Wilson Chrome Moliben mask

akalsey · #1 (**permalink**) Thu May 05, 2005, 07:56am

Does anyone have the Wilson chrome moliben mask? I did my first game with this one last night and I had trouble with my hat coming off when I'd pull off the mask. It feels like either (or both) the back of the harnass is grabbing the back of the hat, or the bill of the hat is catching on something.

My mask has a much larger bottom pad than the one I've seen in pictures online (for instance at http://www.lestersupstatesports.com/...uct_Code=BA901 ) Perhaps that's making the mask ride a little high and that's causing the problem?

I wear a four stitch combo hat under my mask and I've never had a problem with other masks. I have the harnass pretty loose, so I don't think that's the problem.

Any ideas short of moving to a plate cap?

Dave Hensley · #2 (**permalink**) Thu May 05, 2005, 09:43am

I have used this mask (Gerry Davis markets it as the Wilson New-View Mask) for a little over one season now, and I love it. I have paired it with the new Wilson "wrap-around" mask pads also sold by Gerry Davis.

Haven't had the cap coming off problem you describe; in my experience, that problem is usually associated with your mask being on too tight. Loosen those straps a little and see if that doesn't cure the problem.

bdub712 · #3 (**permalink**) Thu May 05, 2005, 09:51am

I used to have this similar problem, but then I got accustomed to using both hands to remove the mask. I still hold the mask in my left but by having that added hand seemed to help.

gotblue? · #4 (**permalink**) Thu May 05, 2005, 10:23am

I think the problem is caused by a slight interference between the edge of the bill of the hat and the upper horizontal bar/wire at the top of the eye slot. The mask is "flatter" (low profile) than most other masks, which brings that bar closer to the hat. In removing the mask, if you don't clear the bar from the bill, the bar will start lifting the hat, and the harness will usually finish the job.

Slightly loosening the side straps of the harness helped me to pull forward enough before lifting in order to clear the bar away from the bill of the hat, which led to success for me. You said that you already have a fairly loose harness, so loosening further may not help. Possibly working on pulling forward more at the start would help. The two-handed approach has also worked for me, for some reason that is what I do at the end of a half-inning most of the time.