2018 Brian's Optik

[TheGoalNet]

damn... nice use of the textures 

@beansbats - have IG? If so, let me know and I'll repost these. Where did you order them from?

[beansbats]

25 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

damn... nice use of the textures 

@beansbats - have IG? If so, let me know and I'll repost these. Where did you order them from?

The IG is shinny_kate_steve  (Shinny is our dogs name), and I ordered through Goalie Monkey.  I have never felt a glove like this one.  BUTTER!

[braedub90]

7 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

I'd love if you could make a short video showing how much the FLX core flexes. 

As requested:

I'm sure it'll be even more flexible over time. This is the first day of storing it that way.

[braedub90]

2 hours ago, beansbats said:

I have never felt a glove like this one.  BUTTER!

I was shocked. I literally could not believe it wasn't butter

[TheGoalNet]

The game ready on the glove is insane 

[bunnyman666]

1 hour ago, braedub90 said:

I was shocked. I literally could not believe it wasn't butter

On the Paula Deen scale: where is it?!?!?

[beansbats]

1 hour ago, bunnyman666 said:

On the Paula Deen scale: where is it?!?!?

Butter on the butter....

[SaveByRichter35]

11 hours ago, braedub90 said:

As requested:

I'm sure it'll be even more flexible over time. This is the first day of storing it that way.

Awesome, thanks!

[SaveByRichter35]

15 hours ago, beansbats said:

So Christmas came early today....

35+1.5 Fly - I love them, but won't get to skate until Wednesday.

-steve

Beautiful!

[IPv6Freely]

Holy smokes.

[Murray]

Some tasty looking blockers in this batch, I must say..

[FIFTY-SIX]

On Thursday, November 09, 2017 at 10:42 AM, BadAngle41 said:

I think I know the set @FIFTY-SIX has... i drooled over these images...

@Brians_Joz... is Brian's doing custom graphics like this on Optiks?

Thanks for the shout out, @BadAngle41.  After they shot this photo, they added eyelets and lace at top of waffle pad.

[FIFTY-SIX]

On Thursday, November 09, 2017 at 10:01 AM, TheGoalNet said:

@BadAngle41 - So far, I don't have any complaints on the blocker. Can't go wrong with Optik. If you want other options, I would look at V7 or Bauer. Bauer will not do a tan though. 

If you go custom with V7, request extra carbon and that supposedly gives hotter rebounds 

In terms of style, if you are ordering custom... I would request the classic Brian's wordmark / half star or a waffle board. Either would add major style points to your Retroflex pads 

You could go like early 80s style and get a colored waffle board that doesn't match your brown pads or glove at all too! 

@FIFTY-SIX has a filthy blocker where the Brian's logo is on a tag like the Bourdon above 

Thanks for the glove love @TheGoalNet.  Actually, it's a Brian's homage to the Cooper GM12 blocker. 

[FIFTY-SIX]

On 11/9/2017 at 10:42 AM, BadAngle41 said:

I think I know the set @FIFTY-SIX has... i drooled over these images...

@Brians_Joz... is Brian's doing custom graphics like this on Optiks?

@BadAngle41:  Pics up in "Show off your gear."  56

[IPv6Freely]

hol

[TheGoalNet]

Those belong to our own @Rickdougan58 - I hoping he can log in and tell us the story behind the unique design! 

[Hills]

On 23/12/2017 at 9:37 PM, Murray said:

Some tasty looking blockers in this batch, I must say..

Do you spot your friends? Haha

[Murray]

21 hours ago, Hills said:

Do you spot your friends? Haha

...maybe. In these crazy, topsy-turvy times, who's to say?

[SaveByRichter35]

Ok, SO...yesterday I drove down to central New Jersey to conduct a business transaction.  On my way back to Long Island I decided to stop at Hockey Monkey to check out the Optiks.  I’m looking around the goalie section, someone asks if I need help, I say no thanks I know exactly what I’m looking for.  I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking...wtf where are they?  I ask the guy where all the Optik pads are, he says “we’ve been sold out since the first week we got them.”  What?  Wait, so it’s been over a month since they hit the shelves and you guys never ordered more of something that sold out in a week?  “We still have some glove sets though.”  

Blocker felt great, I loved it.  The glove, not so much.  I wanted to like it.  I wanted to love it.  I just didn’t like the way it fit on my hand, didn’t like the break angle.  What can I say?  T5500 for life I guess.  I REALLY wanted to like the glove.  Dammit!

So I left the NJ Hockey Monkey dejected and unsatisfied and continued on my trek home.  As I’m driving through Nassau County I figured I’d give Pure Hockey a call and see if they have any sets.  “What size?”  I reply with it doesn’t matter I’m not trying them on I just wanna see them in person.  “Ok let me check...looks like we only have a few FLX cores.”  Perfect, I’ll be there shortly.  I LOVED THEM!  I wish I had my skates and pants to actually get a feel for them.  They didn’t have my size regardless but stil.  So I could definitely see myself rocking the pads and blocker but most likely not the glove.  

Now who wants to set me up with a demo so I can really get a feel for them on the ice before buying?

TL; DR - love the pads and blocker, not the glove. 

[bunnyman666]

1 hour ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Ok, SO...yesterday I drove down to central New Jersey to conduct a business transaction.  On my way back to Long Island I decided to stop at Hockey Monkey to check out the Optiks.  I’m looking around the goalie section, someone asks if I need help, I say no thanks I know exactly what I’m looking for.  I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking...wtf where are they?  I ask the guy where all the Optik pads are, he says “we’ve been sold out since the first week we got them.”  What?  Wait, so it’s been over a month since they hit the shelves and you guys never ordered more of something that sold out in a week?  “We still have some glove sets though.”  

Blocker felt great, I loved it.  The glove, not so much.  I wanted to like it.  I wanted to love it.  I just didn’t like the way it fit on my hand, didn’t like the break angle.  What can I say?  T5500 for life I guess.  I REALLY wanted to like the glove.  Dammit!

So I left the NJ Hockey Monkey dejected and unsatisfied and continued on my trek home.  As I’m driving through Nassau County I figured I’d give Pure Hockey a call and see if they have any sets.  “What size?”  I reply with it doesn’t matter I’m not trying them on I just wanna see them in person.  “Ok let me check...looks like we only have a few FLX cores.”  Perfect, I’ll be there shortly.  I LOVED THEM!  I wish I had my skates and pants to actually get a feel for them.  They didn’t have my size regardless but stil.  So I could definitely see myself rocking the pads and blocker but most likely not the glove.  

Now who wants to set me up with a demo so I can really get a feel for them on the ice before buying?

TL; DR - love the pads and blocker, not the glove. 

Just make certain that you don’t get the Optiks in Brian’s exclusive fabrics and you should be able to match well with a Vaughn glove. 

[cwarnar]

1 hour ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

The glove, not so much.  I wanted to like it.  I wanted to love it.  I just didn’t like the way it fit on my hand, didn’t like the break angle.  What can I say?  T5500 for life I guess.  I REALLY wanted to like the glove.  Dammit!

This is how I feel about every Brian's glove I've tried... I have yet to have the Optik on mu hand but hated the Gentik 3 and didn't mind the Sub3.  I still prefer the feel of WGD/TPS and Warrior

[ruckus007]

I thought the glove was nice, but OK. I will still stick with my Warriors. 

I've been demo-ing the pads over the last week and I do like them, especially for their sliding ability. However, a couple things do bug me:

- Leg channel is way too tight, despite adjusting the X strap. I play with a 1.5" toe tie, no boot strap but the pads don't move the way I need to. No rotational issues though.

- The calf wrap doesn't really cover your calf. and that little fold digs into the side of the leg. 

- I hate the X strap. It's a pain in the ass to get on and off quickly. I'd rather just have the "X" part separated with the knee elastic. If I get these, I'd just order the original smart strap setup.

Now to test the G4 in April.......

[TheGoalNet]

@ruckus007 - I get the X strap could somewhat limit adjustability, I was concerned about that at first too... but once I got it dialed in, I love it. Entire pad is basically on with 1 strap.

I went as far as to measure to the slack on the elastic to make sure it was indentical between each point. That helped for consistency. 

I also found that I just like the feel of Pro Laces and can’t get around that. Once I added those, I don’t have any complaints. If you are using skate lace, maybe try an elastic toe tie?

However we have 1 big difference, I want my pads very tight. I love these are connected, but still rotate perfectly 

I do no knee flap and use the extra X piece for the knee as a professor strap 

[ruckus007]

30 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

@ruckus007 - I get the X strap could somewhat limit adjustability, I was concerned about that at first too... but once I got it dialed in, I love it. Entire pad is basically on with 1 strap.

I went as far as to measure to the slack on the elastic to make sure it was indentical between each point. That helped for consistency. 

I also found that I just like the feel of Pro Laces and can’t get around that. Once I added those, I don’t have any complaints. If you are using skate lace, maybe try an elastic toe tie?

However we have 1 big difference, I want my pads very tight. I love these are connected, but still rotate perfectly 

I do no knee flap and use the extra X piece for the knee as a professor strap 

i do like the X strap but it was a pain to get it right for the knee AND the calf at the same time. I like the calf a bit tighter but the knee loose. Maybe I just have big legs =\

I use 1.5" lace slack and attach them to the Smart toe strap. It's perfect marriage of slack and elasticity. 

I actually wear my G3's tight. This one's just a bit TOO Tight. And the little leg channel pad keeps moving and tucking into my shin =[

[SaveByRichter35]

I'm also unsure of how I would like the way the strapping is configured.  I feel like I would probably prefer if the knee strap wasn't connected to the x strap so I could just go straight across behind the knee.  Again, I didn't get a chance to try them on so this is strictly based on visual inspection.  I also noticed that these conveniently didn't come with knee pads.  I bet Pure Hockey is removing them from the pads and selling them separately.