Verbero Hockey

[jonesy9020 77]

Would also like to know if it was a Tron stick or a Verbero that busted first game. I also would hope that these guys are a little better than tron. With the look of their site and some of the products they've already produced, I think they've got a bit better of a chance. That said, I agree. Not touching a $180 stick from an unknown brand when I can get an EK15 or QRPro for a few bucks extra.

[Tyler Roy 86]

Tyler - please clarify. Did your teammate break a Tron stick, or the Verbero?

I got to try out the Verbero gloves when they were in prototype. They were very light and felt pre-broken in. I am a four roll fan, so the glove fit is not my style but the cuff felt very protective. Their pucks are hands-down the best ones I have used, at least on a sport court surface. My league went back to using Rocket pucks last season while Verbero was having production issues, and everyone noticed the difference. We can't wait to get the new shipment in to start this season!

Verbero broke first game.

The gloves felt very soft and broken in but the non locking thumb is scary. The gussets seem very fragile and would rip before any serious use.

[phantomowner27 20]

I'm interested who broke the stick in there first game. If it was a tester, they know to contact us immediately so we can investigate the breakage issue. If it was a customer they haven't notified us of the break as we'd replace it immediately....

We've been testing the gloves for close to two years and have not had durability issues with the palm/gussets. Only once and ECHL player had an issue but we discovered it was because he had his equipment manager make some changes to the palm before game use.

[jonesy9020 77]

Well their blade pattern equivalency chart seems way off To begin with. Kane, Perron, zetterberg are all about the same but are in three different spots on the chart

Yeah that's weird. Maybe they're using the old Easton Zetterberg (Modano/Forsberg) as a comparison. Basically a PM9. Can't understand how Perron and Kane would be different though.

[QuanSuDude 1]

For anyone looking for Verbero curves, use this link:
http://verbero.com/pages/size-chart

[Stewie 721]

For anyone looking for Verbero curves, use this link:

http://verbero.com/pages/size-chart

we are using that link. The chart is all over the place. Glad they make a curve that's an e28, Perron, and w03 clone lol

[chippa13 1844]

Based on that chart I'd say someone needs to work on their cut and paste skills.

[Neo5370 132]

we are using that link. The chart is all over the place. Glad they make a curve that's an e28, Perron, and w03 clone lol

Seriously. This does nothing to help solidify Verbero as a credible company. If they can't even get their curve comparisons right how am I supposed to believe they can make a hockey stick or skates right?

[Stewie 721]

Seriously. This does nothing to help solidify Verbero as a credible company. If they can't even get their curve comparisons right how am I supposed to believe they can make a hockey stick or skates right?

just makes it difficult as a consumer. as someone who uses W01 and W88 type curves, the only thing i can tell by their chart is that i wouldnt like the v27. other than that, their is a clone for both of those curves listed on each of theirs.

[flip12 699]

The more I see the skates, the more they look like Easton S17's dressed a little differently.

[Thesensation19 1]

Funny that there is a whole section to Verbero Hockey. Found this

http://4thlinehockey.com/blogs/blog/28859521-verbero-hockey

I love the company thus far

[BucksAway 16]

id love to try all there gear in Aus

[IPv6Freely 2082]

More than anything, I want to see more about the shoulder pads the dude on their homepage is wearing. Looks like a possible replacement for my Down Low shoulders. I asked them about it on Twitter, they just said "top secret :)"

[Neo5370 132]

Funny that there is a whole section to Verbero Hockey. Found this

http://4thlinehockey.com/blogs/blog/28859521-verbero-hockey

I love the company thus far

I don't.

Sounds a lot like a business first, technology later kind of deal. There was more written about his business partner's previous ventures (none of which had to do with sporting goods, hockey, materials/mechanical engineering, etc.). But then again I'm sure we're all dying to buy a composite skate made by a guy who sold chicken nuggets (food products, Tyson, whatever).

Dave Cruikshank had the background, design, and professional endorsements to back up his product BUT most importantly he communicated that to the consumer. This guy sounds like a kid who just decided to make hockey equipment cuz becoming an astronaut or cowboy didn't work and eff it, why the hell not. He has no qualifications other than a "product development" degree.

He says they put a lot into R&D. So tell us about it. What did you find? What did you discover? What kind of carbon fiber is it and why is it better than what's on the market right now? Fit? Specs? Product comparisons? Anatomical/kinesiology studies? Tell me about that instead of why you want to be Steve Jobs you Cali-Hipster.

The layout of this blog is less than professional and the content does nothing to educate the consumer about their products. We know nothing about their sticks, we know what the skates are made of but that's about it. Though I'll concede, the puck sounds good but only b/c of word of mouth on this board.

Something about this company rubs me the wrong way.

[Hills 709]

Funny that there is a whole section to Verbero Hockey. Found this

http://4thlinehockey.com/blogs/blog/28859521-verbero-hockey

I love the company thus far

Funny that you "found" a link to your website that you promote non-stop on reddit.

I've actually been using the stick and gloves for the past few months. The stick is decent but nothing extrodinary and I can't see why anyone would pick it over clearance top end models.

The gloves I really enjoy using, but I wouldn't buy them. I will have a review for the gloves in a week or so and it'll explain everything better.

[kovalchuk71 212]

I don't.

Sounds a lot like a business first, technology later kind of deal. There was more written about his business partner's previous ventures (none of which had to do with sporting goods, hockey, materials/mechanical engineering, etc.). But then again I'm sure we're all dying to buy a composite skate made by a guy who sold chicken nuggets (food products, Tyson, whatever).

Dave Cruikshank had the background, design, and professional endorsements to back up his product BUT most importantly he communicated that to the consumer. This guy sounds like a kid who just decided to make hockey equipment cuz becoming an astronaut or cowboy didn't work and eff it, why the hell not. He has no qualifications other than a "product development" degree.

He says they put a lot into R&D. So tell us about it. What did you find? What did you discover? What kind of carbon fiber is it and why is it better than what's on the market right now? Fit? Specs? Product comparisons? Anatomical/kinesiology studies? Tell me about that instead of why you want to be Steve Jobs you Cali-Hipster.

The layout of this blog is less than professional and the content does nothing to educate the consumer about their products. We know nothing about their sticks, we know what the skates are made of but that's about it. Though I'll concede, the puck sounds good but only b/c of word of mouth on this board.

Something about this company rubs me the wrong way.

I agree. All of the "Top secret ;) ;) ;)" BS is starting to bug me. If you want people to be interested in your product, cut the cute cheeky crap and convince me WHY I should buy your product over a seasoned veteran in the industry.

Sounds like these guys are very close to becoming Brooklynite V2.0

[jmiro 55]

Honestly, before I read through this entire long thread. I checked the website. My first impressions were not so good. First, if I read right, they want you to trace your foot and send it in. Anyone that has ever “traced” anything realizes that often times it is quite inaccurate (either too small or to big depending on how you’re holding the pen/pencil/crayon). The skates remind me of the first all lace up, all plastic skate with a foam line, Bauer skates I had in the early nineties. I also am not digging the Quilted Northern uppers on the skates. Plenty of skates have come and went that had carbon fiber boots. First ones I saw were missions in 99. As for the carbon chassis it reminds me, once again, early nineties skates. Not sure about how I would like the cuff x2 on the gloves. The pants look like nothing special. Considering I just picked up a pair of high end closeout missions for less what they are charging. The missions seems to have more features or at least according to the brief blurb of a description next to the pants on their page . As for the Sticks I am with others on this. What makes them special? As a matter of fact nothing on their website suggested I was getting anything better with any of their equipment than by spending the same amount of money the a known entity (i.e. Alkali, Mission, Easton, Bauer, etc.). Someone needs to let them know that just cause you say its worth $XXX doesn’t mean people will pay for it. For an upstart they seem to have their bar set pretty high. The business model of look our stuff is expensive so it must be good even though you never heard of us but we promise it is good, isn’t real effective. I could be off base.

[Invert 13]

Tell me about that instead of why you want to be Steve Jobs you Cali-Hipster.

CJ is the complete opposite of a Cali-Hipster. His roots are in Pittsburgh...

I am amazed by the venom being slung in this thread by people who have yet to even see anything. When it comes to things like this, seeing is believing. As Hills has said, the stick is decent and he enjoys using the gloves. More will come clear in the review, but those are positives for a company's first launch.

Disliking a company because you don't think there is a purpose for them is ridiculous. If anything, more medium sized companies in the hockey world are a good thing, as Bauer grows larger every year and throws their weight around. There is a reason that skate prices have gone up $200 for the top model skates over the past few years with not very much noticeable improvements (downgrades in terms of the ice holders).

Say what you will about the carbon being done in the past, but that has also been the past, nobody is currently doing it and technology has changed since then. One of the biggest knocks that people give hockeytron is their product is nothing more than big brand knockoffs. Verbero on the other hand is a line/look of its own, and there is nothing but venom in this thread.

[jmiro 55]

Honestly. My post was not to spew venom. Reading this thread only confirmed that others had the same knee jerk reaction I had. No arguement from me that we are geting hosed from the big three regarding price. After a 6 year break I come back to top end skates priced over a grand, helmets over 200, and gloves around that too. I was around when mission came out and was happy I drank the koolaid. What they did was tell you why you should by them and backed it up. Alkali had credit due to justin but in many circles they had to prove themselves and still is fighting an up hill battle with die hard mission fans. That being said they didn't aim for the stars out the gate. Price point matters, not only for the consumer but the longevity of the company. This thread was a "what do you think". Sure some were just plain mean. In general the consenus has been I see no proof, please show me, and refine your marketing. Marketing doesn't need to be as huge as the big three, but for an upstart it can make you or break you.

[MiloJanus 3]

I just received two duro pucks.

Going to try them out tomorrow on smooth coated asphalt.

[Neo5370 132]

CJ is the complete opposite of a Cali-Hipster. His roots are in Pittsburgh...

I am amazed by the venom being slung in this thread by people who have yet to even see anything. When it comes to things like this, seeing is believing. As Hills has said, the stick is decent and he enjoys using the gloves. More will come clear in the review, but those are positives for a company's first launch.

Disliking a company because you don't think there is a purpose for them is ridiculous. If anything, more medium sized companies in the hockey world are a good thing, as Bauer grows larger every year and throws their weight around. There is a reason that skate prices have gone up $200 for the top model skates over the past few years with not very much noticeable improvements (downgrades in terms of the ice holders).

Say what you will about the carbon being done in the past, but that has also been the past, nobody is currently doing it and technology has changed since then. One of the biggest knocks that people give hockeytron is their product is nothing more than big brand knockoffs. Verbero on the other hand is a line/look of its own, and there is nothing but venom in this thread.

1. I don't care where he's from, pretentious people can come from anywhere. You get a glimpse of this guy's personality from his "blog." It's pretty obvious his goal is not to make innovative hockey equipment so much as it is to become a successful entrepreneur. And you know what? Even if I'm wrong, and this guy's the nicest, most humble guy in the world, it won't matter b/c he doesn't come across that way.

2. That being said, my main gripe is, why should a consumer put their faith in the form of hundreds of dollars on an unproven product? He's going about this the wrong way. The most successful niche brands IMO are Innovative, Mission, and MLX. With the exception of Mission, those companies had proven, quality products that were good enough for the very best players. Mission caught fire at the same time as the golden age of roller hockey. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but, Innovative was started by guys from Easton, Mission was started by guys from Bauer, and MLX was started by a guy who not only had many years experience as a world class skater, but more importantly Dave Cruikshank also developed and made prototypes that were used by himself and some of his peers to win actual events. What is Verbero's angle? Simply claiming to be revolutionary is not enough. Give me a tangible reason to believe your products are awesome instead of throwing around words like carbon and kevlar (laces at that, I can't even).

3. Never did I ever say there was no purpose for Verbero or niche brands. In fact, I wish there were more b/c as you stated, more competition equals more choices and forces manufacturers to be more "honest" with their prices and the value they offer at each price point.

4. I never claimed that doing a carbon boot or holder was a bad idea. I may have pointed out that it was done, but I never said shouldn't it be done again. It would be extremely short sighted of me to say that just because something was done poorly in the past it can't be done properly in the future.

5. Finally, Verbero has entered an arena where public image matters no matter how unfair it may be. It is also an arena where you are at the mercy of the whims of the consumer. You can have a good product but if consumers don't like or trust you, you're dead. See Kor (out of business), and to a smaller extent Warrior (competitive products, small market share). However, in Verbero's case, there just isn't enough evidence at the moment that shows they have even that.

[jmiro 55]

I did not read the blog. I do agree with NEO on his points 2,3,4,5.

On 2/3. Barrett (the "inventor" of the 50cal) lost more than he gained at the up start. He sold guns for less than he had into them. He had to prove the worth.

On 4. Many products and ideas have been thought dead and been brought back. Evidence: apple/mac, 1911s, turbo/supercharged engines, ripped and stone washed jeans. Just to name few. My personal favorite is nylon hockey gloves. When I started playing nylon gloves were entry level every one wanted a leather pair.

0n 5. Warning this will be long winded. Welcome to 2015. Marketing is everything to a business. Its not how much you do, but its what you do. I have watch countless firearm companies fold like lawn chairs due to making one wrong move or having horrible customer service. The firearms "public arena" is so fickle that it makes this business look tame. Hell I know guys that won't even take a free pair of mission skates because they had to deal with poor customer service. Any business today is mostly about convincing people that they really need something cause its great and new. In reality what you had would probably serve you just as well.

In every industry the next best thing or "game changer" comes out every couple years. If you take a hard honest look it is about pushing products so you will spend your money. I am not saying that materials and mechanics of stuff haven't improved, but lets get real there is a reason that 4 roll gloves are still so popular. One of my first gloves were CCM short cuff 4 rolls and I couldn't tell much of a difference from the ones I tried on not to long ago. I even convince myself I needed new gear when started again. When in reality it was just an excuse I used to convince myself and my wife to buy new gear. Ever notice that some of the best players in beer league are wearing outdated gear. The best guy in the current roller league I play in is using some abs wood crap stick, his cage gives you lock jaw just by looking at it, what ever gloves he found for cheap, and the best part is his skates. They are mid level missions with a cracked in half outsoles, worn so bad they are about as stiff as a pair of converse chuck Taylors, and they are missing rivets. This is not a learn to play league either. When I think about it I have a ton of stories like that.

Sure things have changed for the better. Equipment doesn't weigh a ton now. Goalie equipment is a great example of that. How about heat molding and breaking in equipment. I remember wearing skates around the house for weeks to break them in. I also remember seeing my friend mowing the grass and racking to break in his gloves. Heck this is why I bought a pair of alkali and my next Ice skates will be Easton's. Oh crap we are back at point 4 because heat molding isn't a new Idea. They marketed it as such and consumers supported their claims. So many choices in sticks now it almost makes your head spin.

Sure there is a place for niche equipment. I want a reasonably priced wrap girdle that doesn't suck. But I am not seeing anything innovative from this company (less the puck). I am seeing them try to compete with the big dogs with the same style products.

Point is marketing counts, public image counts, and proof counts.

Yes I see the irony of the last couple paragraphs being typed by a gear head on a gear head forum.

Honestly I hope that they (who ever has a hand in this company) will read this thread regroup.

[Stewie 721]

im all for new companies, love them in fact. My main criticism all along has been their blade equivalency chart, which still is screwy, although now they have images of their patterns so its easier to see what might fit my game, as far as a couple of images can show. Their products show well on the site to me, like the sticks graphically, so I would consider trying them, but at this point I still cant be sure what curve is right for me based on what I have used, and that without being able to check the stick out in a store to see if its properly balanced etc would have me passing at this time, especially at the 180 price point. This just seems like a dotting I crossing T kinda oversight, but when your trying to compete with the big guys, you have to get the details done right.

[Hills 709]

Well according the the PR guy from a few months back they offer free shipping and returns. So if you did have the wrong curve they'd pay to ship it back.

Whether not that is still the case I am not sure, and even then that is putting a lot of money down to get a curve that you may not like.

[kovalchuk71 212]

A guy at pickup this morning had the Verbero gloves and one had their pants. The pants were very nice looking and interested me. Very clean design.