Mask Porn?

[mbkcoach]

@JaxRolo it is in VA!!!!

[MadMax]

 

 

My FM 4000 complete ...... This will go to Tony in the off season for a matte black finish, that for now I will finish out this year with it like this...... Notice anything? :-)<br /> IMG_20140710_180655_228.jpgIMG_20140710_180624_728-1.jpg

The 4000 will look great in Tony's matt black. Can't wait to see it.

 

I believe there's 2 other 4000's in matte black somewhere in this thread!

 

 

Mine isn't one of them, but my FM4000 is going to MaskIt to get a color treatment I will discuss and develop with Tony – "Blued Steel". This mask is my Navy-trim mask (for games where our shirt color is Navy, Powder, Red (with Navy), or White), and already has a navy-blue harness and tan TWs. The silver paint All-Star put on these masks wears off _way_ too fast.

 

My Easton Speed Elite is my Black-trim mask, for games wherein... you guessed it, we wear black-trim shirts. Hereto, the silver paint has wore off and I'll be sending that in (eventually) to get Bright Silver put on it.

 

At the top of my wish / gear-lust list is a Nike Titanium or Nike Non-Retail Steel (can we start calling it the NRS?). If it's an NRS needing some TLC, I'll send it off to MaskIt for that same gunmetal color treatment that @mbkcoach did to his. I'll even get two sets of TW pads – one black, one tan – just to interchange them as the mood hits me.

 

@GreyhoundAggie – As a former catcher, my take is that double-wire is for catchers, single-wire for umpires. Because the catcher is _that_ much closer to the batter than the umpire (and typically has his face in the strike zone), the double-wire is added reinforcement against repeated impacts. More modern masks, though, have been abandoning double-wire altogether – Nike (Steel and Titanium), Rawlings (Titanium only), Wilson (Steel and Titanium), Easton (Steel) and All-Star (Steel). Oddly, the vaunted Diamond iX3 for catchers is still double-wire (Umpire version is single-wire with extended crown guard), and the All-Star Titanium is double-wire (the only titanium to do so).

 

When it comes to color scheme, my perspective comes from 16 years as a catcher and several as a hockey goaltender – live it up, and make your own style (within professional reason!). As long as it's not garishly odd (should match or complement your trim, and shouldn't be red, or orange, or purple or green), then any tones (light grey thru silver thru black) I think work on a cage (including that gold one our fellow U-E umpire debuted!), along with any of the "natural" pad colors (tan thru brown thru grey thru black). I was watching my beloved Brewers the other night, and the (young) MLB umpire had a black Wilson Dynalite with _grey_ pads. Neat look.

 

Oh, and @mbkcoach, one more thing... If I can't find / acquire a Nike NRS or Ti by next year, I'll "cave" and "settle" and get the +POS ZRO-G. Looks _almost_ the same.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

My FM 4000 complete ...... This will go to Tony in the off season for a matte black finish, that for now I will finish out this year with it like this...... Notice anything? :-)<br /> IMG_20140710_180655_228.jpgIMG_20140710_180624_728-1.jpg

The 4000 will look great in Tony's matt black. Can't wait to see it.

I believe there's 2 other 4000's in matte black somewhere in this thread!

Mine isn't one of them, but my FM4000 is going to MaskIt to get a color treatment I will discuss and develop with Tony – "Blued Steel". This mask is my Navy-trim mask (for games where our shirt color is Navy, Powder, Red (with Navy), or White), and already has a navy-blue harness and tan TWs. The silver paint All-Star put on these masks wears off _way_ too fast.

My Easton Speed Elite is my Black-trim mask, for games wherein... you guessed it, we wear black-trim shirts. Hereto, the silver paint has wore off and I'll be sending that in (eventually) to get Bright Silver put on it.

At the top of my wish / gear-lust list is a Nike Titanium or Nike Non-Retail Steel (can we start calling it the NRS?). If it's an NRS needing some TLC, I'll send it off to MaskIt for that same gunmetal color treatment that @mbkcoach did to his. I'll even get two sets of TW pads – one black, one tan – just to interchange them as the mood hits me.

@GreyhoundAggie – As a former catcher, my take is that double-wire is for catchers, single-wire for umpires. Because the catcher is _that_ much closer to the batter than the umpire (and typically has his face in the strike zone), the double-wire is added reinforcement against repeated impacts. More modern masks, though, have been abandoning double-wire altogether – Nike (Steel and Titanium), Rawlings (Titanium only), Wilson (Steel and Titanium), Easton (Steel) and All-Star (Steel). Oddly, the vaunted Diamond iX3 for catchers is still double-wire (Umpire version is single-wire with extended crown guard), and the All-Star Titanium is double-wire (the only titanium to do so).

When it comes to color scheme, my perspective comes from 16 years as a catcher and several as a hockey goaltender – live it up, and make your own style (within professional reason!). As long as it's not garishly odd (should match or complement your trim, and shouldn't be red, or orange, or purple or green), then any tones (light grey thru silver thru black) I think work on a cage (including that gold one our fellow U-E umpire debuted!), along with any of the "natural" pad colors (tan thru brown thru grey thru black). I was watching my beloved Brewers the other night, and the (young) MLB umpire had a black Wilson Dynalite with _grey_ pads. Neat look.

Oh, and @mbkcoach, one more thing... If I can't find / acquire a Nike NRS or Ti by next year, I'll "cave" and "settle" and get the +POS ZRO-G. Looks _almost_ the same.You want an NRS? Mbk has one for sale http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nike-Steel-Nonretail-Catcher-Mask-Black-MLB-Umpire-RARE-Powder-Coated-Gun-Metal-/121403036652?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c442f53ec

[Big_Mac14]

Isn't that the same one Acpar just had for sale?

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I think so, I think MBK is the guy who bought it from him.

[mbkcoach]

I have over 200 bucks in nike masks!!! Retail and nonretail. I like the plus pos the best. I'm done umping for the year. And need the money.

[ibon]

Anybody has the +pos mag-t? Is a good choice?

[Thunderheads]

Anybody has the +pos mag-t? Is a good choice?

go to the equipment forum and do a search ....  TONS of info on all masks over there .....

[BaltimoreUmpire]

One of my spare masks, a Rawlings LWMX Navy with Brown +POS Pads, Stock Rawlings Harness

[Big_Mac14]

How much does that thing weigh?

[rjt6]

How much does that thing weigh?

 

I would assume A TON!! Just kidding.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

How much does that thing weigh?

I don't know, we don't have a scale. It feels light but i mostly use HSM's, to be honest this mask generally rides in my Mom's car, my brother plays and she carries umpire gear for when umpires don't show up. The league doesn't keep any at fields and I have older/lesser gear that she carries so who ever volunteers to umpire has something to use. Weight doesn't matter for a parent drafted from the stands it just needs to work. It feels lighter than my FM-25 that I got from Academy Sports(still is stock pads plus harness and frame)

[BigUmpire]

Wow are some leagues still using communal gear?

YucK!

 

O wait BaltimoreUmpire did say: "who ever volunteers to umpire"and "Weight doesn't matter for a parent drafted from the stands it just needs to work.

 

Sad.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

Wow are some leagues still using communal gear?

YucK!

O wait BaltimoreUmpire did say: "who ever volunteers to umpire"and "Weight doesn't matter for a parent drafted from the stands it just needs to work.

Sad.

This isn't a regular thing, this is when umpires fail to show up, our league used to keep comunial gear at fields but when our league moved all teams to travel(no rec, all rec teams are now travel) they stopped supplying umpires of their own(the travel league does that for them now) so thet removed the gear, so when an umpire no shows the parent who filled in lacked gear, so my mom carries my old gear(old shinnies, cooper soft shell, this mask) for them to use. When it was rec ball we did have gear at the fields(old shinnies, square masks, bubble cp) but some of us(myself included) had our own. As for my contradiction on "volunteer" vs "drafted" we call the drafted parent a volunteer.

[rjt6]

@gnhbua93 it wasn't a ti...it was a 3008. Here is the pic. And do me a favor, remember who started this trend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@acpar72 - What is the comparison on frame design between Wilson 3008, Plus Pos vs. Nike Ti?

[acpar72]

All very close. Zero g is deepest mask of all, nike to would shallowest. 3008 has thickest bars and is heaviest. Nike ti frame weighs 11.8 and zero g weighs 12.8. 3008 would be my second choice of the three while the nike of course would be my first. The zero g is nice but overpriced considering you'll probably replace the pads, although the tan leather are protective and comfortable as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[midtnump]

What is the eye opening height of the three masks?

[acpar72]

I'm out of town right now, don't have exact specs but they go in this order: zero g has biggest eye opening, nike ti second, and 3008 last. Of note, 3008 and 3009 are exact same dimensions. So, if it's good enough for the big boys then it's good enough for us.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BaltimoreUmpire]

I'm out of town right now, don't have exact specs but they go in this order: zero g has biggest eye opening, nike ti second, and 3008 last. Of note, 3008 and 3009 are exact same dimensions. So, if it's good enough for the big boys then it's good enough for us.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Vision is something I can't rate until I wear the mask. My LWMX looks the same to me a my FM25, but the LWMX vision is awful. I didn't notice that at first(LWMX was my first mask) but once I tried an HSM and FM-25 I noticed it. Vision really can only be rated by a user experience, I don't know if you can put a number on it, because size isn't the sole factor.

[the_umpire]

Update: Nike Titanium with the new Wilson memory foam pads and Wilson 6" throat guard. Inspired by MLB umpire Jim Wolf

[Thunderheads]

Update: Nike Titanium with the new Wilson memory foam pads and Wilson 6" throat guard. Inspired by MLB umpire Jim Wolf

why overtop the mask throat guard?

[the_umpire]

Since the throat guard on the Nike goes pretty much straight down, if you put it on the inside, it restricts your head from looking down, where on the outside, you have full range of motion, and it still adds some length.

[Thunderheads]

Since the throat guard on the Nike goes pretty much straight down, if you put it on the inside, it restricts your head from looking down, where on the outside, you have full range of motion, and it still adds some length.

thanks, ........that's not the first time I've heard that..................

[slo8140]

 

Since the throat guard on the Nike goes pretty much straight down, if you put it on the inside, it restricts your head from looking down, where on the outside, you have full range of motion, and it still adds some length.

thanks, ........that's not the first time I've heard that..................

 

You Should have searched first.....

[JaxRolo]

 

 

Since the throat guard on the Nike goes pretty much straight down, if you put it on the inside, it restricts your head from looking down, where on the outside, you have full range of motion, and it still adds some length.

thanks, ........that's not the first time I've heard that..................

 

You Should have searched first.....

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!