Jump to content
Slate Blackcurrant Watermelon Strawberry Orange Banana Apple Emerald Chocolate Marble
Slate Blackcurrant Watermelon Strawberry Orange Banana Apple Emerald Chocolate Marble

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

johndeere506

Using Older Gear for Rec Play

Recommended Posts

I have some like new gear that I bought new about 18-19 years ago. I already bought new skates, and I know I need a new helmet, and new pants, and gloves. What about older shoulder, shin, elbow pads? Have they changed that much to buy new for someone just messing around or a beer league? They look dated compared to the new stuff I guess, but would you run them or no? Shoulder pads are nice ish eastons, elbow and chin are probably a cheap set.

If I need to get new I'm looking at something like S170/190/MX3. Dont know which ones are good enough. That line seems to be an in between type fit. I havent tried them on though

I just bought new stuff for my 5 and 6 years olds getting started, all MX3 stuff. So now I looked at all my old gear....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Howdy,

If you're on this forum, chances are you're going to end up buying new stuff. :-)

I play with a bunch of guys whose gear all seems to be 10+ years old.  If it fits and you like it... Use it.

Mark

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the improvements you’ll see between old and new pads are weight and materials. Newer pads could be lighter and are likely better at moisture wicking. However, ill fitting new stuff isn’t any more protective than proper fitting old stuff.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would just use the older gear. Shin, shoulder, and elbow pads have not changed all too much. If you want to upgrade later then you will have a better idea of what you might want. Much of my equipment is over 10 years old and typically because I don't see any reason for getting newer gear.

The one caveat being that if the plastic has become really brittle from, for example, being stored in a an attic with really big temperature swings, then it can easily crack and should be replaced.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think older shins/elbows are fine as long as the integrity of the materials are good.  However I find the new shoulder pads provide a lot more mobility than older pads, unless your older pads are the super flimsy type like Jofa pads (ones Gretzky used to wear)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, shoot_the_goalie said:

I think older shins/elbows are fine as long as the integrity of the materials are good.  However I find the new shoulder pads provide a lot more mobility than older pads, unless your older pads are the super flimsy type like Jofa pads (ones Gretzky used to wear)

You only mean Gretzky's helmet, right? I wear 30-40 year-old CCM helmets, pants, gloves, and (obviously) skates, but 10-15 year-old JOFA shins, elbows, and shoulders; and I see very little (if any) improvement in protection in the newest gear in the dressing room. Even the new helmets seem no more protective than my ancient CCM Pro Standards (except for the ear pieces) as long as the padding isn't dried out and hard and as long as we're not talking about their first-generation Styrofoam padding or the too-hard rubberized shit that CCM used in some of their 2000-ish models. The 3 or 4 guys who've suffered concussions were all wearing much newer helmets, whereas I've had my skates swept out from under me and no injury from hitting the back of my head on the ice about as hard as possible in my CCM PS. The newest gloves seem poorly designed because they compromise finger protection for mobility with the segmented fingers, which is exactly how Methot practically lost a finger courtesy of Sidney Crosby.  I just took a follow through from a teammate the other night right on the fingers that probably would have been a broken finger or two in segmented-finger gloves.

IMO, there's a parallel between modern hockey gear and automobiles in that the manufacturers come up with an endless line of supposed "improvements" meant to sell new stuff by convincing consumers their older stuff is obsolete or inferior. Meanwhile, I'm amazed at how quickly I see some of those high-end new gloves (especially) fall apart while my ancient 5-roll leather CCMs and nylon Cooper Super Pros are lasting forever. As a matter of fact, I decided to sell the top-of-the-line Ohio State Bauer/Nike pants I picked up last year because they're really no more protective than my early 90s CCM Supra Pros and not an ounce lighter. IMO, there's obviously a big difference in both protection and weight between the really old leather & felt stuff and any high-end gear made in the last 20 - 30 years, but no difference worth worrying about between high-end stuff from 15 - 20 years ago and the latest stuff coming out every season that promises to "revolutionize" protective hockey gear.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Agree with a lot of what @YesLanges said (except I like segmented fingers, especially on Eagle models). Tackla pants and Jofa shins and elbows perfected the design solution to the problem of balancing protection and mobility. We're also similar in finding old skates still do the trick incredibly well. While he goes for Langes (clearly), I'm still looking forward to finding a skate that improves on the performance I can get in Graf 703s, which were originally produced in 1987! and havd only been subjected to minor changes ever since. Add another vote to @shoot_the_goalie's take that newer shoulder pads are worth the buy: they feel vastly improved in that protection and mobility balance than what I remember from back in the 90s. A lot of new stuff seems packed with pointless features only meant to pad the price and optimized for immediate shelf feel and planned obsolescence rather than pure function.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I wasn't implying that Jofa shoulders were bad...actually was endorsing them in that they are very mobile (I think that's why every once in a while you see throwback shoulders that mimic that style, i.e Sherwood).  What I was implying is that the top of the line pads in the 90's (CCM Supra, CooperArmour, etc) were super protective and durable, but their mobility was severely hampered vs. top of the line pads you see today, which offer similar protection (but maybe not durability).  Back in the day, I played with all CCM Supra pads, and they were incredibly protective, but they weighed a lot (with their hard plastic sheathing) and the padding was very bulky (which limited mobility).  I remember not being able to extend my arms all the way up like I can do with modern shoulder pads.

And to the OP.   I totally agree with Marka.  If you're on this forum asking about new equipment vs older equipment, you're just trying to justify to yourself your need for new gear...:14_relaxed:

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I figured you just meant the helmet because that's the only piece that was "flimsy" and there's 1 new guy in my league wearing one now (and full-length KOHO gloves). Gretzky probably wore the shoulders with the single-piece mushroom-shaped white plastic shoulder cap and it was probably one of the most protective in that era.  Everybody else wore the original versions of the new Sherwood 5030 throwbacks or even just the caps attached to suspenders. I admit I like the look of those CCM CLs(?) that look like reptile armor,but I think their pitch about being safer for opponents is just more PR shtick, even if it's true. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have a pair of those Jofa Gretzky pads with the one piece shoulder caps.  Those caps are the best I've used, and currently have them attached to a pair of Reebok 10K shoulders.  You can't get better light weight, protective and mobile shoulder pads.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I went through all my stuff again. Id say its all worth replacing except the Easton SP8200 shoulder pads. They fit fine still, maybe a little small, but dont look quite as dated or worn as the rest. 

My chin pads are cheap junk, elbows cheap, and pants dont fit, by a lot LOL. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...