Battram Fury Initial review

[Smoove]

I arrived home yesterday to find a giant box on my doorstep. Hooray, new gear! Oh wait, I hate new gear. Unfortunately, it is one of those inevitable points that even us equipment luddites must go through. First, here is a quick walk down memory lane:


My old stock 36” VPG 2000's. My first set of pads, which I bought used. I played High School, Travel, and Juniors with them, , 1994-1998. When I started playing again in 2000, I dusted them off and played another year with them. When I got new pads these were loaned out to roughly a dozen fellow goalies on Long Island. I ended up giving them to my nephew who has used them in his local roller hockey league since 2005. They now have some red spray painted graphic and the word “Reebok” somehow.


http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_3923741951_c282b41fe5_o.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=3923741951_c282b41fe5_o.jpg)


I tried out some Eagle tp21's in this time, they were garbage. Six months of use and they were shot, I banished all pictures long ago.


These are my current pads, a 21st birthday present to myself, my custom 38” VPG 5500's that arrived in December of 2001. At the time I was playing on average 11 times a week, and continued to do so for the next year and a half. These pads are the reason that I didn't order from Vaughn again. First, I ordered them in black and silver with a flat shin. When I opened the box I immediately called the company that I placed the order through, and a week later I got the verdict: they would be bought back for 75% of what I paid, and I can reorder them. I wont bash a company online, but I will not buy from either company again.

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10134.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10134.jpg)

Then came fit and finish. The 5500's must have been made by two different people, as the left one fits and performs like I expected, but straps and the calf guard don't line up on the right one, as well as uneven/incomplete stitching and as a result it never broke in correctly. I may be nitpicking a bit, but after plunking down over a grand I expected better. I almost forgot, my first time on the ice with them the string that holds the pad together snapped just above my knee, and there were two holes that emerged, one in the knee and another in the vertical roll. I contacted vaughn with photos, and they said that it was probably just a weak spot in the material, and that I could send it back to be repaired for $350. Some shoe goo and clear nail polish have held just fine, thanks.

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10137.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10137.jpg)

My last word on these, the quality of Vaughn gear has really gone downhill. I will still wear my VPG 2000 chest protector and pants, but the quality of materials in these pads and my velocity blocker are mediocre at best. I will continue to wear them until I feel comfortable in my new pads, and I am not a guy that needs to feel invincible when playing net – I like feeling the puck – but I never thought these pads had the ability to be usable as long as my 2000's are.

Now – the new gear! I ordered a Fury with the stock four color graphic, and “old Fury style strapping” to accommodate my knee braces (Breg x2k for those who care) and custom sized. After a few phone emails and a quick phone call my order was set. I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive when he quoted me a 32+1” in the shin, as my 38” pads feel a bit small these days. No matter, I trusted him with my measurements.


I got a call the day he was building my pads, Scott asked me about the graphic and if I would want a “custom V3 graphic”. I am a bit embarrassed to admit this but I was at a loss, as I had no idea what he was referring to. I gave him the green light and I think they came out beautifully.

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_3924656400_917e17fcea_b.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=3924656400_917e17fcea_b.jpg)

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10133.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10133.jpg)

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10139.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10139.jpg)

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10141.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10141.jpg)

They are the exact same size as my old gear, which you can't tell because the Vaughns are so nicely broken in. I am very pleased with all aspects of my order, my only point of concern is that me knee sits high in the cradle:

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10131.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10131.jpg)


Now I know little about knew pads/gear – I just hope these don't shrink! I told Scott that I hope these are my last set of pads, and I mean that. Hopefully I can take them for a spin tomorrow at an open skate and be comfortable in them by the start of the season in mid October. I just have to work the rotation out as I can barely keep my 5500's from rotating but I can't get these to turn. Thank you, Scott - I can't wait!



A word of advice for Chase banking customers: I had paid using my Chase ATM/Debit card. The exchange rate was not even close to what the posted rate was (i.e. $120 Canadian should have been about $109 U.S., it was converted to $122 + a conversion fee (33.29) + a processing fee of $42!) When all was said and done I spent almost $200 more then I had budgeted. I have an open dispute on the charges that I will likely lose, but when I order my gloves next year I will either be paying with another card or fly up and pay him in person – it would probably be cheaper!

[radicals goalie 35]

those look great man, good luck!

[HotBranch!]

The new pads look good Smoove! Any chance you could snap a few picks of the knee/thigh guard?

Thanks!

[Smoove]

I got to use them at open hockey and man are they stiff. They are so stiff that they don't fit in my car! My Vaughns can be contorted fairly easily to fit in the allotted space, but now I have to think about how my gear goes in. I didn't sign up for that. ;)

While I was walking out of the rink on Wednesday I was approached by a 4-5 year old child who asked me for my autograph. He told me he is a huge Rangers fan but I played really well last night and he liked me because I had cool equipment. The father knew that I wasn't him, and was stifling a laugh pretty badly, and asked me to go along with it. Scott, I think you have a future customer on your hands.

I have to make a few mods to the pads before I use them again. The strap setup around the knee has to be changed because it easily gets caught on my braces and doesn't rotate. I will move the female knee buckle down or get a y-clip and attach it at the top calf strap. The thigh strap will have to be moved up about four inches. I have not determined where the termination point will be, hopefully I can leave it stock. The velcro knee strap is just a hair too short, so I am trying to talk my wife into making me a longer one - she is much better with the sewing machine than I am. I may have to elongate the opening for the sliding toe bridge as well because I am feeling some stress in my knees and ankles when down. I will affix the other ones I have first to see if that alleviates the problems.

Hotbranch, does this quench your thirst?

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10146.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10146.jpg)

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10145.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10145.jpg)

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_SDC10144.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=SDC10144.jpg)

[Smoove]

I finally got to use these in a game, and for me there is no going back. While there are some saves and recoveries that aren't as graceful as they are in my old gear, I am playing well enough in these to use them full time. That has never happened to me before.

I do have two problems with the pads. 1) They don't slide. I had to use caution with my old pads, cause I would slide too far on a lateral push on plays in tight. 2) I need to leave some slack on the toe ties so they can rotate and it alleviates stress on my knees. However, when I do this the pads slide down like so:

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/th_Pds.jpg (http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv127/NYR1994/?action=view&current=Pds.jpg)

Are there any strapping secrets to stop this from happening? The knee lock almost holds the pads in place, but I am sliding off the top of the landing gear which is totally unacceptable to me.

I had no time to do the modifications I had planned, so what I ended up doing was piggy backing the top calf buckle and adding the lower knee buckle to that, a quick and dirty solution to an honest problem. I am playing without a top strap - which I hate, but it gets caught on my knee brace. I will probably cut a slot through the decorative top binding and add a top strap as seen here: http://visualrian.com/storage/PreviewWM/3827/51/382751.jpg
Thankfully, Scotts knee pads are robust enough for me to worry about more important things.

Overall I love the gear, and with a few tweaks they will be the best set that I have ever owned, I am just looking for some help.

And no, my photoshop skills are not for hire ;)

[goaleroffortune]

Are there any strapping secrets to stop this from happening?

My strapping secret with the Nexus is to buckle one calf strap tightly. (The lower calf strap works best for me, but I've also had decent results with the middle.) With some slack at the toe and the knee, the pad can rotate around that tight strap like a fulcrum. This keeps the knee in good position relative to the landing gear as well. I also have good enough pad control for my old stand-up moves---which may or may not be an issue for you.

[Scipio]

If you are sliding off the top of the stack it sounds like your boot strap might be too loose.

[Courage1]

My strapping secret with the Nexus is to buckle one calf strap tightly. (The lower calf strap works best for me, but I've also had decent results with the middle.) With some slack at the toe and the knee, the pad can rotate around that tight strap like a fulcrum. This keeps the knee in good position relative to the landing gear as well. I also have good enough pad control for my old stand-up moves---which may or may not be an issue for you.

This is good advice. It kept my pads from dragging when I put enough slack in to rotate my pads. Although the best thing I did was replace my toe ties with flex toes. My nagging ankle problems that I have been battling for the last 6 months have vanished, and my knees stay in the cradle no matter how loose I wear my pads..... :)

[AL-E-Gator]

This is good advice. It kept my pads from dragging when I put enough slack in to rotate my pads. Although the best thing I did was replace my toe ties with flex toes. My nagging ankle problems that I have been battling for the last 6 months have vanished, and my knees stay in the cradle no matter how loose I wear my pads..... :)

There is always the chance that this could be 'Placebo Effect' as per Musselhead . . .:D

AL-E-Gator:D

[Sprawl]

My notes on the Fury pads I have.

With the default knee stacks, I'd land with my knees very close to the pad, almost like the pads created a V and my knee fell in the middle of it

First thing i did was take out a stack from each pad. This allowed my knee to land further away and have a more normalized profly.

once i did this, i found the pads slid very well. in fact, much better than my RBK 5ks' i had them replace. as for strapping? I have about 1" slack in my sliding toe ties, My 1 boot strap goes through the back loops of my skates and is as tight as possible. I only have 1 calf strap and it's very very loose. My knee lock is very tight, and my two knee straps are fairly loose, but not floppy

[sloth2946]

While there are some saves and recoveries that aren't as graceful as they are in my old gear, I am playing well enough in these to use them full time.

Excuse me, I'll be over here snickering. :p

Weird to see you in a box pad....well...haven't 'seen' you in a year or so anyway.

Look on the bright side, at least you can still play. My hip has been telling me that I am done. :(

[Smoove]

Sorry boys, I have been swamped with work and as a result I have not even thought about hockey.

The tight lower calf strap was the first thing I did, maybe it just needs to be tighter. It is important as stand up saves are a large part of my "kitchen sink" approach to goaltending.

I am keeping the skate straps loose because of the difference in the taper between pads, if it any tighter than the "is this strap even necessary" tightness I have ended up with backside pushes are a pipe dream. Maybe I just have to man up and learn a proper technique.

Regarding flex-toe, I actually like the nylon cord that came with the pads but I do have some shock cord laying around. Maybe I can take a page from my my boy scouts knot book and create some shock cord and nylon hybrid.

As far as knee stacks go, the current setup feels comfortable. Since I have always been a "fix it until it's broken" kind of guy, maybe some experimentation wouldn't hurt.

Thanks all, this information will not go to waste.

Finally we have Sloth, my most influential goalie that has actually seen me play - but not since Dunham was considered a starting goalie. How about you turn the computer off, brave the daylight to get in your car and come to a game and see how its done old man?

Seriously, sorry to hear about the hip. If you need a great orthepedist, both Lisa and I know one - but mine played college hockey in the 70's, which makes him far superior. You will have to come into the city, though. No escaping that one.

If you think seeing me in box pads is strange, the mental anguish of buying them was tenfold. It is a very different game, very much like how you described the Koho's vs 3500's.

My team is having a rent out Monday at 9:20. If you are interested in playing any position just PM me.

[Smoove]

I have a new nickname thanks to these pads, I was dubbed "El Barto" by a teammate who couldn't understand what "Battram" meant onthe sides of the pads. We all know a guy like this, the frat guy that never grew up - even though he is in his 40's and owns his own business. He kept barking at me in between periods "nice save on that breakaway, batman" or "bartman doesn't do rebounds." Scott, be glad he lives a couple of hundred miles away because if you heard the lyrical musings that he used your name in, you probably would have stuck one of those giant sewing needles in his face.

The pads, wow. It took less than a month for these pads to feel like they were "mine" - the point where you stop thinking about them and just play. This is big, as it took nearly two years with my last set of pads. My magic formula was about an inch of slack on the toes bridges, both boot straps through the heel, and the middle and lower calf straps snug. I am yet to move the top strap because I don't want to cut into new pads, but my narrow butterfly necessitates this mod...but they are so pretty.

One thing that I noticed is that I am getting beaten five hole with much more regularity. This could be that my knees have not yet gained the strength I need to drive them down to the ice properly yet. I am talking with my PT guy as I type this and he blames the pads. A craftsman never blames his tools, but I am curious if any of you noticed an increase in 5 hole goals when you made the switch from traditional to box(ier) pads.

All in all, I am loving this purchase.