Finally decided.

[JordanF]

After hating my HSM for the last couple of seasons, I decided to dance with who brought me and get a new mask. I finally decided to shell out the $200 and buy the Wilson Titanium in the traditional profile from ump-attire. I absolutely can't wait for it to come on thursday. Hopefully the 2 C notes I paid for it will be worth it. I just could not resist it from the day I first saw it.

[Mr Umpire]

$200 for a mask. Hope there is a guarantee with it. I'd hate for it to take one foul ball and you are out that money.

[JordanF]

The mask is made out of titanium, meaning not only is it lighter, but WAY WAY WAY stronger than steel framed masks. They have been out for a while now, but I guess you have not seen or heard of these before.

[kylejt]

The mask is made out of titanium, meaning not only is it lighter, but WAY WAY WAY stronger than steel framed masks.

I went through the titanium craze with bicycles, so I'll wait for a good carbon fiber frame to come out. Ti isn't that strong, you'll see in a few months once the complaints start rolling in.

You're hard pressed to find a decent titanium bicycle anymore, when ten years ago every racer had one.

[Mr Umpire]

The mask is made out of titanium, meaning not only is it lighter, but WAY WAY WAY stronger than steel framed masks. They have been out for a while now, but I guess you have not seen or heard of these before.

I've heard of them and only seen them online. It will bend just like any $40 mask but costs a lot more. I'll stick with replacing a $40 mask every year or couple of years before I'll start replacing a $200 mask as often.

[JordanF]

I've heard of them and only seen them online. It will bend just like any $40 mask but costs a lot more. I'll stick with replacing a $40 mask every year or couple of years before I'll start replacing a $200 mask as often.

I seriously doubt that the strength of the Wilson Ti is the same as a $40 mask, and how much does a $40 mask weigh? That is like saying a $40 CP will protect the same as a WVP or a Honigs K1. Plus, there is this great thing called a warranty. A warranty provides protection against all defects in materials and craftsmanship. Seriously though, if you can't spend $200 on a mask, then don't , but your remarks seem slightly ignorant.

[Stan W.]

. Plus, there is this great thing called a warranty. A warranty provides protection against all defects in materials and craftsmanship. Seriously though, if you can't spend $200 on a mask, then don't , but your remarks seem slightly ignorant.

understand that a warranty is a guarantee given to the purchaser by a company stating that a product is reliable and free from known defects and that the seller will, without charge, repair or replace defective parts within a given time limit and under certain conditions...I agree warranties are a great thing, and the mask is from a reputable manufacturer...yet most warranties are for defects in "materials and craftmanship"...........and not for damage in "regular intended use"...such as protecting you from a foul ball direct to the face.....

a mask that bends, has done its job.....just my .02......

[Mr Umpire]

I seriously doubt that the strength of the Wilson Ti is the same as a $40 mask, and how much does a $40 mask weigh? That is like saying a $40 CP will protect the same as a WVP or a Honigs K1. Plus, there is this great thing called a warranty. A warranty provides protection against all defects in materials and craftsmanship. Seriously though, if you can't spend $200 on a mask, then don't , but your remarks seem slightly ignorant.

The cost of a mask has no bearing on its weight or strength. And, the warranty as stated before, is to cover defects not normal wear and tear use. If a foul ball bends it, then that is normal use = NO COVERAGE. I never said I can't spend the money. I said I won't spend the money for something made to get bent. And, your comment about a CP is naive as well. I spent $70 on my CP and it has worked great for the last 5 years. Oh, and BTW, it is a WV. So, price has nothing to do with how well it protects.

And, this is what I got from another post about a titanium mask.

until the top of the 9th when my new titanium masked got bent, and I was so pi$$ed I lost my focus for the last 3 outs.

It can and may happen.

Hope it lives through all the foul balls. Of course, it does depend on how fast the pitchers are throwing as well. If we are talking about 9 & 10 year olds, then it should last 5 years easily with minor cracks in the coating. If we are talking higher, better quality ball beyond 14 year olds, then we shall see if it gets bent at all or not.

Edited February 19, 2009 by Mr Umpire
Adding quote

[Umpire in Chief]

To each their own. IMO there is probably not much difference in protection between the $40 mask and a $200 mask. (At least the frame itself, the pads do make a difference) The difference is in the weight, comfort and piece of mind for each umpire.

When making a purchase like that each person has to determine their wants and needs and risk tolerance. All mask frames can be bent in the right circumstance. I remember Posada taking a foul on his Nike titanium mask and just running in the dugout to grab another. I had a catcher wearing a HSM took a nasty foul it bent the frame and it broke the clasp holding the frame to the helmet, but he wasn't hurt. Pissed but not hurt.

Think about your risk tolerance, worse case scenario to take a direct hit and dent your mask, can you readily replace your $200 mask? Weigh that against your perceived likelihood of needing to replace it. If your working primarily 10 y/o you'll probably never need to replace your mask, while pros probably have at least 1 in reserve.

A titanium mask is not necessarily tremendously stronger than steel overall but its weight to strength ratio is much more favorable. So those opting for the titanium masks are, in my unscientific opinion, getting the same protection in a lighter package.

But each person needs to figure out what they like/want/need and go for it.

IMO wearing the mask correctly and the padding are the #1 & #2 most important factors in protection with a mask.

[JimKirk]

Well put Warren. Titanium is AS strong as steel but 45% lighter. It will not offer you more protection but will be lighter and offer a better view with thinner bars and less contrast.

If a person is considering an umpire mask, one has to ask themselves whether they want to spend the significant amount of extra money to get those added features. Personally, I've always thought, and still do, that the Wilson Dyna-Lite Black Frame and Padding Umpire Mask is the best value when looking at protection, comfort and cost for under $50.

On the warranty discussion, Stan has a point. If you took a hard enough shot to the mask that it bends, then you should be pleased that you received protection from what had to have been a substantial amount of force to do that. And actually, the fact that it bent meant that it took more force away from your head.

But on the replacement issue, manufacturers in practice (interpretations of what it says on paper may differ), will replace a mask that has bent within a year. Unless it's a certain mask that has a history of problems, mask frames bending are very rare... I can at least speak well for Wilson, Diamond and Pro Nine. I honestly can't recall but maybe 1 mask being returned to us in the past 3 years that had been bent.

Edited February 18, 2009 by JimKirk
typo

[BT_Blue]

I dont have that many games this year but have already took one hit with my new Diamond Silver mask. Seems like it did its job and cant wait for that one REAL hit to come.

[evansgrad13]

I realize that the MLB umpires equipment is made by Wilson but watching todays games and every game this season you won't see a professional umpire without a Wilson Titanium or Shox FX Titanium on if your doing games at an upper level with guys bringing it at 80+ i'm going to trust what the big dogs are using

[Stan W.]

I realize that the MLB umpires equipment is made by Wilson but watching todays games and every game this season you won't see a professional umpire without a Wilson Titanium or Shox FX Titanium

Look closer and you will find many MLB umpires using many different manufacturers of masks and cp's all masked over with Wilson stickers or pads....

[kylejt]

Just off the top of my head, in MLB games this season I've seen the following masks/helmets:

Schutt ComfortLite

All Star masks and helmets

Mizuno with the goofy throat protector

Nike titanium

All sorts of Wilson DynaLite rigs

It's just that the logos are gone over with a sharpie, so you can't see them, or the frame has Wilson pads in them (like all of mine). MLB guys get the Wilson stuff for free, but until they actually get paid to advertise for Wilson, they'll wear what they want.

[gixxershane]

I will take free gear!!!;)

[mstaylor]

I got my silver frame from Jim Kirk and tried it out tonight. I am extremely happy with it. The pads will take some getting used to but I still like it.

[zm1283]

Going back to the start of this thread....

I don't think we've seen the mass complaints from people like some predicted. I have a Wilson Titanium and I absolutely LOVE it. My backup mask is a WV/Dyna-Lite and the comfort and weight difference is not even close. The Titanium has all black Wilson wrap around pads in it right now and it looks really cool. I think I'm going to get the tan wrap arounds to use sometimes too. The black ones are really hot this time of year.

[Umpire in Chief]

I've seen guys with all sorts of equipment out there, they either mark out all non approved logos or like Ed Rapuano puts a gold W on his Riddel Power CP.

[blue32]

I have a Titanium Shock FX bucket I purchased from Jim last year. Recently, BrianC14 was mentioning his cage on his Shock FX was bent, and Wilson replaced it for him. After first spouting off that my cage was fine, upon closer inspection, mine too, was bent. I called Wilson a week ago, spoke with Scott Weber, and he had a replacement titanium cage and shocks with all the hardware to me today. He offered to replace the whole helmet, but that would have required me to send mine to him first, and I didn't want to do that since my helmet is fine.

I have found over the years that umpire equipment suppliers like Jim at Ump Attire and manufacturers like Wilson are the best in any industry out there as far as customer service is concerned, and standing behind their products.

[kylejt]

I got my silver frame from Jim Kirk and tried it out tonight. I am extremely happy with it. The pads will take some getting used to but I still like it.

Don't get used to them, get rid of them. They're rubbish, and far too thin for any sort of baseball.

[JimKirk]

I have a Titanium Shock FX bucket I purchased from Jim last year. Recently, BrianC14 was mentioning his cage on his Shock FX was bent, and Wilson replaced it for him. After first spouting off that my cage was fine, upon closer inspection, mine too, was bent. I called Wilson a week ago, spoke with Scott Weber, and he had a replacement titanium cage and shocks with all the hardware to me today. He offered to replace the whole helmet, but that would have required me to send mine to him first, and I didn't want to do that since my helmet is fine.

I have found over the years that umpire equipment suppliers like Jim at Ump Attire and manufacturers like Wilson are the best in any industry out there as far as customer service is concerned, and standing behind their products.

Thanks, and I'm glad it all worked out.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Thanks, and I'm glad it all worked out.

They stood behind a 9-month-old titanium mask that had a slight dent. Whole new mask, like you said. Extraordinary!

[BT_Blue]

Don't get used to them, get rid of them. They're rubbish, and far too thin for any sort of baseball.

Agreed. Was the first order I made after I ordered my silver diamond from Jim. Replace those junk pads forth-with!

[tommy]

i purchased a wilson titanium mask prior to this years high school season. when I first recieved my wilson I was amazed how light it is. it has taken a while for me to get used to wearing it but im glad I have it. I do high school and jc ball and I have taken some shots and it has held up every time. when I need to replace the pads I think I will try the doe skin pads.