For 3 years, I had been playing with a set of used first-generation Reebok 6K (yes, branded as “Reebok”) glove and blocker and a new clearance pair of second-generation Mission Motion leg pads. This set has seen regular action about 3 times a week every week but saw even more action during the first few months of this year when I was unemployed.

In April, I was involved in an accident that was not my fault and I eventually ended up having some leftover insurance money after buying a tan 1994 Toyota Camry — a chick magnet if there ever was one. I hopped on eBay a couple months ago and found a set of Eagle Sentry 1 pads, glove, and blocker that was being offered for a song and a nickel (read: dirt cheap). I immediately purchased them and they arrived on my doorstep within a week.

First Impressions

I didn’t expect the pads to be stiff but I was pleasantly surprised at how flexible they were, which was fine by me because I’ve always preferred flexible pads. The eBay pics didn’t show the white outside gusset (shown below) and I didn’t know what to think, initially, but I love the contrast and will definitely get this on any custom pad I get. The outer side of the thighboards also are white but I re-laced them so that the black side appears outward now.

I also noticed that the leather straps felt a bit flimsy, which didn’t surprise me since this is overseas-made gear, but I was taken aback at how long each was. I had to crop nearly a foot from each before ever setting foot (er, skate) on the ice.

I had never used pro-spec gear before and wasn’t too surprised at the size of the glove and blocker. I put them on and was immediately delighted by their snug feel.

On The Ice

The Pads

Almost immediately during my first session I realized that the knee stacks were very flimsy. The 4 thin stacks did little to cushion my knees when I went into the butterfly and I knew that I would have to modify these pads if I wanted to use them comfortably.

I took knee stacks from my old white Mission pads and ran them through 2 RIT black dye cycles and they came out a shade of purple. Nonetheless, I laced them in. (See the white outside gusset, also):

Here’s the difference between the stacks that came with my Eagle pads (top) and the Mission stacks I couldn’t successfully dye (bottom).

Here’s a close-up of the knee setup. The white schmutz is part of the “Eagle” wordmark that’s peeling off from the leg channel.

Still, I love how light and flexible these pads are. If I could change another thing about them, I would ask for a deeper boot channel to aid in pad rotation and provide more skate protection.

Eventually, I will probably replace the leather straps with the nylon strap/plastic buckle setup that I’ve preferred for years. This will also correct the biggest problem I’ve had with these pads, particularly the right one. I’ve had to punch holes in the straps because I couldn’t tighten them as much as I like. Even after cinching the right pad down as much as possible, my knee slipped out of the stacks a few times and ended up a bit bruised and battered. I haven’t had the problem since I punched extra holes but it illustrates why I prefer to have nylon straps and plastic buckles – I can perfectly adjust them to my preference.

The Glove and Blocker

My blocker rebound control has increased dramatically since I started using the pro-spec sized waffle. The blocker feels like it’s right on my hand and I can feel the puck much better than I did with my old blocker. I’ve never been particularly picky about blockers and can’t offer too much analysis about this one other than that it’s balanced well, comfortable, and very protective.

The smaller glove, on the other hand, has given a few problems. I’ve had some problems catching the puck properly with it but that’s mostly a technique and skill issue, I figure. Nonetheless, I love the feel of this pro-spec glove. It has a comfortable classic palm break and offers a surprising level of protection that might surpass similar gloves on the market.

Overall Thoughts

For the price, this set is an absolute steal. If this gear were widely available like RBK’s stuff is, goalies would be doing themselves a favor by at least taking a look at it. For its price point, it may be too much to expect top-notch “fit and finish” but this gear is built well and will serve me well until I can finally get that custom Battram set I’ve planned on getting for a while now. Ahoy!