Mask View - powder coat?

[Beacher80]

So I've read on Ump-attire that silver/gray masks offer a better view/perspective.   Do you guys find that to be true?

Or are you all getting your masks powder coated just for pure aesthetics?  

[kylehutson]

7 minutes ago, Beacher80 said:

So I've read on Ump-attire that silver/gray masks offer a better view/perspective.   Do you guys find that to be true?

Or are you all getting your masks powder coated just for pure aesthetics?  

For me, aesthetics.

[BT_Blue]

11 minutes ago, Beacher80 said:

So I've read on Ump-attire that silver/gray masks offer a better view/perspective.   Do you guys find that to be true?

Or are you all getting your masks powder coated just for pure aesthetics?  

I did not noticed any marked difference. As a matter of fact, I found the silver/grey masks to be distracting to me. Basically what I am saying is YMMV on this. 

[wolfe_man]

I'm not sure who said that silver is better for view, but that's not true for me.   I think dark masks may tend to be easier to see in, whereas shinier ones may cause some glare in bright sunlight.  I normally have a visor on all my masks though, so it doesn't matter to me.  They make sunglasses for those super-bright days too, but I prefer not to wear them on the plate (too much on my face when I sweat a lot) so I like the visors instead.

My mask color is purely for looks.  I like to contrast lighter masks with dark color pads (think silver with black or navy), but with my black masks I may stay dark again for the pads (black on black), although I like the black with grey pads look too.  I'm even starting to like the look of a black mask with navy pads for HS games... I know, I know - please forgive me.

[BLWizzRanger]

Would the bar closest to the eye on a black mask act like an athlete's under eye black stripe?  As mentioned before, maybe the silver/gray reflects into the eye... IDK. 

[wolfe_man]

3 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Would the bar closest to the eye on a black mask act like an athlete's under eye black stripe?  As mentioned before, maybe the silver/gray reflects into the eye... IDK. 

To some extent, I think it would.  Anything dark helps to absorb some of the light rays causing less strain to the eye. This is also why a shiny silver mask is a bit more reflective on sunny days causing more glare. 

I have blue eyes and am perhaps a bit more sensitive to light than some others may be, but I still can wear a silver mask without needing sunglasses.   I do like sun visors though.  For me, it does make a difference and looks good too.

[Thunderheads]

24 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

I'm not sure who said that silver is better for view, but that's not true for me.   I think dark masks may tend to be easier to see in, whereas shinier ones may cause some glare in bright sunlight.  I normally have a visor on all my masks though, so it doesn't matter to me.  They make sunglasses for those super-bright days too, but I prefer not to wear them on the plate (too much on my face when I sweat a lot) so I like the visors instead.

My mask color is purely for looks.  I like to contrast lighter masks with dark color pads (think silver with black or navy), but with my black masks I may stay dark again for the pads (black on black), although I like the black with grey pads look too.  I'm even starting to like the look of a black mask with navy pads for HS games... I know, I know - please forgive me.

Keith ....... let me start by saying I love the look of a visor.  But in all reality, the visor does 3 things: 1) looks cool 2) keeps sun off the brim of your hat keeping you cooler 3) keeps rain off of the brim of you hat keeping it drier.     The visor does not block sun because the brim of your hat does that, of which the visor is sitting above  

[wolfe_man]

3 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

Keith ....... let me start by saying I love the look of a visor.  But in all reality, the visor does 3 things: 1) looks cool 2) keeps sun off the brim of your hat keeping you cooler 3) keeps rain off of the brim of you hat keeping it drier.     The visor does not block sun because the brim of your hat does that, of which the visor is sitting above  

Jeff,

I'd never disagree with you, but...   the visor covers the entire upper part of the mask and does cover more area than my 4-stitch or combo hat bill therefore it should offer more shade than just my hat bill.   But I do concede that your comments are "mostly accurate".  

Sorry to be so precise, but FaceBook has got me fact-checking everything now. 

[Thunderheads]

1 minute ago, wolfe_man said:

Jeff,

I'd never disagree with you, but...   the visor covers the entire upper part of the mask and does cover more area than my 4-stitch or combo hat bill.   But I concede that your comments are "mostly accurate".   Sorry, FaceBook has got me started fact-checking everything now or putting a disclaimer on all my posts just to be safe!

I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!!!!   Hmmmmmm!    

[Beacher80]

1 hour ago, wolfe_man said:

I'm not sure who said that silver is better for view, but that's not true for me.   I think dark masks may tend to be easier to see in, whereas shinier ones may cause some glare in bright sunlight.  I normally have a visor on all my masks though, so it doesn't matter to me.  They make sunglasses for those super-bright days too, but I prefer not to wear them on the plate (too much on my face when I sweat a lot) so I like the visors instead.

My mask color is purely for looks.  I like to contrast lighter masks with dark color pads (think silver with black or navy), but with my black masks I may stay dark again for the pads (black on black), although I like the black with grey pads look too.  I'm even starting to like the look of a black mask with navy pads for HS games... I know, I know - please forgive me.

This is from the Buyer's Guide on ump-attire.   But it seems most people don't find that to be the case - meaning silver doesn't offer a clearer view.  

[wolfe_man]

16 minutes ago, Beacher80 said:

This is from the Buyer's Guide on ump-attire.   But it seems most people don't find that to be the case - meaning silver doesn't offer a clearer view.  

 

That's interesting.  I wonder why they would think that?  I suppose it is possible that silver might blend into the background more therefore making better perceived vision?  I mean a black bar on a mask might be more distracting to the eye than a softer color (i.e. silver) would?

All of this is supposition of course.   It's not something I've ever noticed while wearing a mask.  This brings up an interesting question also.  What is the percentage of silver masks to black masks amongst amateur umpires (via sale)?  In my area, it seems there are more umpires with black masks versus any other color.

In MLB, it seems like I see darker colors more frequently, but that could simply be a case of only seeing certain games with the same umpires over and over.   Oddly enough, All Star started making a black matte magnesium mask supposedly at the request of MLB umpires.  This would lead me to believe that they thought that the silver frame was causing a glare (ergo reducing vision).

All of this is interesting to me, but not something I think about when I purchase or powder-coat a mask.

[MadMax]

3 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

I love the look of a visor.

Says the man who – get ready for this one, folks – is the only umpire with a visor for a FM4000/5000!!! And, despite having the ear of someone highly placed at All-Star, will not persuade or convince them to make visors for the rest of us! How callous and uncaring!! 

3 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

Anything dark helps to absorb some of the light rays causing less strain to the eye. This is also why a shiny silver mask is a bit more reflective on sunny days causing more glare.

My reasons for choosing one particular mask over any of my other masks descend thusly: 

1. Vanity – let's be real; how it looks during a particular game with what particular coat, shirt, or color thereof is a big factor as to which mask I use. With my plate coat, I'm going to favor a traditional bullring-&-wicket (the U's) mask instead of the more futuristic-looking FM4K/5K or Rampage. By contrast, if I am forced to asked to work a game in navy, then that compels me to use my navy Honig's K4N mask, with navy pads and navy harness. But that being said, all of my masks are stylistically awesome, and look good regardless of which game level I'm doing. 
2. Air temperature – this has legitimately become a factor. Amongst my masks, I have 2 that use Team Wendy pads, 1 with All-Star LUC-MAG pads, and another with Wilson MemFoams (don't judge; got 'em for free). If it's a warm-to-hot day or evening, I feel more than protected using the Team Wendy masks; conversely, as soon as it drops into the 50s and 40s, or if I'm starting a 7–8am game and my masks have been in the back of my car all night, I'm much more apt to grab either the LUC or MemFoam -padded mask. 
3. Bright sun & glare reduction – On games where I'm really combatting the glare of the sun, I'll heavily favor my black or gunmetal -framed masks. If the game is one where I'm wearing a sky blue shirt, I'll obviously choose my Sky (Bay) Blue Metallic custom-coated mask. What I've found is that, yes, my silver-framed masks do produce a bit of glint or glare off them, especially under the cloudless skies we get here in Arizona. So, I keep my silver masks for use on night games.

Otherwise, I haven't found any difference in visibility or field of view between black-framed and silver-framed. @JimKirk, who wrote that Buyer's Guide? 

5 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

This brings up an interesting question also.  What is the percentage of silver masks to black masks amongst amateur umpires (via sale)?  In my area, it seems there are more umpires with black masks versus any other color.

In MLB, it seems like I see darker colors more frequently,

You used to see most masks in MLB, or indeed, in MiLB in black because they were predominately Wilson or other-brand hollow steel masks, and they were vinyl -dipped. Indeed, the Nike Icon Titanium was the first metallic mask not finished in black. As such, there was a stigma attached to seeing "silver" masks – everyone assumed (incorrectly) that any silver mask was titanium. It wasn't until mask manufacturers started to paint steel masks in silver, and in fact, started to paint masks black (instead of being el cheaparino and dipping them), that we started to see a change. To that end, umpire masks always lag behind catchers masks in terms of color, style, and features. 

Black is the default color of most umpire masks because it is the least likely to "stand out", "be different" and incur derision and a chastisement from another umpire. 

[eagle_12]

8 hours ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Would the bar closest to the eye on a black mask act like an athlete's under eye black stripe?  As mentioned before, maybe the silver/gray reflects into the eye... IDK. 

Rawlings titanium mask is coated black on the inside, at least they were when I got mine 5 yrs ago.  There must be some logic on their end to cover in black. 

[Replacematt]

I used an All-Star titanium for years, then switched to a black aluminum because I had a field oft-worked where the titanium reflected into my eyes.

Now I'm just a mask collector and I keep one for every occasion...silver, black (x2), gunmetal, navy pads, black pads, gray/black pads, light blue/black pads, light blue pads...

[BT_Blue]

3 hours ago, eagle_12 said:

Rawlings titanium mask is coated black on the inside, at least they were when I got mine 5 yrs ago.  There must be some logic on their end to cover in black. 

Not sure how old mine is. But the Rawlings TI i recently acquired is also black on the inside. Though that paint is coming off as the mask was purchased used.

To Max's point about "in the beginning, if the mask was silver, everyone assumed it was titanium." When I first got my Diamond Aluminum, I kept getting asked 1) if it was titanium, and 2) if it was a Wilson. (The latter question was because I had traded those crappy Diamond pads for the Wilson two-tone wrap around.)

[wolfe_man]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

I used an All-Star titanium for years, then switched to a black aluminum because I had a field oft-worked where the titanium reflected into my eyes.

Now I'm just a mask collector and I keep one for every occasion...silver, black (x2), gunmetal, navy pads, black pads, gray/black pads, light blue/black pads, light blue pads...

Where's my wife at, I need her to see this post!

"See honey, this is normal!"

[boyinr]

19 hours ago, Beacher80 said:

So I've read on Ump-attire that silver/gray masks offer a better view/perspective.   Do you guys find that to be true?

Or are you all getting your masks powder coated just for pure aesthetics?  

Red cars are faster too!!!

[SeeingEyeDog]

This is a topic that is long overdue. Thanks, OP for getting it going...

Like many here, I have an assortment of masks that I am constantly tinkering with. As I've gotten older, I've noticed I am much more light sensitive. Both my parents experience this, too and my eye doctor has confirmed it's genetic. Stepping outside after being indoors I typically need sunglasses even if it's a mostly cloudy day. I have 3 pairs with different colored lenses for different conditions. At night, if I'm driving a country road with no street lights, I have to avoid looking into the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

For umpiring, my area has a lot of badly laid out ballfields. Coupled with 5:30 start times, we have fields where the sun sets in LCF or RCF so, PU, F2 and batter are getting blasted by sunlight...good times. Thanks Parks and Rec.

YMMV, but I like a black mask for sunny to partly cloudy conditions and a silver mask for mostly cloudy to full overcast. Night games are still a hodgepodge because there are so many different lighting systems in use. I've actually started keeping a log for night games as far as which mask worked best.

~Dog

[Thunderheads]

12 hours ago, MadMax said:

Says the man who – get ready for this one, folks – is the only umpire with a visor for a FM4000/5000!!! And, despite having the ear of someone highly placed at All-Star, will not persuade or convince them to make visors for the rest of us! How callous and uncaring!! 

 

 .... I know Max is just kidding w/me because he's jealous of my ingenuity  .....  but just so everyone else knows, I've asked Brad at All-Star numerous times for a visor for the "FM" line of masks, and they're just not interested   Which reminds me ....I'm going to go send ANOTHER email to get @MadMax off my back! 

ON EDIT:  Email sent!!  

[wolfe_man]

1 hour ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

I've noticed I am much more light sensitive. Both my parents experience this, too and my eye doctor has confirmed it's genetic. Stepping outside after being indoors I typically need sunglasses even if it's a mostly cloudy day. I have 3 pairs with different colored lenses for different conditions. At night, if I'm driving a country road with no street lights, I have to avoid looking into the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

Cloudy days are actually way worse for me than full sun for some reason.

Here's a tip for night driving, buy a pair of yellow shooting (or safety) glasses from Wal-Mart for $7.  I use Champion shooting glasses for driving in dusk-to-dawn conditions.  It really makes a huge difference for me at night.  It deadens the bright lights and makes everything seem softer and easier to absorb without blinding me.  I really like how they clarify everything too. I started using them for shooting clay pigeons many years back and I found they make things much easier to see! 

I'll be civil, but if I ever run into the guy that designed the new headlights for cars, then he'd better be a fast runner!   I don't know why we need headlights that blind the oncoming driver and give off enough light to resemble the sun coming up over a hill!  I live in the country where we have these idiots installing LED light bars on their truck bumpers and over their cab so that they can see a 1/2 mile up the road - but no one around them can see anything but white hot light!  My retinas are burning on some of these lights!  Lastly, who at Ford/Chevy thought that fog lights need to be the same size and brightness as regular lights?  I see trucks coming at me at night sometimes with what appears to be 6 full-size headlights blazing!  I get that "more light" helps you to see a wild animal crossing the road and you can avoid it, but then you may have just enough light to blind that middle-aged driver coming at you so he hits you instead!

 

[Beacher80]

2 hours ago, boyinr said:

Red cars are faster too!!!

Speed can be measured empirically.  Perspective is the impression of height, distance, etc against a variable background.  

 

I'm not saying gray masks offer a better perspective, but it's possible.  And many of us buy from ump-attire, who made the claim, so I think it's a pretty legitimate question.  Your sarcasm aside.  

[Thunderheads]

3 minutes ago, Beacher80 said:

Speed can be measured empirically.  Perspective is the impression of height, distance, etc against a variable background.  

 

I'm not saying gray masks offer a better perspective, but it's possible.  And many of us buy from ump-attire, who made the claim, so I think it's a pretty legitimate question.  Your sarcasm aside.  

You're new, and you don't know Roger, ...he's just having a little fun  

@JimKirk .... where did this info come from that's been posted about 'silver frames having better vision' (not verbatim)?  Thanks Jim

[BLWizzRanger]

I just hope you guys change your underwear as often as you change your masks/pads or the combinations of such....

 

<said as a newbie, I will probably be in here next year with a different perspective>

[Thunderheads]

4 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

I just hope you guys change your underwear as often as you change your masks/pads or the combinations of such....

 

<said as a newbie, I will probably be in here next year with a different perspective>

It's not so much that these guys 'change' .... but moreso, they have different masks period (for different situations/associations/tournaments) etc .... 

[wolfe_man]

1 hour ago, Thunderheads said:

It's not so much that these guys 'change' .... but moreso, they have different masks period (for different situations/associations/tournaments) etc .... 

Agreed.  I hate changing mask pads, so it's a mask for day games, then another for night games, one for HS, for a certain uniform, etc.