BadAngle41

With the Axis now being a flat landing surface (vs. it's Premier predecessor)... having a somewhat loose connection at the ties is a must IMO. Otherwise your pad starts pulling up too quickly and leaves a gap along the ice.. especially with a centered toe bridge. So I can understand how the longer bungee could be of benefit over longer hybrid , but for me it would really be a matter of finding that sweet spot of tension on the bungee so it's not pulling up on my toe. The current ProLaces hybrid offering gives me the slack I want out of the skate lace... and tension I need to snap the pad back when getting up. My concern with more bungee would be is it enough slack to not be pulling on my toes... while having enough tension to snap back. I'll be anxious to hear more about them. Stock have a bungee with strong tension (roughly what ProLaces uses) but a HAL type attachment to the velcro and no slack.

I'm a little confused on your last comment. We're just trying to get apples to apples comparisons out. In this case we're more like an apples to pears now knowing your gear is Senior model. Great to know still... just not a direct comparable.

After a Saturday morning skate... had very similar experience to @Chenner29 in that the loosening the strapping seems to bring these pads to life. To my previous note, I think when I went from EF1 to 2X the strapping system made me embrace a fit that was more loose than I had worn previously. But when going from my EF1 to Axis I was still trying to attach them the same way but they just need to be loosened up. Additionally, I swapped out to a set of Hybrid ProLaces for a bit more slack. Felt really good. So a pair of Hybrid ProLaces that match the pads are now on order. Went with 1.5" toe tie length based on current set (bit of skate lace stretch from being well worn.)

What factors lead you to go with a mixed Brians - Bauer set? They look great combined just wondering what factors sold you on each piece.

Ha. Quite the opposite mi amigo. I am supporting global trade which in this case included products designed & laboratory tested in Canada... and manufactured in Vietnam. You on the other hand... North America only... and without real data to support anything. I mean... that's another path I suppose. vs.

Axis vs. 2X Pro Weight comparison... Axis wins overall. More strapping on the Axis and its still marginally lighter.. but Axis blocker of all things is significantly lighter 2X pro .in spite of appearances given the thinned out 2X. Those thinner but materials end up needing to be more dense to deal with the same impacts. Leg Pads: Axis lighter by .7oz (21g) (take off lower calf strap and boot strap like retail and you'd be even lower) Catch Glove: 2X Pro lighter by 2.2oz (59g) Blocker: Axis lighter by 3.9oz (112g) 2X Pro Weights: Leg Pads: No Boot Strap 4lbs 9.6oz 2086g Catch Glove: Pro Palm, Senior-Intermediate Palm Size, Reinforced T, Skate Lace Pocket 2lbs 6.7oz 1098g Blocker: Senior-Intermediate Palm Size 2lbs 2oz 964g

Picked up some new twigs... Pro Stock Premier II. I know they're not the latest and greatest... but expecting them to work just fine for my purposes. Bought 4 of them from the man himself... Michael Garteig... from his time spent winning a Kelley Cup with the Newfoundland Growlers (hoping they still have some of that magic left in them.) Stock CCM 25" paddle... something Michael just said he'd always used and wasn't sure of the actual paddle height. I'll likely cut down the shaft some... a little taller than I'd like... but the paddle height is perfect. Not sure if its the age (although they were still in original packaging) or Gartieg's spec... or I'm just used to something more tacky... but the StickTak grip isn't all that sticky. CCM Premier II (Pro Stock) WEIGHT: 708g (weighed prior to taping) COLOR SHAFT : BLACK COLOR PADDLE : BLACK COLOR LOGO: GOLD COLOR ACCENT: GOLD SHAFT & PADDLE MATERIAL: SIGMATEX CARBON COMPOSITE PADDLE CORE: ZERO FLUX SIDE: REGULAR CURVE: N/A SIZE SHAFT : N/A (Actual 30") SIZE PADDLE : 25" (Actual 27")

Axis is all classy with the science and tech to perform. Anxious to hear how intuition alone works out for you.

Blocker Cuff: Axis one piece cuff has a small velcro attachment on the inside and small elastics in the new molded foam piece. 20.1 looks to be more wide open, but so far the flexibility the Axis provides gives as much range as the wide open 2X cuff I had before Toe Attachment: It is centered on Axis, and does not have an offset option. 2X did have offset as stock, but I opted for centered. Additionally, I found the stock Bauer bridge were pretty flimsy and allowed for more play than I like, so I added a piece of HD foam to the 2X bridge when adding ProLaces Armour Hybrids and they worked out much better for me. Boot Flex: The Axis is MUCH more flexible at the boot break (I do have the standard Shallow Soft) than 2X. T Switch: I dunno, just wanted to try something new. I love how the pocket presents itself as a double T... looks massive and is a vacuum. I know I'll be losing that single T snap, it's still my beloved 580.

What do you want to hear about or see is more detail next?

[Blocked] Review 2 (60 days)

[Blocked] Review 1 (30 days)

2020/08/21... Blocker: Tight fit and light weight. Great punch for rebounds to the corner and controlled. Maybe I'm alone on this, but no sure why this piece isn't get more air time. Glove: Break in with the Game Ready D3O has been faster than their traditional Pro Palm... but by no means actually game ready. Absolute vacuum when the puck is shot glove side though. Split T does lend itself on the 580 to incomplete closure compared to a single T. Been steaming/ clamping when doing the usual glove break in routine with wrap/stretch. I do feel a little pressure at my finger tips. Not bad at all... just like its a strap that is done firmly. Right under the panel where the Axis logo is embroidered. TBD if it loosens up over time. Again, not bad, just feels tight. Leg Pads: Still dialing in the strapping. I think when I went from EF1 to 2X the strapping system made me embrace a fit that was more loose than I had worn previously. But when going from my EF1 to Axis I'm still trying to attach them the same way but they just need to be loosened up. Ditched the stock toe attachment almost immediately. Slapped on TGN spec Pro Laces Armour and while they work well, I'm a man who values symmetry and consistency on both legs. So I put on a set of Armour Hybrids instead. Little more stack than I gave myself with TGN spec (although it can obviously do as much as I want) and equal slack on each leg at that. Trying them in the AM.

Weights: Leg Pads: 33+1 w/ Lower Calf Strap & QK5 Boot Strap 4lbs 8.9oz 2067g Catch Glove: Game Ready w/ D3O, Split T w/ Skate Lace Pocket, Senior-Intermediate Size Palm 2lbs 8.9oz 1157g Blocker: One Piece Cuff, Senior-Intermediate Size Palm, Straight Finger Protection, Tight Hand Fit 1lb 14.1oz 852g Additional Initial Pics Placeholder

These arrived this past Friday. Pretty sure a few on the board have ordered as well, but I thought I'd start up an Axis review. I'll also be putting together a comparison with @Chenner29 and his Lefevre 20.1. Hopefully try and answer some of the questions about how the two products are similar and where they differ. Long winded background on how I landed on Axis. This time last year I was welcoming a True Design set of 2X, and while I really liked the pads and blocker, I just couldn't get used to the glove. Tried to sell the ones I had on their own figuring I'd pick up an UltraSonic skinned with the same True Design, but having hard time selling one off gloves I parted with the entire set and the second unused glove. While the new tech of Ultra Sonic initially tempted me, I reminded myself why I sold 2X; I'm a 580 guy (who is also pretty OCD about matchy matchy.) So Bauer was out. This left me with Lefevre & CCM. As some of you may know I'm a huge fan of vintage looking gear, but also fell in love with the performance of 2X (over my previous EF1 pillow.) My first attempt was to reach out to Lefevre to see if I could mash a L87 skin on an L20.1 core and strapping, but as expected it was declined. (Worth noting is how fantastic Lefevre's customer service is. I had all my inquiries responded to quickly and thuroughly.) Not overly detoured, I started messing with their customizer upon its launch and wondered if I could either be happy with L87 perfomance or L20.1 graphics. Meanwhile, more details were coming out on Axis as well as their customizer. The more I played with it, as well as started exchanging notes with everyone's best friend; Rance over at The Goalie Crease, the more I liked Axis. Strapping is very similar to what I ended up modifying my EF1s to. MaxRebound on the face. Improved blocker options (sneaky great improvements.) Of course the all important 580 break. And lastly... (in part due to the exchange rate) the Axis set with 2 gloves for the same cost of a Lefevre set and a single glove. I'd like to also remind everyone that this is the first non-retro tan/leather print pads I've had in quite some time... and I've always been a minimalist in that way. Consequently, it's more than fair to say I did not maximize the available color zones. In fact, you could argue I watered them down to the bare minimum. But I did take advantage of some accents where possible. Only had one slower skate with them the following morning, so this first write up will be a general overview with specs and a few images to start. More details to come with closeups of features and nuances as I get more skates in. Initial Design (GoalieMonkey Customizer) Day 1 Pics Also picked up a pair of HPG14A... couldn't very well wear the Hershey Bear brown HPG13A with the new setup. More to come on those as well as I was surprised how different they felt from the HPG13A. Specs: Leg Pads: Size: 33+1 Knee Cradle: Recessed Foam No Wrap Toe Arrangement: Jen Pro/HD Foam Bungee Lace (already have Pro Laces Armour TGN Spec in and Armour Hybrid on order.) Flex Options: Pre-Curved/ Single Break Core/ No Break Outer Roll Knee Strap Options: No Strap (2" Elastic Only) Inner Leg Channel & Calf Strap Options: Tight Fit - QMSS + Lower Strap Center Leg Channel: Nylon Leg & Boot Channel: Shallow Soft Boot Strap System: Removable Under Heel Angle No Thigh Protector SpeedSkin on Sliding Surface Catch Glove: Cuff/Thumb Options: 580 One-Piece Game Ready with D3O (a first for me, always had Pro Palm previously) Palm Size: Senior-Intermediate Wrist Options: Webbing Glove T: Double Straight Tee (also a first for me) Palm Materials: SureGrip Blocker Palm Size: Senior-Intermediate Palm Position: Centered Palm Materials: SureGrip Cuff Options: One Piece Cuff Finger Protection: Straight with D3O Blocker Face Edge: Bingingless Hand Fit: Tight (FINALLY!!!) Initial Impression: Leg Pads: These things are solid! Literally. The boot break softness rivals my 5+ year old EF1 Retroflexes... but move up from there and they are stiff. That stiffness is carried throughout the pad and results in a very stable yet light pad. I noticed when taking pictures that while most pads will lay on the landing surface and not roll over... very few do the same when flipping them onto the outer roll. Axis do and that speaks to how well they're balanced and how square all of the surfaces are too. The sliding surface (covered in SpeedSkin) is firm and flat. In the images below you can see just how well all of the surfaces line up. Note as well... these were all taken with the pad laying on the outer roll with no additional support... balance. The addition of the molded pillow to the calf landing is one you'll definitely notice not just because it's color matched to the attached strap either. In the few skates I've had in these thus far my knees and hips can attest tthe benefit of firm foam her instead of a soft pillow sandwiched between the you and the landing. They don't feel nearly as stressed with the molded foam helping push down onto the ice for a solid seal. Anything in that department is welcomed... I have the joints of someone nearly twice my age. While I think the fit and finish on these is top notch... I did find one place that seemed like and afterthought and that was the optional lower calf strap. It's sewn into the seam on the calf wrap and lacks the rubber tabbed finish of all of the other straps. I understand it's a custom option... but would have been nice to see that finished off the same as the rest of the straps. (Truth be told in the two times I've worn them so far, I'm not sold that this strap is doing anything for me at all and may remove it later on.)

First pics of the new Axis set... more to come once they arrive... Design: Actual: Picked up some HPG14A as well:

Ah... Wisconsin’s summer playground. What they lack in population during non-tourist season they make up for in cold temps. All Wisconsin jokes aside... it’ll be a great experience. Billet family and all. Good luck.

Congrats on the signing! Where is the team based out of? I lived in Oshkosh for a brief period of time and played in the GLHL out of Appleton. Got to see many of the great Wisconsin cities on those Fri/Sat nights.

You’ll be fine. I’m 32 waist and while I do wear a Fit1... I don’t think I’d be swimming in Fit2. Worth noting is that I do not tuck either.

You're having who do what to these pads? Will they say "Pooper" on them when he's done or something?

Nice work Bunny!

Has it done at 40 on my left hip... right will be done in the relative near future... but it's far better than replacement in terms of buying time before what is likely inevitable. For me... the toughest part is the constant stretching to take advantage of the removal of the structural impingement. Hip flexor etc now is my limiting factor... not to mention the arthritis due to the complete lack of labrum and cartilage in the joint. But it functions and I can still play.

I do have a sister... and I do love her... I'd even go as far as to say that I love her as much as I love a 580... but to say that I "fancy" her is a bridge too far. By no means am I saying that your source has fed you lies about 580 guys... some could very well fall into the demographic he described. I simply do not. That said... I have heard similar stories about guys who love new tweaks on Warrior gear... also don't mind poking around the barnyard on occasion... to try out some new things. Just a rumor I'm sure... right?

Great looking gear. Like @coopaloop1234 said... very tidy graphic choice. Just ordered this toned down version of Axis myself in the same color scheme. I find myself agreeing with @coopaloop1234’s comments fairly often lately... is he softening or am I????

Mitts to match?