2018 Brian's Optik

[coopaloop1234]

Very nice

[TheGoalNet]

Nice @Punisher Goalie

[SaveByRichter35]

On 5/24/2018 at 12:41 PM, IPv6Freely said:

This is one of my favorite hockey pictures of all time.

Cool

[Lucky Pucker]

On 5/23/2018 at 11:56 AM, coopaloop1234 said:

I fucking hate you.

Though, this is our true legacy.

Aw! That’s real cute - did he get his campfire badge from the scout leader for that little pile?

Montreal, 2008 - torching police cruisers - and that was just in round one! I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed - but if anyone asks, I had already moved to Ottawa by then...

[coopaloop1234]

4 minutes ago, Lucky Pucker said:

Aw! That’s real cute - did he get his campfire badge from the scout leader for that little pile?

Montreal, 2008 - torching police cruisers - and that was just in round one! I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed - but if anyone asks, I had already moved to Ottawa by then...

[Lucky Pucker]

Solid photo evidence, @coopaloop1234 - but I kinda understand the emotion behind what went down in Vancouver. To get to the final and everything... In Montreal it was round 1! So if the tie breaker here is the ridiculousness of the riot context, I think Montreal takes it.

And there it is; it’s shame that I feel. Got confused for a minute.

[coopaloop1234]

1 minute ago, Lucky Pucker said:

Solid photo evidence, @coopaloop1234 - but I kinda understand the emotion behind what went down in Vancouver. To get to the final and everything... In Montreal it was round 1! So if the tie breaker here is the ridiculousness of the riot context, I think Montreal takes it.

And there it is; it’s shame that I feel. Got confused for a minute.

It was going to happen anyways. the '94 riots in Vancouver after Messier and his group of thugs @SaveByRichter35 beat us in game 7 we're romanticized and spoken about non-stop the second the Canucks made the finals.  Win or lose, people (mostly from Surrey) we're going to riot.

I mean, it's no round 1 I'll give you that, but we're right behind MTL for crazy town.

[SaveByRichter35]

5 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

It was going to happen anyways. the '94 riots in Vancouver after Messier and his group of thugs @SaveByRichter35 beat us in game 7 we're romanticized and spoken about non-stop the second the Canucks made the finals.  Win or lose, people (mostly from Surrey) we're going to riot.

I mean, it's no round 1 I'll give you that, but we're right behind MTL for crazy town.

At least your people didn’t get caught on live tv eating manure off the street like the savages from Philadelphia after the Super Bowl WIN. 

[coopaloop1234]

3 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

At least your people didn’t get caught on live tv eating manure off the street like the savages from Philadelphia after the Super Bowl WIN. 

 Being held to a higher standard than Philly isn't saying much though. 

[Flyers27]

FLY EAGLES FLY!

[TheGoalNet]

6 hours ago, Flyers27 said:

FLY EAGLES FLY!

FACT 

[mufforz]

Alright, I finally got my Optiks in and figured I'd share pics in comparison to my old set and do a initial review

Specs:

Old Set:

Pads: CCM Retro Flex (Gen 1) size 36inch

Glove: Bauer NXG Single T

Blocker: Bauer Reactor Sr ish model

Knee pads: CCM what evers 

Helmet: Bauer NME 5 straight bar

Pants:  CCM Premier Se (medium)

Optiks

Pads:  33 +1.5

Glove: Int Game Ready Palm Double T w/ Skate lace

Blocker: Int Palm

Knee Pads: GN pro 2

Helmet: Otny x1 Pro w/ non cert Cat eye

Pants: Bauer 1s (small)

Initial review:

As I have not worn these on the ice yet (next skate Thursday) here we go.  So just from grabbing the boxes (due to shipping to APO I had requested Jay and Rance at TGC to meet certain restrictions to get it to ship by plane not by ship--side note I had to ship to my brother first in STL then to me due to Purolator not shipping to APO)  So upon lifting the boxes they each box felt lighter then just 1 of my CCM leg pads.... to me that's just unbelievable.  Now I have never been able to weigh my CCMs but some research put them around 6.2lbs.  The optiks for the most part ar around 4.5lbs.  Other then lacing up at home just to get a feel/tune strapping a bit it doesn't even feel like I have anything on my legs.  The pads + the 1s pants(which are at least 1lb lighter then the premier se pants.)

Pads:  I just can't get over the weight of these things.  I guess ill start from bottom up.  I am going to try the smart straps out a few times to see if I like them. I do have Hals ready to go since I know I like them as they were on my CCMs.  For now its not looking to good for them as they are really bulky and they work fine with my Graff 5500 skates (ordering Trues within 2-3 weeks) but its still a slight nuisance.  That and the Velcro which is awesome its strong but its to strong and the fold over flap is overkill.  I like to loop it, Velcro it, and get to the rest of the pads.  So not expecting to use them for to long.   I did use boot strap with my CCMs, so I don't see a reason not to use it.  Ill probably experiment with/without/Lundy loop just to see.  Smart-X strap is amazing, I like my pads tight and this lets me get that feel with eas.  The individual strap (professor-ish strap) that goes across the knee to make the 2nd X feels like it puts to my pressure on my knee so Ill have to play around with where I want it.  All in all I feel really connected to the pads.

Glove: So the NXG is 60 degree break and with how Brian's does their own breaks compared to hockey standards (580/590/600)  I was extremely worried about how the feel would be (I'm stationed in Germany with no easy access to Brian's gear...let alone goalie gear in general).  But the 35 degree break feels amazing, almost exactly like my NXG.  That boa system is the real deal.  Being able to tighten the glove to your hand and remove that slight disconnect feel just gives it that feel as if its an extension of you.    

Blocker: As much as everyone says a blocker is a blocker and I thought I would agree I was wrong.  Now this may be due to the fact I went from a Sr model blocker to now pro but the protection level/stiffness is completely different.  With this stiffness and extra protection picking up my stick will definitely take some time to adjust to.  Should mention I took the extra foam on the thumb out to reduce pressure

Knee pads:  So i started with just CCM thigh boards for a long while.  Got tagged in the knee from a sharp angle shot and one of the fellow sluts on my team had those CCM kp laying around.  They worked, I wore with out socks for a while then threw socks over them.  Only real complaint is once in a blue moon they twisted (hence the socks needed) and since they have screws on each side will it didn't feel great.  the GN2 kp are extremely tight (in a good way) as I have fairly skinny legs and always had issues tightening things as much as i wanted.

Helmet:  Alright, first off how the hell I survived in an NME 5 is beyond me.  I was young and dumb and it was my first helmet after being off the ice for 13ish years.  The Otny x1 Pro is a tank and not in the heavy sense.  They feel as if they are the same weight but the difference in quality is outstanding.  The fit is just perfect, its almost as custom of a feel you're going to get without ordering custom and for the price tag you wont beet it. 

Pants: The 1S breath so much better then the premier se, that being said I am a little worried that the 1s pants wont come up high enough to meet my chesty (CCM premier Pro CP edition). weight was noted above.

I know a lot of people are selling their optiks right now for the next best thing but I dont see these going anywhere anytime soon.  If anyone has any questions shoot.  Cant' wait to get the bad boys on the ice.  Cheers

[Aquilzz]

16 hours ago, mufforz said:

Alright, I finally got my Optiks in and figured I'd share pics in comparison to my old set and do a initial review

Specs:

Old Set:

Pads: CCM Retro Flex (Gen 1) size 36inch

Glove: Bauer NXG Single T

Blocker: Bauer Reactor Sr ish model

Knee pads: CCM what evers 

Helmet: Bauer NME 5 straight bar

Pants:  CCM Premier Se (medium)

Optiks

Pads:  33 +1.5

Glove: Int Game Ready Palm Double T w/ Skate lace

Blocker: Int Palm

Knee Pads: GN pro 2

Helmet: Otny x1 Pro w/ non cert Cat eye

Pants: Bauer 1s (small)

Initial review:

As I have not worn these on the ice yet (next skate Thursday) here we go.  So just from grabbing the boxes (due to shipping to APO I had requested Jay and Rance at TGC to meet certain restrictions to get it to ship by plane not by ship--side note I had to ship to my brother first in STL then to me due to Purolator not shipping to APO)  So upon lifting the boxes they each box felt lighter then just 1 of my CCM leg pads.... to me that's just unbelievable.  Now I have never been able to weigh my CCMs but some research put them around 6.2lbs.  The optiks for the most part ar around 4.5lbs.  Other then lacing up at home just to get a feel/tune strapping a bit it doesn't even feel like I have anything on my legs.  The pads + the 1s pants(which are at least 1lb lighter then the premier se pants.)

Pads:  I just can't get over the weight of these things.  I guess ill start from bottom up.  I am going to try the smart straps out a few times to see if I like them. I do have Hals ready to go since I know I like them as they were on my CCMs.  For now its not looking to good for them as they are really bulky and they work fine with my Graff 5500 skates (ordering Trues within 2-3 weeks) but its still a slight nuisance.  That and the Velcro which is awesome its strong but its to strong and the fold over flap is overkill.  I like to loop it, Velcro it, and get to the rest of the pads.  So not expecting to use them for to long.   I did use boot strap with my CCMs, so I don't see a reason not to use it.  Ill probably experiment with/without/Lundy loop just to see.  Smart-X strap is amazing, I like my pads tight and this lets me get that feel with eas.  The individual strap (professor-ish strap) that goes across the knee to make the 2nd X feels like it puts to my pressure on my knee so Ill have to play around with where I want it.  All in all I feel really connected to the pads.

Glove: So the NXG is 60 degree break and with how Brian's does their own breaks compared to hockey standards (580/590/600)  I was extremely worried about how the feel would be (I'm stationed in Germany with no easy access to Brian's gear...let alone goalie gear in general).  But the 45 degree break feels amazing, almost exactly like my NXG.  That boa system is the real deal.  Being able to tighten the glove to your hand and remove that slight disconnect feel just gives it that feel as if its an extension of you.    

Blocker: As much as everyone says a blocker is a blocker and I thought I would agree I was wrong.  Now this may be due to the fact I went from a Sr model blocker to now pro but the protection level/stiffness is completely different.  With this stiffness and extra protection picking up my stick will definitely take some time to adjust to.  Should mention I took the extra foam on the thumb out to reduce pressure

Knee pads:  So i started with just CCM thigh boards for a long while.  Got tagged in the knee from a sharp angle shot and one of the fellow sluts on my team had those CCM kp laying around.  They worked, I wore with out socks for a while then threw socks over them.  Only real complaint is once in a blue moon they twisted (hence the socks needed) and since they have screws on each side will it didn't feel great.  the GN2 kp are extremely tight (in a good way) as I have fairly skinny legs and always had issues tightening things as much as i wanted.

Helmet:  Alright, first off how the hell I survived in an NME 5 is beyond me.  I was young and dumb and it was my first helmet after being off the ice for 13ish years.  The Otny x1 Pro is a tank and not in the heavy sense.  They feel as if they are the same weight but the difference in quality is outstanding.  The fit is just perfect, its almost as custom of a feel you're going to get without ordering custom and for the price tag you wont beet it. 

Pants: The 1S breath so much better then the premier se, that being said I am a little worried that the 1s pants wont come up high enough to meet my chesty (CCM premier Pro CP edition). weight was noted above.

I know a lot of people are selling their optiks right now for the next best thing but I dont see these going anywhere anytime soon.  If anyone has any questions shoot.  Cant' wait to get the bad boys on the ice.  Cheers

That's your set! I saw it on Instagram and fell in love with it. I love a sock graphic (second only to a vertical stitch graphic for me) and the eyes are so cool! I hope you don't mind me asking how much was the upcharge for it? I wanted to go Heritage graphic on my Optiks originally, but I was quoted at $400 for the full set. I believe thats their second tier of pricing. 

The Optik glove is actually a 35 or 40 degree break. On seam is a 35 degree (fingers to thumb - 590). I found that the off seam, while it should be a full finger closure (like a 580) closes like a 600 break. Here's how my hand closes it "off seam" if I close the glove and take it out mirroring my position in the glove best as possible.

You'll love the 1S pants! Went from Premier to 1S like you and don't regret it at all.
 

[mufforz]

Yes yes they are mine .  The eyes werent planned originally. Well they were but more so just on the outside of the gloves point (think older Brian's models) but after searching around the webs it turned into this.  Since i was doing the sock graphic which  was also a tier 2 at $400 which was my main goal, I had inquired about the eyes and was told it still fell under tier 2.  Thanks for the correction on the glove break angles, I was just going off memory which clearly isn't good lol.  My main point to get across on the glove break angles was that a 60 degree break feels just like a 35 to me atleast

[TheGoalNet]

10 hours ago, Aquilzz said:

That's your set! I saw it on Instagram and fell in love with it. I love a sock graphic (second only to a vertical stitch graphic for me) and the eyes are so cool! I hope you don't mind me asking how much was the upcharge for it? I wanted to go Heritage graphic on my Optiks originally, but I was quoted at $400 for the full set. I believe thats their second tier of pricing. 

The Optik glove is actually a 35 or 40 degree break. On seam is a 35 degree (fingers to thumb - 590). I found that the off seam, while it should be a full finger closure (like a 580) closes like a 600 break. Here's how my hand closes it "off seam" if I close the glove and take it out mirroring my position in the glove best as possible.

You'll love the 1S pants! Went from Premier to 1S like you and don't regret it at all.
 

I am a bit confused by your post here. Your comment about 590 is off and maybe that's some of the confusion about the glove feel?  The list below shows where the gloves rank in terms of all fingers transitioning to fingers to thumb. Brian's falls between CCM standards. 

580 = All fingers

Optik overlap / GNetik break 

590 = a little less Fingers than 580 (1X, VE8 XP)

Optik on seam / SZ

600 = Fingers to thumb (Vaughn 5500, 1S)

[Korppi32]

On 5/29/2018 at 12:56 PM, mufforz said:

Old Set:

TBlocker: Bauer Reactor Sr ish model

Blocker: As much as everyone says a blocker is a blocker and I thought I would agree I was wrong.  Now this may be due to the fact I went from a Sr model blocker to now pro but the protection level/stiffness is completely different.  With this stiffness and extra protection picking up my stick will definitely take some time to adjust to.  Should mention I took the extra foam on the thumb out to reduce

I think your old blocker is Rihard Bachman pro return.

[mufforz]

5 minutes ago, Korppi32 said:

On 5/29/2018 at 11:56 AM, mufforz said:

Old Set:

TBlocker: Bauer Reactor Sr ish model

Blocker: As much as everyone says a blocker is a blocker and I thought I would agree I was wrong.  Now this may be due to the fact I went from a Sr model blocker to now pro but the protection level/stiffness is completely different.  With this stiffness and extra protection picking up my stick will definitely take some time to adjust to.  Should mention I took the extra foam on the thumb out to reduce

I think your old blocker is Rihard Bachman pro return.

as much as I want to agree, it does have his signature and name stitched in (no Certificate of Authenticity) The protection  level on the hand leads me to believe its not

[Aquilzz]

5 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

I am a bit confused by your post here. Your comment about 590 is off and maybe that's some of the confusion about the glove feel?  The list below shows where the gloves rank in terms of all fingers transitioning to fingers to thumb. Brian's falls between CCM standards. 

580 = All fingers

Optik overlap / GNetik break 

590 = a little less Fingers than 580 (1X, VE8 XP)

Optik on seam / SZ

600 = Fingers to thumb (Vaughn 5500, 1S)

It's definitely interesting trying to compare Brian's gloves to other standards, but my off-seam closing optik feels very similar a 600 break (75 degree).I asked them to break it in fingers-to-thumb closure as well. 

A 590 break should be more fingers than a 600. a 600 is a 75 degree break which is how the old Vaughn Vision/Epic/Ventus lines closed. This is from Warrior, different brand, but should sort of bring some similarity. 

Here's a video of my glove...I tried my best to keep my hands in the exact same position while closing. Can't be perfect but it's definitely close enough to how they are in the glove. If you straighten out my thumb, like how it should be in the glove, it's very similar to a 75 degree which is a mix of fingers-to-thumb and all fingers. Sorry that I can't figure out how to make it smaller  

[TheGoalNet]

20 minutes ago, Aquilzz said:

It's definitely interesting trying to compare Brian's gloves to other standards, but my off-seam closing optik feels very similar a 600 break (75 degree).I asked them to break it in fingers-to-thumb closure as well. 

A 590 break should be more fingers than a 600. a 600 is a 75 degree break which is how the old Vaughn Vision/Epic/Ventus lines closed. This is from Warrior, different brand, but should sort of bring some similarity. 

Here's a video of my glove...I tried my best to keep my hands in the exact same position while closing. Can't be perfect but it's definitely close enough to how they are in the glove. If you straighten out my thumb, like how it should be in the glove, it's very similar to a 75 degree which is a mix of fingers-to-thumb and all fingers. Sorry that I can't figure out how to make it smaller  

I can't speak to your particular Optik, maybe it's how your hand sits inside the glove or the strapping or what not... but an Optik should only sorta resemble a 600 when it's on seam. 

After reading your response above, I think it's clearer we are both on the same page. Maybe I misinterpreted your earlier post. The 600 is the only break that incorporates your thumb and that's the easiest way for me to explain the differences. 590 and 580 are more similar, with 580 being the most extreme fingers only closure. 

[BadAngle41]

On 5/24/2018 at 4:03 PM, Punisher Goalie said:

Those are awesome!!! Makes me want to comb the interweb for some patches myself.

[BadAngle41]

On 5/29/2018 at 5:56 AM, mufforz said:

Alright, I finally got my Optiks in and figured I'd share pics in comparison to my old set and do a initial review

Specs:

Old Set:

Pads: CCM Retro Flex (Gen 1) size 36inch

Your Retroflexes are 36" and the Optiks are 33 +1.5"... did I read that right? I mean I know the camera angle can be deceptive but damn skippy. Knee landing alone must be night and day. Also, I noticed because I still have my Retroflexes and I'm getting the thigh rise knocked down some (ordered too tall.) The comparison to a 33 +1.5" is intriguing to me.

[mufforz]

1 minute ago, BadAngle41 said:

Your Retroflexes are 36" and the Optiks are 33 +1.5"... did I read that right? I mean I know the camera angle can be deceptive but damn skippy. Knee landing alone must be night and day. Also, I noticed because I still have my Retroflexes and I'm getting the thigh rise knocked down some (ordered too tall.) The comparison to a 33 +1.5" is intriguing to me.

trust me, I felt the same way.  So my retro flexes are pro return??? (bought at equip sale for OKC Barons when they existed) Ty Rimmer pads.  No official marking in size.  per measurement along the pad they are 36 In which match his height to pad size per Pure hockey sizing.  Now that being said I just measured my optiks.  33 + 1.5 measured at 35 Inches along the pad.  So them being Stiff vs the R/F soft it makes sense they would be similar, to me atleast.  Knee landing is what I focused on the most when I ordered Optiks due to not being able to try on Pads prior to.  I had tried some Bauer reactor 7000 33+1 which knee block fit perfect but the thigh rise was way to small needed atleast a +2 if not 2.5.  So when I ordered my ATK (17.25had me at 32's-33's in brians.   After talking to Jay at TGC we agreed on 33 + 1.5.  I wasnt trying to match my R/F but with the thinner thigh rise I feel I will be ok.  The height of the R/f never bothered me as they were squashed down it was the thickness in RVH that I started to notice friction/ Off balance.  I do skate tomorrow (thursday) and will post an update on the feel

[Chenner29]

28 minutes ago, BadAngle41 said:

Your Retroflexes are 36" and the Optiks are 33 +1.5"... did I read that right? I mean I know the camera angle can be deceptive but damn skippy. Knee landing alone must be night and day. Also, I noticed because I still have my Retroflexes and I'm getting the thigh rise knocked down some (ordered too tall.) The comparison to a 33 +1.5" is intriguing to me. 

The boot angle also has an impact on how tall the pads look next to each other.  The CCMs may be more aggressively steeped at the boot break since they are a bit older.

Lack of knee rolls on the Brian's may also skew our perspective.

19 minutes ago, mufforz said:

trust me, I felt the same way.  So my retro flexes are pro return??? (bought at equip sale for OKC Barons when they existed) Ty Rimmer pads.  No official marking in size.  per measurement along the pad they are 36 In which match his height to pad size per Pure hockey sizing.  Now that being said I just measured my optiks.  33 + 1.5 measured at 35 Inches along the pad.  So them being Stiff vs the R/F soft it makes sense they would be similar, to me atleast.  Knee landing is what I focused on the most when I ordered Optiks due to not being able to try on Pads prior to.  I had tried some Bauer reactor 7000 33+1 which knee block fit perfect but the thigh rise was way to small needed atleast a +2 if not 2.5.  So when I ordered my ATK (17.25had me at 32's-33's in brians.   After talking to Jay at TGC we agreed on 33 + 1.5.  I wasnt trying to match my R/F but with the thinner thigh rise I feel I will be ok.  The height of the R/f never bothered me as they were squashed down it was the thickness in RVH that I started to notice friction/ Off balance.  I do skate tomorrow (thursday) and will post an update on the feel 

Sounds right, the pad may actually come out to a 34+2 as it looks like there's a bit of extra thigh rise.  What's the measurement on the face of the pad from the boot break to bottom knee roll seam?

Pro return CCM gear will have a Lefevre patch as opposed to the Lefevre name in embroidery.

[mufforz]

4 minutes ago, Chenner29 said:

The boot angle also has an impact on how tall the pads look next to each other.  The CCMs may be more aggressively steeped at the boot break since they are a bit older.

Lack of knee rolls on the Brian's may also skew our perspective.

Sounds right, the pad may actually come out to a 34+2 as it looks like there's a bit of extra thigh rise.  What's the measurement on the face of the pad from the boot break to bottom knee roll seam?

Pro return CCM gear will have a Lefevre patch as opposed to the Lefevre name in embroidery.

13 In from boot break to bottom of knee roll , and yes it is a patch

[Chenner29]

20 minutes ago, mufforz said:

13 In from boot break to bottom of knee roll , and yes it is a patch

Nice!  Made in Canada.

I had 34" Eflex 1s that had a 12" shin measurement.  So they could be 35s or 36s but I would guess they are a 35.
Looking at the height on the thigh, I'd say it's possible Ty had some material taken off the boot and replaced at the thigh.

7.5" boot is the NHL league minimum.  At the retail level, this will scale depending on the pad height.  (ie.  a 32" pad will carry a 7.5" boot, but a 38" pad may carry a 9" boot)

When pros order their gear, it's possible for them to request different sizes for different parts of the pad as long as the finished product fits within league restrictions.
I think McIlhinney is a good example of this.  He orders a shorter pad in the shin and boot, with a Scrivens style strap tight at the knee.  He straps his pads tight there so the pads have some clearance off the ice so he can move better. It's also a way to get around the league restrictions on overall pad height for guys who like taller pads.