If you get hit square on, it really doesn't matter how loose your straps are. You're going to absorb a lot of the blow. You, the frame, and the padding.

Is this the low profile design, or the more rounded one? Up near the forehead it probably doesn't make much difference, but I'm just curious.

Be careful with a brain injury. I took a full month off from dish duty with my last concussion, and that may have been too soon.

I added a Diamond Featherweight FMD Silver to my equipment list before Fall Ball, to join with the the Honigs K91's I have. Diamond is lighter and I have been pleased with it, although I have not taken any really good shots yet. The K91's though, have proven themselves many times.

You'll want to swap the wimpy pads out of that Diamond. Trust me, and my hurting jaw. They're less than worthless.

Why does Diamond have such horrible pads? They would make serious inroads with that mask if the pads weren't so awful.

I know several guys who did what you said and swapped them out for Wilson wrap-arounds. (The coolest look is the all-black leather pads with the silver mask.)

But the Wilson titanium is going for as low as $170 new these days, and they're starting to pop up on ebay used for much less. I would rather have a Wilson to start with, but that Diamond/Wilson hybrid is a great alternative.

I think it was just to save weight, for bragging rights.

Would these be the black pads that I could use for the Titanium?

Amara Wrap-Around Pads: Gerry Davis Sports

Those will work. I have the same ones but they're leather instead of the amara suede.

I have leather and Amara, and much prefer the leather. Amara is okay if you're cleanly shaven, and don't have a five o'clock shadow.

Lesters Upstate Sports :: Baseball & Softball :: Masks & Mask Accessories :: Wilson A3815 leather wrap-around replacement pads NOW IN BLACK

great...thanks for posting the link...I'd prefer leather for sure...

I work with a guy who swapped out the Diamonds with these:
http://www.gerrydavis.com/Merchant2/...001/ac4163.jpg
New View Pads: Gerry Davis Sports

They look great on the silver Diamond.

Also, this is a great ebay buyer to get the mask from ($59): Diamond Ultra-Lite Low Profile Mask - Best Seller! - eBay (item 330319111651 end time Oct-28-09 17:35:16 PDT)

Anyone know where I could find a pair of the Wilson traditional replacement mask pads? I have the Wilson Titanium mask and have noticed several MLB umpires replacing the factory wrap-around style pads with a traditional style set of Wilson tan pads in the non wrap-around. I would prefer the traditional style, but can't find them anywhere in the tan color.

In fact, in last night's game 3 of the NLCS, Sam Holbrook was wearing the very style mentioned. See picture of Sam Holbrook (click here).

Gerry Davis offers them in black (Amara Traditional Pads: Gerry Davis Sports).

Anyone know where I could find them in the tan?

Kevin Finnerty replied to your thread you started in this forum about this and I replied in the other forum where you posted it. You migh also try calling Wilson.