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jl2207 Fri Jan 23, 2009 01:52pm

What mask to buy
 
Hey guys I am sorry for bothering you guys once again I did get my new West Gold CP on wed. tried it on and like it so thanks for your info guys now im ready to buy a mask so I was wondering what mask you use and why you like it or why you dont like other masks from what I can get from reading everything is the Diamond is the lightest but the pads arent any good and the Wilson is the most comfortable so if I buy the Diamond do I need to replace the pads immediatly if so with what other pads (Wilsons pads ?) will Wilson pads fit a Diamond mask or does Diamond make better pads that you can upgrade to also if you have any other suggestions on other masks I would like to hear them as well


Thanks guys

mbyron Fri Jan 23, 2009 02:07pm

You could begin by buying some punctuation. Sheesh.

jl2207 Fri Jan 23, 2009 02:13pm

Sorry I didnt know this was school so next time I post something I will send it to you to proofread for me before I post

UmpJM Fri Jan 23, 2009 02:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbyron (Post 571699)
You could begin by buying some punctuation. Sheesh.

jl2207,

I understand Honigs has a special going on where, if you buy their punctuation "starter package", they'll throw in some free capitalization. Man, I would have run out of breath before finishing all that. Oh, and "school" has nothing to do with it.

I use a Wilson DynaLite, which I've been quite happy with.

JM

Durham Fri Jan 23, 2009 02:18pm

I would go with this mask, the west vest one.

http://www.umpirejoewest.com/umpiremasks.htm

or this mask the new titanium one,

http://www.honigs.com/detail.asp?Cat=2&Sub=36&Item=1064

both are super light and very comfortable.

The WV mask is the only one I have used since 1997, and this year I will wear the Titanium one with my new WV Gold and they both feel great on. BTW, I used the same WV mask from the fall spring of 97 until this year. Needless to say it was very durable.

Hock9 Fri Jan 23, 2009 02:50pm

several good ones
 
I've had the Diamond ultra light weight mask. The frame is great; the pads are cheap - so you'll want to replace them.

I just bought a wilson titanium, haven't used it yet, added a throat protector because it's about 1/2" shorter (in terms of the built-in extension) than the traditional Wilson A3009.

I have an allstar - light weight, double bar frame, great visibility (better than the west vest wilson a3009)....comes with either tan (more like orange) or black leather pads. On sale for $59 at Zebra sports I think.

Kevin Finnerty Fri Jan 23, 2009 03:01pm

A) Wilson Titanium for both the weight and the pads
B) Diamond featherweight with Wilson wrap-around replacement pads like Hock and Kyle and others have said
C) West Vest Chrome Moliben (no sense going this route these days ... it's not that light compared to the others)

Additional note: lighter-colored cage is easier to see through.

bob jenkins Fri Jan 23, 2009 03:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jl2207 (Post 571704)
Sorry I didnt know this was school so next time I post something I will send it to you to proofread for me before I post


It's not school. It's just common courtesy. If you want to be taken seriously, then post as an adult.

Kevin Finnerty Fri Jan 23, 2009 05:18pm

http://vermont.purchaseofficials.com...productid=1098
$69.00 at:
http://vermont.purchaseofficials.com...&cat=64&page=1


http://www.btlofficialsgear.com/catI...C131_large.jpg
$29.00 at:
http://www.btlofficialsgear.com/items.jsp?category=1471

etn_ump Fri Jan 23, 2009 09:12pm

I am constantly amused when we umpires talk about a LIGHT mask. Come on, guys!

The Wilson Titanium weighs 1.10 lbs, the Davis Ice Gray weighs 1.45 lbs., the Wilson New View weight 1.45 lbs., the Wilson Dyna Lite weighs 1.98 lbs., and the Wilson Shock FX helmet weighs 3.50 lbs.

If your neck can't support ANY of these, don't worry about the mask, work on the strength of you neck!

waltjp Fri Jan 23, 2009 09:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by etn_ump (Post 571816)
I am constantly amused when we umpires talk about a LIGHT mask. Come on, guys!

The Wilson Titanium weighs 1.10 lbs, the Davis Ice Gray weighs 1.45 lbs., the Wilson New View weight 1.45 lbs., the Wilson Dyna Lite weighs 1.98 lbs., and the Wilson Shock FX helmet weighs 3.50 lbs.

If your neck can't support ANY of these, don't worry about the mask, work on the strength of you neck!

I've been around long enough to remember the days before the lightweight mask. After using my first lightweight mask I couldn't imagine how I ever used the old clunker.

mrm21711 Fri Jan 23, 2009 09:31pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob jenkins (Post 571747)
It's not school. It's just common courtesy. If you want to be taken seriously, then post as an adult.

You post is incredibly difficult to read - if you want to be taken seriously (which is a stretch anyway) write like a normal person.

Wilson Dyna-Lite, Honig's Single Bar, or Wilson Titanium (if money is no object). Thats my advice.

umpduck11 Fri Jan 23, 2009 09:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hock9 (Post 571730)
On sale for $59 at Zebra sports I think.

Zebra sports is out of business, unfortunately.

Hock9 Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:07pm

Zebra sports
 
Yes, they've gone out of business - but their website said they'd take orders until the end of this month (looks like inventory is now very limited, which makes sense....but the mask I bought from them last year for $79 is still there for $59 - the All Star one with leather pads)

tip184 Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:12pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM) (Post 571707)
jl2207,

I understand Honigs has a special going on where, if you buy their punctuation "starter package", they'll throw in some free capitalization. Man, I would have run out of breath before finishing all that. Oh, and "school" has nothing to do with it.

I use a Wilson DynaLite, which I've been quite happy with.

JM

You're being very cheeky, as always.

UmpJM Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:29pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tip184 (Post 571827)
You're being very cheeky, as always.

tip,

Perhaps...a bit.:rolleyes:

JM

kylejt Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:57pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hock9 (Post 571826)
Yes, they've gone out of business - but their website said they'd take orders until the end of this month

Yeah, that's not a recipe for disaster.

Kevin Finnerty Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:25am

"Tell you what, you send me your credit card number and I'll send you your merchandise ... I swear."

SanDiegoSteve Sat Jan 24, 2009 02:54am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jl2207 (Post 571691)
Hey guys I am sorry for bothering you guys once again I did get my new West Gold CP on wed. tried it on and like it so thanks for your info guys now im ready to buy a mask so I was wondering what mask you use and why you like it or why you dont like other masks from what I can get from reading everything is the Diamond is the lightest but the pads arent any good and the Wilson is the most comfortable so if I buy the Diamond do I need to replace the pads immediatly if so with what other pads (Wilsons pads ?) will Wilson pads fit a Diamond mask or does Diamond make better pads that you can upgrade to also if you have any other suggestions on other masks I would like to hear them as well

Wow, this is the longest run-on sentence I've ever seen!

SethPDX Sat Jan 24, 2009 02:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty (Post 571851)
"Tell you what, you send me your credit card number and I'll send you your merchandise ... I swear."

Worked for +POS. "You didn't get your order? But, we took your money. Hmmm..."

greymule Sat Jan 24, 2009 08:05pm

Hey, guys, I am sorry for bothering you again. I did get my new West Gold CP on Wednesday. Tried it on and like it, so thanks for your info. Now I'm ready to buy a mask, so I was wondering what mask you use and why you like it, or why you don't like other masks. From what I gather from reading, the Diamond is the lightest but has inferior pads, and the Wilson is the most comfortable. So if I buy the Diamond, do I need to replace the pads immediately? If so, should I use Wilson's? Will Wilson pads fit a Diamond mask? Does Diamond make better pads that you can upgrade to? Also, if you have any suggestions on other masks, I would like to hear them.

(It's a slow weekend.)

jl2207 Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:28pm

thanks I needed someone to help me figure all that out

JimKirk Sun Jan 25, 2009 09:01pm

Mask Weights
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by etn_ump (Post 571816)
The Wilson Titanium weighs 1.10 lbs, the Davis Ice Gray weighs 1.45 lbs., the Wilson New View weight 1.45 lbs., the Wilson Dyna Lite weighs 1.98 lbs., and the Wilson Shock FX helmet weighs 3.50 lbs.

Maybe I can help turn this thread back on subject.

The weights you mentioned are incorrect due to no fault of your own. You are simply quoting the "shipping weight" listed for each mask on Gerry Davis's website.

I can't speak for their calculation of shipping weights, but you can find actual weights of 13 masks and helmets here (click link and scroll to bottom) :
http://www.ump-attire.com/service/bu...pire_mask.html

Jim Kirk
Owner
www.ump-attire.com

briancurtin Sun Jan 25, 2009 09:23pm

Your link got skewed somewhere in the process of posting it, so for those looking for it, http://www.ump-attire.com/service/bu...pire_mask.html is the correct one. The actual link got truncated with an elipsis in the middle of it.


Not to keep the thread off track, but it was nice to meet you at the NCAA meeting this weekend!

Kevin Finnerty Sun Jan 25, 2009 09:49pm

Wow!

SanDiegoSteve Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:03pm

Guess I missed all the excitement, as I see some items are now missing!

UmpJM Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty (Post 572258)
Wow!

Kevin,

I'll admit I'm a little puzzled as well.

Oh well.

JM

JimKirk Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by briancurtin (Post 572249)
Your link got skewed somewhere in the process of posting it, so for those looking for it, http://www.ump-attire.com/service/bu...pire_mask.html is the correct one. The actual link got truncated with an elipsis in the middle of it.


Not to keep the thread off track, but it was nice to meet you at the NCAA meeting this weekend!

Brian,
Really good to see you and everyone else in Chicago as well.

Appreciate the link correction.

My hunch is a moderator deleted all the not-so-nice previous posts and somehow clipped mine as well. I had a copy in my cache, but in re-posting I must have copied the one that gets truncated rather than the actual one.

There was also a post that contained a titanium mask question after my first attempt that also got deleted. Perhaps the person who posted it could re-post. That should get everything back on the right track with the thread.

Jim Kirk
Owner
www.ump-attire.com

Tim C Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:59pm

Wow!
 
We haved a winnner. Someone wants us to send money when they cannot even communicate in written English:

How sad:

Quote:

"Hey guys I am sorry for bothering you guys once again I did get my new West Gold CP on wed. tried it on and like it so thanks for your info guys now im ready to buy a mask so I was wondering what mask you use and why you like it or why you dont like other masks from what I can get from reading everything is the Diamond is the lightest but the pads arent any good and the Wilson is the most comfortable so if I buy the Diamond do I need to replace the pads immediatly if so with what other pads (Wilsons pads ?) will Wilson pads fit a Diamond mask or does Diamond make better pads that you can upgrade to also if you have any other suggestions on other masks I would like to hear them as well"

Welpe Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:24pm

Jim, that was me. I guess my post was one of the ones caught in the cross fire. ;)

I noticed that you carry both the low profile and "regular" profile Wilson titanium masks. Have you noticed a higher demand of one over the other?

tip184 Mon Jan 26, 2009 04:45am

Rather than a moderator, we need a babysitter who calls it both ways.

bob jenkins Mon Jan 26, 2009 09:27am

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimKirk (Post 572279)
Brian,
My hunch is a moderator deleted all the not-so-nice previous posts and somehow clipped mine as well.

Correct. Rather than trying to figure out which posts were "valid" and which weren't, and trying to edit those that referrred to posts that were deleted, I simply deleted all posts from (about) 10:45 Saturday evening (central time) to (about) 7:30 Sunday evening.

I apologize to the 10% who had valid posts deleted.

SanDiegoSteve Mon Jan 26, 2009 01:07pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob jenkins (Post 572373)
Correct. Rather than trying to figure out which posts were "valid" and which weren't, and trying to edit those that referrred to posts that were deleted, I simply deleted all posts from (about) 10:45 Saturday evening (central time) to (about) 7:30 Sunday evening.

I apologize to the 10% who had valid posts deleted.

Apology accepted, as mine were completely valid.

Kevin Finnerty Mon Jan 26, 2009 01:09pm

"Valid posts."

Valid to whom?

JimKirk Mon Jan 26, 2009 03:14pm

Standard More Popular
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Welpe (Post 572289)
Jim, that was me. I guess my post was one of the ones caught in the cross fire. ;)

I noticed that you carry both the low profile and "regular" profile Wilson titanium masks. Have you noticed a higher demand of one over the other?

Great question. Yes, we are noticing a higher demand for the standard or "regular" profile as we had suspected - about 2 to 1 so far this year.

However, some of this may be due to the fact that we are one of the only ones who has this mask in that frame shape.

Jim Kirk
Owner
www.ump-attire.com

Kevin Finnerty Mon Jan 26, 2009 03:31pm

I bought the Wilson Titanium in the first week, and I got the low-profile, because that's all they came in at the beginning. I was disappointed when I saw that they were offering it in the standard profile soon after, and even considered asking Wilson to swap my cage for a standard cage.

Then I took a full-on 88-mph shot between the eyes, and it really was not nearly as severe as a similar shot to the chrome-moliben low-profile or standard profile (my other two masks). With that experience, I stuck with the low-profile in the titanium and it has been remarkable. The light-colored bars are easier to see through, and the low profile makes it easier to see the bottom part of the strike zone, allowing me to set up a little higher. It's a superb view. Its reputation for taking blows that stick is well-founded, I suppose; but the thing's so light that it doesn't shake you up like a standard low profile. It's worth the trade off--so far.

Welpe Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimKirk (Post 572581)
Great question. Yes, we are noticing a higher demand for the standard or "regular" profile as we had suspected - about 2 to 1 so far this year.

However, some of this may be due to the fact that we are one of the only ones who has this mask in that frame shape.

Jim Kirk
Owner
www.ump-attire.com

Thanks, Jim. I did not know that you were one of the only suppliers carrying the standard profile mask. Unfortunately, I think the mask is out of my price range for now but it is definitely on my wish list. :)

tip184 Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:00am

How about all the posts lambasting the OP for his punctuation? Delete those as well.

SanDiegoSteve Thu Jan 29, 2009 10:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tip184 (Post 572859)
How about all the posts lambasting the OP for his punctuation? Delete those as well.

I think those are the ones that got deleted. At least mine did. Punctuation is important in writing. And, it's just common courtesy to mix in commas and periods occasionally.

beachbum Fri Jan 30, 2009 07:42am

Is there any masks that any of you used, and had trouble with? Seems as though most newer styles are well built.

I guess another question is, ...what makes an expensive mask better, besides the weight?

MajorDave Fri Jan 30, 2009 08:08am

Two +POS masks come to mind.
 
"Q: Is there any masks that any of you used, and had trouble with? Seems as though most newer styles are well built."


The SUL carbon/plastic frame is a no-no. I have seen a cracked one and heard and read of many stories of injuries due to this mask. There is a thread on that very problem and how it was a big factor in the demise of +POS as a company/supplier by Don Parsons of +POS ownership/family here on another forum back in December.

Another +POS mask made of coated aluminum/metal with hollow tubing. Also called a Super Ultra-light with a number (I think SUL300). I had a partner with a big dent in that model mask over his right eye area. I asked him why he was still wearing the mask? His reply: "I paid $80 for it. I'm going to wear it until it doesn't protect me anymore." I certainly hope he does not find out the hard way.

Since +POS is now out of business you don't have to worry too much. I would not buy a used +POS mask of any model though.

I don't know of any of the newer model Wilson's like dyna-lite, Chrome Moliben/New-view denting. Of course, Titanium is your best be so far for lightweight and strength combination.

The Schutt/Diamond that is now selling in silver and black rubber coating have weld spots where the horizontal and vertical bars meet and are made of what appears to be a light aircraft grade cast aluminum. I have seen a black one with the rubber coating cracking off but have heard of no problems with these masks.

Hope this helps.

kylejt Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:59am

I'm pretty sure my Schutt is hollow tube steel. +POS had the aluminium mask, but the tubes were a bit thick.

So far, so good with the Schutt. I've got standar size WV Amara pads in it, as the original pads are junk, and I got clocked pretty good on the chin. It's a bit lower profile than my Honigs and Dynalite, but not as flat as the New View. I like this current rig a lot.

JR12 Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:29am

I looked your mask up. I see it has the bar at the top, like the Diamond mask.
I'm thinking of getting one with that bar. I have had the top of my head skimmed (only twice in 17 years) it smarts a little. I like the diamond in the silver/grey, since some posters say the light color seems easier to see thru.

Kevin Finnerty Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:49am

Any blow that glances doesn't really hurt, including the dome scrapers. No need for extra bar.

JR12 Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:57am

Yea, your probably right. It smarted for a couple minutes, but never left a bump or anything.

SanDiegoSteve Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:22pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty (Post 573955)
Any blow that glances doesn't really hurt, including the dome scrapers. No need for extra bar.

"Doesn't really hurt" is subject to interpretation.:)

briancurtin Fri Jan 30, 2009 08:48pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MajorDave (Post 573875)
Another +POS mask made of coated aluminum/metal with hollow tubing. Also called a Super Ultra-light with a number (I think SUL300). I had a partner with a big dent in that model mask over his right eye area. I asked him why he was still wearing the mask? His reply: "I paid $80 for it. I'm going to wear it until it doesn't protect me anymore." I certainly hope he does not find out the hard way.

I dumped my SUL either within the same season I bought it, or very early the season after...can't remember which. A few other posters had the same problem, where any moderately hard shot dented one or more bars. the two vertical bars that run up in front of your mouth were the ones that dented pretty harshly for me.

i loved the weight of that mask, but it had the structural integrity of a wet noodle

greymule Fri Jan 30, 2009 09:23pm

+POS advertised the frame of that SUL300 as "extremely strong." Mine was dented beyond use after one season of fast pitch softball. It really was just plain (expensive) junk.

I've since gone to an All-Star UMP2000 helmet and love it.

Rcichon Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:40pm

Honigs
 
East has a helmet Frank is offering as an 'inside the mask' helmet for those that want the top protection of a HSM but the comfort of a traditional facemask.

Fitted construction, hard hat bump style in Navy blue. Fits fairly snug and the facemask pops right off when you want it to. I tried it on but it's a helmet and (IMO) looks awkward when your mask is off.

Frank said he sold 5 at the Jim Evans school recently. No picture to be had yet, at least I cannot find one.

Would you use one?

Kevin Finnerty Mon Feb 09, 2009 01:34pm

Most of us would never wear anything that looks stupid when you take off your mask, irrespective of whether it keeps your coconut from cracking.


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