Dangler: what's your setup?

[RichMan]

How do you tie up/set up your dangler so it's not so noisy or mess with your movement and vision?

While you're at it, what brand you sporting?

[dreadlocked1]

I would advise to not use a dangler.  It's not if but when it explodes, you'll have two shards dangling next to your throat until play stops.  Get a neck guard.  But if you opt not to, then I recommend drilling a small hole in the bottom and tieing a knot through your cage inside the mask and down to the new hole and keep it just long enough so the dangler can't get up into your vision.   So a limiter of sorts.  Tie the rest as normal and add small pieces of soft velcro wherever the dangler can contact the mask and you'll have a completely sound deadened, no vision reducing dangler.  

16 hours ago, RichMan said:

How do you tie up/set up your dangler so it's not so noisy or mess with your movement and vision?

While you're at it, what brand you sporting?

 

Edited December 10, 2024 by dreadlocked1

[johncho]

I wear both, but does the play not stop if the dangler explodes?

It's only happened twice for me, and once for my kid but each time we blew the whistle dead, and it was more of a crack and not a shatter.

[OldSchoolGoalie]

I remember the first time my dangler got shattered on a slap shot (I would hang my dangler pretty low, just a cm up from the bottom of the chin - and it would float based on how I tied it). Thankfully I had a cut proof neck guard on! This was back when I used those thin ones, and since I've picked up the Brian's Double Thick ones. Last game I took a shot were the knot was on the right and it just ripped the lace off so I ended up removing it mid game. Haven't put it back on yet... I only wore it because years ago I took a nasty collar bone shot. Since then I've worn a different chest protector, and added neck guard with clavicle protection, plus my mask has a longer chin so I'm not 100% on the benefits of a dangler unless I'm doing some desperation save?

After looking at my dangler of 2 years... it has tons of scratches, stick marks, a few puck marks as well. I'm leaving it off for now, might re-attach it later.

[OldSchoolGoalie]

1 hour ago, johncho said:

I wear both, but does the play not stop if the dangler explodes?

It's only happened twice for me, and once for my kid but each time we blew the whistle dead, and it was more of a crack and not a shatter.

When mine shattered nothing was stopped. Same with my last game with a shot took the right side off and it was hanging, nothing happened... I have no idea on the rules, but the risk here is if it breaks and you leave a rebound then take a second shot you could very well get a nasty slice, or worse. You already have to worry about the initial damage on the first break.

Edited December 10, 2024 by OldSchoolGoalie

[ilyazhito]

I have my dangler tied through the lower bars of my cage in front and through the lower bars on the sides of the mask. I use a Vaughn dangler, but have ordered a Brian's double-layer dangler as a backup in case my Vaughn dangler breaks. 

[ser33]

7 hours ago, ilyazhito said:

I have my dangler tied through the lower bars of my cage in front and through the lower bars on the sides of the mask. I use a Vaughn dangler, but have ordered a Brian's double-layer dangler as a backup in case my Vaughn dangler breaks. 

I'm tying too. I have Bauer, I bought it along with the NME mask. As for the knocking and rattling, in my 15 years of experience of use, the rattling is annoying for the first few ices. then the brain simply turns off this sound and you do not perceive it. although he hasn't gone anywhere

[Ken35]

For my dangler attachment, I run the side laces through the bottom ear holes.  I knot the laces in each dangler hole and make it just tight enough for it to swing but not make too much noise.  I run the middle lace from the bottom center bar and knot both ends in the same hole.

I have attached pictures to help explain.

I have used Vaughn, Eagle and, my current, A&R.  I have always been interest in the Brian's double thick but never needed to replace my current one.

[OldSchoolGoalie]

On 12/14/2024 at 5:44 PM, Ken35 said:

For my dangler attachment, I run the side laces through the bottom ear holes.  I knot the laces in each dangler hole and make it just tight enough for it to swing but not make too much noise.  I run the middle lace from the bottom center bar and knot both ends in the same hole.

I have attached pictures to help explain.

I have used Vaughn, Eagle and, my current, A&R.  I have always been interest in the Brian's double thick but never needed to replace my current one.

Any reason you prefer to have it that high up in the front? Seems like more of a extra layer of protection for the chin?

[keeperton]

37 minutes ago, OldSchoolGoalie said:

Any reason you prefer to have it that high up in the front? Seems like more of a extra layer of protection for the chin?

You don't (or at least shouldn't) need that much extra downward. Having it high and/or tight in the front/middle makes it so the dangler cannot also ride up too high and inhibit downward vision.

[JediGoalie30]

Bauer dangler on a Bauer 950x mask. I hitch the front string around the bottom of the center bar and the sides around the top cat-eye bar where it meets the bottom corner. Proper length of the strings keeps it from riding up too high and hitching the strings around the bar joints keeps them from sliding around. Can’t specifically remember breaking one but it’s probably happened. I’m on vacation so pics will have to wait a while. 

[RichMan]

4 hours ago, JediGoalie30 said:

Bauer dangler on a Bauer 950x mask. I hitch the front string around the bottom of the center bar and the sides around the top cat-eye bar where it meets the bottom corner. Proper length of the strings keeps it from riding up too high and hitching the strings around the bar joints keeps them from sliding around. Can’t specifically remember breaking one but it’s probably happened. I’m on vacation so pics will have to wait a while. 

The Bauer looked nice but the price . I went to a different brand. 

[OldSchoolGoalie]

19 hours ago, keeperton said:

You don't (or at least shouldn't) need that much extra downward. Having it high and/or tight in the front/middle makes it so the dangler cannot also ride up too high and inhibit downward vision.

Never had a problem having it float down. Not like I need to look down when it goes into the net anyways.

I've always had it low like this:

Flower for reference





Not once did I ever complain about vision down low.

Edited January 7 by OldSchoolGoalie

[JediGoalie30]

On 1/6/2025 at 12:15 PM, RichMan said:

The Bauer looked nice but the price . I went to a different brand. 

I’ve had this mask for a long time (and may even get around to getting it painted or wrapped one of these days!), my LHS owner got it from his Bauer rep (I think he said it had been one of their sales samples or something) and gave me a great deal on it. I don’t remember exactly but it might have been around $450 or so and I’ve probably had it at least since 2019. It’s a tank without being heavy…even the very hard shots that I’ve taken with it don’t ring or anything. 

[RichMan]

37 minutes ago, JediGoalie30 said:

I’ve had this mask for a long time (and may even get around to getting it painted or wrapped one of these days!), my LHS owner got it from his Bauer rep (I think he said it had been one of their sales samples or something) and gave me a great deal on it. I don’t remember exactly but it might have been around $450 or so and I’ve probably had it at least since 2019. It’s a tank without being heavy…even the very hard shots that I’ve taken with it don’t ring or anything. 

I meant the dangler, but kudos on the mask deal  

I got the 940 mask and it's more than enough for what I face at this point in my amateur career.

[JediGoalie30]

3 hours ago, RichMan said:

I meant the dangler, but kudos on the mask deal  

I got the 940 mask and it's more than enough for what I face at this point in my amateur career.

Lol I wasn’t sure if you meant the mask or the dangler!  I think the dangler was a combination of “that’s what they had” and making sure to get one with a center string hole (do they still even make danglers with only side string holes?).  

[RichMan]

17 hours ago, JediGoalie30 said:

Lol I wasn’t sure if you meant the mask or the dangler!  I think the dangler was a combination of “that’s what they had” and making sure to get one with a center string hole (do they still even make danglers with only side string holes?).  

Never heard of such a thing. always saw 3 holes.

[JediGoalie30]

1 hour ago, RichMan said:

Never heard of such a thing. always saw 3 holes.

I was a combo wearer for a while and I’m pretty sure I had a two-hole dangler on my HM30. 

[RichMan]

1 hour ago, JediGoalie30 said:

I was a combo wearer for a while and I’m pretty sure I had a two-hole dangler on my HM30. 

If it was a Jofa or Itech, yes, I was from that school as well before my first mask. 

[Ken35]

@OldSchoolGoalie It tends to drop when I am standing.  It's just resting on things which is causing it to sit like that.

Although, I guess you could say that with it tied like that there is little noise.

Attached are pictures showing its natural hang.

[wigalicous]

On 12/14/2024 at 4:44 PM, Ken35 said:

For my dangler attachment, I run the side laces through the bottom ear holes.  I knot the laces in each dangler hole and make it just tight enough for it to swing but not make too much noise.  I run the middle lace from the bottom center bar and knot both ends in the same hole.

I have attached pictures to help explain.

I have used Vaughn, Eagle and, my current, A&R.  I have always been interest in the Brian's double thick but never needed to replace my current one.

I am in a Bauer 960 and was using a cheap dangler, I believe the brand was powertek. It lasted me 5 seasons but I took a clapper dead on last game and it split the dangler in half. I picked up the Brian's dangler as it was quite a bit thicker than all the rest at my local hockey shop (Bauer, Warrior, Vaughn, Powertek) so I figured I would give it a try. I am on the ice this weekend so I can post an update if I notice any differences from my previous dangler in terms of protection, or noise pollution lol. 

[RichMan]

3 hours ago, wigalicous said:

I am in a Bauer 960 and was using a cheap dangler, I believe the brand was powertek. It lasted me 5 seasons but I took a clapper dead on last game and it split the dangler in half. I picked up the Brian's dangler as it was quite a bit thicker than all the rest at my local hockey shop (Bauer, Warrior, Vaughn, Powertek) so I figured I would give it a try. I am on the ice this weekend so I can post an update if I notice any differences from my previous dangler in terms of protection, or noise pollution lol. 

I got the Powertek as well. The local shops don't carry the thicker Brian's. 

Waiting for your feedback.

[OldSchoolGoalie]

53 minutes ago, RichMan said:

I got the Powertek as well. The local shops don't carry the thicker Brian's. 

Waiting for your feedback.

The Brian's ones are like tanks! TANKS!!! Lucky I was able to pick up a few when they sold for around $30 a pop. Been using the same one for two years now. Oddly enough it is back in my bin due to a shot causing the knot to come undone on the side, just never put it back on yet, but wow these things can take a beating. The standard thickness danglers I've used always seem to break on a good slap shot.

[ArdeFIN]

This is my way of tying dangler and I feel no need to look for better. 

- Doesn't ride high because of the front lace. Normal position is about 20mm overlapping with the mask edge. 

- Rattling minimised because of the knots between dangler and mask.

- added a few small pieces of felt (that is for furniture feet originally) to the chin edge. 

I have three or four of this type of dangler, it is some multibranded (Fisher, Hejduk, ...) product that is sold atleast in Europe. So far zero broken. It is quite a big one but does the job. I don't know if it is for the rounded bottom edge but I haven't really had it stick to my shirt or C/A edges at all.

Edited January 10 by ArdeFIN

[Rfmusso]

I wore a TPS Dangler for many years and it is still in great shape. I actually took it off last year and replaced it with a Vaughn Dangler that was grey/black and matched my set. I think it split on a slapshot after maybe 15 games. Since then I've been wearing just a Kova Neck guard with no dangler. Since getting hit in each collarbone I think I'm going to go back to the dangler/neck guard combo - this thread was great to give me some thoughts on how to re-tie my old TPS dangler on!