dualshowman

Third Update I feel like I have a solid amount of ice time in these now: Perhaps 20 hours or so. A few of these sessions have gone 90-130 minutes with no breaks and I've done some back-to-backs. For me, this amount of consecutive playing minutes is usually the acid test for gear like skates, masks and chest protectors with regards to weight and comfortability. These skates are, with no doubt, the most comfortable and lightest skates I have ever owned. That they are so comfortable without getting soft after an hour or more is revelatory. Being completely unaware of my feet due to zero negative sensory feedback is a blessing. In a previous post, I reserved judgement on the holder and runner. I will say that the holder has taken enough abuse thus far for me to determine it to be very solid. The runner has held up very well against post, and has proven itself to be harder steel than I've experienced with older Graf cowlings. These items are not afterthoughts on an otherwise perfect boot; they are high quality and robust. I sweat a good amount, so much so that I used to drill holes in the bottom of my cowlings and boots in the days before they were engineered into the skate. Yes, this did make a difference. Yes, its disgusting. These Grafs have a micro-suede-like interior that provides the same amount of locked-in feel whether bone dry or soaked. Zero heel sliding as the game goes on. I've never owned skates that haven't gotten slippery after they get soaked. These skates also dry quickly merely sitting on the floor beneath a ceiling fan. More to come.

@RichMan Folks typically go with the same or taller sidewall for a winter tire. Also at issue here is that the 88 tire load index for the 195/60R15. If it were my vehicle, I would not go with a lower load index than whatever the stock tire load index may be. It's minor, yes, but winter rubber in winter conditions already has more work to do than an all-season tire in temperate, dry weather. Speedo error aside, you may find this size and load winter tire to feel pretty terrible. YMMV.

Indeed. There is some relief in not having to inspect my pads, gloves and blockers before each skate, however. Also, if something is just gonna look like shit over time (as opposed to patina), I'd just assume not go through with it to begin with. Yet, here I am... The worst offender was the Optik blocker. I blocked a heavy shot during a warm up and heard a light pop. When I looked at the face of the blocker, it looked like a small firecracker blew out the HTV. The pads held up the best, likely due to the large, flat surface that allowed for more even heat application while applying the HTV. I recently saw on some FB goalie group that someone had a vinyl wrap done on their pads. If they paid for this, I cannot imagine this is money well spent. Time or money. It'll cost you one way or another.

Unfortunately, but mercifully, it did not hold up. I removed the last bits a few weeks ago. Moisture wasn't so much the issue as was abrasion and flexing of the substrate material (Jen-Pro or Clarino). Over two months, the HTV became brittle, so it was no longer able to adequately flexible. I did attempt to reapply an iron to areas where the HTV would lift off of the substrate, but that was only a temporary fix. I can no longer recommend spending the time doing this. Maybe two numbers on the blocker face, but nothing more seems worth it. I'm not getting that time back. Anyone want to sell me 8 hours of there life?

Compelled to provide a brief update: There are not enough superlatives. These are the most comfortable, lightest, and powerful skates I have ever worn. The shorter steel is revelation. Graf cowlings have always had a shorter runner than any competitor, but they stuck with non-replaceable steel for such a long time that I always ended up replacing the Graf cowling with CCM (RBK, Reebok) cowlings when there wasn't enough steel left to sharpen. I just dealt with the longer, heavier runner and tried to not pay it any mind. The length of the Graf runner on the new holder is, again, much shorter than Bauer or CCM. The benefit is felt in skating agility, push-offs, and shuffling. I missed this, and now it's back.

I had three overlapping pairs of 750s over 12 or 13 years, so I missed the transition to G50s and 9035s. I've read your posts in the Graf/CCM thread AFTER submitting my post here, and I realized that I had done myself a great disservice by not trying harder to find a Graf solution prior to purchasing the Vapors. This is a testament, however, to how consistently great the Graf boot was and is over several generations and model lines. I had really taken skate comfort for granted, and I easily sold myself on 'any cowlingless skate' once I became enamored by the weight savings. What's interesting is that the PeakSpeed Pro/Gs are lighter and more balanced than the Vapors. At least the 1Xs were on clearance by the time I bought them.

I purchased these PeakSpeed Pro/G from Goalies Plus after a few emails and phone conversations with Mike: Mike assured me that the fit exactly like Graf Goaler 750 Pros -this is indeed accurate information and can be taken as fact. After two home bakes (175F for about 8 minutes), a 3/8" cut (with zero regard to rocker and profile), and never skating in them, I played a pickup last evening. The first stride onto the ice surface was like home cooking. 100% confidence immediately. Details: Size 9 Regular, same exact fit as a 750 Goaler Pro (still own 2 pairs, so I can attest to this in real-time) 272mm holder and runner Boot (marked 8UK?) Made in Canada Tongue (marked 9R) Designed in Canada Included in box are Graf orthotic-style insoles and a hex wrench for the internal screw that holds the runner to holder Apparently, the boots are marked in UK sizing which is a whole size 'smaller'. This was confirmed by Goalies Plus, and the fact that there is no way I'd fit into any 8US shoe, let alone a skate marked the same: Up until last evening, I was losing the battle to a pair of Bauer Vapor 1Xs, Size 8.5EE, with Tydan DLC blades cut 3/8" with a Goalie SAM profile and rocker. The holder and runner are far and away the brightest points of these skates. The boot and tongue started out okay, at best. I was smitten by the drastic weight saving of the Bauers over my previous Graf/CCM cowling setup and simply ignored the pain for as long as I could. Over time, I have developed lace bite on my right forefoot and, more alarmingly, a sac of fluid on the left inside ankle bone (medial malleolus) that is uncomfortable on its best days. I have never had any foot or ankle issues related to a pair of skates prior to the Bauers. The lace bite issue is easily remedied by secondary means of protection, lacing pattern or a higher quality tongue. Bauer left it up to me to decide between the first two options. The ankle fluid, however, is due to the lack of heal pocket in the Bauers. My pronounced heal effectively pushes my foot forward in boot while in a crouch, and my ankle is then projecting into the eyelets, far beyond any padding in the boot or protection by the relatively narrow tongue. The Vapor boot is clearly not meant to accommodate the features of my foot, mostly due to the lack of heal depth. The Grafs, by comparison, have a true heal pocket and supportive foam around the Achilles area. You press your foot in and hear a sucking noise from the air trying to escape. The Graf tongue has far more surface area, and it is also multiple thicknesses - thinner around the ankles and general perimeter of the tongue, and thicker down the center where most lace bite issue would occur. Perhaps the most important design element of the Grafs in the context of the Bauers is how Graf compensates for the detrimental effects of the extreme stiffness of modern, composite skates and the physiology of a goalies athletic position. Forgive the crudity of the feature lines - Notice in the photo below the symmetrical construction inside and outside eyelet spines of the Bauers: Notice below the asymmetrical construction of the Grafs: What is difficult to capture in photos is just how much deeper and asymmetrical the Grafs are compared to the Bauers: The Grafs wrap around far more, and therefore provide far more support without the need for lacing the skates to extreme levels. My heal is locked into the skate, so edgework and push-offs are more nuanced, powerful and controllable. I could never find a middle ground with the Vapors - every skate was a guessing game as to how tight or loose the skate should be from toe to ankle. One skate would feel clumsy, the next one would feel fine. The one consistent element was some ankle pain and lace bite, and increasingly so. For what is perhaps the second most important piece of gear a goalie owns, this is untenable. Also of note is that the Graf toe cap is round, inside and out, like a forward skate. In fact, I wouldn't doubt its just the same. By comparison, the Bauer toe cap is large and square, and internally there is far more room than I prefer. Grafs do not fit like Bauers, just as Bauers do not fit like CCMs. Your mileage will vary, so my opinion is merely a data point. However, if you're as confident as I about what size Graf 750 fits your foot, I would not hesitate to order the same size Pro G. I am reserving any judgement on the runner and holder for the time being. They appear robust enough, but the runner is noticeably wavy along its length. This is inconsequential, really, largely because I have never seen a 3mm skate blade, forward or goalie, that is true along the length. What you lose in rigidity with a 3mm blade, you make up for in weight and agility. The Tydan DLC runner on my Bauers is unbelievably durable in regards to maintaining their edge, although each blade does have an outward bend. I've had them sharpened once in 12 months (100+ skates) because of the amount of post abuse they can take. Prior to this, a once-a-month or two sharpen was commonplace. I doubt the Graf stock runners will yield similar results. I may contact Tyden about the prospect of them making replacement Graf runners. I am grateful for the monetary resources that provided for a new skate purchase a mere 18 months after the last. What ultimately pushed the decision was the prospect of lingering effects from ill-fitting skates. I'm not inclined to add one more injury to the routine maintenance list. Just as the lightweight of the Bauers was game changing, the new Graf Pro/G was a revelation in just one skate. I'll check in as I accumulate more ice time in these. Please ask me any questions.

Helps when Mike Vaughn is one of the owners of Brian's

Different only to be different

As I often find myself doing, I will ‘take a break’ from normal chores and tasks around the house that, frankly, require all of the attention - Buy a house that requires work if you want the thrill of a lifetime… a lifetime which feels like it’s getting shorter with each successive ‘project’. Take away consistent hockey, add in being considered an essential worker in an area of the country that appears to desire contracting a virus that we cannot inoculate against, all while attempting to help support a woman who is one of the amazing front-line healthcare workers that specifically takes care of children, and it would seem that the Venn diagram of physical health, mental health and scheduling would not be so accommodating of such a potentially stupid and futile project. So, with sore and unsteady hands, and limited skills and tools, I ‘re-graffic'd’ some gloves, blockers and a set of pads using heat transfer vinyl (HTV) as @bunnyman666 has alluded to and outlined prior (search “HTV” and you will find plenty). Also, I enjoy writing every now and again, so… The Goal Leg Pads - Vaughn Ventus LT98, “Detroit” colorway I despise the tribal graphic variants that Vaughn used for years. Good riddance. These pads, however, are really quite amazing (to me). They were light to begin with, but after removing some straps and other features I will never use, they’re even lighter - probably close to 4 lb. per pad. I’m not really a pad guy, so I could probably be fine with whatever is stiff and light, but the graphic on these is brutal. My goal was to cover the red graphic with white HTV. As I was finishing up that task on the first pad, I decided that I would get more ambitious and create a ‘vintage’ graphic with fake knee rolls in black with matching outer rolls. In my head, I’m seeing a set of Ed Belfour’s Brian’s from 1991. I went for “Looks fine from 10 feet way”. I feel I ended up with “Looks good from 2 feet away”. Pleasant surprise. Gloves - Brian’s Heritage, White/Black and “Detroit” colorways As you will see, there isn’t a drastic change to either glove, but a little seems to go a long way here. Again, the goal was 10 feet. These are also good from about 2 feet away. As an aside, the Gnetik / Heritage gloves have made me officially retire my V1/Kipper-spec/7000/7700 mitts. These gloves were as game-changing for me as non-cowling skates. I grew up wearing Brian’s mitts, so perhaps there’s some nostalgia there. Blockers - Brain’s Heritage, White/Black and Brian’s Optik White colorways Another goal of “10 feet”. The Heritage blocker, like the gloves, wasn’t drastic. The Optik blocker, however, was clearly ambitious and a labor of stupidity and pushing the boundaries of my artistic ability, of which I have none. I will likely redo the logo, but not anytime soon. I’ll call the Heritage blocker good from 2 feet and the Optik blocker good from 5 feet, although I’m likely being generous with the latter. The Optik blocker, as I have espoused elsewhere on this wonderful forum, is an incredible piece of gear. I have, in all seriousness, been credited with an assist due to how hot this blocker is. A good enough shot can turn into an outlet pass if the other team isn’t careful. Materials HTV This was perhaps the most straight-forward part of the process. I did the least amount of research and decided that Siser Easyweed Heat Transfer Vinyl was likely the most correct product for the application. I say ‘most correct’ because time and abuse will truly determine whether this project was a success or ‘File Under: You can but should you?’ Anyhow, Siser’s HTV product is kinda incredible when you look at it: It’s essentially a film, it’s extremely flexible over a wide temperature range, and it comes in nearly every color you could desire. It has a heat-activated adhesive that is very strong, but you can remove it with patience and time. I purchase a roll of white, three rolls of black, and a roll of red. That was more than enough what I wanted to accomplish. I purchased these from Michael’s here in the States, but it appears to be available in many markets. Here’s a link for the product (zero affiliation): Siser HTV Parchment Paper This will act as a temporary barrier between the iron and the HTV. As I will outline, using this was not always required or necessary. Tools Iron I have a $25 garment iron with multiple heat settings. It is entirely the wrong tool for the job, and it worked smashingly well. It’s really a rare experience where the wrong tool does everything you want it to do. If you don’t believe me, go and use Imperial tools on metric fasteners, then report back here about how happy you are with this decision. Cutting I used a small scissor and a single edge razor blade. No self-heal artist mat or any appropriate cutting surface. I could have done much, much better with upgrading these two items alone, but I didn’t. Measuring I began this project using a machinist’s ruler and a tailor's tape. I ended the project using neither. Do you see a theme, here?: I’m kinda wingin’ this whole thing. No excuses, but I spend my days at work and working on a house where I’m required to exhibit highly repeatable accuracy. I was not in the mood to give this project that much attention, and while I believe anything worth doing is worth doing right, I needed this to be much more of an artistic release… which is just a b.s. excuse for being lazy and inattentive. Process I began by overthinking this whole thing. Here’s the truth: The materials that compose goalie gear are extremely durable, synthetic products that can withstand a wider temperature range than the HTV. Neither the HTV or the materials used in our equipment will likely be exposed to temperatures that will cause permanent damage, especially while on the ice. I started off measuring and cutting pieces of black HTV to be used on the outer roll of the right leg pad, but eventually just started articulating the material and the iron as necessary. The HTV is adhered to whatever substrate you wish by applying heat for a short amount of time (I used the ‘Wool’ setting and applied this for anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds) to the parchment paper barrier or, as I learned, the high-temperature clear carrier film that is integrated with the cold HTV. Once the HTV is adequately adhered to the substrate, the clear carrier film begins to detach from the HTV on it’s own. This clear carrier film is thick and durable, leaving the HTV cleanly attached. I found that tacking down the HTV with heat applied directly to the clear carrier was a good way of aligning pieces both small and large prior to fully committing to their final placement. Once satisfied with the placement, I would use the parchment paper barrier and a good amount of pressure with the iron to fully adhere the HTV to the pad, glove or blocker. Where this wasn’t easy or possible, I would use the pointed nose of the iron to adhere the HTV. Overall, I used all manner of methods to do the job. As I was going along, realized that both Cordura and JenPro are incredibly tolerant of heat, although I was still careful with both temperature and time. Should you choose to do this yourself, I am certain you will discover all of the little quirks and tricks that I have. This is not rocket surgery. Pictures Actual pads, when new, before: After: Gratuitous strapping photo: Gloves and blockers before: Gloves after: Conclusion Emotions One man’s garbage?... Perhaps, but maybe I’m offering this to folks that simply want a way to feel better about their gear. I know I do, and I typically put little stock into matching and all of that. I’m not knocking matching gear at all, - it certainly looks more professional and congruent - but if I didn’t match a team jersey, or my glove and blocker and pads didn’t match, I didn’t much care. There is, however, no doubting that some level of symmetry feels good, feels settled. One of the teams I play for is black, white and red, so there’s that. Also, I’m a Blackhawks fan and have been since Pang and Cloutier were (unfortunately?) between the pipes. Practical The Lows This took me weeks and weeks to complete, which is to say probably close to 16 hours total. It’s no joke. Patience is key if you want to accomplish this with some basic level of detail. To put this into perspective: I demo’d, repaired and tiled a laundry room and a kitchen in less time than I took to do this project, and that was also something that I never have done prior AND I was fastidious in both method and detail. My priorities are clearly wacky. This is fairly permanent unless you want to take the same amount of time to remove the HTV. I don’t and I don’t care if it has rendered this gear worthless on the used gear market. This is likely my last set of anything as it’s becoming obvious with each passing season that my body is breaking down beyond simple self-care and repair. I have no idea how long it will last or how durable the material in this application, although it is very durable when being handled. I have played twice with the completed pads and they held up well. The second skate was moving at a pretty good pace with some solid shooters, and there is zero wear in areas with HTV. The few puck marks on the HTV look the same as those on the the JenPro The colors are not perfect matches, but I feel like that with get a bit better over time with grunge and puck marks The Highs If you will it, Dude, it is no dream - This ended up far better than I expected HTV is cheap and easy to work with In my opinion, this product looks far better than any of the adhesive products on the market that are designed to accomplish the same Because HTV is essentially a film, it basically weighs nothing. Final Thoughts As likely as it is that I will never be doing this again at this scope, I would recommend this as a cheaper and more detailed alternative to the other products on the market designed to accomplish some of the same goals. I have been thinking about doing this for years, now, and idle time is the perfect time to tackle a time consuming project such as this. I will post an update at some point after I feel there is either significant wear or remarkable durability. In the meantime, flame away.

Dang me... That's beautiful how well it slides. This video may be the tipping point for me.

@beanbats If you could, good brother, litter this thread with photos of the skates, we'd all be very grateful.

Unless you're also doing Tiara Tuesdays, Whoopee Cap Wednesdays and so forth, I see no reason to not wear that mask all week long.

Is this the stock backplate strapping?: If so, I find this unacceptable. I do not want to bag on any smaller manufacturer because they are typically just trying to hack it with the big boys... but this is an antiquated and somewhat cynical solution to a problem long ago solved.

Typically, no, Grafs would run "small", meaning that Grafs are truer to a typical shoe size: Shoe size US 10 = Bauer size 8.5 = Graf size 9. This is by no means spot-on, and @Telfo makes a fine point about foot shape having more relevance than just foot length. Is the heal pocket much deeper than your 2Xs? I can't imagine a deeper heal pocket than what Bauer is offering, so I would love to know more. "Deep heal pocket + flexible tongue + incredibly stiff boot" seems like the right formula for transferring the most energy to the ice, but maybe that's too simple or idealized. Given that, no skate manufacturer offered more stock choices in a boot than Graf did for player skates, and it was glorious while it lasted (get it?). For goalies, you were basically stuck with the "705" last for the longest time, but that was great for me. Also for the longest time, Bauer was the 'narrow foot' choice. So, if you dig a Goaler 750 Pro as I did for about 15 years, there was really no other option until somewhat recently. I actually would cut out the heal pocket on my 750s so I didn't have to tie them so tight. That said, my 1Xs required nothing that would approach a break-in period, I do not need to snug up the top two eyelets, and my heal feels like its suctioned in the boot. If I try tie them tight around the ankle, I have all sorts of problems. Other than that, zero complaints about fit and comfort. I would be very surprised, however, if Graf went in the opposite direction, as they have never been the looser skate, all things being equal... which they're not.

If you wouldn't mind, post what size you purchase and what size you wear in your 2Xs? Graf has historically run 1/2 size larger and are typically a touch wider than all others. For example, I measure slightly more than a 9.5 US shoe and my foot width is also just slightly wider than a D at the mid and forefoot. Graf 9Ds in the 750 goalie boot have always been the ticket, as an 8.5 allows my toes to touch the cap in a non-athletic position. My Bauer 1Xs are 8.5EE and fit close to the same.

The Graf website lists the goalie-specific holder as an Ultra 5500, although you can clearly see that one of the previously posted pictures has an Ultra 5000 holder. Speaking of holders: The Bauer Vertexx Edge Holder is nothing to write home about. It flexes pretty easily, as does the 3mm runner (I use Tydan DLC runners). You have to assume all boots, runners and steel flex a bunch, but whatever you're giving up in overall rigidity is more than made up for by the lack of overall weight. For reasons of weight alone, I can't image I will ever go back to a cowling skate or a leg pad that weighs more than 5 lbs each. By the middle of the 3rd period, I am grateful for every ounce of weight savings. And, yes, it is the best looking boot. I do not like the look of my 1X boots, but at least a pad is covering them up most of the time.

Hurry up, dammit!!!

As a long-time Graf wearer that jumped ship for Bauer 1X skates once I had destroyed my final pair of 750s, I am very intrigued. Nothing really wrong with the 1X. Once you experience the Graf boot and tongue, its difficult to find anything comparable. Hopefully this is still the case. I will likely pay full price for these which is something I rarely do with gear.

I always feel like I missed something when people bag on Vaughn gear. I know Mike Vaughn has a negative reputation in some folks eyes, but I don't see what it has to do with the gear. I don't understand why Vaughn would get anymore crap than any other manufacturer about innovation. They have a largely unbroken line of revision with most of their stuff just like Warrior, Brian's and Lefevre. Bauer would be right there, too, if they hadn't broken up with JRZ. Is innovation always a slam dunk? Not in my experience. Looking at the same photos as everybody else, I see a pad with: A very stable, minimally-featured sliding surface A wide leg channel with enough strapping options and nothing superfluous A thin profile Probably very light A blocker with: Too much binding in high-wear areas A nice sure-grip palm Great finger protection Probably not the lightest weight blocker on the market A glove with: Everything someone either loves or hates about Vaughn gloves A familiar break angle (either one) Well-placed internal straps Probably light in weight Somewhat light in palm protection, but... Zero learning curve - you're gonna catch the puck in the pocket (2-piece cuff model) Frankly, I understand why a number of paid goaltenders do not want to switch out of a certain piece of gear or an entire set, and I'm not shocked that these goaltenders are typically in Vaughn gear. If anything, the incremental revisions that Brian's and Vaughn roll out regularly are more of a testament to commitment rather than innovation for innovation's sake. Warrior does the same thing and I never read or hear anyone dump on Pete for staying on script. I wouldn't doubt that CCM stifled Lefevre in this area over the years, and Bauer essentially makes leg pads for those that are not necessarily looking for longevity (although I have no first-hand experience with them).

There we go... all fixed!

With the terry cloth, off-white straps, you essentially have three good options to prevent the ends from unraveling: Sew over the ends Coat/Dip the ends in 5-minute epoxy Coat/Dip the ends in cyanoacrylate (super glue) Any of these has worked very well for me over that past 20 years. I prefer epoxy as it is easy to trim the excess material off. Also, wash your mask harness occasionally (by hand) using normal detergent and air drying when finished. It will easily increase the life span of the harness two-fold, if not more. Burning the ends, by the way, will accomplish little or nothing - the harness material is mostly cotton and latex rubber, neither of which will melt and harden like poly, nylon, etc.

The older I become, the better I feel about (and after taking) breaks - sometimes a week, sometimes more. I've decided on quality over quantity, although old habits die hard.

For the record: I support a Sharpie over DaveArt. Looking forward to the next report.