Gefiltefish

2008 Tour Code Carbon roller hockey skates Size: 10.0 D About me: 260lbs, defenseman and intermediate skater. League/surfaces: Second-tier league roller hockey twice a week year-round on a small waxed-wood floor. Weekly pick-up on the same surface. Usage: Purchased in May ’09 used through January ’10. Fit – Tour skates always seem to have fit my foot very well. The toe cap, forefoot and ankle pocket width are very comfortable for me. They also have a fairly high volume. I never even had to bake these skates and had no pain at all from the day of purchase through the day they were replaced. 10/10 Chassis/Wheels/Bearings – The Labeda Pro Set chassis are very good. They may not be as light as the Hummer III’s, but they are strong and durable. The incorporate the same 1-piece axle system and accommodate the straight-80 set-up just fine… I did not use the Labeda Fuzion wheels or mini-bearings since the surface I played calls for a harder wheel. I did use the 608-sized bearings Tour supplies for free and they were just great. 9/10 Weight /Protection – These skates were known to be ultra-lightweight and they even weigh in less than the much more expensive Code Tabu’s I bought to replace these…. Protection is OK. After a few months of use I started to feel shots I was getting to the boot. The quarter package is not super-stiff, but it not flimsy as well 9/10 Durability/ Intangibles – The only big durability problem I had was the outsole starting to separate from the boot a bit. This occurred on both skates on the outside heel of the boot (near the back mounting plate). It did not make the skates unusable, but as soon as the gap got significant I replaced the skates. The tendon guard and boot liner held up very well. The only other minor durability problems were the side scuff guards being a little too small in my opinion and the crappy Tour tongues. 7/10 Intangibles cont.. (Appearance) – These skates look like great in my opinion. Enough of a different look to stand out, but not the super flashy look-at-me status symbol. I wish Tour would bring this appearance philosophy back … 10/10 Conclusion – These have been my favorite inline skates to date. Yes, I ran into some reliability problems after many months of use (and I am a big guy playing on a very grippy surface), but I honestly wish I would have snagged a few more pairs of these skates before they went out of existence. They perform well enough for even advanced players, are light, look good and were a great value. 9/10

2010 Tour Code Tabu roller hockey skates Size: 10.0 D About me: 260lbs, defenseman and intermediate skater. League/surfaces: Second-tier league roller hockey twice a week year-round on a small waxed-wood floor. Second-tier league roller once a week on a NHL sized sport court surface April-June only. Weekly pick-up on the small wood surface. Usage: Purchased in February ’10 so 8 months of use playing 3 times a week (about 100 games). Fit – Tour skates always seem to have fit my foot very well. The toe cap, forefoot and ankle pocket width are very comfortable for me. They also have a fairly high volume. The only thing I noticed is that the size 10 on the Tabu’s seemed to fit slightly larger than my old Code Carbon’s in the same size. Perhaps it was just mental, but after a few skates, I realized I needed to go a half-size down. It was too late, so I simply laced up a bit tighter. Again, this may be 100% mental, but my older Code Carbon’s in the same size fit perfectly. I still have to give the fit a perfect rating and I never even have to bake them! The quarters and outsole are very stiff and I feel I loose zero power when striding. 10/10 Chassis/Wheels/Bearings – Tour really goes above and beyond here. The Labeda chassis is bulletproof. Despite its high-chrome paint job, it has virtually no marks at all. The 608-bearings by Bevo are much better than the mini-sized bearings and still roll quite and smooth despite being exposed to A LOT of dust on the sport court surface I played on. I only used the Labeda Addiction wheels on the sport court surface and they were decent (I am not reviewing them here though). 10/10 Weight /Protection – Surprisingly, the Tabu’s weighed in about 10 grams heavier per skate than my old Code Carbon’s. This was with no wheels/bearings/laces in the skates… Just boot/frame vs. boot/frame. 10 grams is not much, but I was still a little taken back at it…. Protection is very good. I have not taken a shot to side of the foot and had to limp away. I know some have had problems with the tongue not offerings shot protection, but I have not taken a shot off of that part of the skate yet. 10/10 Durability/ Intangibles – Things go south here a bit… Three things have worn out on these skates. First is the tendon guard. I am old school, so I wrap my laces and the tendon guard has gone very soft. I know I am in the minority of players that wrap laces that high, but the Tabu tendon guard went soft very quick when compared to my old Code Carbon’s. Second is the liner. Perhaps it is because my foot is moving around a bit in the boot, but the liners have worn through on the heel area of each skate. One skate has a hole all the way though about the size of your thumb nail and the other side has worn through about the size of your pinkie nail. One hole on the inside of the heel and the other on the outside of the heel. The third problem is the tongue. Tour tongues simply don’t get it done. The thin mesh design is nice and keeps you cool, but the foams get soft very easily. The indents from the laces really cause the little lace bite protection you had to go away very quickly. The good news is that the toe cap, scuff guards and outside of the boot are all holding up very well. Still, I am giving these a 6/10 since I had my Code Carbon’s for the same amount of time and the only thing that wore out was the tongue and some faulty outsole construction. Intangibles cont.. (Appearance) – These skates look like poo in my opinion. I like to keep a fairly low profile and don’t like flashy equipment. Since these were the best skates offered by Tour, I had to make do with the chrome look. I hate it and feel like an ass every time someone starts commenting on their look. The real back-stabber is that Tour released the Tabu X-Factor which was less chrome only a month after I bought these skates… 5/10 Conclusion – These skates have taken a lot of abuse from a big heavy skater. Although that have not just smiled in my face and taken it like a champ, they still held up fairly well. I am on the fence on if I would purchase them again. They are on sale now and a good deal for around $300, but I would not pay the original $450 price tag again. 8.2/10

Easton Stealth S19 Flex: 110, uncut with a 3.5-inch extension added Curve: Sakic Non-Grip Height: 6' Weight: 260 Postition: roller Defenseman. Time-frame of use: Purchased in July '10, played roughly 25 games so far. Recently Used Sticks (past five months): 2010 Easton ST (115-flex), Bauer One85 (112-flex), Sherwood 9950 wood (105-flex) Intro: To start, I am a ROLLER HOCKEY player, I want everyone to know that before they read too in-depth. I have been a supporter of Easton sticks since they make an effort to offer all three of their lines with 110+ flexes. I have had several ST's and Synergy models. Since I was never able to find a retail 110-flex S17 or CNT, this is my first experience with Easton's Stealth line of sticks. Aesthetics: I am very happy with the looks of the stick. The paint job is not flashy and appears to be holding up very well. There is some nice exposed Carbon several spots on the stick, but not too much. No complaints here since I am not into the flashy look. 10/10 Weight and Balance: This stick is very balanced, especially when compared to the Easton ST's I have been using lately. Although it may not be as light as the U+ CL's and 10K's I have owned, it is not a heavy stick at all. Of all of the ultra-light sticks I have owned, this one felt the most solid in your hands. CL's and 10K's felt frail and flimsy (they were also lighter flexes). IMO this stick is NOT too light and still keeps a good balance. The only thing that bugs me is that Easton lists "410G" on the stick, which is false. I obviously knew that this stick was closer to 450g before buying it, but I wish Easton would take a lesson from Bauer and just get away from listing weights on their sticks. 9.5/10 Blade: Of the sticks I have used recently, this blade felt the most pingy/jumpy to me. My ST's, One85 and of course my woodie all have better feel than the S19. Again, this is all with a roller puck though... What the blade gives up in feel it gains in shooting power/accuracy. If you are transitioning from ultra-feel sticks like woodies, One95's, etc - the S19 is going to take time to get comfortable with. I will say that the S19 blade does have better feel than the CL's I have owned in the past and I would say it is equal to that of my past SE16's. I knew what I was getting into with blade feel, so I would not say this is disappointing. For a shooters stick, Easton did the best they could. I am going to give this a 9/10 with the fact that I knew this was not going to have wood/One95 feel. One a grand scale, the feel may be a notch or two lower than the grade I gave it. Shaft/Flex: I am very pleased that this stick plays stiff. Previous Easton's overall have always played whippier than I thought they should for me. Considering my stick is un-cut and has a 3.5" extension added, it still feels just as stiff as any other stick I have used. I have never met a stick that is stiff enough for me (I really need to get a hold of a 140+ flex stick to see where my threshold is!), but am happy with the flex rating. The rest of the shaft seems to have good vibration dampening (something I am very sensitive too) and a good feel in your hands. It is not overly boxy and not overly round. 10/10 Stickhandling and Passing: I am not a dangler, so I am not going to comment on the stickhandling moves. The only comment I have is that the stick allows me to make one-handed moves a bit easier than others I have used recently. I think it is mainly the lower weight and balance though. Receiving passes sometimes cause the puck to jump off the blade a little bit, but is controllable and may be my technique coming from "softer" blades. Again, the S19 blade feels a little jumpy but that is something to be expected in a shooters stick. 9/10 Shooting: The flex point seems very, very, very low to me. Please keep in mind that the ST's, Bauer's and wood I have used recently are all low-mid kick sticks. The S19 feels like it has an ultra-low (below the elliptical taper) kick to me. This took a lot of getting use to for me. My slap shots have suffered in terms of accuracy as the stick kicks much quicker than my others do. Most of my slap shots and snap shots are low on target. I am normally a very high shooter. The blade stiffness and low kick have really seemed to aid my wrist shots and quick shovel shots on net. I would say that quick shooting is what this stick is all about. Like my blade rating, I am going to give this a 10/10 rating keeping in mind that I was not expecting a power stick here. The pattern I selected also does not aid my slap shots (prefer Drury or Getzlaf for them). Durability: I have only played 25 games with this stick and after about 12 uses I thought the blade was playing slightly softer than before. Since the blade played so stiff during the first few uses this was a cause for concern for me. I took the tape off to make sure there were no stress marks or wear and there was not. I re-taped the blade and although it does not seem as stiff as before, it is still stiff. This actually seemed to help passing and feel a bit, but pucks feel sloppier than before when releasing shots, especially off of the toe. To aid more research I took out a basically brand new Synergy ST and the S19 still felt better! Other than that there are no durability problems at all other than a few chips in the chrome S19 graphic down on the hosel. 9/10 Conclusion: So far I am very happy with my $240 purchase! This stick is really the best-of-the-best in terms of balance, shooting accuracy and quick releases. I think Easton has done a fine job designing this stick for shooters like me. You have to know what you are buying though. If you are a playmaker or power forward, this may not be the best stick for you. The S19 does not do it all, but does what is designed to do very, very well. 9.5/10

Wow, very nice gloves GLUhipfan!

Easton Synergy ST (2010 version) Flex: 115, cut about 1-inch from the original 65" length Curve: Sakic Non-Grip Height: 6' Weight: 260 Position: roller Defenseman (mainly use this stick in the league where I stay back and do nothing but slappers or shots from the wing) Time-frame of use: Used three times weekly from early April to early-August (4 months). Recently Used Sticks (past three months): Bauer One85 (112-flex), Sherwood 9950 wood, CCM U+ CL (100-flex) Intro: To start, I am a ROLLER HOCKEY player, I want everyone to know that before they read too in-depth. I have been a long supporter of Easton sticks since they make an effort to offer all three of their lines with 110+ flexes. I have never met a stick that was too stiff for me. I also use very long sticks (63-64 inches end to heel... yes I play with illegal lengths). When I saw that Easton was releasing a 115-flex stick that was also extra-extra long - I placed a pre-order for two sticks right away. Aesthetics: This stick has a very good look to it. The flat/matte black finish is very nice and offers great feel/texture to it. The white lettering and grey/orange graphics don't scream "look at me", but give it a little bit of color. 10/10 Weight and Balance: This stick is not in the uber-light weight class. I did not weigh it, but it feels like it would be in the 500-515g area at full length/no tape/etc. Compared to ultra-balanced sticks like the One95/85, U+ CL and my recently purchased S19 - this stick is also fairly blade heavy. I will say that this stick is not designed to be uber-light. It is designed and marketed to power players, defensemen and players who are hard on their sticks. It also is not priced to compete against the uber-light sticks out there. On a grand scale compared to other sticks I have used, I would give this a rating of 6/10, but considering I knew what I was buying, I am going to give it an 8/10. I would have gladly accepted more weight in the handle area to give it better balance. Especially due to the fact that it comes in such a long length and does not require wood extensions/tenons. Blade: Again, this is all based on playing a roller puck... I find the feel of this stick to be exceptional! I find it to be equal to the One85 I own and One95 I owned in the past. This is the best/equal-to-the-best of all OPS composite sticks I have used in terms of feel. The blade is a bit thicker than the uber-light sticks, which may lead to the blade-heavy feel of the stick. The tradeoff is the good feel you get from it. The blade does seem to deflect a bit though if you catch a shot/pass off the toe. Perhaps it is just the age/abuse it has taken, but I think the blade certainly plays a bit softer than say the S19, U+ CL, 10K, etc. IMO the blade is about feel for this stick, not shooting - so I give it a 10/10 Shaft/Flex: The shaft is certainly the most boxy option from Easton, but I don't care. The finish on the non-grip finish is very slick. It allows very quick hand movements. The flex does seem a bit softer than the 115-rating, but it is also more of a mid kick stick than low-kick stick. Although the actual true flex rating may be stiffer than a 110-flex, it plays like a 110 or lower flex stick. It still delivers a ton of power though. 9/10 Stickhandling and Passing: I really don't want to comment here. I am not a dangler and am considered a shooter more than a passer. The only comment I have is that receiving passes with this stick is very simple since the blade is softer and has better feel than others. I would prefer to abstain on giving a rating. Shooting: I bought this stick as an all-around workhorse for me. I bought a 115-flex to aid my slap shot. If I wanted a pure slap-shot stick, I would have ordered this stick with a Drury or Getzlaf pattern (best for slappers for me). I instead ordered it with a Sakic pattern so I could still have some power on my wrist shots... I am happy with my decisions. The slap shots are very hard and the kick point also seems to be decent for wrist shots if you really load the stick up. My recently purchased S19 does release shots quicker and more accurately than the ST, but the ST is designed for power shooting and it does that very well. 9/10 Durability: This stick is marked as the Super Tough model in the Easton line. It certainly is. It has taken a lot of abuse and although it has A LOT of paint/finish chips, the stick is still structurally sound. It has taken a lot of slashes and stick checks. The only disappointing thing is that the finish chips very easily since there really is no coating over the graphics. If you care about the look of your sticks, I would suggest getting one of those shaft-wrap thingies. 8/10 Conclusion: I think this is a GREAT stick for the $160.00 price point. I am not only happy that they offered it in a very stiff flex and extra long length, but am also happy with the unknown performance aspects of the stick as well. The blade feel and finish of the shaft were pleasant surprises.

Glove: Eagle PPF (2010 retail), Tufftek, being used since April 2010 (about 20 games) Previous gloves: Eagle PPF (2009), Bauer One95, CCM Vector V10 (2010), NB Vapor XXXX Pro, Eagle X88, Easton SE16 Fit- I wrote a review above of the 2009 version of the glove. The 2010 version has, in my mind - a drastically different fit. The new 2010 liner is a different color (red/orange) and the padding is much thicker than the 2009 version. This gives the interior of the glove a much tighter feel, which I like since I transitioned from contoured gloves. I would compare the hand feel to that of the Vapor XXXX Pro, but if you were to remove the interior padding, it would be looser than even a Bauer 4-Roll! The other nice feature of the 2010 model is that the red liner now runs all the way to the finger tips. The 2009 model had no interior padding in the finger slots and had a "hollow" feel. The 2010 version has a much softer and comfortable finger. I personally find this to be the most ideal fitting 4-roll glove I have ever tried. YMMV. 10.0/10.0 Weight- Although it sounds odd, the gloves weighed 2-3 gram more than the 2009 version. It may be the thicker liner, it may be denser foams heck - it may be the different color scheme! Regardless, they are still lightweight gloves thanks to 100% Tufftek construction. 10.0/10.0 Mobility- Same as my 2009 version, but with a twist. I feel that the 2010 version may be a little denser than the 2009. The rolls and fingers of the 2010 don't seem as "floppy" as the 2009. Perhaps it is because the 2010 is not as used as the 2009 (10-20 less games) or maybe it is construction. Who knows. 9.5/10.0 Break-in- As I mentioned in mobility, the gloves seem a bit stiffer than my 2009's, but they still required very little break-in time. The palm overlay on the 2010 version is a bit thicker than the 2009 but still required no break-in. 9.5/10.0 Protection- Same great protection as the 2009 model I reviewed above if not a little better. Durability- The glove has been holding up very well. There were a couple of loose threads and there are some small holes on the outside gusset of the index finger (perhaps there was a tag of some sort attached there), but that is all. The 2010 glove has a thicker palm overlay than my 2009's and shows no wear at all. Intangibles- Not much to say after my 2009 review. Oh, white Tufftek is a pain! If you like white, get portofino, carbon or invest in Tide-To-Go pens! Conclusion- Personally, these gloves are as close to perfect as I can get retail. I would like to have mesh gussets and shorter cuff extensions, but that is personal preference and available through Eagle as a custom order. You get the fit of a semi-loose contoured glove (or tight traditional, horse-a-piece), but superior protection and build quality. 10.0/10.0

Glove: Eagle PPF (2009 retail), Tufftek, being used since Feb 2010 (about 30 games) Previous gloves: Bauer One95, CCM Vector V10 (2010), NB Vapor XXXX Pro, Eagle X88, Easton SE16 Fit- I slowly made the transition from traditional/loose gloves to contoured gloves like the CCM Vector and Bauer Supreme. After using those for a while and dealing with durability/protection issues I started researching Eagle PPF's. Although these are a 4-roll design, they fit much tighter than the Bauer 4-Roll or Easton SE16. The gap between the palm and backhand is tighter as is the width of the hand. I would compare the fit of the 2009 version somewhere between a Bauer 4-Roll and Vapor. They are longer than both models though in finger, backhand and cuff length. Since I transition from the contoured gloves, I was hoping for a tighter fit (which I got with the 2010 PPF, see below). The fingers on my 2009 model don't have the liner in the finger slots. This makes for a very "hollow" feel in the fingers. Overall, these gloves are in a class-of-their-own in terms of fit. Hard to compare with any other glove I owned. 8.0/10.0 Weight- Very light. The only other gloves I have owned which were lighter were the One95's and XXXX Pro's, but these gloves were a lot smaller overall and not as protective 10.0/10.0 Mobility- This is what I was worried about the most. Several members here helped me out before my first purchase. I use a long stick and "bend down" on the inner wrist-guard a lot. I previously owned a pair of Eagle X88's which gave me wrist problems on my upper wrist. As soon as I transitioned to the Vapor XXXX Pro, the pain went away. I also took two weeks off as well, so perhaps the wrist healed... Regardless, the PPF's allow me to bend my wrist just fine. It is not as loose as the One95, XXXX Pro or SE16, but I have not had any problems at all. The finger mobility is fine despite 2-piece fingers and I have had no problems with any other wrist maneuvers. Although it is not as 100% mobile as I would want, I have few complaints otherwise. 9.0/10.0 Break-in- Virtually non-existent. That is the beauty of Tufftek and the MSH2 palm. 10.0/10.0 Protection- This is by far the most protective glove I have owned. The foams are dense and there are plastic inserts throughout, which really helps. I play defense and also am the crease guy on the power play. I have taken several slashes and shots to the hand with no problems. I did get a wrist injury when a player ran into me, but that would have occurred with any glove. The only negative is that the MSH2 palm is sooooo thin that it does not absorb stick vibrations well. A small price to pay though and I cannot hold it against the glove. 10.0/10.0 Durability- Even post-Vaughn buyout, these gloves still have amazing build quality. I cannot compare it to pre-Vaughn, but I have very few complaints. There were some loose thread ends, but so far the exterior, palm and liner show no other signs of wear. I am very impressed. 9.5/10.0 Intangibles- The gussets on these gloves are made of MSH2 and I would have rather seen a spandex or mesh material standard. The thumb also has no flex at all which was a transition from my previous One95's. The Eagle thumb is locked and sits in the natural thumb position. The One95 thumb is bent in towards the palm a bit and can be moved rather easily. That was a bit of a transition, but I realize most people would not transition from a contoured One95 to a traditional PPF! Conclusion- These gloves were close to what I was looking for. I found something even closer with the 2010 PPF (see post below), but I still use these gloves at least once a week and am very happy with the protection and build quality. I would not hesitate buying Eagle gloves again (and have!). 9.5/10.0

Sorry about that Chadd! Thanks for the merge... Thanks for the advice J22. I may search for a slighly used bat on eBay, but your suggestions guides me what to look for.

Thanks for the advice so far... Shopping at the monkey now... I am in the Milwaukee, WI area BTW. We have several stores, but like out LHS, they seem to really charge more than online! Looks like there is not much for the $75 - $125 range for bats. It goes right from $75 to $200+. Errr.. I was hoping to get everything (I don't use batting gloves) for $250 or less.... This is just a brief beer-league season that may or may not go next year. I will try eBay...

I took about 10 years off and am going to be playing softball again this year. I am looking to buy new stuff and am hoping I can get clued in on the best sites. The IW, TotalHockey, etc websites for softball equipment!!! Any advice/tips on certain products? I need: Glove Bat (I usually liked them long) Cleates Pants

Technology is still there. There will be a U+ Octogun coming out....