Hockey Gear Whoring Thread and Reviews
 

Hey All,

since there's quite a few people that play Hockey here, be it Ice, Roller, or Feet, I think it'd be cool to see what people use and what their thought on them are.

ME
skates - Nike Bauer 8090

Awsome skates. Much lighter than my old vapor whatevers. Nice stiff boot, and just no complaints at all. Fit is great, though a bit big, it feels comfortable for long games or even stick and puck.

gloves - Nike Bauer 4 Rolls

Excellent gloves! Definitely no regrets on buying these. They felt very soft and flexible brand new and I didn't need to "break them in" very much. There's vents on the outside that keeps the hand nice and cool. They do look a bit chunky and took me a little while to get used to, but they are very comfortable. A huge step up from my old Easton gloves.

helmut - Nike Bauer H5000 w/ Itech clip on visor (chl style?)

Comfortable and very snug for my head. No complaints, big step up from my "classic" foam Nike helmut. The visor is also pretty durable and stays put. Though it's very heavy, with the metal frame and all, it feels sturdy and gives me a little peace of mind.

stick - Nike Bauer one90, Nike Bauer Vapor 7, Warrior Dolomite 2 pc.

one90 was a sweet stick. Very light and was perfect for my hands in terms of the shaft shape. Vapor 7 I was able to get the flex and curve I wanted from THS it was on sale, $50 or something. It's a bit heavy but for the price it was worth it to me. Warrior Dolomite, an amazing stick. Light, well balanced (I found that only warrior blades made it balanced, others were either heavy or too light). I was able to get the flex I wanted, but got a crappy pattern. Still a really nice stick to use.

Just a little something to start things off. I'm sure others will have much more to post about. Maybe about them pondering future purchases or reviewing on certain things they have been "testing" out.

skate - CCM Vector U+ Pro

love the skates, lighter and more fitted than my old Vapors. I got these after my old vapors cracked on me before the playoffs. I wore them for the first time during the first game in the playoffs. I was worried that it would take some time to break in. NOPE

By the second period, it felt like i've been wearing these skates for months.

Shoulder pads - CCM Vector Control

the second pair of shoulder pads that I own. Upgrade from my old Easton Xtremes, a lot less bulky and provides great protection with a new shoulder pad design by having the shoulder caps under the shoulder pad unlike traditional shoulder pads.

Plus i no longer look like I'm a member of LOD with my shoulder pads on

Gloves - Nike Bauer one70

great loves, lightweight and flexible. Didn't take long to get use to

Sticks - Powertech Sniper

Very light stick, whippy and durable. I got a few of these sticks and i love them. They perform bout the same as my old synergy did and i don't have the fear of breaking them since they cost me only bout $80 each compared to my $200 synergy.

Any you guys used to One95 Supreme stick?

REPOST!! ...kinda....

But, if i was to give a review of my own equipment, heres some of the latest gear i upgraded to:

RBK Thrust Shoulder Pads: best shoulder pads of its price range (75 bucks) a lil bulky, light weight, and good material.

Nike Bauer Apollo Elbow Pads: Again best elbow pads of its price....super comfy, and its an attractive design as well....well protected. 40 bucks.

RBK 8k helmet: Something that i actually i feel is NOT the best peice of equipment, especially for its price range. Its not necessarily the best protection, and the padding inserts have a tendency of loosening up and in some cases falling off. If i had a choice to take it back, probably exchange it for a Bauer (5000/9500) helmet which has treated me really well for 6 years straight.

You are right the RBK 8K is not that good...i find its not comfortable and doesnt work well with the Itech FX-50...it hurts =(

Whoops.....correction...

I use the RBK 6k Helmet.....but thanks Keroleen for a 8k helmet review.

Sticks: Nike Vapour 7 bought from THS. I got the Naslund curve with the "pro" 102 flex. The stick is a little bit heavy, and I hate the sticky feel. In fact, I almost wanted to throw the stick away, but once I started to use the stick on a regular basis, the sticky feel wore off a bit and it is managable.

The stick itself is pretty good for that price, but for those that are playing on a higher level, I would spend a little more money on a lighter stick.

Skates: RBK 9K. Very light skates which means less energy used when skating, and late in the third period you will be a little less fatiqued. Boot is stiff which is good since I am a pretty heavy skater. The pump really secures the boot, and a few extra pumps late in the game tightens up the skate so I don't have to re-tie the laces. For me, I found the boot to be a little on the narrow side, even with an "E" sized boot. And the length of the boot is not as long as the normal CCM boots. I had to get a pair of size 8's whereas I always got 7 1/2's in the CCM boots. But at $600, the 9K's are something that most recreational hockey players should be able to do without. For the money, the 5K at $260ish is more than enough.

CCM Vibes, bought from THS. This was my first pair of skates purchased in over 10 years. Lots of changed since my old CCM super tacks. I wear "E" sized boots and still had to get them widened. Not a bad pair of skates, but the new "U" boot is a lttle too narrow and there is not enough padding in the ankle area for me so I ended up getting blisters on the heal of my foot. It helped a bit getting the heal of the boot punched out.

Pants: Reebok NCAA "pro" returns from THS. Best money I ever spent on pants. Lots of padding on the thighs, kidney area. No fears of block point shots. Last game, I was knocked into the boards and the pants took a lot of the shock and I did not feel much of the impact. Before buying these pants, I tried on some of the lower model pants but there really wasn't much padding in them, especially around the crotch area. Even though these pants have lots of padding, I find that I am still quite mobile and they are not clunky at all.

Elbow pads: RBK 5K from THS. Nice and light. Lots of padding in the important areas. But the fore-arm padding doesn't quite go down the fore-arm far enough so I find myself getting slashed between the elbow pads and the cuff of the gloves. But that is only an issue when I am on a break away and someone is trying to chase me down. ;)

Im too lazy to type everything out right now, but I just picked up a set of Graf Ultra G35's and love them

Cool thread. I'll go (my stuff is kinda old)

Skates: Nike High Ho Silver converted into ice skate with Tuuk Chassis. These skates are pretty good. I chose these over the XX (back in the day) cuz they are more comfy. They are a few feathers heavier but yeah. I am considering getting the XXX tho now just because.

Shinnies: Bauer 8000. These are pretty good. They are bulkier and offer removable liners. You can also adjust the top of them depending how much under pad you want exposed above your knee. Also have an acl cup pad. This is prob my fav piece of equipment.

Elbows: Nike V10. I hate elbow pads. These nikes are light but in a couple of episodes they weren't positioned correctly when they were in need which caused some pain to the old elblow

Lid: NB 4500: standard fits nice, adjustable, light.

Pants: Bauer 8000: kinda bulky and heavy. But on the contrary offer more protection overall than your avg pant.

Stick: one90 w. st. louis curve 87 flex for more whip.

Gloves: Sande 980's. nice light gloves. looking for a new pair prob get the XXX's or something newer.

Shoulder pads: none, they are for pussies in mens league.

waiting for the ultimate gearwhore nammerboi to post his gear...

Mine:

Helmet - NBH 5500 w/ Oakley Pro Modified Visor + CCM HT2 w/ Oakley Pro Modified Visor
The 5500 fits better than the HT2 but I personally find the HT2 is better looking, more rugged and overall at half the price, a better bargain. As you can also tell I love Pro Mod visors

Shoulders - Itech 655TL
Total overkill when it comes to protection. It can feel bulky at times especially when you're trying to put your jersey on

Elbows - NBH ONE90
Best elbows I've ever owned. I love the anchor strap and they don't slip down my arm when I go for a shot. Looks like I'll never have to buy a pair of elbows again.

Gloves - Eagle CP92 Tufftek (tagged as X72)
I wish Eagle would come out with this pair at the retail level. Tufftek + digital palms are definitely the best combo ever. Once you go nylon you never go back.

Pants - Tackla 5000 Pro TB Lighting Pro stock
Very lightweight pant and great protection. They fit alot better than the old CCM's I had which felt a bit like wearing a barrel

Shins - NBH Vapor XXV
I originally had the XXXX but they've got too much padding which made the knee area feel too narrow. The XXV has slightly less padding and feels alot better despite the cheaper price tag.

Skates - NBH Vapor XXII
Good skates for the price if they fit you. If I upgrade my equipment again it'll probably be skates. I might opt for the XXXX since they're so cheap online now.

Sticks - Warrior Dolomite OPS
If you haven't joined the Warrior club yet you have to. I normally don't like composites, having used the original Synergy, Bauer Tri-Flex etc since they lack feel of the puck. I went back to wood and shafts w/ wood blades for the longest time until I picked up a Warrior OPS and that's all I've been using since. If anybody has RH 75-85 Flex Draper Dolos for sale let me know!

Me:
Helmet: RBK 6k, shoulda got the 8k though

Soulders: one90s, picked them up really cheap

Gloves: Navy blue Eagle X70's in carbon

Elbows: Old Bauer's

Pants: CCM V08 or V10 pants, can't remember

Shins: Nike V10 shin pads

Skates: Easton Synergy 900s

Sticks: Warrior Dolomite 85 flex Draper (broken, but still one of my favorites), Warrior Dolomite 100 flex Weight (broken), Synergy SL grip 85 flex Sakic (broken, but my all time favorite), Pro Return XXX lite 100 flex Kraus, Pro Return XXX lite 100 flex Blum, currently using an RBK 7V shaft with 7V Datsyuk curve, currently using a Warrior Dolomite shaft with 7K Modano curve

helmet: Itech HC100, basically the same as the Mission Intake but at 1/2 the price

Shoulders: Bauer 400, old and cheap does the job

Elbows: Sherwood 5030, see above

Shins: Rbk 4k, my old easton synergy 100s didnt cut it anymore after a wrister hit it, taken blasts off these ones and didnt feel any pain

Gloves: nike bauer 4 roll, my excuse to get these gloves were cuz my mission he10000 had a hole in them, very soft and flexible

Pants: Tackla 951, never tried any other pants but these ones do their job

Skates: Bauer vapor 19, cheap price for 2nd from the top of the line, stiff and lightweight

Sticks: Bauer one90 shaft with warrior dolomite kovalev blade, 95 flex
TPS adrenaline ops perry curve whip
Synergy SL shaft with synergy II drury blade, 85 flex

I like my adrenaline the most but the blade is geting soft (about 1 year of use), can't slap them as hard no more :(

Is it useless for a beginner to get a higher end composite stick?

No point in getting a composite stick just yet. I would start off with wood, not just because it's cheaper, but you should try different curves, flexes, brands and lengths and see what you like before you invest in a high end composite stick.

If you're a beginner spend the most you can afford on getting a pair of skates that fit instead. I would go in this order from most expensive to least: Skates -> Helmet -> Gloves -> Stick -> Everything else.

Edit: If you get composite, go for top of the line. Otherwise a top end wood stick will always feel more balanced and have better performance than an entry level composite.

With all do respect...yes, it will be a waste of money. You should see what happens when you learn with a lower end stick, something heavier than the norm, etc....and then when you get better, upgrade to a better stick. You'll see the results.

I'm not that huge of a gear whore... haha

Skates:
Graf G70 Ultra - got them custom made for my wide feet, they fit like a charm and were expensive. got them extra stiff and blacked out so I don't have any silver flashing on the skates. swapped the holders to ls2 (on vapors and supremes)
Graf 709 - retail extra wide, a little snug in the toe box thats why I opted for the g70's. again swapped holders and steel to ls2
Nike Bauer XV-R' Roller Skates - picked em up at sportchek. I guess they do the trick.

Helmet:
Nike Bauer 8500 aka Astronaut Helmet. This is probably going to get replaced soon with a RBK 6k helmet. It fits well but the memory foam on the inside is getting a bit gross.

Visor:
Itech X100. The ones that are replaceable. It's a pretty sweet visor, covers well. Doesn't fog up too much because of the venting system at the top. And one lenses lasted me a good 1.5 years. Bang for your buck. Its expensive at first but worth it in the end.

Gloves:
Nike Bauer Pro Rolls. Simply put, they are amazing. Well if you like the looser fit. I have wide hands and these are just the ones. The palms have lasted me a long time on the first pair. The outside of the glove are still in great condition, a few loose threads here and there but other than that they are money! No wrist restrictions whatsoever, therefore called 4rolls.

Shoulders:
CCM Vector 10. Tried these on and fell in love with them. I know they're a bit overkill but really I play defense and the guys I play with crank them with no mercy. Not the lightest shoulder pads but most def the most mobile. No restrictions when moving my arms or going in for a clapper. Super protective, not making money playing this game might as well be able to play it for a long time.

Shins:
CCM Vector 10. Bought these because they were the ones wide enough to fit me properly. I had RBK 6k's before which were perfect for protection, but they were 1inch too short. Which led to a nasty MCL injury and I knew I had to upgrade. Nice removable liner, rock hard, can't complain.

Elbows:
Graf 500's. I totally regret getting these things. They felt amazing in the store, but in terms of protection, it really isn't there.They keep sliding down my arm and become forearm protectors! So I got fed up with them for a shift and ripped them off, and boom sloose footed and landed on my right elbow, its been roughly 2 months and I don't have pain in it anymore. I ordered some CCM Vector 10's but the large is a bit tight. Those are for sale if anyone would like. They look like they are some serious stuff. Special straps to keep it in place and not move around. Wish they fit.

Pants:
Nike Bauer XX-Lite. Most mobile pants ever, with not so great protection. The kidney area and spin are decent, but around the leg is horrible. It's like wearing a pair of shorts with a piece of plastic in the front to protect your thigh. Other than that, just get lucky and get out of the way. Countless number of bruises from these things. They gotta go! Gonna try a new two piece next. Girdle and pant shell combo. If anyone is using this setup right now let me know how its going!

Sticks:
This is where it gets whorey.

Easton Stealth CNT Grip Forsberg 100 Flex (whipped out prolly 80ish now)
CCM Vector U+ Grip Recchi 100 Flex (Primary)
Innovative True One Federov 105-110 Flex (this thing is super stiff)
CCM Vector 10 Shaft + Warrior Dolo Blade Federov (85 flex)
Warrior AK 27 Shaft + CCM Recchi Blade (Roller Hockey Stick)
Bauer VI Grip St. Louis 100 Flex (Impulse buy, totally regretting it)

Out of all these sticks my favorite is the U+. Loved my easton but it just died on me and I can't handle a light flex. I am looking to get rid of all these sticks.

I thought so too, until tonight. Standing off to the side of the net playing wing, the center man with the puck in the corner decided to take a half slapper and I took the puck right in the middle of the chest. I have a really big welt on my chest, and it hurts to breath let alone try to continue to play.

I don't think i have any broken ribs, but it hurts like a bitch to press down on the sore area.

I would highly recommend a pair of pro-returns. I got the NCAA pro-returns from THS and there is unbelieve amounts of padding and hard plastic. Definately better than any of the lower end pants I tried on and they are pretty mobile for me. :thumbsup:

hummmm i played women's league ice hockey for 2 years b4 actually getting ice gear....using shell and girdle.....
but I got a game ejection in Duffer's league for not having ICE pants and socks =(

really eh, my friends have been raving about pro pants. i just don't want to too bulky, cause im a big enough guy haha.

you play in duffers too?
its soo far

If they are good enough for the NCAA, Juniors A's, and NHLer's, I'd say they are plenty good. ;)

sigh I am too much of gear whore and I blame modsquadhockey

skates: Nike Bauer Supreme One 95

Helmet: Mission Intake w/ oakley modified straight pro visor

Shoulder Pads: Nike Bauer Vapor 25

Elbow Pads: RBK 5k

Gloves: MIA/Warrior Custom made Creepers

Pants: Takla 951

Shins: Mission Fuel 85

Sticks: Oh god my worst vice here
Nike Bauer XXX-Lite
Warrior Dolomite Non-gripo
Warrior Dolomite Nipple Grip
TPS R8 Lite
TPS PTC R10
TPS XN10
NBH One95
NBH XXXX

I have issues........

Too bad I'm not a gear whore so I can't really make an opinion from one equip. over another. All the changes in gear I've had recently were upgrades to my previous so it'll only makes sense that my expensive gear > cheap gear.

Although, I've come across guys who have old school equipment like skates or gloves and have always thought that looked pimp.

since i play goalie and player my list may be a bit long but i'm not the one to have high end gear as frankly i don't think im good enough to notice a difference lol

player:
skates: bauer supreme 30s
elbows: bauer supreme classics
shoulders: ccm vector 4
gloves: bauer vapour X
pants: mission (unknown model)
helmet: mission m-15
shins: ccm vector 2.0
sticks: bauer vapour sniper malkin curve, rbk 4k 2 piece with pronger blade, and the mission axis leopold curve

goalie
rbk 5k complete set
chest: eagle fusion
pants: rbk 6 k
helmet: old ferland helmet (i should really upgrade)
jock: itech shock absorber
skates: ccm tacks
sticks: ccm vector brodeur curve, Bauer supreme joseph curve

Hey, do you go to any pick-ups? I need a confidence booster every now and then. :D

j/k