Samurai Gears Throat Guard Shattered

[wwsodeputy]

 

I thought i saw a post on here somewhere talking about this but I cannot find anything.

 

Happened last night. HS Varsity high 70s-low 80s foul ball. I had it on my +POS Zero G. It was not on the bottom bar of the mask. Felt like I got hit in the lower part of the mask and guard maybe got pinned between my mask and chest protector but also felt like a dull hit on my Adam's Apple so I'm not exactly sure. I couldn't find any markings on the mask though.

 

I've been in contact with Samurai Gears and they seem willing to send out a new one.

 

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

[mark38090]

That was a shot...

[wolfe_man]

Uh oh… that’s twice now.

 I notice it’s the stock screws, not Chicago screws. I know some recommend to change those when you get one.

Interesting!

[boyinr]

I replaced the stock bolts and lock nuts with Chicago screws on mine. I hope this doesn’t happen. Sorry it happened to you.
However, if it stopped a ball from hitting your throat it’s an acceptable price to pay. You can’t be too disappointed when protective equipment fails doing its job. 

[blue32]

The recipe on this tg needs to be changed. It's too brittle. I have at least a couple packed away but won't use them due to this very issue.

[tpatience]

My buddy working in the Carolina league just sent me a picture and his “exploded” upon impact. Very interesting 

[wwsodeputy]

I did receive a replacement at no charge. It is going on my backup mask.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Thunderheads]

I got popped in the TG twice in one week back in May, and happily, my Samurai held up great!

[The Man in Blue]

I'd be interested to know how old the ones that are shattering are.  We all know we should replace our gear regularly as foam eventually breaks down and plastic gets brittle ... and most of us are guilty of not doing that.

It would be nice if manufacturers would provide some idea of the usable life of their products since it is safety equipment.

[BT_Blue]

On 5/19/2022 at 2:32 PM, wolfe_man said:

Uh oh… that’s twice now.

 I notice it’s the stock screws, not Chicago screws. I know some recommend to change those when you get one.

Interesting!

That recommendation came from Mr. Brownlie.

[AtlUmp]

Took a break from umpiring and just saw this. I had that first one break back in 2019, the 2nd one I got at the same time hasn't had any issues. 

 

[834k3r]

15 hours ago, AtlUmp said:

Took a break from umpiring and just saw this. I had that first one break back in 2019, the 2nd one I got at the same time hasn't had any issues. 

 

Looking at the photo in the thread from your post and the one at the top of this thread, the shattering appears to be originating at nearly the same spot with similar shattering characteristics. I'm no engineer, but I wonder if there's some value in correlation.

[BT_Blue]

12 minutes ago, 834k3r said:

Looking at the photo in the thread from your post and the one at the top of this thread, the shattering appears to be originating at nearly the same spot with similar shattering characteristics. I'm no engineer, but I wonder if there's some value in correlation.

As I said... @Razzer figured out what was happening. It came down to th fasteners being used. The screw and nut design he was using was faulty as it would torque when struck and the force could break the plastic.

If you look at the inspiration for the SG throat guard, the Mizuno Shovel, you will see it is being connected to the mask with the strap and a Chicago Screw. Ray recommended (I believe) a 3/8 inch screw. I have them for both of mine and it is a snug fit. The screw WILL NOT move if the TG is struck.