Sham Sweatbands...

[Netminder32 32]

This topic has been floating around for some time now. There was a goalie on the GSBB that made up a set of Shamwow sweatbands. At first people made fun of him for being Shamwow's only customer, eventually others tried it, finally the goalie who made the original set started selling them on eBay. I decided to make up a few sets and my brother and I tried them out and evaluated them. Following is a rundown of what we discovered and... how to make your own!

First off, the official ModSquadHockey.com evaluation format:

Reviewer Specs:

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 210lbs

Experience: two decades rec and beer league

vs Shooters: rec to semi pro

Product Sham Sweatbands:

Fit:

Well, they are custom so the fit is exactly as you like it. Made to order... I made my sets initially like "Nash" sweat bands, eventually I kept 'em the same width but added extra length. My brothers were the same size as his Itech factory sweat bands.

10/10

Protection

This product is not meant to offer protection unless you consider keeping the sweat out of your eyes as "protection"

N/A

Weight

The weight is negligable... only a few grams. Definitely lighter than the original sweat bands but of course will vary depending on the size and thickness you choose to make yours.

10/10

Durability:

These sweat bands have already seen several uses and have made several trips through the washing machine without any loss of performance or structure. It appears as though they will at the very least be every bit as durable and factory sweat bands, possibly even more so.

10/10

Intangibles

The gimmicky nature of these sweat bands just doesn't seem to wear off. Once people find out you are wearing Sham Sweatbands you definitely become the topic of conversation. Everyone has seen the TV commercial and, well, the product actually works... In addition, the sham material seems to grip your forehead a bit keeping the mask even more securely in place. A real unexpected bonus!

10/10

Conclusion

A definite winner. With a pair of factory replacement sweatbands costing about $15 a pair these days, you can make 4 Sham sweatbands for $2. They will last and perform equally as well or better and make for a great conversaton piece. You simply won't believe how much sweat these bands hold and they don't release it under pressure like foam filled sweat bands. Essentially there is no downside. I can't say enough about this product, you really will say "wow".

Overall (40/40) 10/10

Now... How to get your own!

Obviously these are not available in stores (unless you buy the ones on eBay for $25 ea. :o ) so you will need to make your own or enlist the services of a family member with sewing skills. Basically, here is how to make your own.

1) Hit the dollar store! You don't need the more expensive branded sham wow material. You can get a huge sheet of the sham material for $1 as well as the velcro for $1. This combination will make 4 sweatbands.

2) After trying several conbinations using closed cell foam stuffing, open cell foam stuffing, sweat bands in the centre and simply layering sham material we found that the later works the best, weighs the least and costs the least. So the obvious winner is simply layer your sham material. We've found that 4 - 5 layers works the best. To do this simply fold over the sham sheet to the desired thickness. When you are done run a stitch down one side to keep the sweatband together.

3) Decide what length you want your sweatband to be and run a stitch down the other end to close it. Trim off the excess material. Then close the open end that runs the length of the sweatband with a final stitch run.

note: both my brother and myself found that we liked the sweatbands to be extra long. the reason being, when the band finally becomes saturated it will release the excess sweat from the two bottom corners. If these corners are too close to your eyes you will get sweat in your eyes. by making the band a little longer, the sweat will run down a safe distance from your eyes.

4) Stick the adhesive backed velcro onto the back of your sweatband. It should be located in the lower 1/3 of the height to line up with the velcro tabs on your mask. Once it place, stitch the velcro down.

5) and the final product...

You will find these sweat bands hold a whole lot more sweat than your factory sweat bands. Additionally they wick the moisture away from your forehead and won't release it as your mask moves around. It stays within the material. After the first time you use your sweatband take it out following your game and give it a squeeze. You will be amazed how much sweat these bands really do hold.

Hope you find this review and instructions useful...

Netminder_32