ebay good deal?

[chip1441 0]

Something tells me I shouldn't post this because someone here might snatch them up...

But, how does this look? Think they are the real deal?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Stock-Return-Hockey-Goalie-Leg-Pads-KOHO-580-Aebischer-/190787580134?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6bd370e6

[Law Goalie 147]

They're definitely original (that is, not Goaliemonkey) Kohos, so they're real enough in that respect, and they appear to be in very good shape. They are, however, not only missing their knee-blocks (what he calls the 'inner knee pads') but also the toe-caps, so the toe of your skate will be exposed to direct impacts. Still, you can get replacement toe-caps pretty cheaply (through Goaliemonkey, for example); RBK-compatible knee-blocks are trickier to find, and can easily run $80+. As to whether or not they're Aebischer's pads, who knows; you could try looking through Getty Images or Google, but while those are not stock 580 colours, all that means is that it's a custom order. I'm a little surprised the guy wouldn't have included a shot of Aebischer's name embroidered on the pads, but it wouldn't be the first time St. Jean forgot to label something.

I also can't tell if they're 11" or 12"; they look kind of narrow for old-spec 580s, but it's hard to judge. I do believe Aebischer went to RBK even before the previous lockout. They're either a straight 1st-generation 580 (12" wide, Cordura knee-wing -- which is what the zoomed in first pic appears to show...) or a '585', that is, a pad with 590 structures and 580 graphics/leg-channel. If they're 1st-gen 580s, be forewarned that Cordura is quite hard to slide on; Luongo used to get his knees-wings done in Cordura to slow him down when he was younger, stronger, and less technically smooth, for example. If they are NHL-spec (well, post-lockout) 585's, they were totally hand-made, since RBK didn't have 11"-wide dies for the 580/590.

At around $100 shipped for a pair of pro-level pads in good condition, you're getting a fairly good deal, though you'll need to sink a significant chunk of that again into getting the knee-blocks and toe-caps replaced. Still, the Kohos are basically the same pad as the 1st generation Reebok, just not quite so stiff because of the differences in the core foams; the shell of the pad and most of the features are identical.

[Justin Liedloff 13]

If they are, in fact Aebischer's pads, they wouldn't have come with toe plate, has he used toe buckles, and an open toe, just like these have. As for replacing the part, no real need to, as they are typically a piece of lexan covered in jenpro, and really don't provide much additional coverage on top of the cowling of the skate.

As for knee stacks, it's possible he (Aebischer) took those out as well. Those, however, I would definitely replace. Sarah at Protective Athletic Wear could build a set for these with little effort.

[chip1441 0]

Cool. Thanks to both of you.

I will let you know if I win them. I could afford to look around for knee stacks if I can acquire these for a decent price.

I would be using them for inline, so sliding is already near nonexistent. I would already have to mod to make them slidable.

Thanks again.

Well dang. Somebody wants them more than I am willing to spend for them. Already up to $75 plus shipping.

[Law Goalie 147]

Aebischer did use toe-buckles even on his RBK pads, so the open toe itself isn't necessarily indicative; that said, I can't find any pre-RBK photos of him with the Avs, so I can't say whether or not he used the toe-cap. I will say that I noticed a pretty significant difference in protection with and without toe-caps on my old Bauer pads, and they were only 1/16" HDPE with a single layer of synthetic leather, whereas Koho used a full wrap. on both sides.

In fact, the Cordura knee-wings would slide *better* on most roller surfaces than synthetic leathers, so they might be ideal.

Sara can definitely make you some replacement Koho knee-blocks (I know she has the templates), but they would be a significant percentage of the current cost of those pads. She generally charges $60 for a basic design, and upwards for specific ones. It's a great deal in relation to the retail cost of pads, but something you may need to bear in mind if $25 either way is going to skew your plans.

chip, my advice if these slip by would be to keep your eyes open for a pair of Cordura pads made by Eagle, or some Mission pads. They do pop up from time to time, and they're great for roller, or so I've heard. Scotty Battram has also made some fabulous roller pads with integral slide-plates.

[Justin Liedloff 13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_Aebischer.jpg

I remember when he wore these pads. Not saying 100% that they are his, but the do fit the bill.

As far as toe caps, we'll agree to disagree on that. I never noticed a single bit of difference with or without them.

EDIT:

http://www.sharkspage.com/jpgs/Aebischer5.jpg

It appears, at least from what I can tell in this photo, that Aebischer also had a majority of the 'landing gear' taken out. Honestly, that wasn't uncommon when pads first started to integrate thicker and thicker stacks, especially for older goaltenders. A lot of the guys used to wearing traditional pads has a tough time adjusting to the bulk.

[yrhmblnr8r 69]

Those were listed on Craig's list here in Denver about 8 months ago. I called the guy on a friend's behalf (about a pair of Richard Bachman's CC Tigers pads) and he said that he'd picked up the Aebischer set at the Av's garage sale a few years back but hadn't used them. FWIW it sounds reasonable but I'm not a goalie so I can't offer the same insight to their makeup as Law Goalie and Justin.