I will respond as best I can to Johnny's Q's/comments. Mine is the "new view"/Lower profile style.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnyg08
Now that many of you on here have some games already under your belt for 2009...let's bring this thread back to life. What are your thoughts on this mask? The lower padding seems somewhat excessive. Please post some thoughts on here...I'm seriously considering this mask, but would like more reviews. Is the padding leather/doeskin/vinyl?
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For me there is nothing better. It is so light.... The lighter color of the metal seems to allow for a better field of view. I used to wear a six or eight stitch hat on bases and four stitch on plate. Now I wear a six stitch for both. Saves about $100 per year as I had five different hats for all three of my associations I work (HS group has three different hats).
I looked up Titanium and it's properties and discussed it with a metallurgist/scientist and an aircraft design guy. The only "natural enemy" of Titanium is high heat above 600 degrees which is not really very natural is it. No rust, no dents, ever, according to these guys
As for the pads. They are leather two-tone doeskin. Very light. They take some getting used to due to the width and as you say "Seem excessive" but they don't interfere with anything. I tried some Honig's traditional doeskin pads in black and it looked fine but felt different and I have now gotten used to the newer Wilson pads. They do absorb a lot of energy.
I liked it so much the first day I wore it that I put all three of my other masks up for sale immediately. I had two new-views (black and gray frames) and a Honig's traditional in Navy. All of them had Wilson tan doeskin traditional style pads. I also had black Amara Suede Wilson Wraparound pads which I sold with the two new-views.
I highly recommend the Wilson Titanium mask. Get whatever shape you desire now that it comes in traditional and new view.
I don't think you will regret the purchase. I sure don't
Plus, it looks very cool. Almost everyone wants to look at it and touch it.
As an aside: I worked a scrimmage at Kentucky yesterday. One of UK's catchers, Nidiffer, wore a Nike Titanium mask with royal blue pads and a royal helmet without ear flaps. The cool thing about it was that he wore the bill of the helmet forward like a hat instead of backwards like a catcher usually does. I asked him it was due to the light weight of the mask. Of course he said yes. It looked pretty cool. His Nike Titanium was slightly lighter in weight than mine due to his Nike cloth pads and the fact that I wear a dangler and sun visor/shade in my Wilson.
Good luck with your decision. Hope this helps.