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Just throwing this out there but I had previously tried a Resistance Helmet (I think it was a 300) was was essentially the same as the Tacks 310, just an earlier generation. I wore it for maybe half a season but it was too square up front and would cause pain about 15 mins into playing (felt fine when I'd put it on). I ditched it and stuck with my V08 until this year when I switched to a Tacks 910 and the 910 has more of the oval shape like the V08 and fits me great. I know this thread was started before the 910 was ever released so I figured I'd throw it out there as another option, I picked mine up brand new for about $120 from SLS (pro stock leftover). The only issue I found with the 910 is where the ear guards slide in by the temples created a very hard spot which caused pain once I started bringing the heart rate up, I ended up removing the ear guards and the issue went away.

I've seen Jamm stuff in local pro shops and I thought it all looked like Tackla as well, both shells and girdles. No idea the quality or anything but I wouldn't be surprised if they're connected. I've been a girdle guy since the mid 90's back when I had a plain grey basic Bauer one. I've tried a bunch over the years and currently use a CCM Tacks that I love. I couldn't stand the Bauer wrap styles (always felt like it was lacking protection and was awkward getting on/off), had an old Easton one that I liked but no longer exists, used a 9K pro for a while that I really liked but now switched to the Tacks since it's lighter than the 9K, more protective and more adjustable. The Jetspeed is similar to the Tacks from what I remember, maybe just slightly less adjustable and a touch lighter, looks nice in the pics.

If you're a center a lesser flex is not as good on faceoffs from what I hear, a stiffer stick works better to outmuscle the opponent (I'm a D-man 99% of the time so I'm in no way an expert on faceoffs, just what I heard).

I agree with the above... blade construction can play a part in that feel, also there's going to be a transition period where you'll have to adjust and get used to the different feel. When I went from 85 flex to 75 flex there was a bit of a transition but after a while I got used to it and it felt great. Also, I've never heard that "recommended flex" formula before, I grew up with stiff wood sticks and then even stiffer aluminum shafts, no wonder we couldn't shoot worth a damn. It wasn't until the Z Bubble came out while I was in college that I paid attention to flex and found an 85 was better than a 100 for me.

It reminds me of a setup a guy in my league wears... he has a bubble but the whole front shield part is gone, so basically just the bottom vented part, then he has a half shield. It has a larger gap between the visor and the bottom than this Wargate contraption but looks a lot better. I think I've seen guys in the NHL with jaw injuries wear a similar setup, this particular player played some ECHL iirc, so maybe he got the idea from playing there? Here's his setup:

The only time you'll have issues with helmets/cages is with the bubbles... CCM and Bauer have different front screw widths, the CCM is a little wider, so if you use a Bauer bubble on a CCM you have to modifiy the top clips or get special ones (I tried a Bauer bubble for a bit on my CCM helmet and had to notch the plastic clips). I normally wear a Bauer Profile 3 cage on a CCM helmet (a V08 for years and currently a 910) and my son has a Reakt150 which we have had both a CCM cage on and now a Profile cage, no issues with fit on any of them.

For elbows, check out the CCM Tacks line, they use a lot of the old Jofa tech so they're similar. Also try on other stuff, the 3 piece styles are pretty comfy too and a few companies make them.

Tron... the Harbor Freight of hockey equipment.

same here, read it years back and has worked great, have a large spray bottle in the garage near my rack and spray everything down before laying it out to dry after playing. Once a year I wash my gear (everything except skates, gloves and helmets) with a detergent from amazon called Sport Wash and it freshens everything up like new (I use Sport Wash on all of my base layer stuff and any tech fabrics, it doesn't add any scent and it clears out fabric softener residue if you've ever used that on your stuff which is pretty bad, the stuff is awesome).

I usually have the opposite issue since I have skinny arrns, I normally end up sewing the strap to shorten it. Oddly enough, I tried Vapor elbow pads a few years ago (whatever the top model was at the time, white/red colors is all I remember) and I had to return them because the forearm was way too tight and almost as if the pad part was very flat and not shaped for a forearm at all, was really weird. I have since switched to a Tacks model which has a nicely shaped forearm pad and straps that only needed minor modification for my arms lol

I've been sing the CCM Bamboo socks, they're not too thick but not liners, they are nice and snug and have held up really well for the past couple of years. https://www.hockeymonkey.com/ccm-hockey-sock-bamboo-mid-calf-sr.html

I have and LOVE this bag, mine is starting to tear above the straps and I'm hoping I can get it to survive til I find a replacement (I've seen them here and there as new old stock or on ebay but never took advantage at the time, now I wish I had). It's too bad nobody makes a nice basic bag like this, everything seems overpriced/overbuilt from what I've seen.

It sounds like your old steel was just sharpened a lot. Little by little that angle/curve will increase depending on the place doing the sharpening. Many of the new steels coming on skates is taller (esp if you have Step on there), the toe area is noticeably taller so when they're new they seem extra tall/chunky on the front few inches of the steel vs your old thinner worn out steel. This is what I'm imaging from the way you described them at least, I may be thinking something different than you though.

They still produce them for the pros so maybe those will have recent production and certification dates? I always thought those dates were just for youth hockey, as in if it wasn't certified they couldn't use it? Then again I always peeled those stickers off so maybe things have changed since the 90's 😬 edit: I saw them in person in Dicks a few months ago, next time I go (which will probably be soon since my kids keep outgrowing stuff) I'll see if they still have them and check the dates.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/ccm-vector-08-ice-hockey-helmet-combo-16ccmuvctr08hlmtchkp/16ccmuvctr08hlmtchkp

Not too long ago (maybe a couple of months?) Dick's Sporting goods had V08 combos for sale in store and online, wouldn't be a bad deal except it comes with a hideous looking cage. I've also seen them listed on some Canadian retail sites that ship to the US, so yes you can still get them at retail but it might be a little more work.

V08 from my experience is the closest. I wore 4500's back in the day and then switched to V08's which I wear now. I've tried the Resistance 100 which was way too square/round, not very oval, and also have an IMS9 which just doesn't feel quite right, it feels ok at first but I can never get past 10 minutes without it getting uncomfortable.

Such a tragedy and a freak accident. Immediately I was reminded of what happened to Zuccarello a few years back, he got up but couldn't hear and had vision issues on the bench, scary to hear about all of that stuff. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/12/mats-zuccarello-rangers-comeback-brain-injury On the Russian side... you wonder if this had happened in NA if he would have survived, they don't have the best track record when it comes to incidents (see Alexei Cherepanov).

Looks like the mid 90's Supreme 3000 was the all time favorite skate of Daryll Sutter, not a bad choice at all.

Did you try with socks on? Socks will help keep the shin guard flap down and allow the thigh pads to slide more easily. I've never had my thigh pads tight enough that they wouldn't allow the top flap of the shin guards to slide under, they're snug but not constricting in any way. With that said, I've always removed (I had a couple pair that the top flap just velocro'd on) or cut the top flap of my shin guards just because I don't like how it sits and don't feel it adds any real protection. As for the knee cap plastic, when standing straight I've always had my thigh pads kind of just barely resting above the knee cap, that way when I bend in a skating position it sits above the plastic while still providing protection and doesn't protrude from the shell. This also comes down to personal preference since some people like them lower or higher, and that's the great thing about this girdle (and the 9K), they allow for length adjustment on the thigh pads which lets you experiment til you find what you like.

1. Bauer Air 90 (I wanted the Micron's so bad but they stopped making them so I got these, I just remember I loved them at the time). 2. Graf 705's - had these til they literally fell apart on me 3. Bauer Supreme 3000's - circa 95ish, back when top of the line skates were around $300 or less 4. Ribcor 78k - since that's what I'm in now and I really love them, it has been a while (and 3 or 4 pairs of other skates) since I've had a pair feel this good. I don't have a 5 since everything else has been meh at best.

I remember seeing them and I believe your guess is right, I'd say def late 90's/2000. The graphic on the hosel with the arrows and heating logo remind me of my old Z-Bubble which was around 98/99ish (the green one, I got one my first or second year in college and LOVED that thing), I don't remember those graphics on the earlier aluminum shafts. I don't recall what the taper wall actually was though, I kind of think it was a lower end model for some reason where the T-Flex (prob a little before this one) and Z-Bubbles were higher end, but this is 20+ years ago so my memory might not be too accurate.

I'm a step in guy too, just can't get into the wrap styles after wearing step ins since the 90's. There's not a ton of protection on the back of the legs in either the 9K or ST but, honestly, I haven't seen anything that really offers too much so it's on par with most out there imho. The ST def has more tailbone protection, and I feel the hip pads wrap me a little more and add a little more in the rear hip/side but area, also the ST has some awesome spine protection which was non existent on the 9K.

My old 9K had zero elastic on the thigh straps anymore lol. The ST girdle hasn't stretched that I can tell, maybe just loosened a little mobility wise, but if you have larger thighs I'd def go with the large. The waist would be fine for you in a medium but the thigh pads and straps are def sized on the tiny side (I've never been accused of having large legs, I'm closer to the toothpick end of the spectrum, and the medium has the strap just reaching the velcro on the front, if I had thicker legs these would be stretched out just to reach).

Just thought I'd revive this topic since Bauer has come out with a mask made to attach to the cage (their take on the CCM one). My 8yr old son started playing again recently and I just picked up the Bauer for him to try (he'd been wearing a regular mask under the cage and had tried, and not liked, the CCM mask for the cage). First impressions of the Bauer are that it seems 100x nicer than the CCM... more thought out, better made, nicer material, and better fitting. The sizing was a little odd but it works for him... basically they have Jr and Sr but the Jr sizes are only for the tiniest cages they make (my son wears a small Profile II and they said Sr was the size so that's what we went with and it fits well, there seems to be enough room with the straps and give that it would fit most faces/cages). So yea, if anyone is in the market you might want to check these out, I know if/when I'm ready to get back out there I'll probably go with the Bauer option.