Aquilzz

Well there's gotta be at least one person to put some saves in them because it sure isn't gonna be me

@TheGoalNet what are your thoughts on the Armor vs Smart Cord so far? Definitely excited to try out this new Hybrid model as well.

When your new pads get featured on the Brian's Instagram story and now the wait to finally get them is even more painful

You're probably right, it's just ProSharp's catalog describes it as a triple.

Profiling makes a huge difference! Not only to benefit personal preference and play-style, but it also creates a consistent surface on both skates. A "radius" is pretty much a term to describe the turning aggressiveness of the blade. So for example, the longer the radius, the bigger the circle is required. That's why you'll see profiles described as 20' (20 foot). A single radius is a consistent radius across the blade (i.e. 24', 28' 30' etc). A dual radius will be shorter in the front, and longer in the back (i.e. 22'-28' radius). Triple is the same as dual, just across three sections. Off by heart, I know "Detroit 2" is a shorter dual radius (I think 18'-24'), and the Win 2 is similar to Detroit 2, just slightly larger numbers. SAM is my personal choice for profiling. It's a triple radius with a super aggressive 10' at the front and a stable 50' at the back. As per your questions: 1) There is no "best" profile, it all depends on personal preference. Are you a more mobile goalie? A shorter radius will benefit you. Do you lack stability? A longer radius will benefit you. The higher you go, you lose agility while you gain stability. I do recommend going with at least some sort of dual radius (shorter in the front, longer in the back) to get the best of both worlds. 2) Experimentation! Too bad we don't get free profilings and blades. But if you follow my advice above about agility/mobility versus stability, you should find some sort of idea. It's also important to know your play style. 3) Blades aren't profiled from the stock brands (not sure about third parties), so they are not always consistent. 4) If you have a trusted Pro Shop, they will have a tool to check the radius.

Not entirely sure to be honest. The velcro tabs were still attached when I noticed the cord broken. My two theories are 1) The velcro tabs detached and my skate sliced through it. This would seem like the more obvious one... but the tabs were still attached and I never felt my skate cut through it. Having this happen with skate laces growing up, you can definitely feel your skate trip and slice over it. 2) The cord just snapped and the tension wore the skate lace down as well.

Well....crap...

How's the sling feel? I want to try one but I'm not sure if I'd like it considering how snug I like my mask. Also, who makes that cat eye? The eye openings look bigger than my OTNY built one...make it's just an optical illusion but the lower bar appears to go lower.

Got a REALLY bad one to the boys last game with my Vapor jock, immediately went back to a double cup. ?

Tell me how you like that jock. I’m interested in the new and old supreme models but want to know if the new one feels too bulky

How'd you attach those to the 2S? Took out the toe bridge and laced them in?

Makes me wish I went for the red skate lace ? Looks really nice! Is your name/number on both straps (one on each side) or just 1 on one pad and your name on the other? It's funny, because I did the other night. Being the impatient person I am, I just went ahead and ironed them back together as I assumed they were heat pressed on and he gave me the same advice! He also suggested using pad wrap to cover the wear area in the toe bridge (which was ironically caused by me putting clear tape in an effort to try and PREVENT wear), but I do not know where to find it in such a small quantity.

Awesome! Did you just get the pads? And is that a boot riser in the leg channel? My personal suggestion for strapping is do to the Professor Strap (the one in the leg channel) snug, and do the rest so they have just a bit of tension while down in the butterfly. You'll get good pad responsiveness, but the pad will seal much better this way. Especially compared to old Vaughns. Should take a bit of adjusting, but it will be worth it!

Ended up just fixing them myself with an iron. Tried my best to keep them straight without burning my hand. The stitching isn't much of a concern, it holds on just fine.

Anyone know a good fix to this without requiring super glue? Also, does anyone have this problem with their custom letters?

Interesting, now I really have to find a glove to try on. The mismatching colour zones are baffling though. I would say the PVE/SLR strapping works as both a "hybrid" and "butterfly" style. The RRC is meant to be worn tight for pad control, but thats really only the attachment that matters. Old school butterfly pads were meant to be worn loose for complete rotation, but with elastic strapping becoming the norm, they are all pretty interchangeable which is why it works both on an SLR and PVE. The PVE definitely plays stiffer than a V7 XF. It's modelled off the XR internally, but with flattened knee rolls. Then again, Vaughn doesn't make a "stiff" pad by traditional standards, even the SLR is soft compared to other brands.

I had Pro V Elites which is more or less a VE8 with different strapping and traditional V-roll. The pad will definitely soften up over time especially in the boot, not anything like a pre-V6 pad, but it's something to note. They are still going to be the softest modern pad on the market, or at least close with Optik FLX. The boot will definitely break in a lot of torsional flex, and considering it tapers at the edge of the toe, you'd be fine with their standard boot. The leather/elastic bootstrap is a godsend for goalies that still like to wear a bootstrap! I even use a fair on my Optiks. It does take a bit of getting used to, but I love how I can do my bootstraps tight but still rotate fully when I butterfly. Anyways, onto my questions for you! How'd you like their new professor strap (the under knee one)? I was a big fan of the RRC and was kinda bummed they didn't go back to it. It's weird how they added more magnets, but didn't include a very popular magnetic buckle in probably the most important area if you want pad a tight pad/more response. And how'd you like the closure of the one-piece? Is it truly a 590 clone? Always been a big Vaughn fanboy so I can probably answer questions on the line too. For anyone ordering a custom Vaughn set (or blocker), ask for extra carbon in the blocker face! The up-charge is negligible and rebounds FLY off of it.

Look at the size of that freakin' glove ?

Interesting, I use the Goalie SAM profile from Pro Sharp. I'm still not entirely sure what the actual radius of the blade is but the guy I was talking to at Tydan blades suggested it to me. He also said go with a neutral pitch, but I find myself off balance with it. I find myself on my heels too much...I like to be mostly on my toes as I have a very aggressive stance. I do like the profile...like you, I used to use a dual radius, but I like the triple radius of the "SAM". It works perfectly for me in my butterfly and movements while down, but I'm thinking the neutral pitch is causing me to feel off balance in my stance.

Do you find the pitch keeps you on your toes more in your stance? Does it mess with balance? I've always used a neutral pitch, but I am looking to switch things up a bit.

Soooo...changing topics...has anyone ever tried a second red footbed in their Trues? I'm a little concerned it could push the heel out of place. I want to get myself a bit of a snugger fit but if I tie laces differently than how I posted in my review, I either get a feeling to being too loose or too tight (foot pain). Tried using thicker (but still hockey) socks but the Trues are so well formed, I had WICKED arch pain.

SLR will be your typical "butterfly" pad but with a Vaughn twist to it. It is still VERY flexible, and will pop rebounds a bit harder than the VE8. I think the strapping system of the SLR is as close to perfect as I've seen. The boot will also bit a bit taller. VE8 will play like some of the newer Velocity pads (i.e. PVE, V7 XR), where it has a full carbon sheet throughout the pad. Rebounds won't come off as hot as an SLR, but way hotter than older Velocity pads. Strapping is a bit overdone on this pad (too many attachment points IMO) but at least they aren't leather straps anymore. Vaughn is pretty much the only company left that hasn't improved on their sliding technology. What I suggest is to get the inner gusset of the pad done in weave. They also won't be the most durable pads (Vaughn pads still settle) but it shouldn't be as bad as Velocity lines were in the past. It's fun to play in any pad

Ok those silver logos with the blue is TO DIE FOR.

Really difficult to tell, but it looks like one of the older Reebok thigh boards. Not sure if it carried over with the CCM rebrand...although I know that the lacing system was changed to velcro at retail, but I can imagine that wasn't something that applied to the pro stuff. Could also easily be a "Frankenstein" of a few different models/companies. Edit: Just looked them up, and while they look similar in the knee and lacing attachment, they look completely different in the thigh. It doesn't look like a Vaughn (their thigh guards don't have knee padding other than the LT90/98, which this definitely isn't). Must be a custom made guard or a smaller brand I am unfamiliar with

Lots has changed from the 1S C/A. At least for what you can change in a chest protector. The 2S is more flexible and not as "boxy" to wear in the arms and shoulder floaters. I had a big problem with the 1S floaters, but the 2S is segmented is definitely more flush with the shoulders. Also lighter than the 1S. It's also a streamlined unit similar to the Optik. It's interesting seeing the trend to smaller equipment but not really relating with performance. Gloves, pads and pants have gotten smaller over the years. I think the more mobile and athletic you make the goalie, the easier it is to react to saves. I hate CCM c/as personally. I enjoy being able to move while on the ice. NXG is definitely a nice c/a and it's good that Bauer keeps updating its design. 2S has slight change of materials, more mobile and easier break in compared to the 1S and especially the NXG. I don't know what more you can add to a C/A without completely overhauling the design. A c/a is never a purchase really based on want, nobody gets excited about a new chest protector like a new set of pads, so I'm a fan of small changes.