Charcoal vs. Platinum

[mstaylor]

Kevin, they are definitely apples and oranges but I have been very happy with my MLU protector. I face high 80/low 90 pitching on a regular basis and feel very confident wearing it. You don't so the Platinum is the protector for you and I have no problem with that. There are several guys that swear by the Gold and others that like the Douglas.

Personally I would list my preference MLU, Platinum, Douglas. Gold doesn't make my list at all. You would say I'm an idiot and that's fine, your order would be different.

I really liked your photos that show the side by side. It does show the difference between them and will help a newer guy make an informed purchase.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I wear the Gold and the Douglas, and never wear the Platinum anymore.

It's a comparison between the Platinum and the Charcoal, and the clavicle protection of the Charcoal--irrespective of what luck you've had or how confident you are wearing it--is inferior to the Platinum, period! It's a fact. The clavicle plates on the Platinum are better and cover more, period. That's after an objective analysis that included picture proof.

I wore a Platinum for a year and I liked it and moved onto the Gold, and then began to alternate with the Douglas--all of which have superior clavicle protection and sternum protection to that of the Wilson Charcoal.

So, I'm being objective and you are giving a personal preference. It's the difference between adequate and superior. So your endorsement is for adequate. I recommend superior. The clavicle and the sternum are important areas.

[kylejt]

.......I have never been hit in the side pads.

JINX!

[Fittske24]

I would say "luck" plays more into why we think one chest protector is better than the other. Sometimes I can go weeks without getting touched by a ball. When your rolling like this, it dosen't matter what you wear..... Then you get that wild releif pitcher throwing 90+... and a cross up by the catcher... and you take one right off the shoulder..... This is when it matters the most what you wear. I wear a Gold. I have had, a plantnium, and the MLU. Hands down, the gap protection on the gold is what has me sold on the Gold over the other two. It simply is the best design out there right now... I even think the gold is better than the Riddell Power that every umpire covets... Behind the gold I think the Platinum is a close second. I agree with Finnerty, the MLU is an adequate chest protector... but adaquete when hit with that unlucky once in a million shot may be the diffrence between a broken collar bone and... Catcher:"Blue are you ok"....Umpire: "Yeah, try and put a glove on that next time.....Let's play ball"....

[Kevin Finnerty]

Take a real, good look at the gap coverage that Fittske's talking about. And also take a look at those two armpit plates the Gold has. The Gold is the supreme level of protection. The Platinum follows closely behind. However, the small plates and wide gaps on that charcoal make it a clearly less protective rig (sorry the first two pics are so big):

And as always, special thanks to Jim at Ump-Attire.com for looking the other way when we publish his pictures in this way.

[mstaylor]

I don't disagree that the Platinum is superior but you also have to remember that I am a scissor guy I present a different target than most. I have never said the MLU is on par or suprerior to either West Vest protector. I have used all four being discussed and I really hate the way the Gold fits so it isn't on my personal list. The Douclas is ahrder to clean so it is on the bottom. The MLU seems to me to be slightly longer than the Platinum and the majority of shots I take are off the ground and into my stomach so longer is better for me. I have worn the MLU since it was introduced and have been very happy. I absolutely agree that it is a personal preference and a choice I make for mysellf. I also really liked the picture evidence shown in this thread so someone that hasn't had the chance to try the different protectors can look and make an informed choice of their own.

I will agree to disagree but only for myself. The reason there is more than one type is they all fit differently and you have to decide what will fit you best and give you the protection you desire. Just to further jinx myself I have never had a cup shot. That doesn't mean I don't wear protection bbut I have been lucky in my 35 yrs of work. I did get a bounce shot once in a 9/10 game but never at a high level. I realize my luck will run out sometime but so far, so good.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I'm just trying to give one guy a breakdown on why the Platinum's worth the extra money.

[sgvump]

Thank you guys for all of your input, it has helped me a great deal! Haven't decided yet, I would like to have made up my mind by this week!

[mstaylor]

I'm just trying to give one guy a breakdown on why the Platinum's worth the extra money.

And I think your side by side photos do exactly that, I have repeated that all through this thread. It is the best photo evidence I have seen showing the differences between the three. Hopefully our discussion hasn't confused anybody else.

[UmpPhil]

Thank you all for the great replies! One of my concerns is the length of the platinum. The charcoal only comes in one size '13. I had originally purchased the charcoal, it looked like a good piece of equipment, but returned it soon after. I have never worn a CP as this will be my first time umpiring. I am 5'8 and 175lbs, and I'm looking something that will have a good fit as well.

I am 5'-8" and 180. The 13.5" platinum is perfect. I compared and it is the exact same length as my 13" Douglas. The CP covers the bottom ribs with out being too long. I don't know if I would recommend the shorter model to you. A lot of guys bigger than us wear this and the Gold. I believe the Gold only comes in a 12" model.

I appreciate you posting the measurement! I'm just about the same build and wondered what kind of difference it makes. Have you tried the 12'' Gold model?

[Thunderheads]

Thank you all for the great replies! One of my concerns is the length of the platinum. The charcoal only comes in one size '13. I had originally purchased the charcoal, it looked like a good piece of equipment, but returned it soon after. I have never worn a CP as this will be my first time umpiring. I am 5'8 and 175lbs, and I'm looking something that will have a good fit as well.

I am 5'-8" and 180. The 13.5" platinum is perfect. I compared and it is the exact same length as my 13" Douglas. The CP covers the bottom ribs with out being too long. I don't know if I would recommend the shorter model to you. A lot of guys bigger than us wear this and the Gold. I believe the Gold only comes in a 12" model.

I appreciate you posting the measurement! I'm just about the same build and wondered what kind of difference it makes. Have you tried the 12'' Gold model?

http://umpire-empire.com/index.php/topic/4410-wv-platinum/page__p__40629__hl__%2Bgold+%2Bvs.+%2Bplatinum+%2Bfit__fromsearch__1#entry40629

http://umpattire.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-what-you-think-lengths-of-wilson.html

[boyinr]

Thank you all for the great replies! One of my concerns is the length of the platinum. The charcoal only comes in one size '13. I had originally purchased the charcoal, it looked like a good piece of equipment, but returned it soon after. I have never worn a CP as this will be my first time umpiring. I am 5'8 and 175lbs, and I'm looking something that will have a good fit as well.

I am 5'-8" and 180. The 13.5" platinum is perfect. I compared and it is the exact same length as my 13" Douglas. The CP covers the bottom ribs with out being too long. I don't know if I would recommend the shorter model to you. A lot of guys bigger than us wear this and the Gold. I believe the Gold only comes in a 12" model.

I appreciate you posting the measurement! I'm just about the same build and wondered what kind of difference it makes. Have you tried the 12'' Gold model?

UmpPhil:

Since that post I have sold the Platinum and bought a Gold. The Platinum just never felt right and was always slipping around no matter how I adjusted it. The padding on the Gold is thicker and that seemed to help. For me, I like the fit of the Gold more than the Platinum. You have to remember that these are two very different CP's and the color is only the most noticable difference. I alwasy recommend to try each one on before buying.

[justwin]

For some reason, catalog pictures are always so one-dimensional. I prefer the guy-actually-wearing-the-gear shot like the ones that Jim has at Ump-Attire.

Platinum:

Charcoal:

But for the color, they are quite different. The Platinum has fewer gaps and smaller gaps, which are important if you're facing 80-plus stuff. If you are doing high-level ball, you will appreciate the extra clavicle, sternum and rib protection of the Platinum. If you're doing lower-level ball, the Charcoal is actually more than enough protection, because when a ball hits a gap at lower speeds, it doesn't cave the edges of the plates in like higher velocity pitches. The plates and pads on the Charcoal are of the same grade as the Platinum, but the Platinum has more plates, and somewhat better overall protection.

Even though the umpire guy looks happier wearing the Charcoal, check them each more carefully. Take a good look at those wrap-around, one-piece clavicle plates on the Platinum. The first really good collarbone shot will be well worth extra $60, I assure you.

Now, come on everyone, assure this guy!

yes this is a very good chest protector..as to protecting ur ribs it is only good if u are 5-9 or less for guys 6ft plus with big torso u are left to dry as this protector is only 12 inches