Champro Magnesium

[BT_Blue]

On 6/8/2018 at 1:44 PM, acpar72 said:

The way this look, it looks pretty cool! But the black on black in still out on.

[umpstu]

9 hours ago, kylejt said:

Don't know how cool it is until it shows up at my door.

And I'm not going to recommend the site until I actually get it. But if you google a bit, you can find them. 

 

I found the site. Good deal.. Waiting for your review.

[wolfe_man]

Will we see any MLB guys in one of these?

[sd181612]

3 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

Will we see any MLB guys in one of these?

I theink th ya rather go for the All-Star (bigger rep around the catchers) but it will definitely be visible in the MiLB circuit.

[blue32]

On 6/8/2018 at 2:44 PM, acpar72 said:

That is one sharp looking rig! Who knew ole Champies would step up like this? I’m impressed! Damn! 

[wolfe_man]

On 6/9/2018 at 9:19 AM, kylejt said:

Don't know how cool it is until it shows up at my door.

And I'm not going to recommend the site until I actually get it. But if you google a bit, you can find them. 

 

Has it shown up yet?  I'm curious as to reviews for both the site and the product.  Thanks!

[kylejt]

Just got back from a week in Palm Springs, and the box just showed up a few minutes ago. Here are some initial thoughts. 

Pretty damn light. On par with Ti and hollow tube aluminum. Maybe an ounce here or there, but hard to beat for the money. Sunshade fit in nicely. 

I do not trust the pads. I can squeeze the lowers, and feel the bars. That's a "NOPE" for me. TW's will be loaded before I step on a field. I do like memory foam in my shoes and bed, though. 

The black frame is still a bit shiny, so I'll take some steel wool do dull it down a bit. I do that with most frames, so no biggy.

The harness can't be adjusted big enough for me. I like a loose rig, and adjusted all the way out, it's not loose enough. I wear a 7 3/8" hat. Even when adjusted out, the strap is so wide it touched my ears. I really, really wanted to like it, even though it's fugly, but it'll go. I think the material was made to use with a catchers helmet, as it's pretty grippy. 

I like the shape of the frame, with lots of angles for deflection. It's not a "New View" low profile, by any means, but the view is pretty good. I know it will change with TW pads, as they're not as bulky. 

Got my 8 stitch hat in there okay. We'll see with the TW pads, but it should work. 

Comes with a bag, which is nice. 

These are only my personal, non-professional opinions. And no, I did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night (it was the JW Marriott)

 

 

[kylejt]

And why is called the Rampage? Sounds like I should be mad about something. 

[umpstu]

14 minutes ago, kylejt said:

Just got back from a week in Palm Springs, and the box just showed up a few minutes ago. Here are some initial thoughts. 

Pretty damn light. On par with Ti and hollow tube aluminum. Maybe an ounce here or there, but hard to beat for the money. Sunshade fit in nicely. 

I do not trust the pads. I can squeeze the lowers, and feel the bars. That's a "NOPE" for me. TW's will be loaded before I step on a field. I do like memory foam in my shoes and bed, though. 

The black frame is still a bit shiny, so I'll take some steel wool do dull it down a bit. I do that with most frames, so no biggy.

The harness can't be adjusted big enough for me. I like a loose rig, and adjusted all the way out, it's not loose enough. I wear a 7 3/8" hat. Even when adjusted out, the strap is so wide it touched my ears. I really, really wanted to like it, even though it's fugly, but it'll go. I think the material was made to use with a catchers helmet, as it's pretty grippy. 

I like the shape of the frame, with lots of angles for deflection. It's not a "New View" low profile, by any means, but the view is pretty good. I know it will change with TW pads, as they're not as bulky. 

Got my 8 stitch hat in there okay. We'll see with the TW pads, but it should work. 

Comes with a bag, which is nice. 

These are only my personal, non-professional opinions. And no, I did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night (it was the JW Marriott)

 

 

5 minutes from my home.

[mgford]

35 minutes ago, kylejt said:

Just got back from a week in Palm Springs, and the box just showed up a few minutes ago. Here are some initial thoughts. 

Pretty damn light. On par with Ti and hollow tube aluminum. Maybe an ounce here or there, but hard to beat for the money. Sunshade fit in nicely. 

I do not trust the pads. I can squeeze the lowers, and feel the bars. That's a "NOPE" for me. TW's will be loaded before I step on a field. I do like memory foam in my shoes and bed, though. 

The black frame is still a bit shiny, so I'll take some steel wool do dull it down a bit. I do that with most frames, so no biggy.

The harness can't be adjusted big enough for me. I like a loose rig, and adjusted all the way out, it's not loose enough. I wear a 7 3/8" hat. Even when adjusted out, the strap is so wide it touched my ears. I really, really wanted to like it, even though it's fugly, but it'll go. I think the material was made to use with a catchers helmet, as it's pretty grippy. 

I like the shape of the frame, with lots of angles for deflection. It's not a "New View" low profile, by any means, but the view is pretty good. I know it will change with TW pads, as they're not as bulky. 

Got my 8 stitch hat in there okay. We'll see with the TW pads, but it should work. 

Comes with a bag, which is nice. 

These are only my personal, non-professional opinions. And no, I did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night (it was the JW Marriott)

 

 

So you pretty much just bought a frame.

(For the record, I'm cool with that, as I hang my preferred pads and harness on every mask I buy!)

[kylejt]

So yeah, a C note for a cool frame. Agreed. 

[mwest5575]

14 hours ago, kylejt said:

So yeah, a C note for a cool frame. Agreed. 

Not to hijack the thread but that's why I disagree the Wilson Aluminum with memory foam is overpriced because of name. I really like the frame and memory foam pads and didn't have to spend any extra on it. Wear it as is for $109. My Diamond masks all have different pads that drove the price up. Having said that I'd be willing to spring $100 on this and put some extra pads or take some off another mask and put on. I think it's a really sharp looking mask.

[MadMax]

58 minutes ago, mwest5575 said:

Wilson Aluminum with memory foam is overpriced because of name. I really like the frame and memory foam pads and didn't have to spend any extra on it. Wear it as is for $109. My Diamond masks all have different pads that drove the price up.

It is completely overpriced due to name. Just a few years ago (3?), we could get the Diamond iX3 Aluminum frame for $40, and the complete mask – albeit with some of the most pathetic pads imaginable – for around $55–$60. Recently, however, that exact same iX3 mask, now painted instead of anodized (to reduce costs), but with those same pathetic pads is sold for no less than $70. The anodized version, now paired with pads with double the volume and clad in leather, is at $90! So what’s changed? Why the dramatic price increase? Wilson showed up with an aluminum mask!

Consider, too, that we can get these “vaunted” Wilson Memory Foam pads, on their own, for $28. There is no way – no way – you can prove to me that leather-clad pads, whether they be wraparound or otherwise, are more protective than tech fabric clad pads. So not only are the masks with Memory Foam pads overpriced at $110, but the leather pad ones at $145 are deeply gouging. Fellow umpires, we are not paying for a better mask (because Diamond has already done all the work!). We are not paying for a new technology (weld-less magnesium) or an advanced design (active-spring suspension). Instead, we are paying for Wilson’s efforts to keep everyone else in anonymity in MLB, as well as the past losses due to titanium and the slow (frugal) purchase cycle we umpires exhibit.

A part of me shudders at what could have been had Wilson, and their fanciful price inflation, debuted a magnesium mask. At least All-Star did it first, and a company like Champro brought it back down to realistic levels.

[kylejt]

Just for comparison, here are four frames for comparison. From top left, clockwise. 

Standard Wilson

Champro Mag

Honig's

Diamond

Bad pics, but the profile of the Champro and the Honig's are much more round that the flatter Wilson and Diamond. 

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, kylejt said:

Just for comparison, here are four frames for comparison. From top left, clockwise. 

Standard Wilson

Champro Mag

Honig's

Diamond

Bad pics, but the profile of the Champro and the Honig's are much more round that the flatter Wilson and Diamond. 

Can you take a pic of the harness??

[kylejt]

Some more pics.

The velcro straps I've been using on my other frames don't work with this one. So I used the rubbery ones from an Easton, as they were thinner. Still working on dialing the whole rig in. 

Sight line is better with the TW pads, as the frame is a bit closer to my eyes. It's riding a bit high on my jaw, but I can adjust that. 

Overall, this is my new main mask. It fits my face, has TW science, and looks badass. 

 

[BT_Blue]

The frame by it self looks really awesome @kylejt! The look of the rig in the photos on UA definitely doesn't do it justice.

[kylejt]

Oh, and my 8 stitch hat fits in there just fine.

[JaxRolo]

I still have my Magnesium I bought years ago from that place that was going out of business..

[blue32]

3 hours ago, JaxRolo said:

I still have my Magnesium I bought years ago from that place that was going out of business..

I remember that fire sale. One for the ages. Didn't they let those masks go for 10 bucks or so? I know i bought several shirts for like 6 bucks, if I remember correctly.

[umpstu]

On 6/8/2018 at 11:38 AM, kylejt said:

I found a different site, where I was able to get the CM83, with a sunshield, delivered for $110. And, I was able to get my mother-in-law to pay for it. TOP THAT! (birthday check, actually)

Have you got to try out the Rampage yet?

[blue32]

Well, I went ahead and ordered one of these, received it last week. I was really looking forward to it, but when I opened the box, I was super disappointed because I wanted the silver one, but received the black one. I checked my order confirmation and realized it was my mistake. On the site I ordered it from, instead of paying attention to what the color selection actually said, I went off the color of the mask in the thumbnail product picture. I’ve gotten so used to sites like amazon where the color you select is what is displayed.

i figured I would return it, so I ordered one in silver. After looking at the black one again, I decided, like the gear junkie I am, to just keep both. 

I loaded both with Wilson memory foam pads with the “dubya” removed, Wilson harnesses with the mlb logo removed, and 4.5” Champro Vented throat guards. I also added a visor to the silver. I like the look of these, I also like the smaller size of these masks, like others said, the “Japan gear” look of these. They are extremely light, and even took a solid shot to the chin yesterday with no ill effects to me or the frame.

[acpar72]

Be prepared for it to go from silver to grey real quick much like the all star S7.

[MadMax]

17 minutes ago, acpar72 said:

Be prepared for it to go from silver to grey real quick much like the all star S7.

Oh fantastic. So not only did they skimp on the pads and the harness so as to keep costs down, they didn’t give it a lasting, durable paint job. 

Frustrating, too, because these masks cannot be powder-coated. 

[acpar72]

1 minute ago, MadMax said:

Oh fantastic. So not only did they skimp on the pads and the harness so as to keep costs down, they didn’t give it a lasting, durable paint job. 

Frustrating, too, because these masks cannot be powder-coated. 

I don't mind the grey look TBH but that seems to be the case yes Max