STX Surgeon - voxyledbetter

[JR Boucicaut 3759]

Open

[voxyledbetter 9]

First I would like to thank JR, MSH, and STX for allowing me the opportunity to take part in another LTR. This last year I had the opportunity to LTR the STX Surgeon 500 stick and really enjoyed it. While my stick is still hanging in there, I am excited to pair the gloves and stick together.

A little background on myself..

5'9"

160 lbs

shoot right

Previous gloves used- Bauer Supreme One75, Alkali CA9, CA5

I usually play defense, but have been known to take some forward shifts when needed. I don't have any dangles but make up for it in hard nose, go in the corners, and grind the puck out play. Currently I'm on a break from season play and will be writing these reviews from playing some stick and puck and drop in when I can. My family is in the process of closing on a new house and moving across the state where hopefully I'll be able to jump on a new team

Initial Thoughts

Color- Black

Size- 14"

Upon unboxing these gloves I immediately thought they had a great sleek look to them. The logos are clearly readable and the gloves are not too flashy. The majority of their construction is a synthetic nylon like material and then trimmed another synthetic poly like material. Fit and finish are top notch, free of any blemishes.

When I slip my hand into the glove I notice right away their snug fit. The inside padding is soft and the finger dexterity is great. These gloves already feel broken in when you move your fingers in and out thanks to lycra gussets and STX's M2 Knuckles. The knuckle feature three segments per finger on the first three, and two segments on the pinky. The cable thumb feature allows you to flex it forward all the way to the palm. These gloves feel lightweight, I don't own a scale so I won't make any claims to how light they actually are. The wrist maneuverability allows you roll your wrist in a comfortable movement, except for one area for me... the spot on the glove that has the 500 logo. I feel that this could flex forward more. While rolling my wrist in different directions this pad hits my forearm. I might take care of this with a little customization and a trim because its not completely stitched.

The protection feels to be made of multiple layers. The top layer is a harder plastic or foam followed by a softer more dense foam. Its too early to make any claims about how they take the abuse that gets dished out during a game, but for now I will say that they feel solid.

[voxyledbetter 9]

"They feel light, flexible and padded enough that some hack won't destroy my hands" That was quoted by one of my former teammates when I handed one over for him to check it out. I feel like the quote summarizes my thoughts so far. I have been able to skate with them about 6 times so far. Its been a challenge because my wife and I have moved across state and there was a good chunk of time that I wasn't skating. I recently joined a house team so I can get my feet moving again.

so my thoughts on these thus far....

The fit is pretty snug, they don't move around while stick handling and during game play. I was able to stick handle without feeling like I had brand new gloves on, just different gloves. They maintain a flexible broken in feeling. I did notice that their snug fit makes them a bit warm. I will contribute part of it to the fact I'm playing roller hockey in summer, it may be a different situation on the ice.

The palms don't have any grip like feature to them which is fine by me because most manufacturers offer this feature in sticks. They palms feel on the thick side, the palms make the shaft of my stick feel slimmer compared to my Bauer Supreme palms. I don't think this an issue, just different from what I'm used to.

So far I'm please with how they play and their feel. At this point I haven't taken any hacks I've noticed to be able to comment on their protection.

[voxyledbetter 9]

I've had a chance to use the gloves through a couple more seasons now. And I must say they are great gloves. The palms are breaking in rather nicely and showing very little wear. The fingers flex well and the cuffs allow for a pretty full range of motion. As far as protection is concerned, I did that a pretty good lumberjack swing to the thumb which left me bruised, but that's been one instance. Info find these gloves to still be on the warm side. Factor in the snug fit and the fact that I'm on a roller rink adds to the temperature.

[voxyledbetter 9]

Thought I'd check in. Gloves have broken in well and with the temps dropping I'm not having any issues with them being hot. So for you ice guys I think these would be great gloves if you like the tapered fit. The palms have softened up a lil but are not wearing much. As a whole the gloves are holding up great and offer a really solid level of protection. I have about 5 season of roller on them now and have been really impressed so far.