Which mask pad do you like the best, leather or synthetic? Please let me know your reason.

Thanks

Doeskin, it absorbs the sweat.

Doeskin. More comfortable, and absorbs a direct hit better than plastic. Tried leather pads once, did not last one season. I have a set of plastic pads in my bag as a backup in case of a failure, although not really needed anymore because I bought a second mask on sale and now rotate masks according to shirt color, but I did change pads once this year for a tournament game that was rain delayed for over an hour, moved to another site, and while I was dressing it was still raining, although lightly. I did not want to go out in the rain in my doeskins.

Doeskins.

They wear better and there isn't any dye to bleed into the nice white letters on your hats.

So you are telling me that having the maks pads wrapped in doeskin provides better protection than vinyl???

Kangaroo leather, hands down. It's as soft as doeskin (I have sensitive skin ;) ) but won't rot like doeskin. My doeskin pads used to last one year. Kangaroo lasts 5+, and stays soft unlike cowhide. Synthetic won't absorb sweat, but also deteriorates too fast.

i have suede pads on my AUL3000 right now because they didnt have smooth leather when i got it. it was nice for the first 10-15 games then the suede wore away. its still alright, but i prefer having leather pads.

id like to try doeskin sometime though

if you want to clean out your mask and get the dirt and grime out, i have always used petroleum jelly. get a glob of it, rub it into the areas where it touches your face and let it sit for a little bit. it brings the dirt out, then take a towel or cloth and wipe it off after it has sat for a while.

ive only done this on smooth leather masks, and all of my baseball gloves. its a recommended practice by the Nokona glove company.

Where would one find these,other than Australia,
of course??

To find kangaroo pads, check with Honigs (www.honigs.com) and POS (www.pos.com). If they are not listed on the website, call the respective "800" numbers and ask a live person. Good luck - you'll never regret going "kangaroo"!

JJ

yeah both of my nokonas (11 yr old kangaroo fielders glove, 3 yr old buffalo catchers mitt) are in incredible condition. one of my brothers uses the exact same fielders glove and it is about 5 years old, yet mine looks like it may be about one year old instead of the 11 that it is.

about the spelling, i knew i read about it somewhere, and i found it on their site:
2. Is Nokona spelled with a "K" or a "C"?
Our most frequently asked question! While our company name is NOCONA Athletic Goods, our trademark is NOKONA with a "K". Our hometown is Nocona, Texas with a "C". Many moons ago, as the story goes, when we tried to trademark the word Nocona, we were told that we could not use the name of an incorporated city (Nocona, TX) as a stand alone trademark. While there is some question about this story, Nokona with a "K", along with the Indian Head logo has come to symbolize our American made pride and craftsmanship!

The doeskin pads I buy are are much better padding than anything I have ever seen in plastic. It's not the wrapping, it's what is inside the wrapping.

I like the WV amara pads, but only if I've recently shaved. With a five o'clock shadow my beard sticks to it. Doe skin on the other mask, and leather All Star pad on the helmet. I like the amara because it's cooler, and really easy to wash.