Considering New Shinguards-UE Kevlar OR WV Pro Black

[Majordave]

@Chip

Thanks to you too. Good review. Especially for the CP guys. Let us know how the weekend goes and if you get punked anymore in your new UE gear.

[midtnump]

@Majordave, I too echo the Wilson Platniums. The hardest hit I have taken was a low 80's pitch last year, felt a little pressure but no pain, just heard the loud thud. As many have said on here many times, there is a trade off between protection and lightweight versus heavy weight leg guards. There doesn't seem to be an in between on the market.

@Catsbacker, As a fellow Tennessean, I too bleed orange. I have spent many games in Neyland stadium during football season, and I have been to numerous pro games, but nothing tops 108,000 in a stadium for a football game.

[Chip]

Update from yesterday's 15U game. Took two off of my UE shins. One was an uncaught pitch to just below my knee. Didn't feel a thing. Also took a deflection off the side of the knee right where the hard and soft shell meet. Felt a little pressure and waited for it to hurt since it hit more of the soft padding than anything else, but had forgotten about it by the next pitch. With the larger field than the game on Thursday, I really noticed the extra lightness of these shins, too. Very pleasant running around in them.

 

The UE CP continued to be a ball magnet -- or maybe it's only that the season is just starting so the kids aren't stopping enough balls before the get back to me. Two that stood out were one foul square to the chest and an uncaught pitch to the gut. Felt same level of protection as my Gold, but with much less bulk and much better range of motion.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

@catsbackr

 

You didn't bite.  Instead we got an ode to orange.

 

Why is the color orange the primary color for the UT Volunteers?

 

So the UT fans can bust out of jail on Friday and blend into the crowd when they support their team on Saturday and then be already dressed for work picking up trash on the community service crew when they report back to jail on Monday after celebrating the win and their temporary freedom all weekend.

 

HAHA! Crazy I know.  I told you it's a Kentucky-Tennessee thing.

 

 As a Bama fan, I totally support this, lol...

[Majordave]

So, I am still hem-hawing around about the size of UE shinguards to buy.  I sent PMs to several of the members who responded or had identified themselves as UE shinguard users.  I had just about decided on 16.5 size then my partner last night has the UE shins and CP. He loves them and has been hit several times in both with the comment that with the shins you feel nothing when hit, with the CP you feel it but it does not hurt at all.

 

His shins were 18.5 size and I put them on.  I wear the 17.5 DaviShins which fit high and up onto my thigh.  The 18.5 UE shins fit to the same height.  So that's what I will do.  Also, a member of our new local Kansas City Collegiate Umpires Alliance is a rep and I think I can save on shipping.  We shall see.

 

Thanks to all who weighed in here in this topic thread and answered my PMs.  I LOVE this site.  It is a GREAT umpire community. 

[Majordave]

Finally pulled the trigger and ordered the Unequal shinguards and the Chest Protector.  FEDEX has it out for delivery tomorrow!  I don't have games scheduled for tomorrow night, yet.  I do have a DH on Thursday night and games all day Saturday and Sunday.  Hoping to get whacked and join the lovefest known as UE ownership.

[T-Rav]

Finally pulled the trigger and ordered the Unequal shinguards and the Chest Protector.  FEDEX has it out for delivery tomorrow!  I don't have games scheduled for tomorrow night, yet.  I do have a DH on Thursday night and games all day Saturday and Sunday.  Hoping to get whacked and join the lovefest known as UE ownership.

I hope you get clobbered!

 

Enjoy your new gear, however, speaking from experience, make sure you fully adjust your UE chest protector, specifically so that you get complete shoulder protection out of it. 

 

When I was wearing it for the first couple of months, I let the shoulders lay flat which left a good chunk of my shoulder/armpit area unprotected by the plastic and only by the wings on it. After playing with it for a bit, I was able to get it properly adjusted, I'll post pictures later so that you can visualize what I am talking about.

[Majordave]

@T-Rav

 

Thanks. Please do.  I also ordered an All-Star System 7 Delta-Flex harness which is on the way too.

[umpstu]

@T-Rav

 

Thanks. Please do.  I also ordered an All-Star System 7 Delta-Flex harness which is on the way too.

Enjoy the gear. The delta flex will pull that protector tight and you won't even realize you have it on. You will not have to adjust it all game.

[JaxRolo]

I hope you get clobbered by baseballs the whole game!

Report back to us!

[Majordave]

No games today. I'll wear the gear while I grill some jerk chicken and asparagus over hickory. . Men's league tomorrow night and four games of 14s each day Saturday and Sunday. Pretty sure I'll get to break it in right and feel the power of Kevlar.

[Majordave]

Initial impressions out of the box: shins are even lighter and much more padded than I thought they'd be. CP is heavier and more substantial than it looked in pics/vids/seeing others wearing it.

[Richvee]

I'm a U-E shin owner but didn't weigh in here because I hadn't really taken a good hit in them to comment on. As everyone else who has them has said, the fit and comfort is great. JV game Tuesday with some decent pitching, and I take an uncaught fastball off the left shin that bounced near the plate. All I can say is WOW! I heard it, but when I tell you I didn't feel it, that's no lie. Felt absolutely nothing. Now I'm pretty sure it wasn't am 85 MPH fastball, but non the less, there was no "hurt" at all. Love these shins. Hope your results are the same. 

[umpstu]

Initial impressions out of the box: shins are even lighter and much more padded than I thought they'd be. CP is heavier and more substantial than it looked in pics/vids/seeing others wearing it.

Pull that protector tight up against you and you will not know it is there. I have had people ask if I have lost weight or forgot to wear a protector when working the dish.

[Keefj200]

I am very happy to see the UE stuff receive such positive reviews.  Seemed sort of negative when it was first released.  I've enjoyed my UE CP.  The shins are pricey - hope they work out.  I am also in the market for a new set.

[Majordave]

Curious as to whether any MLB or MiLB guys are wearing UE yet?

I put CP on and adjusted it. Been punching and hitting myself in various places on the CP to test how it feels with impact. It is a substantial piece of equipment for sure. Gonna wear a mock under it as the Velcro around neck area is rubbing a bit.

Having a hard time deciding best place for shoulder cap pieces. That is Achilles' heel place on this CP in my initial opinion. The rest of it feels absolutely bulletproof.

Duh! It's Kevlar.

[Thunderheads]

Curious as to whether any MLB or MiLB guys are wearing UE yet?

I put CP on and adjusted it. Been punching and hitting myself in various places on the CP to test how it feels with impact. It is a substantial piece of equipment for sure. Gonna wear a mock under it as the Velcro around neck area is rubbing a bit.

Having a hard time deciding best place for shoulder cap pieces. That is Achilles' heel place on this CP in my initial opinion. The rest of it feels absolutely bulletproof.

Duh! It's Kevlar.

kevlar stops bullets, not bruises :

[Majordave]

@Thunderheads

Agreed but there is something pretty firm and hard in there too

(That's what she said. Sorry, I'm still a bit sophomoric. 51 going on 15.)

[Thunderheads]

@Thunderheads

Agreed but there is something pretty firm and hard in there too

(That's what she said. Sorry, I'm still a bit sophomoric. 51 going on 15.)

LOL!

I know, I've seen it, and I've felt this CP before also.  I know that others have used it (Balkhawk being the most memorable for standing in front of a pitching machine ...explains some things ) and others have taken shots with no ill effects.

 

for me .... personally, I'm leery regardless....but that's me

 

Your question is a good one, ... why no MLB guys rocking this?

[JaxRolo]

I wonder if Jim evans was still Umpiring if he would wear it???

[umpstu]

I am very happy to see the UE stuff receive such positive reviews.  Seemed sort of negative when it was first released.  I've enjoyed my UE CP.  The shins are pricey - hope they work out.  I am also in the market for a new set.

The shin guards are no pricier than any good set of shin guards. You probably won't buy another pair for more than five years. 

[Majordave]

The WV Baby Gold and DaviShins I am replacing were purchased in 2008.  Wow! that's 6.5 years (although I did not work in 2010 due to Afghanistan "vacation" so it's really 5.5 years).  I didn't think I would ever need to buy new gear.  However, with all the games I have worked this spring  (81 to date) and with the beatings I have been taking lately, I guess I needed to invest in some more gear.  The balls always seem to find a place I am not wearing any padding.   So, I am always looking for something better.

 

These seem to be it.  We shall see.   But with all the advice I have received and reviews I have been reading here and at ABUA, I feel confident I will be just fine.  If not, someone will definitely buy it from me.  I had no trouble selling the TW mask pads I didn't like.  (Thanks for taking them off my hands Jocko.)

 

Once again, thanks to all who offered opinions, suggestions and advice.  First game in the new gear tonight.  35+ MSBL league.  Usually our better Men's league players are in this league.  Pitching is usually better than the catching in this league.  With my luck I will get hit but somewhere there is no UE padding.

[umpstu]

The WV Baby Gold and DaviShins I am replacing were purchased in 2008.  Wow! that's 6.5 years (although I did not work in 2010 due to Afghanistan "vacation" so it's really 5.5 years).  I didn't think I would ever need to buy new gear.  However, with all the games I have worked this spring  (81 to date) and with the beatings I have been taking lately, I guess I needed to invest in some more gear.  The balls always seem to find a place I am not wearing any padding.   So, I am always looking for something better.

 

These seem to be it.  We shall see.   But with all the advice I have received and reviews I have been reading here and at ABUA, I feel confident I will be just fine.  If not, someone will definitely buy it from me.  I had no trouble selling the TW mask pads I didn't like.  (Thanks for taking them off my hands Jocko.)

 

Once again, thanks to all who offered opinions, suggestions and advice.  First game in the new gear tonight.  35+ MSBL league.  Usually our better Men's league players are in this league.  Pitching is usually better than the catching in this league.  With my luck I will get hit but somewhere there is no UE padding.

Watch your forearms. 

[umpirecordova]

I am also looking into getting the UE shin guards. My question about them is how is the fit? I measured my leg and I am about 15-15 1/2". I wanted to know how they should fit and what size that I should go with.

[Chip]

Curious as to whether any MLB or MiLB guys are wearing UE yet?

I put CP on and adjusted it. Been punching and hitting myself in various places on the CP to test how it feels with impact. It is a substantial piece of equipment for sure. Gonna wear a mock under it as the Velcro around neck area is rubbing a bit.

Having a hard time deciding best place for shoulder cap pieces. That is Achilles' heel place on this CP in my initial opinion. The rest of it feels absolutely bulletproof.

Duh! It's Kevlar.

 

That's my experience, too. I have some pretty chafed skin on one side of my neck from the rubbing when I don't wear a mock. So I'm going to have to invest in some short-sleeve mocks now that the weather has warmed up a bit in NH, and I'm not going with the long sleeves every night. 

 

Otherwise, I continue to really like both the CP and shins. Plenty more hits to them both and no ill effects at all.