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TEAM WENDY chest protector


Guest Wondering Ump

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Guest Wondering Ump

Does anyone on this thread know of anyone who has a West Vest that has been retro fitted by Team Wendy that wants to sell it??? Prefer the gold but would definitely buy a platinum. 

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This post was moved to BUY SELL TRADE.    I moved it because people who are looking to buy, sell and trade, are on THIS FORUM! :nod: :D 

Anyhow ....this forum, any of the Facebook umpire pages, or eBay, would be your best choice!   Good luck!  They're out there, but few and far between!

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10 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

I have not seen this! I, too, am very interested!

When you have one to send in for upgrades or refurbishment, what does that order description look like? What is the cost? Does anyone have any pics they could share of the finished product?

~Dog

They don't do them anymore, that's why they're so hard to find now.

One just sold on FB a week or two back, but I've only seen maybe 4 all year.

TW is primarily focused on US military contracts now, so they don't have time to do these any longer.   To be honest, we're lucky they still make the mask pads.

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5 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Thank you, @wolfe_man!

Siri, can you please send Jim Kirk an order for 10 sets of TW pads...

~Dog

I have had a similar thought, but at $40/set that gets expensive fast.  My thought was to find guys getting rid of their old pads, have them ship to me, wash them, then disect them into thinner pads and create my own pad jacket.   It was going to be a lot of work even IF I could find guys willing to send me their old pads.

I do believe that the TW retrofit made the CP thinner than the stock Wilson foam padding.   This was a major factor as well in guys deciding to have their CP re-done.  I've seen Douglas and Wilson CPs with it on them and while I would love to own one, I can't drop that kind of cash on one right now.

If you do end up trying it, please share pics!

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27 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

If you do end up trying it, please share pics!

Never say never of course...but, I would say it's unlikely I would modify my Wilson Gold CP. Overall, I've been very happy with it although as is well-documented, it's hot and bulky and I work 100 degree games. I've got my eye on a Force3 or Schutt/Adams XV HDX or even the new All-Star Cobalt as my warm weather CP option...CP is not a priority for me currently under 1BX/3BX COVID-19 plate mechanics.

It's a shame TW is unable or unwilling to jump into umpire equipment with both feet as a full-time manufacturer. It's a niche market which is somewhat slow to embrace new technologies and innovations because of R&D and tooling costs relative to wholesale sales but, TW really understands the relationship between protection, comfort and durability. Their presence would have a similar though larger effect that Force3 has had...

~Dog

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As somebody who had both of these, I'd recommend waiting on the new All Star Cobalt.   The HDX is cool and safe, but they use the cheapest Velcro available to hold the plates on.   The F3 is protective, but too wide across the chest (I wear a 46-48 jacket) and takes a while to form to you.   It also is heavier than you'd think due to the kevlar and layers.. and as a result is warmer than you'd think (as the post above states).

I've tried most that are available today (All Star CPU4000, Douglas, Wilson Platinum, Gold, Schutt XV, Adams HDX-XV, Champion, Champro, etc.) and I like several things about many of them, but none of them are perfect.

All this said, I have ordered a Cobalt and I'm still wearing my Wilson Gold L/XL with the "wings" removed until something better comes along. I just wish it had thinner padding so my shoulders didn't look so stinkin' large!

My top three that are available right now*:

  1. Gold
  2. Douglas with t-hooks and gap mod
  3. All Star CPU4000

* this is MY top three, this doesn't necesarilly mean these will fit you as well as they fit me.  CP's are like opinions, we all have one and think it's the best.

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Thanks, @wolfe_man and @kylehutson! This is really good feedback.

Wolfe, can the velcro be upgraded on the Schutt XV or is that just too complicated?

In the days of the balloon protector, gear was really limited and we had to live with a lot of compromises. It's too bad that although it's all come a long way from 30 years ago when I started as a teenager, there are still some gear challenges to be met that would seem easily achievable. But, as was mentioned on another thread...selling to wholesale is not about innovation and improvement. It's really about price point and what will ultimately sell at retail. The message there is...we need to be more vocal about our needs in the marketplace.

Hey @JimKirk or @Thunderheads...is anyone or has anyone ever considered conducting an Ump-Con that could be a large forum for the craft of umpiring? We could really address a lot of ongoing concerns not just in equipment but, all across umpiring...obviously, more difficult to hold such an event during COVID-19.

~Dog  

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36 minutes ago, ksump said:

I would be willing to pay you for either one of these!! Are you willing to part with either?? 

So I sold the platinum to someone but i may have a friend who is selling his. The gold im going to hold onto for now. I will reach out to my friend. 

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Well I’d be more than happy to see how much they think is fair and I’d pay for one. For some reason I took my sweet time and lost out on it when team Wendy did it. I appreciate y’all checking in for me. 
If it’s easier I can provide my email for better communication and if someone does have one to sell I could Venmo or PayPal. 

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1 hour ago, ksump said:

Well I’d be more than happy to see how much they think is fair and I’d pay for one. For some reason I took my sweet time and lost out on it when team Wendy did it. I appreciate y’all checking in for me. 
If it’s easier I can provide my email for better communication and if someone does have one to sell I could Venmo or PayPal. 

I did the same thing. Finally deciding to do my Gold two weeks after they stopped and my Wilson Pro shins the very next day.

My timing was impeccable!

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I dont have any for sale, but I had TW do padding for both a gold and platinum probably 7-8 years ago when they were doing these.  I wasn't nuts about the feel and density of the padding (it felt like wearing one of those vests at the dentists they put you when you take xrays).  I ended up selling them both shortly thereafter.

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1 hour ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

I think @acpar72 might have had one of these at some point.  Not sure if he still does............

Well if anyone does have one of these available for sale, I would sure love to own one! If I don’t find one, All-Star is coming out with a new cp and seems to be lower profile 

 

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I had a WVG TW (Umplife harness) and it was the best I have used. I loved the feel, profile and protection. I used it for about 4 -5 years at about 150 games per year, college level and never got close to getting hurt.  Unfortunately in Feb my car was broken into and it was stolen. 
I now use a Force 3 and for me it is just ok. A bit hotter and more awkward but hey what can I do. I also have a WV Platinum (too bulky) and a WVG (too much foam and hot for AZ) but if I could buy a WVG TW I would in a heartbeat. Just can’t find one. 

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