TGN's User's Toughest Item To Buy

[coopaloop1234]

We're all a little particular in regards to our gear (it's why were here isn't it?).

Though, I'm sure that we all have that one piece of gear that just needs to be a certain way. I know myself, the gear I'm most particular about is my catcher/blocker.

There are a lot of brands of both that I can't stand and it really narrows my choices down.

Here's an example:

Blocker: I don't like the centered (standard) blocker hand position on most blockers. I prefer to have my blocker hand placed lower. (Vaughn Velocity, Warrior with adjustments). For whatever reason, the centered feel you get on most blockers feels awkward to me and is something that always throws me off when playing, regardless how much time I try to adjust.

Gloves: A lot harder to pinpoint my reasons, but for an example, I have never been able to like Brian's gloves. I can't stand their breaks, it never feels like my hand is properly placed in them and they feel too thick. Edit: I also have learned to hate wrist straps, they feel too confined now. My R/GT gear has spoiled my standards.

A close third for me would be C/A's.

So what are your quirks when it comes to buying gear? Are you as particular as the stereotype goes? Or do you even really care too much?

[BadAngle41]

I went w/ C/A... to me most other pieces either fit or they don't to a large degree. But a C/A is a decent expenditure and with so much adjustability it could take skate after skate to dial it in. Even then you're sometimes not truly happy but you've made it work. I'm sure others will feel the opposite but should be an interesting poll @coopaloop1234.

[Naz]

I went with pants.  In all my years of playing, I only liked my Tackla Pro Keepers I wore from 1990-1997.  Much to my chagrin, I sold them when I stopped playing hockey for a number of years.  Proper fitting pants make me feel locked in to my gear (I tuck my c/a) .  I like pants that come up to my ribs, stay up, keep my c/a in place and provide protection AND mobility.  Plus they don't interfere with my pads, aren't overly bulky...  sigh.

[IPv6Freely]

Glove for sure. I could wear just about anything else, assuming it fit. Not that I would, but I could. 

[loki1416]

C/A for me. First was a Vaughn LT88 and god did I hate it. Dead center chest was the only spot  that could take a hit and NOT hurt.  That floater box on the elbow floated too much. The day I took one off the elbow and my entire arm went numb is when I decided a new one was needed. Drove 7hrs to Perani's in Ohio and spent an hour trying on every C/A they had. Until I started trying on others, didn't realize how mobility restricting the LT88 was. With the CCM (what I bought in Ohio), looking at it, first thought was that this thing will give you no mobility, just turn you into a tank. Tried it any how and man was I surprised. Super mobile, super protective. Love this thing.

[coopaloop1234]

@loki1416 crazy you had that experience with the LT88. I know it's the SR version, but my LT90 has been very good to me. My only issue with it was the lacking belly protection, but i've stuck with it since it's super mobile and i've never received a shot that left any stingers.

Neat to know though.

[Kayen]

@loki1416 crazy you had that experience with the LT88. I know it's the SR version, but my LT90 has been very good to me. My only issue with it was the lacking belly protection, but i've stuck with it since it's super mobile and i've never received a shot that left any stingers.

Neat to know though.

@coopaloop1234 that also depends on how worn down it is, and level of play. I had a beefed up 9500 (predecessor to the LT90) that after a bit of time I was feeling everything in, especially to the arms. Vaughn units are crazy mobile, but i think that comes at the cost of protection too. 

As for hardest piece of gear to buy?

Neckguard for me. Why? Because despite being hit in the clav/sternum several times (and getting my clav fractured in the past), and still getting hit on a regular basis, I refuse to wear one, even though I should sooner rather than later. 

I do wear a dangler

 

[coopaloop1234]

57 minutes ago, Kayen said:

@coopaloop1234 that also depends on how worn down it is, and level of play. I had a beefed up 9500 (predecessor to the LT90) that after a bit of time I was feeling everything in, especially to the arms. Vaughn units are crazy mobile, but i think that comes at the cost of protection too.

I've had my LT90 for almost three years and I'm playing a decently high level of beer league. No div 1 against ex pros or anything, but I'm sitting in Div 4 out of 15 here in Vancouver playing against guys that have played rep hockey their whole lives. Still feel super comfortable except for the belly portion, but that's been mostly amended since I've gone to tying my C/A to the front of my pants.

I'm not saying that you or loki are wrong by any means. Just that my experiences are different,

[RichMan]

Lets see...

Since I've discovered Reidic masks, they are so light that going back to other brands is difficult for me. I came from combos to a Simmons and also tried a Hackva for a while but always came back to my Reidic. I've yet to try a Wall-4 Proactive which I hope to do so very soon.

I've yet to find the perfect trapper for me. I know what I want, I guess I just haven't come across it yet.

C/As can be a pain while you're playing if it just doesn't fit right. You start to do the squirmish dance to get comfy to no avail.

I like the roomyness of my Bauer 700X skates. Grafs are like slippers but so damn heavy! I miss my Bauer Supremes 3000 from the 80's. Like gloves

[loki1416]

Well to clarify, I was dropping in for weekly games a lot because they needed a goalie and there were a lot of Div 1 guys. In Div 3, there are a few who have a hard shot that'd "get through" the chest. The LT88 has it's place, and for lower divisions I'd fully support it. It just didn't match up to my needs.

[Scott]

I went with glove/catcher, for me it’s not even particularly to a brand(Vaughn) but to a specific model, I had what I believe was a v4 2720 junior glove 3 seasons ago( I was 13 with small hand) I loved that glove and my glove hand was on fire with it, the next season I upgraded to a v5 junior glove( forget what number) I couldn’t catch anything, the break was so weird and such a different glove it threw me off for the whole season. So then I got a v6 2000 senior glove, and all I can saw is wow, things a vacuum and I love the break

[bunnyman666]

Breezers, hands-down! I have super-short thighs and now have an ample waist. Let’s just say that I have had to alter every pair of breezers until I bought my Warrior RitualX pro. I did remove the internal belt, so technically- I STILL had to alter that!

Second is Chesties, but oddly enough, a distant second. Gloves are no big deal. Since custom is accessible for skates and helmets, that is easy. 

[mik]

Voted C&A.

C&A,  neck guards and knee pads - these must fit right out of the box or they go. Maybe skates, but it is about shape of my foot - some skate models fit, some don´t.

I found that can get used to different gloves, blockers or legpads. Still got my preferences over the years, but can get used to something else.   

[SaveByRichter35]

Definitely c/a.  I think I went through literally 9 or 10 different ones before I found the perfect one.  A Brown 503.  I then updated to the 1800, which was the more modern(at the time) version of the 503.  I am now in a 2300.  After that is shorts.  I am still wearing the same Bauer Reactor 5 shorts from about 2002.  They're very protective, very comfortable, and very streamlined despite being from an era or oversized gear.   

[cwarnar]

Glove for me... Was always TPS... then Smith... Then WGD now RGT Pro.. I've tried on most other brand, Bauer, Vaughn, CCM and Passau but always circle back to 2 brands.  All about comfort and feel

[Mroy31]

Voted C/A.  In the last 6 years I've gone from Vaughn Epic (forget the model number, 8000-something, just grew out of it), The Goalie Crease (TGC) spec Bauer Pro, TGC spec Bauer NXG, and now TGC spec Reactor 9000.  Looking back I probably shouldn't be in a Bauer C/A anymore, but the reasons for moving on were so small.

• Bauer Pro: Loved fit and mobility, but they had this adjustable arms system that was velcro straps through these rectangular plastic clips which would always twist sideways and could never get the arm size dialed in perfectly consistently.
• Bauer NXG: Again, coverage and mobility I loved, the arms were fixed this time, but for some reason I couldn't keep them from slipping all the way down my arms and pushing on my gloves.  And I've got fairly long arms, so that was a weird thing I couldn't get dialed in.
• Reactor 9000: Arms are perfect, fit is perfect, right side seems to keep coming untucked.  I think I've got it mostly figured out, but the shoulder adjustment is not velcro, just nylon strap through a standard buckle, so tough to get precise.  Will look at Vaughn this year if I don't get this figured out.