"Official" Smith Thread

[Jim]

Originally Posted by RyGuy

Following up on my post. Here are the actual pics of the pads just received from Pete:

Attachment 3224

Damn these look cool (if I do say so myself)!

Ryan

awesome looking pads!!!
Congrats

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Jerry Klein

I just ordered a pair of 1000 pads and he told me 12 weeks.

Here's what I ordered:



It matches all my other gear.

I ordered them 32+2, in 11" width because I'm short (5'6") and the 12" Velocity V2s I currently have are a tad wide for me and also hard to close the 5-hole. I had graduated to them from 10" wide Vics. Not much else special, other than the nylon straps & plastic buckles. I have them on my Velo's and they make life SOOOOO easy!

I would have taken the leather straps.. i am not a big fan of the plastic buckles
it is easier to pull and get a good snug fit with leather i think. I have them on my current pads and that is my only pet peeve..

[M-Dub]

I grew to love the buckles because of the easy of on and off and also they are in the exact same spot every time. Alot of smith users wear them very loose so not much reefin is required..

[Jerry Klein]

Originally Posted by M-Dub

I grew to love the buckles because of the easy of on and off and also they are in the exact same spot every time. Alot of smith users wear them very loose so not much reefin is required..

Yeah, I don't wear them snug at all. I have the straps set exactly where I want them, and the plastic buckles make it a breeze to get on and off. I wore pads with leather straps & metal buckles for years, and I will never go back.

[TacoBell61]

Gloves are a few caddying loops away.

[murtel]

after all of my research on this site i am really starting to debate whether i want to go out and buy my equipment from next year in a store or order some smith. i am currently browsing their site and am looking at the pricing sheet. i am interested in the 1000 line and am wondering:
whether the sliding toe bridges w/ hardware and laces is a good investment.
whether the calf wedge is a good investment.
if someone would explain the leather strap w/ buckle and screws
and whether your name being printed on is worth it.

murtel

[RyJ Maduro]

The bridges and straps are hardware, they come with the pads when you buy them, those are just replacement parts. The calf wedge is a personal choice. Name on the side is also personal, doesn't really matter except for looks/I.D.

[murtel]

what are some stock pads that have a calf wedge?

[dancin'_mark]

Originally Posted by TacoBell61

Gloves are a few caddying loops away.

just out of curosity, how do you like caddying? is the money good?

[Reedy8284]

4.....more.....days. i check my email like 20 times a day to see if maybe, just maybe they are done early and i can see pics.

[TacoBell61]

Originally Posted by dancin'_mark

just out of curosity, how do you like caddying? is the money good?

It is way easy and you get payed way too much for doing jack ****, the only person who has a better amount of productive activity to total wages ratio other then caddies are local government workers and Alex Rodriguez.

[RyJ Maduro]

Originally Posted by TacoBell61

It is way easy and you get payed way too much for doing jack ****, the only person who has a better amount of productive activity to total wages ratio other then caddies are local government workers and Alex Rodriguez.

Do you already have to know golf, or is it one of those things where you learn from it? I've been wanting to take up golf (took some lessons, a college class) and I need a job, might work well for me.

[RyGuy]

Before I post up a full review with pics, I skated with my new sp1000s last night and thought I'd give up some initial impressions.

1. Are these legal?!? I was actually asked that last night. I tried them on at home, but I still couldn't grasp how big the pads are until I got on the ice (36"). Skating around was a bit awkward. I think I'll get used to it though.

2. Holy rebounds Batman! A few, not all, rebounds went screaming off the pads. Even my defensemen were commenting on it. I was able to direct many shots into the corner with a lot of control. I'm sure they'll deaden with time.

3. Five-hole, what five-hole?!? For the first time in my career, I successfully closed the 5-hole on a point blank shot. I had been giving up a lot of goals "through the wickets" with my traditional style pads.

4. Pretty, shiny things As has been commented on ad nauseam, Smith quality is 10 out of 10 (and then some). Not a stitch out of place. Lots of intelligent details - like the extra clip for storing the skate lace. My color scheme also attracted a lot of attention . Even the ref asked about them.

5. Game changing, career changing I'll go into this in more detail in my full review, but I had one of my best games in years last night. Now, I was coming off my worst game in years last week, so it's not like the pads had everything to do with my performance. However, my butterfly was really solid. My slides were under control and effective. The pads rotated without effort.

Needless to say, I'm really thrilled. I'll post more detail plus pics very soon.

Cheers,
Ryan

[RyJ Maduro]

Smith Blocker on order. Four weeks. SP1000s will be done either today or tommorow, and will ship within the week.

[Jerry Klein]

Originally Posted by RyGuy

I still couldn't grasp how big the pads are until I got on the ice (36"). Skating around was a bit awkward. I think I'll get used to it though.

Are they straight 36" or something shorter with extra thigh rise? What is your floor to mid-knee measurement?

Mine is 18.5" and I asked for 32 +3 or +4, but Pete recommended I not go any bigger than 32+2, because of possible mobility problems. I have straight 32" Velo V2's but I have problems with the 5-hole, which is why I wanted the extra height in the thigh.

On my Velos, the width (12") is more of a problem than the height, since I graduated from 10" wide Vics. I have more or less gotten used to it, nevertheless I ordered the Smiths in 11" width to make it easier to skate.