Reebok pro protective line

[#96 0]

QFT

Not to be argumentative...but I will be...if it's truth, then why do pros get Pro Stock if retail is just as good? I would think that Pro Stock is of a better construction quality (better materials, or at least different) and held to a better or higher level of quality control, as well as any customization that a player may require. So if some kid wants to bid (ehem, overbid) on Ebay for Pro Stock, what's the big deal?

Maybe I'm comparing apples to oranges (sticks to equipment) but in the sticks case, Pro Stock sticks are definitely not what they are in retail. I have preferred every pro stock stick vs it's retail counterpart in terms of feel, construction, etc...

With that said, I have 5K elbow pads (Blue and white) from at least 5 years ago still going strong. For what it's worth, they're retail

[Law Goalie 147]

The problem is that there is an assumption that because something worked for a pro it's better in an overly general sense, rather than just better for that one guy. At the stock, unmodified level, I would imagine it's just a question of QC. If every pair of shins, shoulders and elbows was made by a person who has a concrete understanding of hockey equipment, there's less risk of something being off than if you have a worker who's every bit as diligent and dextrous, but doesn't necessarily have the ability to discriminate substantially (rather than superficially) between a perfect product and a slightly flawed one. When you're dealing with the frequency and severity of professional hockey impacts, that guarantee carries some weight; at levels where you aren't being run through the boards or blocking 100mph shots on a regular basis, it's less of an issue. The guarantee doesn't even mean that one is necessarily better than the other, only that the pro player is placing more trust in the hands of the person who makes his equipment.

Just as an aside, when I was tossing the Leafs'/Marlies' shoulder trunk at the gear sale, it was a dead even split between Chinese and Swedish Jofas. I ended up with 8800s from each in hand, same price. The Chinese ones were brand new rather than mint, but there are a few significant if details that lead me to pick the Swedish ones -- stuff I'd never have noticed if I hadn't had them both in hand, had time to spent loitering in the Leafs' room, and been curious.

Are there cases where pro-issued gear is simply superior? Absolutely. The classic example for goalies is the RBK PS1 Premier chest protector. The pro-stock unit is absolutely nothing like what was available at retail: it's more durable and protective, but also far, far heavier. In short, without the 'pro' mystique, it probably wouldn't sell at retail; with it, it's a $500 C/A on eBay even when beat to hell, and even provided that it's still less protective than a stock Brown.