Itech 1400... Widowmaker?

[Sprawl]

ok. this place is the first I've EVER heard of the term "widowmaker" and that the Itech masks are bad.

I"ve done countless searches for Itech1400 and widowmaker and haven't been able to pull up any specific instances or reasons why people deem these masks to be inaprorpriate.

what I"m looking for is more details reasoning as to why you all claim it's a widowmaker.

trust me. i want my head to hold up. I'm concusion prone and have had 3 so far but never while wearing this mask.

I've read a couple articles that you have all posted on here about itech's failing, but never was this particular mask mentioned. i can't find recall information and as far as I know it is 'approved' for ice hockey use (however i'm beginnin to question the approval process)

any information would be greatly appreciated. but i am looking for more fact than opinion. just because you heard the name "widowmaker' applied to something doesnt make it true.

[King_henrik]

I have an itech 2500 mask, and i´m a old rookie. I have had about 5 shots straight to my head and so far no problems.

The reason the itech 1200/1400 ( same masks, only with decals on the 1400 ) and the 2500 line are called widowmakers are because they are made of plastic materials. Imagine taking this and ad some padding and you have an itech 1400 mask.

not the right stuff when u facing really hard shooting guys.

The more expensive masks are made of kevlar and fiberglass and that is much more safe then pure plastic materials.

[guest1]

If you are playing ball hockey or complete goober hockey its safe enough but man, you really need to upgrade to a more protective mask.

I had a 1000 and Marc Wells PM'd me and TOLD me he would get me a safer mask at a discount.

When a total stranger goes out of their way to get you an affordable and protective lid, that tells you all you need to know about how safe that widowmaker is.

I got an Olie MA2000 and many of us have had good luck with it.

[Sprawl]

but why would plastic be so horrible. if it's structurally riggid enough to withstand puck shots, it shouldn't matter the make.

if the fiberglass and plastic masks are both tested with 10 shots of 100mph and both succeed in diffusing the impact.. are both not just as good?

it seems kind of a slippery slope argument to say "it's plastic, therefore it MUST be inferior and therefore is definately unsafe".

wouldn't some form of imperical proof be required to show this. or some form historical evidence? thats what i"m looking for. sure it's plastic, but if it's been designed and tested for Ice hockey at those levels, than it should be up to par.

Granted there are always a few "incidences" where something fails. nothing is 100% are the plastic masks proven to be more prone to failing than the kevlar?

hell. we're stoping pucks.. not bullets!\

HELL. don't get me wrong... i want to keep the brain matter i have left in my head.. 3 minor concussions were more than enough for me

[soulpatch]

I have an NXi Phantom which is technically plastic though I have never heard of it shattering and breaking apart from a shot. I has seen numerous threads on here stating such things about the Itech masks. I have seen a recall on the 1200 (I htink or was it another number) from them as well. I have seen an itech mask shatter in roller hockey. To think it is ice capable is a joke IMHO.

The testing on a hockey lid to get the HECC is a joke IMHO. It should be a lot more stringent to protect your mellon. Do 10 shots at 100 MPH = game in and game out abuse? No they dont.

When you go on hockey forums and person after person bashs a particular model than something is wrong with it.

[Sprawl]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

When you go on hockey forums and person after person bashs a particular model than something is wrong with it.

NOT ENTIREly true. Rumour, and circumstance often has a way of perpetuating itself unjustly and without merrit on board and the internet. However, after reading that there IS concern in the product, i'm more than willing to hear what they are and weigh the circumstances.

just because a forum states something is **** doesn't mean it is. Mob justice doesnt always mean justice. what this means in this sense, just because the mob has decread so, doesnt mean it is so.

as i've said, people shout left and right you shouldn't wear this mask.. i'm asking WHY shouldn't you wear this mask. aside from "oh, it's plastic" i can't find anyone who's claimed injury or problems with it.

This is what i want to find out. I WANT MY BRAIN FUNCTION!.

[soulpatch]

dude do a search. Read some of the threads and you will see numerous first hand accounts of the mask failing. Hell there is a lawsuit against Itech for their masks failing that resulted in a recall. I believe the thread with the lawsuit was in the hot stove forum but I can be wrong. I would do a search for you but it apparent that you need to learn to use that feature on here as you would have found plently of evidence by now.



Plastic is not the issue persay. NXI never seems to have any issues, Ollie seems to be ok for the most part. Yet time and time again people coome on here and say how they cracked their Itechs on seemingly meaningless plays...

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by Sprawl

This is what i want to find out. I WANT MY BRAIN FUNCTION!.

If you were so concerned about your head and brain than you wouldnt be looking at the rock bottom gutter masks out there to begin with.........

[buffay34]

Ok, i just skimmed through this thred and I am a bit confused...

The thread starter asks if his itech mask is a widowmaker, and then argues on how it is protective

[buffay34]

Originally Posted by King_henrik

I have an itech 2500 mask, and i´m a old rookie. I have had about 5 shots straight to my head and so far no problems.

The reason the itech 1200/1400 ( same masks, only with decals on the 1400 ) and the 2500 line are called widowmakers are because they are made of plastic materials. Imagine taking this and ad some padding and you have an itech 1400 mask.

not the right stuff when u facing really hard shooting guys.

The more expensive masks are made of kevlar and fiberglass and that is much more safe then pure plastic materials.

I think I would rather wear one of those bowls with padding than the itech mask because at least when you get hit in head and killed, you wont be able to see it as clearly as you would with the itech mask on

[guest1]

http://64.119.187.28/board/search.php?searchid=587501

Simple search yielded these results.

This aint GEW. If you can't figure this crap out then you better go find a different place to learn at.

[Sprawl]

sorry buffay

what i'm trying to ask is for unbiased facts. this is what im looking for.

nothing more, nothing less. I've read the thread on which there's that lawsuit, and i'm sure most of you can come to the same conclusion i did. there's not enough facts for us to judge. there just isnt. one side claims that the user didnt maintain his mask, the other side claims it's the manufacturers who had a bad product

however, it is also said tin that thread that it was a different itech mask in question. now is it safe to say that because the mask HE used was bad, (2600) does that mean that the 1400 is also bad?

and soulpathc. not all of us can afford 1000 masks when our old ones are broke. my budget dictated the price. i can't go outside that. I tried to pick the best mask in that price range and if i picked wrong i'd like to know why.

and soulpatch. i'm having a hard time finding those threads, i've searched widowmaker / itech 1400 and such and havnt had much luck with finding first hand counts of them failing.

the only stories i've read was "oh, i've heard they fail". thats what peopel call "heresay" evidence and isn't really proof of anything. it's rumours.

I'm hoping to find real proof somewhere because forking over another 200 - 300 on a goalie mask may not seem like much to you, but it's a huge investment for me.

if a mask says "ICE HOCKEY" and is certified and recommended at two different stores i wen tto. why am I to doubt it. if there is IN fact something wrong with this mask, i think it's important that we find out and proove it.

tell me, if i were to go into the store and claim "i heard it's a bad mask, i want my money back" or something of the sort.. what would you say? I'd say tough.

but if i walked in with stats, and facts and said "stop selling this mask because it will end up killing someone". which is more likely to be believed.

if i can find the hard and fast proof about this mask, which is one of the more popular masks i see lining the shelves here in toronto, i would fight to get it pulled.

dont get me wrong... all this negativety towards it is questioning my resolve in wearing this mask. i just want some sort of proof so i can go to bat against the stores selling them

[shortsxit]

I took a shot off the forehead of my Itech about 1 1/2 years ago. Took a big chunk of paint out of the mask, as well as spider webbing cracks along the entire length of the forehead and exposing the fibres--never even considered another Itech when looking for a new mask.

[buffay34]

If your looking for unbiased facts, you are in the right place. There are no itech dealers i believe here, and i think theres 1 itech sponsored goaltender here. You are open to opinions of everday guys/gals from ages 15-45 (?) who have expierience with these widow makers (and lindross makers, which came form a new thread and i thought that word it great!!). I think majority of people have had a widowmaker. Its a entry level mask, and i bought 2 of them eralier in my career, as i didnt know any better. But from the BB and other goalies i am friends with, i learned and expierienced what masks are safe and which arent.

Financial issues are a different story. A few people have posted about how weird it is on how people like to spend the least amount of money on the most important pieve of gear..... such as spending 1000$ for pads, and payin 119$ for a mask... makes no sense. Theres always a choice of buying a used good mask. A good cleaning job and you have yourself a great mask there. Here is what i found on 1 quick search:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Eddy-Pro-Kevlar-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Eddy-Mask-Goalie...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/NXi-Phantom-Goal...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/NXI-Phantom-Goal...QQcmdZViewItem

All of those masks above would be better (alot better) than your current mask. You also have a choice of buying a mask from here on the BB. Some people have great deals on brand new masks, or great deals on used masks. There are also a few mask makers here on the BB, and from expierience, they try as hard as they can to get you in a safe mask for the cheapest price possible.

[Lars]

Hehe are you insisting on being stubborn or do I hear the cannons rumbling...
Seriously that is a lethal piece of crap...do not use
If you have three concussions then really you should know better I had one...and now wear a gawd damn panzer on my head...