BT_Blue

So think about it this way for this. The mask pads and the chest pads are apples and oranges. The much stated issue with the mask pads is that they can be stiff until the body warmth from you chin warms them up. That is a VERY SMALL area compared to your whole upper torso! PLUS the CP is under a shirt or even jacket. So it will trap body heat. The time to it loosening up is going to be far shorter with the CP than the mask pads! I still wish I had jumped on getting the retrofit. If I did, I still might have my Gold. But I waffled on it for to long. And once I decided to make the jump, they had stopped.

Professionally fitted ones!

Great minds think a like... and... so do ours!😁 I would almost guarantee that is what we are looking at. They had spare parts and decided they would sell better by calling it "exclusive" than they would separately. As stated previously... it isn't like the current stock of pads vanished the minute TW announced they weren't making them any more. But what will happen is that they will become a lot harder to find... eventually.

I do think we are dwelling on what Rock74 said as a "team Wendy mask" vs "a mask with Team Wendy pads." I say this because multiple retailers have done this. Including Gerry Davis and "friend of the website" Ump-Attire. Best guess... they have extra frames of now mis-designated Honigs hollow steel single bar masks and have decided to pair them with TW pads and sell as a set.

Another odd thing is calling at "Zro-G". Which was a +POS designation.

Wish I could take credit for the idea. But I bought it from Acpar that way. So all dye credit should go his way.

You're just going to hang a statement like that put there and not give us photos?

Wait... I get to show off pictures of my favorite mask ever? YES PLEASE!😁 Count me in as a Shovel user.

Agreed. The new fitlocks or whatever the name is (the magnetic ones now on the new Wilsons) would work great with this. You can buy them pretty cheap on Amazon. But agreed... stay away from those terrible t hooks.

IS THE POPE CATHOLIC!? IS THE SKY BLUE!? IS THE UMPIRE ALWAYS RIGHT!? (Ok... maybe that last one is a bad example... but still...)

AT LEAST! Feel like I remember his name coming up when I was back in Northern CA in the early 2000s.

I fell into the trap for a time as well. But amateur umpires are like pro boxers and wrestlers... do we ever REALLY retire?

@Ump242 how much did the All Star TI set you back?

I've had two. One was a 15in black-on-black CP. I really liked it. But hated the extra 2 inch plate at the bottom. That was while I was using my All American before my current Cobalt. The one that stings a little was the original WV I had gotten. Unfortunately it wasn't my size. And has since been to Douglas and then onto its current (I believe) home. I wouldn't mind getting a hold of another one and being able to truly make it my own. But that won't happen for a while.

? Those are AS pads in the photo

Was just thinking about this. Wonder how long Jeff has been at Douglas. I am pretty sure I remember his name being mentioned for over a decade. If not longer.

He retires like an old boxer or wrestler... or Tom Brady. Lol

They definitely are on the denser side of things. But then again... soldiers are willingly padding their helmets with this stuff. So I'll leave it to them to tell me that the product is top notch.

I never really had an issue with them being to stiff. Even at or below 50 degrees, they softened up pretty well pretty quickly. @Umpiresrock74 I too got a concussion while wearing TW. However, I truly believe they helped save me from a moderate or major one to a minor one. As for the MAG... I LOVE THAT MASK! Wicked lightweight and the vision is outstanding. Like Keith said, it will take some getting used to. The chin pad is oversized to say the least. But once you get past that is it extremely comfortable!

WHOOPS! My bad. In dark mode, it looks grey. Probably helpful if I actually read what is on the screen next time.

Interesting, because this was directly from the All Star site. Wonder if maybe a difference between desktop and mobile or something? That being said. I don't think you can even see the black while wearing it.

Grey with black inside... https://all-starsports.com/collections/helmet-parts/products/fm4000-magnesium-replacement-pads?variant=40790346760249

Yes the graphite, or grey if you prefer, have black cloth against your face. $75 a pop is BONKERS! I'm glad I traded/bought mine two years ago before I took a break!

I too use the All Star MAG pads. But that switch really came about once I moved to the MAG mask. However, going forward (and when ever I next step on the ball field), I will do so with the magnesium pads on any mask I use. Those are All Star Magnesium pads. For the FM4000MAG mask. But as others have said. They will fit any mask on the market except a Force3. Yoi can find them at any umpire equipment site as well as straight from All Star.

This got me to audibly laugh out loud. You'll do fine around these parts. Lol. Keep up the good work and can't wait to see the finished CP.