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GSBB Equipment Commentary By Paul Fricker.
The following is the first part of a two part series on stock SP 5000 pads in 36" with the adjustable thigh rise. In this first part I examine the out of the box product before next reviewing its on-ice performance with some of my students.
Overview: A tastefully understated leg pad obviously designed and constructed by a real craftsman. Well thought out, full of features, light in weight, beautifully crafted and assembled.
The first thing that strikes you out of the box about the new Smith leg pad is the understated graphics and artwork. No over the top branding or artwork here – this designer is an adult with a refined eye.
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The Smith name appears twice on the face of each leg: Die cut, individually sewn letters along the outside synthetic leather and heat pressed decals on the lower outside roll.
A stylized S, embroidered on silver weave synthetic is sewn behind a die cut oval opening a few inches below the knee.
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A series of geometric sewing patters flow in graceful intersecting arches combined with art work accenting the face helping to fill up empty space without over cluttering. Die cut synthetic leather toe bolt tabs that match the color of the face graphic behind is also a nice touch.
Finally, no stay lace punctures the front face. There is a stay – running the length of the pad on each side of the leg channel but Smith has chosen not to bring it all the way through the pad. Instead, there are internal anchors built in that allow the pad stays to fasten to the face. This choice makes sense as it reduces puckering and keeps the face clean of puncture holes.
The understated appearance and care in presentation points to a mind behind this product that pays attention to the little things - always a good sign and usually an indicator of quality throughout the product.
After holding each leg pad and examining the features for about an hour I am even more impressed.
Although not exclusive to this manufacturer I can safely inform the reader that if you are concerned about the weight in your leg pads, this one is right up there with the lightest. The legs are almost exactly equal in weight (2.468 kg / 2.471 kg or 5.4410 lbs / 5.4476 lbs +/- .106 oz or 3 grams)
In order to achieve this weight the builder has used a combination of good choices in material and savvy design features. For instance, to reduce weight the face graphics are small pieces sewn beside NOT on top of a base pattern.
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This simple trick reduces weight by not adding layer upon layer of synthetic just to achieve a desired look. As a former manufacturer I know what kind of extra time goes into building anything this way (more pieces = more cutting, sewing, costs of good manufactured.)
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Symmetrically, both pads are balanced to the eye with no discernable difference between the right and left. Each is exactly 11" wide from the boot to the top of the pad – no narrowing at the top inside seam above the knee like some manufacturers choose to do in order to reduce the contact the pads make with each other when moving and skating.
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By doing this the Smith pad should lay flat on the ice with no room under the pad when in a butterfly.
I am interested in how this part of the design will play when I eventually take this pad out for a spin.
When I butt the pads against on another (legs together: like an old 1980s box out on the bad angle) the pads fit (virtually) flat and create a true wall. No gap below the knee and only a slight indent above the knee probably caused by the internal stuffing foam not lying quite right.
Standing side by side each leg is the exact same height (although adjustable if desired, more on the later)
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A side view reveals a shallow profile that tapers narrower towards the top. The pad is sewn with a slight “s" shape which should encourage the pad to curve around the knee and stay close to the thigh in a butterfly.
Materials layout on the face, outside rolls, inside and outside gussets, and the inside leg protection / sliding pad are all synthetic leather. The backing part of the pads and attachments are made from what appears to be 400 denier Nylon. All the same color: Silver/Gray
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The inside lower boot area that rests on the skate is pad face synthetic for the first 4" that gives way to a gray synthetic suede that also runs up the length of the leg channel.
Without ripping one of the legs apart – I cannot tell for sure the types, thickness and density of foams used to make up the internal stuffing but based on years of experience I can venture a guess.
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The outside roll is stuffed with strips of 1 ¼" deep x 2" wide med density closed cell.
The face down to the boot has a thin layer of 1/4'' soft cell right behind the synthetic leather. Behind the soft cell is a plank of 1/2'' or 3/8th high density. The face at boot either has no 1/4'' soft behind the synthetic or thin skin foam over the plank of high density.
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The inside gusset above the boot but below the knees has more hard foam right behind the synthetic to assist sliding and to lay the pad flat on the ice when in a butterfly.
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The back of the pad up the leg channel utilizes a very soft 3/4" or 1" thick closed cell for comfort.
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Most of the parts on the back of the pad use 1/2" or 3/8" med density foam shelled in Nylon covers - except the large landing gear pad that features three 1/2" pieces stacked on top of each other.
Both the inside leg protector skid pads at the knee and lower calf as well as the outside leg protector utilize ¼" high density.
The laced on thigh board use 1/2" high density foam.
It looks like the sides of the pads are stuffed with sculptured soft cell foam for comfort and flex.
The pads break points and angles are 90 degrees at the boot with the outside roll preventing it from bending any further.
The top break point is very flexible and breaks along the top of the knee area just above where the thigh board attaches.
Standing the pad up and then applying even downward pressure from the top to compress the leg into an S shape takes a minimum amount of strength. I think it's important to note that while bending, the pad does not twist or contort except for where The boot at the inside gusset "accordions" a little. But other than that, no deformity or ballooning when flexed.
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The strapping system is cleverly engineered and simply executed, boasting plenty of features that are very functional and shorten repair time. Placement of the straps follows the conventional arrangement of most other butterfly pads these days.
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The Sliding Toe Bridge is secured slightly off center (to the inside) by two 3/4" long Phillips head screws into a sleeve nut. The piece itself is constructed from synthetic leather with a thick piece of thick 1/8" plastic for an insert. Instead of holes, there is a 3.25" slit in the bridge. The black skate lace is secured on either side by round die cut 1/8" thick plastic washers. This allows the lace to slide latterly along the slit.
In theory this design should allow the lace to be tightened closer to the toe cap of the skate thus reducing "pad slop" but when executing a butterfly the pad will roll with no restriction. The idea behind this design is interesting – I am interested to see how it performs when I eventually get it on the ice.
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The boot straps are not sewn to the side of the pad nor are they pushed through the face like the pads of old - rather they are attached to tabs. Leather tabs hold the long leg strap and a 1" single loop holds the buckle.
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The tabs themselves are sewn to the pad and the strap or buckle is pushed through the tab. This feature makes strap and buckle replacement a breeze and is consistent with all the straps on this leg pad. The choice to attach 3/4" roller buckles by screw and not rivets is also a good idea.
(Keep a screw driver in your goalie bag however)
The next 3 straps up the leg are 1" polypropylene nylon webbing. The straps are secured on the outside of pad through tabs to the outside leg protector. These straps are fixed in place
directly across from there counterpoint so no adjustment up or down is possible and are placed. Like all the straps on the pad if one breaks a buckle or the nylon itself, each are removable without having to pop a seam.
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The next strap is again attached to a tab and secured on main seam of the outside gusset crossing on a slight angle up to the inside knee protector/butterfly sliding pad. Like all the nylon straps a durable shatter resistant 1" quick release buckles, single loops, and locking buckles are used.
The top strap is connected from the outside seam to the inside seam again by tabs and not into the pad itself. The angle on this last strap is more severe starting on the outside seam at 11" from the top of the pad and crossing to the inside seam at 5" from the top.
For those who prefer the more conventional, horizontal set-up simply move the strap from the 11" anchor point up to a position 5" from the top anchor point.
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As for the parts on the back of the pad, these Smith pad feature a large, thick landing knee pad that is one piece. Many butterfly pads out their include 2, 3 or 4 thinner attached by lace or Velcro. If a thinner landing pad is desired, it is simply a matter of tearing a Velcro strap and removing one of the three 1/2" pieces of foam from inside the padding. The piece appears to be long enough to prevent the knee from sliding out and slamming into the ice when executing a butterfly or kicking.
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There is a knee lock system that is secured with a 13" long, 2" wide, woven elastic with Velcro on both sides. Below the knee locks are a set of leg channels locks that can also be snugged up with an elastic Velcro strap if desired. Beside each leg channel lock are another set of pads sewn about 1/2" away. I would assume these are for stabilization of the leg when the pad rotates and also for added protection. All of the backing parts are shelled in gray Nylon.
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An ingenious feature on this leg pad is something that I was playing around with for our CMX pad but could never get right so I gave up on it. What I couldn't accomplish it appears Pete Smith has – an adjustable height leg pad.
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The top of the pad is not sewn closed. Inside is a 10.5" wide by 5" tall insert that is made up of VERY hard close cell foam. It's shelled with synthetic pad face leather. This insert can be slid up and locked by a series of Velcro straps to extend the height of the pad. The height can be ratcheted up 1" or 2" above the actual height of the leg pad. The process to adjust the height is easy and only takes a minute or so for each pad.
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The 10" wide x 8.5" tall thigh board is securely laced down to the back on the pad to three separate tabs rather than one long. 1" Polypropylene webbing is again used as the strap that goes behind the leg. There is a second strap that is attached to the front side of the thigh board and fixed to the back of the pad. This strap is adjustable to the individuals preference and even removable if one wants a loose fitting thigh board. I would assume the purpose of this strap would be to keep the thigh board anchored firmly, restricting how much it can bend with the leg so it wont get caught under the pant leg or improve the five hole coverage. Truth be told it will probably help in all three but I will have to wait until I wear the pad on the ice to tell for sure and to also see if it feels a little restrictive when bending, sliding and executing a butterflying.
As for the craftsmanship and workman ship of the pad it too is very impressive.
All the sewing lines are straight, with no pen or pencil marks visible to assist the person who did the sewing. There is no wondering stitches or seams; all the stitching is tight, staying along the proper path, and consistent distance from the edges but never venturing too close to the sides thus risking eventual tearing and pulling away. The back tacking is accurate and not at all sloppy. White thread instead of black on black tabs. White thread on gray nylon instead of gray thread. This contrast usually looks great IF the sewing is straight and true as it is on this leg pad sample.
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The finishing stitching is equally impressive. Gray nylon binding up both sides of the pads joining front and back shows no sloppiness or puckering. The machine stitched top wear piece is tight to the under layer making a clean and flat look across the top of the pad. The bottom hand stitched wear piece is carefully attached with each puncture of the curve needle uniformly 1.5" apart indicting whoever stitched this pad has done it many times before.
In summery, the quality of materials, the expert workmanship, the understated look, the clever innovations, the repair friendly features screams of a designer and builder that is passionate about his craft, aware of the needs of the modern day goalie, pays attention to small and large details, and takes great pride at being good at what he does.
Pete Smith has produced a Leg pad that is truly handmade.
Next up - I'll take these on the ice with some high level students and get their take on how the pads stack up.
PF's Interview with Mr Smith
On the adjustable thigh rise:
This idea came about after a visit with Tim Thomas. He was playing for Providence in the AHL and it was towards the end of the 2003 season. He convinced me to come out and see him because he wanted the tops of his pads lengthened by an inch or two and didn't want to get into new pads at that point. This was a job I had only done once before for Chris Osgood when his pads were deemed illegal, the day before the playoffs were to start. So I open up the tops of Tim's pads and remove the top HD foam section. I had new HD foam sections with me that were several inches longer. So I'm sliding the new HD parts up and down into the top of the pad asking Tim what height he wants them. During this process, the light bulb went on in my head and I started to consider the possibility of an adjustable height thigh rise. This feature is exclusive to Smith Hockey. It's been very beneficial for goalies who just aren't sure how high they can go with their pads and don't want to run the risk of buying pads that are too tall. It's also beneficial to kids that are still growing.
On the Sliding Toe Bridge:
This idea came about right as my time at Vaughn was coming to an end in Spring, 2002. It was my purchase of a pair of Overdrive blades that helped me to come up with the idea. I had the Overdrive blades on for the first time and during warm up, I realized the Overdrive blades were not touching the ice when I was in a butterfly. The idea of the sliding toe bridge came to me almost instantly. This was an exclusive design to Smith Hockey for about two years before other companies began to copy it.
Other Exclusive Designs:
Our thigh boards have had an additional restraint system that connects the thigh board to the back of the thigh rise. This idea greatly improved the puck stopping capability of the thigh board and also made it more protective. Unfortunately, it would appear the days of the thigh board are numbered.
The outer wedge panel found on the 5000 model helps to seal the side of the pad up against the post when standing. This feature also provides some extra protection against bad angle shots.
Other Smith Models:
We offer four different models. They are all pro level pads. We just haven't discontinued older models as the new ones come out. The 5000 is by far, our biggest seller. We do offer customizations to our pads. I do, however, draw the line on what we will do. I take this stance for a couple of reasons. I will not make changes to our designs that I know to be detrimental to the performance of the pads and I will not do changes that are detrimental to my integrity as a designer, business owner or person. I know some companies argue that they will do anything to make the customer happy as an excuse for their thievery but is it really about a happy customer or making a sale? A prostitute will also do anything to make a customer happy but at what price to their integrity, reputation and soul? Sadly, it is a fact that I lose quite a bit of business because of my stance on this issue.
Warranty:
We actually don't have a written warranty. However, I do take very good care of my customers. Nobody is ever left on their own if a problem occurs.
Personal Info:
I turn 39 on July 25th. I grew up on Long Island, New York. I currently live in Brockport, NY (near Rochester, NY). I started playing hockey around age 9. I still play today. I started doing repairs on my own equipment around the age of twelve. That eventually evolved into customizing gear and then building gear. I was building gear from scratch by the time I reached 11th grade. I have designed and/or built gear for Vic, Aeroflex, Simmons, Vaughn and Smith.
My biggest influences growing up were Dan Bouchard and the D&R Company. Dan Bouchard was a very innovative goalie. I believe he deserves more credit than he gets for helping to usher in the modern butterfly style. He was also very into equipment design and helped D&R with designing. D&R was, in my opinion, one of the most innovative companies in the 1980's. I loved their equipment and drew much inspiration from them. My earliest designs definitely had a strong D&R flavor to them. However, contrary to what some believe, I was building box style pads before the D&R Laser came out.
My current company employs myself, three full timers and intermittent part time help. Our facility is 4000 sq. ft. We do just about everything in house with the exception of some molding of plastic parts, cutting of straps and the building of blocker palms.
The pros that have used gear that I actually built are Billy Smith, Kelly Hrudey, Darrin Puppa, Reggie Lemelin, Tom Barrasso, Tim Thomas, Hannu Toivenen and Kevin Weekes. Countless other pro goalies have used gear that I designed.
