. 8/10 Durability: Coming up to a year with these skates, skating at least 4 times a week. The skates have held up extremely well except for the usual scuffs and scratches from heavy use. My style of play tends for me to be hard on my skates, yet these so far are still in excellent shape. 10/10 Intangibles: The footbeds that come with the Mako are very thin and soft, almost comparable to a sneaker innersole. However, the thin innersole along with the composite outersole really allows you to feel the ice beneath your feet. I did try skating with my custom Superfeet in them, but felt the performance was just so much better with the Mako footbed. Conclusion: So let me start of by saying that I have no complaints with my last pair of skates, which were Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG’s. They were a light and responsive skate and I really liked what the flexible tendon guard and 3Flex tongue offered. What I really like about the Easton Mako skate is that it also has a very flexible tendon guard along with a lower cut that really allows me to get low into turns and maximize my skating stride. Range of motion is excellent. One of the best attributes to go along with the skate’s performance is the level of comfort it provides. One of the most comfortable skates I have ever worn. Time will tell whether the slight adjustments made to the Mako II will pay off for those who had issues with the skate rubbing their ankles. For me, I am hoping it skates the same as my current Mako skates. Overall Score: 9.3/10

Marketing for a skate that won't hit the stores until June only makes it harder for retailers to move their current Mako skate inventory.

I've taken many shots of the boots and really haven't had any issues. I wouldn't say that they're not protective, but no where near as protective as NXG's.

Sher-Wood Rekker EK15 Flex: 75 Curve: Ryan II (PP88) Height: 5’9” Weight: 180 Position: Defense/Center This OPS has a good 90-hours of ice time on it. Graphics: Very simple. All black with small white Sher-Wood markings, checkbox pattern over the bottom ¾’s of the shaft. Grip finish over the upper portion of the shaft that is thin and just the right amount of grip. This coming from a player whose preference is for non-grip sticks. The finish on the stick has held up great considering the abuse it normally sees. 9/10 Stick Construction, Weight and Balance: Without a doubt the lightest stick on the market. The weight reminds me of the old TPS XN10. Very well balanced shaft/blade combination, although the Ryan II pattern is not a very big blade. Looking forward to see how the balance is with some of the other bigger patterns as they hit the market. 10/10 Blade: Construction is based on VRF.2 which boasts a vibration reduction foam core blade. With the lightness of the stick I was concerned that the blade would be pingy, which was the only drawback of the TPS XN10. I didn’t find the blade to be pingy at all. Blade is fairly thin, but maybe slightly wider in the heel compared to dome other high end OPS. 9/10 Shaft/Flex: Shaft dimensions very similar to that of the Easton V-Series sticks, which is the size and geometry that I like best. I did find this stick to play much stiffer than other manufacturers sticks with the same flex rating. I’d rate the shaft dimensions as a 5 out of 5 and the flex as a 3 out of 5. 8/10 Stickhandling and Passing: My preferred pattern is for heel curves, so the using the PP88 curve took a bit of an adjustment for me. Overall puck feel was good for me, but I found it took some time to get used the extreme lightness of this stick. Once I adjusted stickhandling and passing were excellent. 10/10 Shooting: This is where the stick did not shine for me. In fairness to SherWood I have to factor in my preference for heel curves as well as the fact that for me the EK15 played much stiffer. It is possible that these two factors hampered the shooting capabilities of this stick for me. Wrist and snap shots did not load and release as effortless for me as other sticks have (and I have used sticks from just about every manufacturer out there). Over time I started to notice a bit of a vibration along the shaft when taking slapshots. This also seemed to be more pronounced the harder I stepped into a shot. When available I plan on picking up a different curve like the PP09 or PP20 (although this lie might be too high for me) to give the EK15 another try. 5/10 Durability: I am amazed that a stick this light has been so durable. Shaft is not softening up over time, although I was hoping it would. Both the shaft and blade have held up well with no extreme chipping or cracking and no peeling of the grip finish. 10/10 Conclusion: Having been a faithful long-time Sher-Wood user dating back to the days of the SOP 5030, 7000, 7030, 9030, and 9950, I was disappointed that they were slow to enter the composite market as well as with what they produced when they first did. This stick is by far the best offering Sher-Wood has ever brought to the hockey market. Price wise it has a lot to offer and has a lot of future potential with a few more tweaks. 8.7/10