I'm in the market for a new mask and I thought I'd throw it out to all of you who've been in the trenches a while. Should I be looking at the Wilson DynaLite? The All-Star Super Light? +Pos Ultra Lightweight? Hockey mask?
Thanks!

It would be impossible to advise you on what to use, without trying them all. However, my preference is the Honigs K91 with tan doeskin pads. It's a single bar lightweight. I have been hit straight on a number of times, including today, and not injured. I have two of them, one in black frame and one in red (got that one on sale), both with tan doeskin pads and black harness.

I hear the All Star MVP2200 is popular among helmet wearers.

Do you wear the red mask when you wear a black hat? Black plate coat, black hat, red chest protector, red mask with a black harness?

Otherwise I don't know why you would not use a navy or red harness.

Fashion consultant? Where I come from black and red match. When I ordered the red frame I thought red harness would be too flashy. Plus, I just happened to have a never used spare set of tan doeskin pads, and a never used spare black harness, which probably had more to do with the color combinations than anything. By the way, I never dreamed of using a blue harness. I use the red mask when I wear blue, with the red and white trim, I wear the black one when working powder blue or cream, since neither of these shirts has any red in them.

This post was about masks and you use it to blast me about color coordination. You need help.

[Edited by DG on Jun 4th, 2005 at 11:09 PM]

First off, the tan pads are fine. I have tan pads on my navy mask.

Second, I am not against red masks, as I have one myself.

You say that you only wear the red mask when you wear a shirt that has red in it. That makes sense.

But you wear a black harness when your hat and shirt have no black in them. That does not make sense.

Black and red don't match when you have a navy hat on. I already gave you an exapmle of the red CP and black plate coat that would look pretty spiffy with the red mask and black harness.

A navy harness makes more sense than a black one. If you dind't want to have the look of the red harness, then navy is the correct choice.

And why do I need help? If I posted that I wear a cream shirt with two tone +POS red/navy ball bags and a navy hat, I would hope that someone would come and say that I shouldn't be wearing that combo.

[Edited by LDUB on Jun 4th, 2005 at 11:12 PM]

Some things don't require all the thought people put into them... This is definitely one of them. Everybody has opinions, they are like... well you know.

Does anyone have any "what's a good mask to buy" suggestions other than how to color-coordinate the harness with your shirt?

I bought the +POS ultra light mask last year. It is very light, and the view is good. I love it except this year, before the season started I did some cage work for our local highschool varsity team to get ready for the season and took a foul ball straight on. I mean straight on. The lower left virtical bar bent slightly, and the bend caused the rubber coating on the bar to crack. I didn't get hurt, or feel the foul much but man was I dissapointed that the mask bent after just one season. I spent $100 on this mask and expected it to last longer than one season. I am still using it and have tried without success to contact +POS but cant seem to get in touch with them. I have emailed without any respose back at least three times, and have called the phone numbers many many times but no one ever answers the phone. Does anyone know if they have gone out of business?

Get the +POS Zero Gravity or the Wilson New View.

The Zero Gravity is very light, and the new view has the squared off front.

Honig's single bar, +POS single bar and the Davis Featherweight are the same thing.

People still say +POS is still in operation. I do not order from them, and personally could care less either way about them so I have not looked into it any further.

I would personally NOT recommend the Davis Feather Weight mask. Some umpires have complained that foul balls (not very fast either) have bent bars significantly. However, I also heard Davis was quick to replace the mask for no charge.

My recommendation is the Wilson New View with the new Wilson wraparound doeskin pads. Here are links:

<img src="http://www.gerrydavis.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/pr1261-front.jpg">

<a href="http://www.gerrydavis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PR1261&Categ ory_Code=MSK">Davis New-View Mask by Wilson</a>

<img src="http://www.gerrydavis.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/AC4161-16.jpg">

<a href="http://www.gerrydavis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AC4161-16&Category_Code=PAD">Doeskin Wrap-Around Mask Pad</a>

I'm with Dave, The new view is the best bet. I bought the Gerry Davis featherweight this last winter, I used it for about 20 games, when I took the first foul ball. It was a 60MPH (at the most) pitch that hit the crown of the mask and bent it. I traded it in with Davis and got the New View mask with the oversized pads, which are very comfortable.

I did that already. I have TWO Honigs K91's and have been hit dead center a number of times with no injury to me, and no damage to the mask.

I second (or is that third?) the vote for the New View. It weighs next to nothing, I can see like I'm wearing a mask, and I've take two foul balls off it without any damage (to me or the mask).

I had the POS Zero Gravity until it took one foul ball above the nose. That section bent and an upright piece near the ear broke. That mask doesn't offer any protection. I'm now wearing the Honig's K91; it's a little heavier than the POS but that may be necessary in order to get full protection.

I called Frank Neves as Honigs Northeast (in CT) and had the mask the following day!