What's so special about Eagle Gloves?

[AIREAYE 248]

I am a complete stranger to Eagle products, especially their gloves, as some of us are for sure. Being so expensive on store shelves and looking like monsters, I haven't had a good look at them. Starting high school hockey soon with full contact and I would like to get a new pair of gloves that offer more protection than my S17s.

So what's so special about Eagle gloves? I've heard their 'MSH2' palms are extremely supple and comfortable, but what about the feel of the lower-end gloves?

I'm looking for a glove with a rather anatomical fit like my S17s and not the traditional fit. Are there any other nice aspects of them that set Eagle apart? What's the difference between their pricier PPF series, X_ _ series, or the PFX glove?

[SolarWind 23]

[deleted]

anyhow - my experience with Eagle was only limited to X88 that I bought on this forum, and I ended up selling the gloves since I never fully understood this whole Eagle thing myself (that's why I wanted to try, but it didn't work out).

Some of the reasons why I initially looked at Eagle & impressions after a few months of use were:

Build quality one would expect from Canadian hand made gloves - didn’t personally find anything special there upon close examination.

Comfort & Mobility – out of the box the gloves felt really nice, as if they were already broken in. But got crusty & stinky just like any other gloves fairly quick.

Protection – plastic inserts throughout etc – but so as in most other good gloves nowadays.

BTW PPF was on sale in a lot of places for quite cheap, so as X88 (which used to be a $200+ top of the line glove when I got it) going for under $100.

Just my .5 – not bashing Eagle by any means since at the end it’s all personal preference. Everyone has their own standards of comfort, fit, weight etc.

I'm sure Eagle was 'the shit' some time ago, but arguably not any more - just another brand...

[Chadd 916]

If you like the four roll style, Eagle was the best glove on the market for a long time. The PPF is still better a better glove than any of the other retail four roll styles I've seen, but that style doesn't work for everyone.

[tscharf 0]

Just like any other piece of equipment, most of it boils down to preference. I would say that you are correct in assuming that Eagle is most well known for their palms, but some may argue. Personally, I've only ever liked the 4R design, and I haven't found a glove that compares to my Eagles.

[IniNew 53]

My background in gloves is limited to a few different models.

I started with the Easton S3's. Quite a low end glove, and a size too big. Bad start right? I'll omit those from the comparison.

I then picked up a pair of the first run of Warrior Pro Series gloves. Based on the fubar model. These are a traditional 4 roll style glove, and I loved them. I loved how wide the cuffs were, and loved the look of the traditional style. However, I had several problems with this glove. A) The palms were dyed black and when my sweaty palms got a hold of them, the dye would run... not a good thing. Within weeks of use I had stitching coming out and pads falling, specifically on the outside of the pointer finger. Not too mention the white lettering and white leather stripes got dirty QUICK.

The next gloves were a pair of Bauer Vapor X... these were amazing at first. Tight around the fingers, but loose around the cuff. Everything about these gloves was great... until they got worked in. Something between the palms, boxy-shafted sticks, and my fat fingers, started developing blisters between the knuckle and first join on my first 2 fingers of each hand. Had to ditch them.

The next pair were the Eagle PPFs, once again, another traditional fitting 4-roll style glove. And the best pair of gloves I've owned or tried on so far. They come feeling broken in. They are easy to open and close your hand in, more so than any other gloves I've tried; once again. The palms are the famous MSH2, and it's true they are very nice palms. Pretty thin, so it's easy to feel the stick, and soft so it doesn't suck to put your hands into them after they've been used quite a bit. I've been using the Eagles for roughly 5 months now, playing AT LEAST 2 times a week, usually more, and as I'm looking at the left glove (I'm a right shot, so my top hand) I can still faintly see the Eagle logo. That's pretty good durability wise. The palms are not crusty, and the gloves have only a hint of smell. However, I pull them out of the bag immediately after getting home from playing.

Common theme is the Eagles have been my best gloves, and getting them for $100 brand new was a great steal! I highly recommend them.

[AIREAYE 248]

Wow, thanks for the responses. Like I said, the fit is personal preference and I don't particularly like the traditional wide fit, so perhaps I'll try on some X65's or w/e I can find that fits.

In regards to MSH2, it seems that they wont get crusty easily (I hated the synth leather on my S17s, they DO get crusty) and they DO feel amazing. But what about the lower end models, like the X5 with their Nash palm...what is Nash? I assume it's some kinda leather as well?

[fiimb 1]

for me the selling point was the MSH2 palm. I used it for about 6 months, skating upwards of 7 times a week. I use renfrew brand grip tape which destroyed my previous pair of reebok 4k gloves in a half dozen sessions, but the eagles you wouldn't even know. they are amazingly durable, but also very thin. they were the it as far as 4 rolls went, and i still prefer them over warrior's franchise.

I did however switch to x60's (not pro), which were more protective all around then the eagles but the palm does feel thicker which i'm not too fond of. if i could put the MSH2 palm on some x60's that would be the bees kness.

[HattrickSwayze 3]

What I like the most about Eagle's is that they are just nice, simple, no-frills gloves. There's no gimmicks to them. I have a pair of X88's and a pair of X72's and love both. There was some break-in time involved, but once I used them a few times they started to feel like butter. The MSH2 palm, as everyone else has said, is awesome. Thin, soft, durable, and it never gets crusty. I wish all of my gloves had MSH2 on them.

With that being said, I can see the hesitancy in trying Eagle gloves. At full price they're a pretty steep investment. I waited until both of my pairs came on sale before I got them. However, if there were any gloves I would spend $130+ on, it would be Eagle's. When you see what people are spending for custom Warrior's (without embroidered logos or plastic inserts), the cost of Eagle's starts to look more reasonable.

[Beflar 53]

If you like the four roll style, Eagle was the best glove on the market for a long time. The PPF is still better a better glove than any of the other retail four roll styles I've seen, but that style doesn't work for everyone.

Chadd basicly sums it up. I've used EAGLES for year now and never have to think about my gloves, which all I ask. I think there was a time when EAGLES were hands down the best but I think the competition has closed the gap a lot in the last few years. That said EAGLES are good gloves.

[uclahockey707 1]

Nash is going to be a thicker palm, and yes, it is a leather derived palm. Usually it is considered very durable, but some feel it doesn't have a very good "feel".

Like some have mentioned above, gloves are personal. I can't use eagle because they have short fingers for the most part, but some guys swear by them. Best advice, go to a shop and try on gloves, then pick the pair the feels the best rather than picking a pair based on hearsay.

[regularjoe 1]

I was coming off Fuel 130s which I loved but after about a 1.5 year of use (skating 3-4x weekly but alternating between pairs of gloves), they were so broken in that the snug fit they had at the beginning was no longer there and it felt like my hands were swimming in there. In one game, I had my bottom hand off the stick and it shifted weird b/c I took a wicked slash on the thumb and I -felt- it. There was no broken bones or anything but the thumb felt stiff for about a week (kind of like a sprain - it hurt to flex).

I had tried on PPFis in store (I wear 13" gloves generally) but found them a little too tight at the time.

I saw the PPFis ('09 model I think, non-orange liner) on sale (I wear 13" gloves generally) and figured I'd give it a try based on the reviews and the idea that if they broke in, maybe the "too tight" would become "just right".

It did a couple wears to get use to - the MSH2 palm was completely different than any palm I had ever used before (have tried Vapor XV, XX, XXX, Sande Max Pro, R8 Pro, MIAs). They feel like paper against your hands.

However, after about two months of consistent use (again, skating 3-4x a week), they've broken in nicely and don't feel too tight anymore. And I'm now use to the MSH2 palm and the feel of the stick and puck is superlative - it's almost like there is no palm at all. I am now a believer. I've heard the '10 models (with the orange liner) fit differently and have the additional overlay on the palm but am keeping my eye out for when those go on sale so I can try it an maybe hoard if I like it.

[Jarick 5]

Eagles have about the highest quality in a 4-Roll style you can find. Materials and construction are top notch, the palms are fantastic, most people absolutely love them.

I bought some PPFi's because they were massively on sale and were super comfy in the store but I used them once and they were incredibly sloppy feeling. I need gloves that fit super tight so unfortunately they had to be returned.

If Eagle would make a glove that fit like the One95 but had their construction, materials, palm, and protection, I'd be all over it.

[adalbort 1]

If you like the four roll style, Eagle was the best glove on the market for a long time. The PPF is still better a better glove than any of the other retail four roll styles I've seen, but that style doesn't work for everyone.

this might sound like a rather basic question, but I don't have a clue what a "4-roll" is. I seem to recall somewhere I read it's an old-styled glove, and that Bauer released them (a version?) back in 2008. But what exactly makes a 4-roll, as, say, opposed to the Reebok 5k?

[Jarick 5]

4-roll gloves have 4 sections of padding on the back of the glove. Bauer has a 4-roll, CCM just released one, Eagles are usually 4-rolls, Warrior Franchise, TPS gloves, Easton has one. Just a basic traditional glove.

Traditional style means they fit pretty loose all around. Then you have anatomical gloves like the One95 which are a really tight fit all around on the hand. Other gloves fall in the middle, like the Vapor series which are tighter in the fingers/top of the palm and looser in the wrist.

That's why I would spend hours at the store with different gloves trying them on and seeing what was comfortable...most guys seem to love the 4-roll style but no matter what I tried I couldn't stand the feeling of them wobbling around on my hands.

[Chadd 916]

What I like the most about Eagle's is that they are just nice, simple, no-frills gloves. There's no gimmicks to them.

Exactly, it's a lot like my Toyota FJ. No frills, but fit and finish at a high level.

[SolarWind 23]

Traditional style means they fit pretty loose all around.

not sure I personally agree with this statement since not all 4-roll style gloves have loose fit. The examples of the contrary are Eagle PPFs & RBK pro stock 4 rolls that are actually quite tight (especially the latter).

[AIREAYE 248]

So is there a general consensus that after a period of break-in, all Eagle gloves get a bit looser, THUS, if I was looking for a tighter fit, they would have to be tighter in store?

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

not sure I personally agree with this statement since not all 4-roll style gloves have loose fit. The examples of the contrary are Eagle PPFs & RBK pro stock 4 rolls that are actually quite tight (especially the latter).

R8's are pretty tight fitting too. What model of rbk pro stock's do you have?

[SolarWind 23]

R8's are pretty tight fitting too. What model of rbk pro stock's do you have?

actually I don't really know since it came directly from the AHL locker room & has been modified by EQM (plastic inserts throughout including the cuff, cuffs were re-stitched to make them really wide etc)

but it's similar to this:

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/reebok-hockey-gloves-4-roll-pro-sr.html

[myelinsheath 0]

So is there a general consensus that after a period of break-in, all Eagle gloves get a bit looser, THUS, if I was looking for a tighter fit, they would have to be tighter in store?

This will be true for any just about any glove, or any piece of equipment for that matter.

[AIREAYE 248]

For almost all gloves, there's a bit of material connecting the thumb to the thumb's backroll...used as a place to hook the gloves to a wall display. For those who prefer a non-lock thumb with mobility, would cutting off this bit compromise anything? I assume it's preference as well, as I remember it was Enver Lisin I think, who did that too.

[Chadd 916]

R8's are pretty tight fitting too. What model of rbk pro stock's do you have?

TPS R8? Mine are anything but tight.

[uclahockey707 1]

^^^The R8's that I wore broke in a ton. They started are pretty tight, but after minimal wear were comparable to most 4-rolls from NBH or Franchises post break-in.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

TPS R8? Mine are anything but tight.

yeah. I should have said tighter fitting than the typical 4 roll glove. My mark streit r8's don't feel very loose.

[jmiami 4]

I wear PPF's and dig the heck out of them. Great mobility, great feel. But I have come to realize that I gotta keep an eye on them. Specifically regarding the stitching on the palms.

After only three months the stitching on my ring-finger gave way and so my finger was exposed as it was wrapped around my stick. I called my LHS and asked them if they could fix it. But they suggested quickest fix was to take it to a shoe-repair place. We had a game that night, and I should have taken it to the shoe-repair right away, but for whatever reason, I didn't.

"What's the chance that I take a direct hit on my exposed finger during this one game?", I thought. Well, guess what happened? Sure enough, some dope hits me with one of the hardest slashes I've ever endured right on my exposed finger. I managed to finish the game cause full of adrenaline and such, but the next day finger was so swollen and painful that I went to the ER. "Crush injury" is what the Doc termed it as he came back with the X-rays. The top part of my finger was not only broken...it was completely crushed. Ouch.

I sat out for a few weeks, then joined my team again. I had since had my PPF's fixed at a local shoe-repair shop by some Russian dudes who did a great job. But in my first game back, the stitching on my PPF's gives way on my middle-finger. Awesome eh? The next day I took the glove to the Russian shoe-place and they fixed them up.

Have not had a problem since, and love the gloves. But again...you might have to keep an eye on them.