Vaughn VE8 Pads, Blocker and CCM P2 580 glove.

[Puremetal33]

Wanted to get a review started for my new set. Some background first: I've been a Vaughn guy for a long time. I've just always preferred their gear, though I've had gear from Smith, Brian's and more that I've loved, Vaughn feels like home for me. I'm coming from a V7 XF Pro Carbon custom set I've had for around a year. I've been totally happy with it, no real gripes at all about the set other than minor tweaks I'd make.

When I initially read up and saw video demos on the VE8 pad, my thought was that this was basically anything I would have changed about the V7 XF. Stock single break, and innovative strapping. The V7 XF is a very soft pad, probably the closest thing around today to a traditional pad. Enter the VE8: This is not your daddy's Vaughn pad. The first thing I noticed when I unboxed: They're really light. Not quite G4/2S light, but not much heavier than that. The core is much stiffer than you likely associate with a Velocity pad. Ditto the boot - and the boot angle is also steeper than the XF or the last iteration of the Pro V Elite. The strapping - one elastic knee lock, "professor strap" (Rotational Control Strap), Elastic calf lock (all same as the Ventus SLR); plus the addition of two elastic calf straps with new magnetic buckles, as well as a boot strap with the same magnetic buckle. The new strapping system is a win - light, functional and quick/easy to connect/disconnect. I'm not 100% sure the elastic calf straps are needed with that thick elastic calf lock - and they're removable, so I may test the pad without them at some point. The one place the new strapping doesn't really translate well is the boot strap. The magnetic buckle is too large to fit through the back hole on my Graf cowlings, so I had to run them underneath. Also, management of that strap was an issue. I had to make several tweaks on ice to keep from stepping on it. Before next skate I'll either trim the strap or figure out a way to rig it to keep the excess from being a tripping hazard. The previous iteration Pro V Elite had the SLR Hybrid boot strap, basically an elastic strap with a jenpro tapered end and a metal buckle. I liked that bootstrap system better than the current. I'll need to play around with it and see if I warm up to the new boot strap setup.

The pad slides better than any Vaughn pad I've worn before, and most anything from any other manufacturer that I've demo'd. The inner gusset is firmer and the weave sliding surfaces (a request from me, not stock, although it should be) really help. Sliding across the crease seemed effortless, even without the use of sliding polish. Other thing I noticed right away: perfect rotation and seal, every time. Rebounds are hotter than the XF were by a good margin but not as hot as Warrior, etc.

The Blocker feels identical to my previous XR Pro Carbon blocker, which feels a lot like the previous 2000 blocker, which feels like the 7800... you get the idea. Other than a reduction in weight over those models the feel is basically the same. What you've come to expect from a Velocity blocker. It's light and the nash palm is comfortable. Pucks don't rebound off it too hard but you can get a good launch. The cuff is mobile and I felt comfortable handing the puck with it first time out.

Now for the glove: My last Vaughn set, I went with the XF Pro Carbon. It's a fantastic glove, but I had some popout issues with it. I found that when I didn't get a clean look at shots to track all the way in or had to pick the shot up late. If the puck hit anywhere but the pocket itself, it was often trouble. That particular glove like a lot of newer gloves on the market, may have been designed with the goalie that plays palm up in mind. Long story short, I like having a black hole glove - basically anything that hits above the cuff ends up in the pocket. I found that in the classic CCM 580 break glove. I ordered the P2 thinking it might be lighter than previous iterations (Koho/Reebok/CCM gloves have traditionally been HEAVY). I went with the game ready palm as I'm old school enough to not mind feeling the puck a bit in the glove. Right out of the box, it was quite stiff. The P2 internals are comfortable and cushy. Internal strapping has adjustment points at the knuckles, backhand, and wrist. Glove open up nicely for drying. The biggest obstacle for me was that the "Game ready" option wasn't very game ready. After a dozen uses, the glove is still reasonably stiff. The D30 palm is very protective and almost shock absorbing in quality? Seems like it deadens impact that hits it from an angle. Like all 580 break gloves, the pocket is massive and every puck that hits anywhere above the cuff ends up in it. The other big plus about the 580 for me - it's the best glove on the market for reverse (turco) grip shooting. I'm able to handle and launch the puck much better with my Warrior CR/1 using the 580 glove.

I'll make some updates as the pad boot softens up a bit and the glove breaks in. So far, all good. Some tweaks to the boot strap are all that is necessary.

Some pics:

[Puremetal33]

One additional note re: strapping. The Professor strap is too short to use with my tree trunk calves. I'm going to see if I can mod the included one to add 3" or so of length as I'd love to test that idea out, but my legs and Passau knee pads prevent me from using the RCS strap currently.

[southpawtendy48]

Love the all black. So sick. I wanted weave on the sliding area of my custom pads but there was worry of it wearing out and just sliding like normal jenpro in the long run. But I hope that goes well for you

[jayluv54]

4 hours ago, Puremetal33 said:

One additional note re: strapping. The Professor strap is too short to use with my tree trunk calves. I'm going to see if I can mod the included one to add 3" or so of length as I'd love to test that idea out, but my legs and Passau knee pads prevent me from using the RCS strap currently.

I had the same problem on V-Elites that I demo'd, the strap was just way too short for my calves and caused rotation issues, especially with the damn nash leg channel.  If it was full nylon I might have been able to make it work.  Otherwise, I loved those pads.  The flex at the boot made it so much easier to get a good push than my Warrior GT's and they slid better than the GT's too.  Surprised the hell out of me.  

[BadAngle41]

Great setup!! I've only had one set up Vaughn leg pads... and they were good... but what i liked most was the blocker oddly enough. Like you I tried another break angle when I briefly tried a Vaughn glove (to match the set) and like always... came back to the 580 break. I'd like to say it's b/c of puck handling, but it's not, need to work on that actually, instead I use 580 just feels natural when catching.

Anxious to hear more about your strapping setup. The magnetic attachments along w/ Scrivens strap intrigue me. 

[coopaloop1234]

Good review.

But man, that V8 logo...

[BadAngle41]

Yeah... that should have been run through a focus group of middle schoolers... 3 min would have proved they needed a plan B on that. 

[SaveByRichter35]

Nice set.  What toe ties are you using?  If you're using an elastic set such as Pro Laces you can probably ditch the heel strap all together.  That's what I did with my V6 pads after switching to Pro Laces.  They keep the pad much more snug to the boot while maintaining the flexibility of a traditional lace tie with lots of slack. 
I'm pretty disappointed to hear that they changed the stiffness and angle of the boot break.  Is it more in line with a CCM pad now?  As in more upright?

As for the logo...yea idk wtf they were thinking there.  The whole VE8 thing is stupid in my opinion.  I guess they'd rather have a logo that looks like a cock and balls than be confused with tomato juice.  Or maybe legally they couldn't use V8. 

[Puremetal33]

17 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Nice set.  What toe ties are you using?  If you're using an elastic set such as Pro Laces you can probably ditch the heel strap all together.  That's what I did with my V6 pads after switching to Pro Laces.  They keep the pad much more snug to the boot while maintaining the flexibility of a traditional lace tie with lots of slack. 
I'm pretty disappointed to hear that they changed the stiffness and angle of the boot break.  Is it more in line with a CCM pad now?  As in more upright?

As for the logo...yea idk wtf they were thinking there.  The whole VE8 thing is stupid in my opinion.  I guess they'd rather have a logo that looks like a cock and balls than be confused with tomato juice.  Or maybe legally they couldn't use V8. 

I'm using HAL Pros for the toe. Previously I was wearing no toe ties at all but the HALs solved that problem for me. I'm going to try running the bootstrap over the back of the skate tomorrow night and will see how that plays for me.

Re: Logo, I'm pretty sure it's exactly because V8 is trademarked.

RE: Boot, it's definitely a steeper (more upright) angle, but not as steep as say the CCM Premiere series. It's stiffer than you'd associate with a Velocity pad traditionally. It's still not as stiff as the Bauer Od1N crap, but it's not soft either. We'll see how much that changes with more use, I have a feeling they'll soften up a bit.

[SaveByRichter35]

1 minute ago, Puremetal33 said:

I'm using HAL Pros for the toe. Previously I was wearing no toe ties at all but the HALs solved that problem for me. I'm going to try running the bootstrap over the back of the skate tomorrow night and will see how that plays for me.

Re: Logo, I'm pretty sure it's exactly because V8 is trademarked.

If you have the HALs then give it a shot without the boot strap.  You'd be surprised

[Puremetal33]

Update:

Made some strapping changes. Removed the boot strap completely.

Also re: RCS strap, I give you the "Mase mod" since my buddy Mase introduced the idea to me.

The RCS (Professor) strap is quite snug and for those like me who have tree trunk calves it just isn't long enough. Ideally Vaughn should make it longer stock - you can crank it down tighter but if it it's not long enough to begin with, that's an issue. That's not exclusive to Vaughn, I've yet to find a manufacturer that sells big leg friendly straps on retail pads.

See here the original config and the limited amount of space the RCS strap allows. The elastic doesn't have a ton of give either:

The "Mase Mod" basically takes the strap and reverses it so that the velcro faces the opposite direction. You then run the strap to the outer knee flap. Of note, this really will only work for those that attach the knee lock strap at the calf as I do. The result is, you get the functionality of the RCS strap with enough room to accommodate guys with bigger legs.

Performance wise, this was just what the doctor ordered. I didn't miss the bootstrap at all really, and the modified RCS config worked great and didnt' effect rotation. The only issue (and it can be solved easily) was exposed hook velcro snagging my on my UA leggings.

Also, the boot has softened up quite a bit. Not sure how much softer it'll get, and it's still quite a bit stiffer than the XF was, but mobility feels much more natural the way they're set up now.

[loki1416]

@Puremetal33Do you find/feel that the pad is "higher" than normal? I had 1/2" boot risers in my V7's turning them into 34+2 1/2 so put the risers on the V8's and felt like I was wearing 38+2's. Once I took the risers out, they felt much better. But to me, it felt like the pad sat higher on the skate instead of the deeper boot chanel of the V7's. The V7's almost "cup" the skate boot where as the V8's ride on top.

[Puremetal33]

44 minutes ago, loki1416 said:

@Puremetal33Do you find/feel that the pad is "higher" than normal? I had 1/2" boot risers in my V7's turning them into 34+2 1/2 so put the risers on the V8's and felt like I was wearing 38+2's. Once I took the risers out, they felt much better. But to me, it felt like the pad sat higher on the skate instead of the deeper boot chanel of the V7's. The V7's almost "cup" the skate boot where as the V8's ride on top.

Yeah I'd say that's accurate. For starters, the boot is at a much steeper angle than the V7 XF. I could've likely worn a 34+2 instead of 25+2 in light of that, but I'm still landing in the low middle of the knee block, and the RCS strap prevents me from sliding off.

[Chenner29]

On 7/11/2018 at 1:31 PM, Puremetal33 said:

See here the original config and the limited amount of space the RCS strap allows. The elastic doesn't have a ton of give either:

The "Mase Mod" basically takes the strap and reverses it so that the velcro faces the opposite direction. You then run the strap to the outer knee flap. Of note, this really will only work for those that attach the knee lock strap at the calf as I do. The result is, you get the functionality of the RCS strap with enough room to accommodate guys with bigger legs. 

Performance wise, this was just what the doctor ordered. I didn't miss the bootstrap at all really, and the modified RCS config worked great and didnt' effect rotation. The only issue (and it can be solved easily) was exposed hook velcro snagging my on my UA leggings.

Also, the boot has softened up quite a bit. Not sure how much softer it'll get, and it's still quite a bit stiffer than the XF was, but mobility feels much more natural the way they're set up now.

I asked for a removable RRC style strap on my pads in case I didn't like it (I actually love it). 

It gave me some freedom to try different configurations.

I've concluded that the less give here, the better, especially if you run your knee lock elastic down to the outside calf wing.

• For most folks (myself included), the main draw of running the knee elastic down to the calf is to accommodate a large knee pad. 
• Bonus benefit, this helps the pad rotate and gives your feet a bit more freedom to flare out.
• Running no RRC or using a full elastic RRC causes the pad to hang low off your leg when you are in a wide stance or transitioning to a down save.
  • Note that this can help the goalie if it is their preference; a fringe benefit is that your pads hit the ice a smidge before your knee hits the knee block
• A thin elastic band doesn't really do much to alleviate the pad "slop" or "hang"
• A solid strap with no give (nylon or leather), when worn snug, gives you that extra bit of control over your pad.

[thebigm]

On 7/26/2018 at 11:45 PM, Chenner29 said:

I asked for a removable RRC style strap on my pads in case I didn't like it (I actually love it). 

It gave me some freedom to try different configurations.

I've concluded that the less give here, the better, especially if you run your knee lock elastic down to the outside calf wing.

• For most folks (myself included), the main draw of running the knee elastic down to the calf is to accommodate a large knee pad. 
• Bonus benefit, this helps the pad rotate and gives your feet a bit more freedom to flare out.
• Running no RRC or using a full elastic RRC causes the pad to hang low off your leg when you are in a wide stance or transitioning to a down save.
  • Note that this can help the goalie if it is their preference; a fringe benefit is that your pads hit the ice a smidge before your knee hits the knee block
• A thin elastic band doesn't really do much to alleviate the pad "slop" or "hang"
• A solid strap with no give (nylon or leather), when worn snug, gives you that extra bit of control over your pad.

So I have a similar problem with the RRC as you can't adjust the velcro enough.  I wear the swiss knee pads so they are huge!  I also have very large calves to and on the loosest setting with my knee pads on they are really tight.

I can't do the mod Puremetal33 as I removed that outter knee flap.

Im going to try lowering the RRC strap to see if it helps if it doesn't I am most likely going to remove it.

I removed the magnetic straps but i think I am going to add them back and tinker more with the strapping this weekend as I play Monday.