BKLYNNetminder
12-21-2008, 06:50 PM
Hi all,
I figured I'd give you guys my thoughts on my new Battram Fury pads (and then go ahead and copy it to every board I'm on because I have NO life :( ). This might get a little wordy, but I'll try to keep from rambling.
First, the set:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/P9300310.jpg
Choosing:
The only piece of Battram gear I'd owned in the past is a Verge blocker. I have, however, seen many examples of his work. It came down to Battram and Smith for me. The two companies had comparable pricing, however, Battram's level of customization (specifically the graphics) led me to choose him. As far as choosing a model, I wanted a pad that would play as close to a traditional pad as possible. Scott recommended me the Fury model and I went on his word.
Ordering Process:
Ordering was painless. I sent him two PMs, an email with a few pics and two phone calls and that was basically it. He was very straightforward and didn't try to sell me anything I wasn't looking for. I told him what I wanted, he made his recommendations and that was it.
As far as modifications went, all I really wanted was an open leg channel, butterfly strapping and all leather straps. Simple I know, but it was great to hear that everything I asked for was done easily.
Out of the box:
Compared with my other pads:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/P9060276.jpg
Just to explain the sizing of the pads. The Deceptors are sitting on the skate cradle and are thus sitting about 2" higher than they do when I wear 'em. The 590s are 35" and are too big for me.
Scott's wait time was dead on. They came exactly the week he said they would. At the time, they were running a 4 week wait time. First impressions were generally good. The graphic came out exactly the way I wanted. I think the Ravage graphic is one of the best any company has come out with in a LONG time. I believe moogy was the first to have it (I could be wrong but I remember her pads being the first time I saw with it).
Quality is exactly as I expected. Comparable to the big boys and the lines are very clean. I didn't have a single issue when I took them out to inspect them.
As far as sizing goes, I told Scott my skate and shin size and I told him which pads I've worn in the past and what was too big and what was too small. I then told him to make it fit me right (specific I know lol). I didn't know how much I wanted on the thigh, so I basically let Scott decide. He said they're like a 34" Vaughn pad. When I strapped them on, I got a little concerned that they were too big. As you can see in the above picture, they're the same height as the 590s, which are about 3" too tall. He assured me that they would break in and sink. What can I say? He's the guy who knows more so I trusted him (more on this later on).
He nailed exactly what I was looking for in the leg channel. I was in a pair of Koho 590s before this and I basically wanted a similar leg channel but with the butterfly strapping to keep the knee area free and the single knee block like on the Epic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/lopezmods.jpg
Besides the sizing, the stiffness of the pads concerned me. My last 3 sets of pads were bought used and I was totally unprepared for how stiff new pads would be. Again, he assured me that they would break in so I took his word for it. The first use was a nightmare. I felt like I was skating with wood blocks on my legs. I am, however, a very persistent person so I kept at it. Plus the fact that they look so sexy didn't hurt!
Further uses and beyond:
This is what they look like as of last week:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290418.jpg
Basically, the only thing I can say in the 4 months I've had them is that SCOTT WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING, haha. The pads broke in just as Scott said. You can see the difference in flex in the following pics:
Before I go on, I feel I should let you know that I took the thigh boards and sliding toe bridges off. I use Brown knee pads and skate lace with about 2" of slack.
This side view is out of the box:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/P9060274.jpg
This side view is as of last week (also compared to my 590s):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290420.jpg
Front view, to show how they have broken in and now fit me better (Also compared to my 590s)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290419.jpg
As you can see, the S shape and the flex is absolutely incredible! They have also sunk about 1"-2" and now they fit perfectly. I have a bit of a Giguere butterfly, but these have cut down on that significantly. I'm still no Carey Price, but as you can see by the puck marks on the thighs, they do a good job curving around my knees.
Sliding is incredible. I was actually over sliding the first few times I wore them. Skating is phenomenal, too. Cross overs are a breeze. They don't interfere or bump into each other at all. I attribute this to the fact that these actually fit me, unlike the 590s I was wearing. At first I didn't realize that the Kohos were too big for me, but when I switched to these, I was able to see how much a properly fitting pad assists in moving. Rotation is, needless to say, amazing. The open leg channel really makes it so that there no junk getting in the way.
Durability wise, nothing to report. It's only been 4 months, I know, but so far nothing than the usual toe wear and minor fraying.
Things I would change:
The only knock I can find about these pads is that there is very little lateral flex, in my opinion. My CCM Blockades actually had more flex in this regard (though the full leg lift made this almost completely moot). In the future, I would definitely ask if he could do anything to change that. Also, I find that the blue flaps in the leg channel do nothing, so if I could do it again, I'd probably just ask him to leave them off.
The other thing is that if you look at the side views above, you can see how the calf flaps interfere with the knee block. I'd definitely ask him to cut down on the calf flap to prevent this.
Finally, I'd get rid of the top calf strap. I leave it on the 2nd hole, which basically means it's only adding weight (insignificant an amount as it may be).
Overall:
You can't go wrong choosing Battram. Everything I wanted in the pad was delivered. If you're looking at new pads, consider Battram. His combination of customer service, knowledge and quality is right up there with the best of them.
I figured I'd give you guys my thoughts on my new Battram Fury pads (and then go ahead and copy it to every board I'm on because I have NO life :( ). This might get a little wordy, but I'll try to keep from rambling.
First, the set:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/P9300310.jpg
Choosing:
The only piece of Battram gear I'd owned in the past is a Verge blocker. I have, however, seen many examples of his work. It came down to Battram and Smith for me. The two companies had comparable pricing, however, Battram's level of customization (specifically the graphics) led me to choose him. As far as choosing a model, I wanted a pad that would play as close to a traditional pad as possible. Scott recommended me the Fury model and I went on his word.
Ordering Process:
Ordering was painless. I sent him two PMs, an email with a few pics and two phone calls and that was basically it. He was very straightforward and didn't try to sell me anything I wasn't looking for. I told him what I wanted, he made his recommendations and that was it.
As far as modifications went, all I really wanted was an open leg channel, butterfly strapping and all leather straps. Simple I know, but it was great to hear that everything I asked for was done easily.
Out of the box:
Compared with my other pads:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/P9060276.jpg
Just to explain the sizing of the pads. The Deceptors are sitting on the skate cradle and are thus sitting about 2" higher than they do when I wear 'em. The 590s are 35" and are too big for me.
Scott's wait time was dead on. They came exactly the week he said they would. At the time, they were running a 4 week wait time. First impressions were generally good. The graphic came out exactly the way I wanted. I think the Ravage graphic is one of the best any company has come out with in a LONG time. I believe moogy was the first to have it (I could be wrong but I remember her pads being the first time I saw with it).
Quality is exactly as I expected. Comparable to the big boys and the lines are very clean. I didn't have a single issue when I took them out to inspect them.
As far as sizing goes, I told Scott my skate and shin size and I told him which pads I've worn in the past and what was too big and what was too small. I then told him to make it fit me right (specific I know lol). I didn't know how much I wanted on the thigh, so I basically let Scott decide. He said they're like a 34" Vaughn pad. When I strapped them on, I got a little concerned that they were too big. As you can see in the above picture, they're the same height as the 590s, which are about 3" too tall. He assured me that they would break in and sink. What can I say? He's the guy who knows more so I trusted him (more on this later on).
He nailed exactly what I was looking for in the leg channel. I was in a pair of Koho 590s before this and I basically wanted a similar leg channel but with the butterfly strapping to keep the knee area free and the single knee block like on the Epic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/lopezmods.jpg
Besides the sizing, the stiffness of the pads concerned me. My last 3 sets of pads were bought used and I was totally unprepared for how stiff new pads would be. Again, he assured me that they would break in so I took his word for it. The first use was a nightmare. I felt like I was skating with wood blocks on my legs. I am, however, a very persistent person so I kept at it. Plus the fact that they look so sexy didn't hurt!
Further uses and beyond:
This is what they look like as of last week:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290418.jpg
Basically, the only thing I can say in the 4 months I've had them is that SCOTT WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING, haha. The pads broke in just as Scott said. You can see the difference in flex in the following pics:
Before I go on, I feel I should let you know that I took the thigh boards and sliding toe bridges off. I use Brown knee pads and skate lace with about 2" of slack.
This side view is out of the box:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/P9060274.jpg
This side view is as of last week (also compared to my 590s):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290420.jpg
Front view, to show how they have broken in and now fit me better (Also compared to my 590s)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/BKLYNNetminder/hockey/Leg%20Pads/PB290419.jpg
As you can see, the S shape and the flex is absolutely incredible! They have also sunk about 1"-2" and now they fit perfectly. I have a bit of a Giguere butterfly, but these have cut down on that significantly. I'm still no Carey Price, but as you can see by the puck marks on the thighs, they do a good job curving around my knees.
Sliding is incredible. I was actually over sliding the first few times I wore them. Skating is phenomenal, too. Cross overs are a breeze. They don't interfere or bump into each other at all. I attribute this to the fact that these actually fit me, unlike the 590s I was wearing. At first I didn't realize that the Kohos were too big for me, but when I switched to these, I was able to see how much a properly fitting pad assists in moving. Rotation is, needless to say, amazing. The open leg channel really makes it so that there no junk getting in the way.
Durability wise, nothing to report. It's only been 4 months, I know, but so far nothing than the usual toe wear and minor fraying.
Things I would change:
The only knock I can find about these pads is that there is very little lateral flex, in my opinion. My CCM Blockades actually had more flex in this regard (though the full leg lift made this almost completely moot). In the future, I would definitely ask if he could do anything to change that. Also, I find that the blue flaps in the leg channel do nothing, so if I could do it again, I'd probably just ask him to leave them off.
The other thing is that if you look at the side views above, you can see how the calf flaps interfere with the knee block. I'd definitely ask him to cut down on the calf flap to prevent this.
Finally, I'd get rid of the top calf strap. I leave it on the 2nd hole, which basically means it's only adding weight (insignificant an amount as it may be).
Overall:
You can't go wrong choosing Battram. Everything I wanted in the pad was delivered. If you're looking at new pads, consider Battram. His combination of customer service, knowledge and quality is right up there with the best of them.