[kyle00]

Originally Posted by rwwong

If Jagr can wear them, they must be good right?

Many of the pro's skates are not the skate they appear to be. Many are dressed up to look like the skate the manufacturer is trying to promote

[ganeil]

Originally Posted by kyle00

Many of the pro's skates are not the skate they appear to be. Many are dressed up to look like the skate the manufacturer is trying to promote

That is probably the truth. When Nike/Bauer introduced the one90's there were a lot of players who had the boots but not the extended clear Tuuks.

[kyle00]

For all that didn't know... Nike is quitting the hockey division complteley. Nike has been bought out and by 2011 (i think it is) the NikeBauer name will be dropped and it'll be back to just Bauer most likely.

[Expired]

Originally Posted by Alpine

I started playing when I was 9 and played all through high school... and haven't touched the ice since.
I had Bauer 5000s all through HS and I loved them. Graf makes great skates, but they're pretty expensive (at least last time I looked they were). Definitely take the advice of the guys here and go talk to your local pro shop guys. Whatever you get, bake them to your feet. You'll be glad you did.
T-blades were still fairly new when I was playing so only a few guys had them in our league. I always thought they were pretty gay, but it sure would be nice to not have to get your blades sharpened all the time.
I was never really a fan of Mission in ice hockey. I know they were the cool brand in roller hockey, but I never liked their styles in ice. I had mostly CCM, Bauer, and VIC gloves- which were incredible.
Regardless.. whatever fits you the best and fits in your budget is what is best for you!

Did you think they were gay because of their looks or performance?? They are supposed to give you more control and speed, while having the ease of blade changing.
I've read that the new mission 130 gloves are supposed to be better than the Eagle X-72 gloves (Supposedly the best) in both weight and comfort, so I think I'm going to go with those.. After I try them on of course.

I also don't like Nike, so I don't plan on buying any of their gear..

Originally Posted by TurboFan

Played for a while. I'm still in the CCM 65xsomethings that I had baked in college. Love em. On my second set of steels and holders.

Don't skimp on the skates. You'll be miserable. Most people don't want to / can't do it, but I like to skate barefoot. I have much better feel that way, and it is very comfortable. My skates are lined with deer leather, makes a HUGE difference. They don't smell.

How many years have you had your CCM's?? So I can get an idea of how long my skates should last and how much I am willing to invest, I think my feet have stopped growing. Also, the CCM's came lined with deer leather!?!?!

Originally Posted by kyle00

Graf's models are a little tricky. The different model nu,bers aren't representative of their level of skate. Each of their skates fits a different kind of foot which brings me to my next point...

DO NOT buy a skate because of it's looks. This is the biggest problem with people buying skates. Buy the skate that FITS you the best. Make sure your heel locks in, make sure you have enough volume in the skate for your foot, make sure the toe cap isn't too narrow, etc. A good pro shop will help you with all of this.

Blahhh >___< Buying on looks combined with reviews and then a try on was exactly what I was going to do.. GRAF's look so good!!! I think if skates can easily last me 2-3 years, I'm going to go ahead and get some Graf's custom fitted at a pro shop and wait a few months for them to come in.

Originally Posted by AJerman

Don't worry too much about getting the top of the line skates, because while they help a little, the main thing is still you. You can always upgrade to something nicer once you're ready for it.

I was also considering getting a fairly cheap skate to start me off, then upgrading and selling the old ones later on.

Originally Posted by Icedog_16

Seeing the pic of the sticks reminded me that I hate composite sticks. Every one I've ever had has broken - and it usually happens at the worst possible time. My friggin Easton aluminum stick is practically bulletproof.

Good to know, I think I'm still considering a one piece composite though..
Mission Fuel Ti-Pro, Warrior Mac Daddy, or Mission V-hex. (I like the neon green)
I still have my old Easton Z-bubble and like the feel of it, but I don't know if it's up to par.. I'll have to get my hands on some newer sticks.
http://hockey.virtuacare.com/images/kovalchuk.jpg
It's a 110 flex, green like the one in that pic, with a Jofa blade. (Mid Curve / 5* Loft) Not sure on all the blade measurements and stuff, I always just picked up a stick and played with it.. I never liked how people wrapped their sticks like in the pic above on both the blade and shaft.. I just got some tape and wrapped it on the end of the shaft to form an oval when looking at it from the side.. About 2 inches in length and sticks out about 1/4 of an inch from the shaft.. If I had a cam on me I would post a pic.. It fits perfectly in my palm...

Originally Posted by kyle00

For all that didn't know... Nike is quitting the hockey division complteley. Nike has been bought out and by 2011 (i think it is) the NikeBauer name will be dropped and it'll be back to just Bauer most likely.

Good. :O

EDIT: What are your thoughts on Helmet Cage/Half Shield/None, and what do you use???

-Nathan

[AJerman]

Originally Posted by Expired

EDIT: What are your thoughts on Helmet Cage/Half Shield/None, and what do you use???

-Nathan

I had a full cage made of plastic with a plastic visor rather than a metal cage, and I got pissed off at it because it kept fogging up so one day, fed up, I skated to the bench, which happened to have a window behind if with a lady and her little kids sitting there, slammed my stick on the ground, flung my gloves off, ripped the helmet off and snaped the facemask off over my knee, haha. You should have seen the look on that lady's face.

But now that I have it off, I do think I'd like to get a new facemask, maybe a full metal cage. I'm not a pro hockey player so my face is too pretty to mess up.

[ganeil]

Get a metal cage. The clear ones fog and a puck to the nose hurts A LOT.

[Josh49]

I suggest wearing a full mask (metal, plastic, whatever). If you baby the itech shields you can keep the clean and keep them from fogging (right now I'm running the itech deluxe II full mask). Cages are really easy to run, and cheap as well. That's a great first step if you don't want to deal with the hassle of running clear plastic.

Shots are incredibly fast. In less than the blink of an eye someone's deflection can be in your face. I can't recall how many follow-through's, high sticks, people's stick coming up high, etc that I have taken to the mask. And the puck as well, people trying to clear the zone, especially during power plays. Hell the other day I was skating by the goal after the other team scored on us. After the whistle, my defensemen decided to wind up into the boards. His windup went right into my face. I didn't see/expect it at all, and his stick's blade hit me hard square in the face. If I didn't have a full mask on, I would have been in the ER having reconstructive surgery.

Your choice. Me, I have always and will always skate with a full mask (cage and now plastic).

[Josh49]

One more thing which I will never understand. There are people who play without a cup. This is more insane to me than skating without a mask. A month or so ago we had a ref take a clearing slapshot on a power play straight to the nads. He went down and it was a good 10-15 minutes before he could even start to stand up. When I asked about it, some people in my locker room responded that they don't wear cups, they didn't like how it felt, etc..

I think - sure it might be a little awkward or uncomfortable, but that's a small price to pay for the pain I saw that ref go through..

/end of rant

[Icedog_16]

Originally Posted by AJerman

I had a full cage made of plastic with a plastic visor rather than a metal cage, and I got pissed off at it because it kept fogging up so one day, fed up, I skated to the bench, which happened to have a window behind if with a lady and her little kids sitting there, slammed my stick on the ground, flung my gloves off, ripped the helmet off and snaped the facemask off over my knee, haha. You should have seen the look on that lady's face.

But now that I have it off, I do think I'd like to get a new facemask, maybe a full metal cage. I'm not a pro hockey player so my face is too pretty to mess up.

You should get one like this (I guess ZLeader doesn't make them anymore):

http://hockeyworld.com/prodHome.ihtm...atID=91&shop=1
The metal cage portion doesn't deflect your breath into the shield part anywhere near as bad. I never had a problem with my ZLeader one fogging.

[kyle00]

I use a half visor. I cannot wear a full cage, it messes with my vision too much.

For those of you complaining about fogging problems... take hair shampoo, and a towel and work it into your visor. It works... and it works really well. I've been doing it for about 2 years. No fogging problems whatsoever

[kyle00]

At a beginner/intermediate level, a cage is a good idea because of so many high sticks, uncontrolled falling, etc. Once you play in the higher level of skill, this pretty much goes away.