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New vs old technology gear


daffy

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I don't know, maybe more of a rambling of a beer league goalie than anything.  I learned to play from watching Eddie Belfour play with the Blackhawks so butterfly slide is something I've learned over the years.  Anyway, I really like the idea that we now have the option to change steel as we like and don't have to change the whole cowling.  The thing is, I've tried to go to a stiffer boot, taller cowling, thinner blade and it just doesn't work for me.  Am I the only one that likes the old style Bauer cowling and not actually have the height?  I admit, I get up on with the wrong leg sometimes and my style is a mash up of hybrid to butterfly.  I've had many conversations with a friend about new pads and skates and is it worth the headache trying to make something new work?  I'm now 40yrs old and I want to enjoy my remaining years of playing.  Bad arthritis in the hips will only let me play so long.  I see some awesome pads out there today and I'd love to try them all but I know with my style it just won't work.  I still want my open toe with toe cap and have the boot feel locked into the skate.  Probably opposite to 99% of you on this board.  Does anyone else fight the new style of equipment such as taller cowling or stiffer pads, less of a boot channel, etc?  I'm just thinking I can't be the only one.  I hate coming home from the rink frustrated that I can't get comfortable out there.  Admin, if you feel this rambling should be deleted, that's fine.  Just some open ended questions at 1am after another frustrating game....

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You’re not alone. Your equipment should be an extension of you. It should work with you to help you make saves. There are a few pad manufacturers still out there making traditional offerings. Brown and McKenney come to mind. Would be interesting to see if Sara at PAW would make traditional pads. Kenesky might, too. I’m wondering if the Vaughn skates are more traditional. Or you could look for new old stock Grafs. I’m currently wearing Graf Goaler Pro 750s. I use Don Simmons 586 pads. Sometimes I consider the idea of getting Brown 287/2100 pads for more stand up play. 

 

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On 11/9/2017 at 3:24 AM, WillyGrips13 said:

Sometimes I consider the idea of getting Brown 287/2100 pads for more stand up play. 

I've got a pair in very good shape I'm looking to sell. Price is negotiable, only thing shipping will be around $100 or so since I'm in Switzerland.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-BROWN-JB-287-JB2100-Goalie-Leg-Pads-34-/112548398535

...but anyway...back to the topic...

Wear and do whatever you feel comfortable with. Look at guys like Irbe and Brodeur who wore their original set (or clones) for their whole career. But on the flip side, don't be afraid to *try* some new stuff either. I'm 46 and pretty "old school" as well, but have managed to evolve a little over the years. I bought the Brown pads (above that I'm looking to sell) because I also thought I couldn't evolve ....but then I did. Not to the point of wearing all bfly gear and loose skates, but at least moving to thinner profile pads made in this century (V4 right now, and Gnetik 2 on deck). I was also stuck on Vaughn gloves, swore by them...but then switched to TPS...and now SubZero... so if there's any sense of my rambling it's "stay comfortable, but evolve" ...and if not, then please buy my Brown pads :chug:

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I like to use "what I´m used to". This means stiff pads but with knee rolls (i know, I know, but estetical point) and leather straps in my case. But I found over years, that equipment goes to modern trends and it is not bad to try something new. I was e.g. realy surprised how the flat pads without knee rolls (Ventus) worked good for me after some adjusting and geting used to. Graf skates was my only option for lot of years, but tryed bauer composite skate and now think, that switch sould be done years ago... I wanted to say, don´t be affraid to try new pieces of equipment, but don´t push yourself hard to the things, that realy don´t fit you, just because it is trend (if you like hybrid pads with soft breaks, tighter to your leg or older skate model, don´t try to hard to push sourself to play in stiff BF pads). Try new pieces of equipment if you have oportnuity. But if you thing that something is "not for you", play in what works well ;) .

btw. sometimes I meet goalies with older Supreme pads with toe cap (cca ended in 2005 era) and they say, modern pads don´t work for them at all. And (maybe) suprisingly they are often realy good goalies with their little older style.

 

 

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@daffy - Nothing wrong with this post at all! All different posts and opinion are welcome. 

From my standpoint, there are people that like about everything... 

Some people wanted the latest barefoot style running shoes and some people won't throw out the old Asics they had for 10 years. I see a lot of iPhone 4s floating around and people wait in line for iPhone X

Truth be told, I wish I had your mentality more. I am literally embarrassed sometimes rolling up to the rink with new gear because my men's league guys are amazed how often I am testing something new.  This has gone from like 1 piece of new gear a year to every 4 months now since I started the site. 

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This is something with which I've wrestled since I started back after about a 17 yr "retirement". I stopped after the1994-95 season and when I got back in 2013, I was lost and probably still am as to gear. I did get more modern pants but the idea of wearing gigantic size pants didn't appeal to me so I got them probably a size smaller than what most goalies wear. I didn't get a modern chest and arms just opting to shore up the old Heaton set I got in the early 90s. I didn't want something that made me look like Robo cop and I don't really mind a bruise here and there. I cannot understand how modern goalies move in the big stuff.  Headgear is a whole different topic for a dinosaur like me...when did rinks starts looking for certified head gear? Gloves was an easy transition. I got a modern cup (Warrior) and modern knees pads (Vaughn). For skates I stuck with my old Tacks and my old Langes for two reasons. First, I am very comfortable with them and the idea of wearing a skate with no cowling means you need to use modern pads. I tried a set of modern pads ( borrowed sets of CCMs and Thompsons) for two skates and my hips killed me for about 3 days after each skate. I use the butterfly but I am not a butterfly goalie. Also, I couldn't figure out how to wear them properly so I stuck with my old D&R LG55s. I found a pair of Bourdons on Ebay which are my back ups when the LG55s finally quit. Like you, I just want to be able to play rather than rebuild my entire "game" such as it is. I don't have enough time left to do that and enjoy playing. You can get old style pads from Kennesky and Passau will build you a set too. I looked into both. Like the fellows above have said, wear what helps you play rather than what everyone else wears. If it works for you, it works for you. I missed my draft window 30 some odd years ago; one of the nice things about being past the end of the road is that you play because you love it. Don't let gear or its appearance intrude on that.

TGN, you're not only playing, but also providing a service to all us with the testing. You got two jobs and to be honest, I don't how you do it. I suck more than usual when I wear new stuff until it breaks in. Something new once a week would have me in the rocking chair doing the cross word puzzle.

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I am with you 100% about sticking with what you are comfortable with.  I have recently returned to playing after 20 years off (almost to the day!) and am currently 46.
Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji, and local Used Forums were my friend as I had sold much of my gear.  I was able to buy gently used:
Vaughn 3500 Vision pads
Numerous Brian's 851 trappers
Several Brian's 451 and Heaton Helite 3 blockers (I HATE the huge sidewalls on modern blockers)
3 pairs of Bauer Supreme 7000 skates.
I still use my Brown c/a from 1987 and I strap my pads on tight.  
I am not going to evolve my game, simply because I am playing for the pure enjoyment of being on the ice.

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There wasn't a bigger Koho guy than me on the planet. I remember how much I hated the new RBK pads.  So when I just put them on in the store, I stuck with my Revolution stuff for the longest time. After a while I began to see all the advancements advantages of the new gear and slowly but surely I switched over to something modern.

Stuff from 1995 vs. stuff now.....you just can't go back.

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Daffy, this signifies my reluctance to wear new pads and skates. It would take me years, which I don't have left,  to get use to wearing pads like this.  I "get" that it is done this way and other fellas have made the transition but skating once or twice a week, wearing pads this way would scare the hell out of me. To the board's credit, no one here has ever said in writing I'm an idiot for not...as far as I know. :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

Your story is all to familiar.  I grew up playing as a kid in the 90's.  Stopped playing net for a while around 2005.  By that point I was out of college, my knees were shot, and I needed some time off.  Enter 2011.  By this time, my Brians pads and Vaughn gloves from 2000 had sat for 10 years, aside the one off high school alumni game.  It was time to get new stuff.  I grew up with toe straps, and when I stopped playing full time, using laces as toe ties was a new invention.

So talk about shell shock.  I went to a local Goalie Monkey store, and had absolutely NO idea what I was doing.  What was this +2 nonsense?  Breaks?  Knee rolls?  What do you mean "rotation"?  ETC.  I found that goalies today play their equipment, instead of playing the position with the equipment just being an extension of you.

So I ended up buying a whole new set in 2012 - Bauer One100's, which now that I know better, are probably the worst pad I could have gotten, being an old school hybrid goalie (even in my early 30's).  So I played with these for years, succumbing to the fact that the game had changed, and that these planks on my legs (even with double break) were the new norm, and I would never be able to play the way I did.  I like my knees tight.  Try doing that with a butterfly pad and hard knee block.

Until last year, I decided to come out of retirement and join a few mens leagues, so I started doing some research, and long story short, stumbled upon some good reviews of the Simmons 586 line.  Got full set.  OMG.  Not only were the gloves amazing (closest to my 90's Vaughn Visions I've ever seen), but the pads were awesome.  It was like I was transported back to 15 yrs ago.  I could play my style, but they were light.  In fact they played better than my old stuff.  I was back!  Pics below of what I went from - to what I have now.  Actually just ordered a new custom set.

So that problem was solved.  The other major issue for me was the skates.  Exactly what you said.  I had a pair of late 90's Bauer Reactor 5000's that I love.  But the blade was getting so small, I had to do something.  I went through a pair of modern Bauer reactor's.  Wore them once, gave up.  It was like ski boots, and I couldnt move around the crease like I needed to.  I guess they are fine if all you do is bury your toe in the ice and butterfly, but they didnt work for me.  So I ended up finding a brand new pair of late 90's reactor 5000's just like I had on Ebay from a sports store in Minnesota (I'm from Boston area).  I had them delivered, and had a local hockey shop put those cowlings on my old boots (the new pair was half a size small, but the cowlings fit).  Wore these for about a year, but because the blades were almost 20 years old (even though never worn prior to me), the rusting and dullness started getting out of control (no matter how much I cleaned them off).

So a month or so ago I went to the Bauer One .7's, which I had also bought and worn once 2 years ago.  Figured Id stay with them and try to adapt.  So far, its OK - I can play in them.  Don't like them as good as my older Reactors, but vs whats currently on the market, they are probably the best Ill find. Id rather be lower to the ice as you mention, etc.

Another new piece I needed to get was pants.  Ended up going with Warriors.  They are very light, very short on the legs (which I like), and fit very well.

But if you are looking for pads and gloves to be as close as you can get to the 'old days', I highly recommend the Simmons 586 line. They are old school but also you can butterfly in them (trying to adapt my game a little bit :) )

 

 

524705_643845403148_1089963180_n.jpg

15895815_10100250196357948_6780759050012239389_o.jpg

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  • 3 years later...
On 12/4/2017 at 5:28 PM, PuckStoppa said:

Your story is all to familiar.  I grew up playing as a kid in the 90's.  Stopped playing net for a while around 2005.  By that point I was out of college, my knees were shot, and I needed some time off.  Enter 2011.  By this time, my Brians pads and Vaughn gloves from 2000 had sat for 10 years, aside the one off high school alumni game.  It was time to get new stuff.  I grew up with toe straps, and when I stopped playing full time, using laces as toe ties was a new invention.

So talk about shell shock.  I went to a local Goalie Monkey store, and had absolutely NO idea what I was doing.  What was this +2 nonsense?  Breaks?  Knee rolls?  What do you mean "rotation"?  ETC.  I found that goalies today play their equipment, instead of playing the position with the equipment just being an extension of you.

So I ended up buying a whole new set in 2012 - Bauer One100's, which now that I know better, are probably the worst pad I could have gotten, being an old school hybrid goalie (even in my early 30's).  So I played with these for years, succumbing to the fact that the game had changed, and that these planks on my legs (even with double break) were the new norm, and I would never be able to play the way I did.  I like my knees tight.  Try doing that with a butterfly pad and hard knee block.

Until last year, I decided to come out of retirement and join a few mens leagues, so I started doing some research, and long story short, stumbled upon some good reviews of the Simmons 586 line.  Got full set.  OMG.  Not only were the gloves amazing (closest to my 90's Vaughn Visions I've ever seen), but the pads were awesome.  It was like I was transported back to 15 yrs ago.  I could play my style, but they were light.  In fact they played better than my old stuff.  I was back!  Pics below of what I went from - to what I have now.  Actually just ordered a new custom set.

So that problem was solved.  The other major issue for me was the skates.  Exactly what you said.  I had a pair of late 90's Bauer Reactor 5000's that I love.  But the blade was getting so small, I had to do something.  I went through a pair of modern Bauer reactor's.  Wore them once, gave up.  It was like ski boots, and I couldnt move around the crease like I needed to.  I guess they are fine if all you do is bury your toe in the ice and butterfly, but they didnt work for me.  So I ended up finding a brand new pair of late 90's reactor 5000's just like I had on Ebay from a sports store in Minnesota (I'm from Boston area).  I had them delivered, and had a local hockey shop put those cowlings on my old boots (the new pair was half a size small, but the cowlings fit).  Wore these for about a year, but because the blades were almost 20 years old (even though never worn prior to me), the rusting and dullness started getting out of control (no matter how much I cleaned them off).

So a month or so ago I went to the Bauer One .7's, which I had also bought and worn once 2 years ago.  Figured Id stay with them and try to adapt.  So far, its OK - I can play in them.  Don't like them as good as my older Reactors, but vs whats currently on the market, they are probably the best Ill find. Id rather be lower to the ice as you mention, etc.

Another new piece I needed to get was pants.  Ended up going with Warriors.  They are very light, very short on the legs (which I like), and fit very well.

But if you are looking for pads and gloves to be as close as you can get to the 'old days', I highly recommend the Simmons 586 line. They are old school but also you can butterfly in them (trying to adapt my game a little bit :) )

 

 

524705_643845403148_1089963180_n.jpg

15895815_10100250196357948_6780759050012239389_o.jpg

I was just re reading this thread.  @PuckStoppa 586 is a great line!  I've been using Boddam hybrids 2 different sets for 6 years now.  Love em.  I'm still going to try to adapt though.  Have some V6s and Passau pads in waiting for Covid to be over.  I need new pads as the Boddams are wearing out.  I'll try these 2 different pads and see what they are like.  If no go, I may just stick with what works!

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On 11/9/2017 at 5:24 AM, estogoalie said:

I've got a pair in very good shape I'm looking to sell. Price is negotiable, only thing shipping will be around $100 or so since I'm in Switzerland.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-BROWN-JB-287-JB2100-Goalie-Leg-Pads-34-/112548398535

...but anyway...back to the topic...

Wear and do whatever you feel comfortable with. Look at guys like Irbe and Brodeur who wore their original set (or clones) for their whole career. But on the flip side, don't be afraid to *try* some new stuff either. I'm 46 and pretty "old school" as well, but have managed to evolve a little over the years. I bought the Brown pads (above that I'm looking to sell) because I also thought I couldn't evolve ....but then I did. Not to the point of wearing all bfly gear and loose skates, but at least moving to thinner profile pads made in this century (V4 right now, and Gnetik 2 on deck). I was also stuck on Vaughn gloves, swore by them...but then switched to TPS...and now SubZero... so if there's any sense of my rambling it's "stay comfortable, but evolve" ...and if not, then please buy my Brown pads :chug:

Esto:  Can you elaborate on your "loose skates" reference.  Thanks, 56

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On 11/9/2017 at 1:42 PM, Naz said:

I am with you 100% about sticking with what you are comfortable with.  I have recently returned to playing after 20 years off (almost to the day!) and am currently 46.
Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji, and local Used Forums were my friend as I had sold much of my gear.  I was able to buy gently used:
Vaughn 3500 Vision pads
Numerous Brian's 851 trappers
Several Brian's 451 and Heaton Helite 3 blockers (I HATE the huge sidewalls on modern blockers)
3 pairs of Bauer Supreme 7000 skates.
I still use my Brown c/a from 1987 and I strap my pads on tight.  
I am not going to evolve my game, simply because I am playing for the pure enjoyment of being on the ice.

I thought I was nearly alone with an 11-year, temporary, retirement.  You guys rock!  56

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/7/2021 at 5:26 AM, FIFTY-SIX said:

Esto:  Can you elaborate on your "loose skates" reference.  Thanks, 56

I meant the lacing. I lace my skates up tight, but I see alot of new/younger goalies leave their laces very loose, which I really don't understand. I always thought ankle support was a good thing, but maybe today it's not. I don't know. I just do my own thing :)

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20 minutes ago, estogoalie said:

I meant the lacing. I lace my skates up tight, but I see alot of new/younger goalies leave their laces very loose, which I really don't understand. I always thought ankle support was a good thing, but maybe today it's not. I don't know. I just do my own thing :)

Lacing very tightly at the ankles can prevent you from getting in a deep forward-stance. I lace fairly loose towards the toe of the skate, tightening progressively more as I go up towards the ankle, and then pointing my toes up towards my knee before tightening the last eyelet.

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I try to keep my lacing even keel. I want enough forward flex at the ankle without losing too much stability and suffer another high sprain. I have to say though, the older leather boot skates we wore in the '80s-'90s felt so much different from what is out today. I can't do up my Vapors like I used to my old Supremes of 20 years ago, my feet would just die lolll

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