ArdeFIN

You only need to drill out the head of the screw and not all the way through to the nut. After you get the head off you the nut out from behind and the button part will fall out too. Just did this with a Bauer 960. I don't thing you will have enough luck that the WD40 or similar will release the screw. It is just too much corroded (rust between threads inside) and stuck because of that.

This doesn't look really comfy or properly working for knee pads?

I made a dig-into for Premier 2.9 and I hate the CCM/LeFebvre gloves even more and mostly because they are so stiff. Difficult to close and even more so when you try to open wide. I don't like to hit the T to something (blocker?) to open my glove. That is why I make my gloves soft enough to operate with hand inside only. Not all of them have become fantastic and I've gotten rid of them later on as I don't like to use them so why hold them either. I still argue that most of the build problems with overseas gear are from the layers designed awfully wrong and when the holes are so much off from where them should be there is no gear builder anywhere who can make it work well without modifying something. I have shown my findings in the mod projects and how I've added new holes to the "right" places to make everything work better. Brian's for some reason isn't really good in having the holes lined up properly. It isn't the most difficult job in new glove design. Yes, letting in so much lace that you can do the lacing as planned helps somewhat, but then the glove isn't properly built and that will lead to other problems later on when the glove gets used. Warrior glove design is really good in that overseas aspect and I can't really see any need to lace the gloves as they are done by others who all copy the same basic design. Though recent models are laced so that the inner laces don't come through the face but I don't know if that benefits anything to the operating of the glove. Vaughn (and Simmons and who else copied or was it Vaughn who copied) had similar "Warrior" type of design in their V3 7000 glove. That glove is really smooth and soft and protective. And that glove is really easy to add extra protective layer(s) without sacrificing to the stiffness.

The parts used to build a catcher are actually punched wrong to start with, hole alignment between layers can be nearly an inch off. And as far as I know they don't do any holes with hand tools so it's not "custom" problem.

This is what always annoys me about the 580 gloves, they just don't open wide. Not pancake but just open. I think it mostly is because of the T edge (lip), which is really short. This is from the glove being quite big in other parts which takes off some length from the perimeter 45 inches. Can you take an approx measure of the perimeter length Bauer has come up to? As Bauer usually is nearly an inch from the limit. That cuff edge doesn't look like quality custom product but also doesn't really matter catching pucks though.

Near forearms? Not saying it isn't possible but from what I experienced with my unit I had more trouble with the bicep area being open and the elbow floater hanging a bit low too so that the forearms were well protected. And actually that made some problem with my gloves too.

Me being 180cm (almost 6ft?) the medium AB PRO is too short for me on the body. Actually it is shorter than Eflex2 size S. Large AB PRO would fit me pretty well, but the medium arms are spot on. The AB PRO excels mostly on the arms over the AB500. Maybe AB500 body is a bit thinner but not much. For the carbon on heart guard and floaters, don't mind about them. Heart guard would be just fine with plastic sheet instead of carbon and inside the floaters there is only just more carbon than you can see in the "windows". The same way that you can see the shadowed shape of the plastic inside the AB500 floaters on the picture above. AB PRO floaters are bigger and a bit thicker too.

You can (and should!) open all of the screws around the mask and remove the padding to fix it easier and see if there's any other spot requiring some contact cement too. Why you should open the screws is that they do rust, and when they do bad enough you cannot open them anymore. The screw system Bauer uses is clever to the point where you think why the hell they didn't use stainless on all of the screws and nuts... You can also wash the foams easily when you have it removed, let it soak in water for few hours and squeeze the padding every now and then to get the filth out. After a few water changes the water should remain mostly clear and you can finish the job with some nice smelling detergent but I don't know if it makes a lot of difference. Won't stink for some time after this. And also this "softens" the foams back to like new.

Vaughn SLR2 ST 996g (2lbs 3.13oz) Vaughn V7XR 977g (2lbs 2.46oz) Brians Gnetik2 (replaced T) 1073g (2lbs 5.85oz) CCM Eflex Pro 580 (repaired) 1079g (2lbs 6.06)

Is it actually legal to push the goalie into the goal with puck as you can push the puck and not the goalie directly? I don't remember the exact phrases in the rules for this but it was something like that.

The most important thing I've noticed with plastic on the knee block for slide is that it is really consistent over the hour of ice time. Fresh ice isn't the best but a few shuffles and a bit of snow makes it all good and after that no matter how bad the ice turns the slide is pretty much the same. It truly is more technical with plastics too as you have to control the power you put into the push. And keep practising the stopping edge too. I don't see a day when I would go and play again without slideplates of some sort on my pads.

Hitting in the middle of the pad that puck could've touched his shin too. It went quite deep into the pad.

I've never changed cup, bought a good Warriors when I started as a goalie and still use them, about 5 years now. I've only used Warrior knee pads, same model but different pairs, as I've had few different pants simultaneously to fit them to. Masks, only few different models to find a good fit and protection. All the rest I'm looking for what suits me best. But I've also noticed that I do adapt somewhat to gloves especially. But I've also combined the two hobbies, goalie and gear repairs. Latter giving me a good chance to try out different styles of gear too. I think I'm still more a type that keeps what works as I've noticed that I only rotate similar gloves and have returned to C/A and pants I liked before and using them constantly. But being supported by the repairing hobby I'll still keep looking for the best of the best.

Even 1" is still quite a lot missing from the perimeter and covered area too. Normal for Bauer catchers though. One day I'll get one of them Vapor90 gloves to see it through.

This is just a bit too soon for me to comment completely, I have (old revision) NME IX fit1 and VTX fit2 and also 960XPM in S/M (I think 960XPM came in only 2 sizes, S/M and M/L?) All are with the original foams. Fit1 is never used, fit2 is used for 50ish times and 960 is used a lot before me. I could use the fit1 NME without pain, but it is definitely snug fit for me. Then the VTX is just a tad too wide to the cheek/jaw area where I had to add 4mm thick foam under the original padding. But other than that the fit2 is very proper fit, snug enough to not rotate at all. The 960XPM is still in bits and pieces so I cannot give any comment on the differences here yet. But if I remember this thread when I get the 960 into a form I can try it on properly, then I'll update this comment in detail for all three masks.

Eh, you sure about those measurements? As it's 45" limit in rules and I've never seen SR sized glove that would be more than about an inch below that. 4" is a huge length which also affects the area of the glove, a lot if that 41" is correct I have no doubt on your measurement as if you weren't able to get it right but the result is just... I think the Int size is limited to 43" for perimeter?

Just realized how short the thumb is. Assuming the cuff area is still the 8" by 4". Is the perimeter length anywhere near to the 45" limit? New to me mask. Got it pretty cheap while it didn't look too bad for the price. I wanted to see the differences between Profile and NME and while I had the NME already I also needed a Profile and 960XPM it is. I then found out the reason for the cheap price, the foams need a complete wash and cleaning which isn't too bad of a job itself. But getting the foam and all the screws and nuts off of the mask shell was a hell of a job. Most of them were just a bit rusted (the nuts, screws are stainless) but the lowest strap buttons were rusted in to their place. I had to drill them through and all inside them so I could get them off. Other than that the shell seems okayish and needs some cleaning and minor fixing but nothing critical. Cage is wasted and needs to be replaced if I can find a new one, straps might still be usable and easy to get new ones if needed. Interesting to see how it fits my head when accomplished.

Simmons is beefy, but originally it was also glunky with huge floaters and all. I made a mod-project of one and it was better after that. When in locker room it isn't really good feeling but when on ice it works as it should, I really don't notice it much. But for what you can buy, the best is Brown for protection, then comes the line of Pro chestys. Warrior is the one I would suggest too. All models look boxy and if you want you can feel that too. But still on the ice my R/GT2 is the most unnoticeable C/A I've had, and no problems with stingers.

Looping his toelaces differently on right vs left foot? Not that it makes much of a difference, some superstitious thing maybe?

For size on thighs go Warrior definitely. Or maybe Brown/Simmons/ other small fabricator customs. I have X2Pro and like them when I tuck, but recently I've moved over to non-tuck for a bit more comfort in setting things up. With non-tuck I use CCM Pro (older flat thigh HPG12) or Simmons 996(?) Both are big but still smaller than Warrior. I've also played some times with Bauer 1X but couldn't really dial them well enough. Not bad as they were and those old style thighs were as wide as Warrios are. I don't actually like the new style of rounded thighs, not for the rounded but how it is done. Having a huge rounded panel over both side and 90 degree corner to line in between legs. One of the shelf pants I saw at local store had had some bad storage conditions or what ever and the large plates on sides were almost straightened up. I didn't try them on me but they needed some re-rounding to work at all. With that thinking, you might be able to easily modify those pants to have super flat and wide thighs if it was legal, right?

Heh, yeah. You're playing in Sweden ATM right? As I bought my pants from Monkey Sports Europe, Sweden I've now had 6 skates in these and they are just what I wanted. Only thing what I didn't expect is that the waist part is super high and stiff. It doesn't bother at all when on ice but in the locker room it makes things a bit tedious. Well this can propably change after a while when they get more use and soften a little. Don't know about the HPG14 pants, never seen them IRL but these HPG12 are as good as I need them to be. And I really don't miss the rounded HPG14 style at all. As if I knew how they really are but anyways.

Did you have some abrasive material over the puck you were throwing the glove with? That binding looks just like some sanding paper was used to grind it. But good that you got the issue "fixed" with CCM, it's not always been the easiest thing to get done what I've heard/read.

I've noticed some head movement problems when my dangler gets caught with the inside edge of the floater. So that is what I would try to adjust as much as possible to keep them in flat position so that the edge isn't opening ie. the outer side isn't pulled back too much to turn the floater. One would be to add some strap or (elastic) lace between the floaters close to your throat, that would keep the floaters more flat and the tie between them could make a bridge over the floaters edges too.

When comparing Vaughns glove remeber that 1 piece Velocity and 2 piece Velocity are not the same angle. Have been this way since V6 maybe? I like the 1 piece a lot more. Then when it comes to VE8 -> V9, I do like the VE8XP while the V9XP isn't to my liking. Vaughn changed the V9 some way which I've read from somewhere (here?) to be closer to SLR style. Haven't tried the V10 yet so no comment on that one. What's on Brian's then I have Gnetik Pro which I don't like, Subzero which is ok, Optik9.0 which I like, GnetikIV which I like. Go figure from that what is what and why. Same repeats for Bauer as I have a no go with Vapor but Supremes are pretty good and Ultra Sonic is one of the best for me. One piece 600 angle on CCM is terrible and still I don't like the 590 either but it's not even close to as bad as the 600 is. And with 2 piece 600 I can do pretty well... What can one get out from this story? Only that for a catcher there is a lot more than just the angle of the break. Unfortunately

So the knee pads from Warrior are considered very good which I can confirm on my behalf. I've never used other brand as Warriors have been really good for me so need to find anything better. But being good isn't still as good as would like them to be so a bit of a modding is needed to the strapping. Standing up the pads and straps are in line and comfortable and nothing bothering. But down on BF there is a lot of pulling on the mid strap and it wants to pull the knee protection upwards opening the knee area to possibly get a puck there. (top strap only pulled away and help to push the knee pad down) So the middle strap needs some operating and it's not really a simple job the way I do it with sewing machine, but you could possibly do it also with just cutting the strap out, add some velcro and length to it and use the original front velcro. As said my way involves a lot more work and requires sewing, awl would do but machine is so much easier. Open the bindings and detach the strap, move the strap up as much as possible and sew everything in. Nothing changed when standing up but when down to ice the strap does only touch the calf and doesn't want to lift the front plate up. Even more room is available if the top straps are crossed. I have used that setup too with no problem. One thing to note here that I keep the top straps attached always. And as loose as possible within the velcro limitation as in the pictures. This way the thigh doesn't push the top part down so much. I also like the free feel while it is still attached well enough to not hinder to anything. Nowadays I use a skaters socks over the pads too, but that didn't really change a lot. So the attachment to my new HPG12A pants where there are no spots whatsoever. Velcro of both sides and a slice of jenpro (or whatever fabric with holes) sewn tpgether. Open up the thigh protector pockets (velcroed!) and insert the tabs: Close the pocket and we have tabs available. There is the hip protection that covers these tabs so they don't touch my thigh at all.