GR8-Call Umpire Equipment

[concertman1971]

1 hour ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

So we should take out the entire grid square??  Copy!

And when you need someone to fix what you broke.....call me. 45K who could fix any piece of artillery

[wolfe_man]

More to follow:

I have received and will be reviewing the following gear from GR8-Call:

1. Elite Chest Protector 13"
2. Regular Chest Protector 13"
3. Elite Leg Guards 15"
4. MLB Replica Side Panel Shirt (Blue)
5. MLB Replica Side Panel Shirt (Black)

A few quick notes for those who may be thinking differently, the Elite Chest Protector has hard plates inserted behind the cloth covering similar to F3's system.  No, it is not neoprene and Kevlar, but it's not $300 either.   It is "pre-rounded" in the chest area and fits me almost perfectly out of the box.   The CP is probably only a 1/2" thick, very thin and lightweight.   I'm actually impressed with the fit and feel of this one.  I'll be adding an UmpLife harness to it and I cut out the throat pad (the other CP has it Velcro'd in place, but this one is supposed to be Elite and it is sewn in place) - and I'll reshape the upper arm, gap and shoulder plates to curve better and provide a better fit.  Outside of that, I may make this one my new gamer if it can handle the impacts, which I think it will. I really like the fit of this one, even straight out of the box. I should add that the harness it comes with isn't bad, but I am spoiled now and can only use UL products for straps.

The Regular CP is very similar to the Honig's Elite CP.  As a matter of fact, I think it is a Honig's K1 base - with added external plastic plates Velcro'd on like a Gold.   The harness even Velcro's closed (no clips) under the bottom plate just like Honig's CP's do.  It is much thinner than any other CP out there today, except maybe Douglas, F3 and Adams.   The neck piece on this one is kept in with Velcro, which means you can remove it and pull the CP up tighter under your chin which I love.  At this point, I'll definitely be modifying this one by adding external clips/buckles to the lower plate's wings and putting an UmpLife harness on it.   With the Velcro, the fit is surprisingly good, but the clips will really dial it in better.   I will be working on relocating the upper pauldrons (gap protection) as well and reshaping/bending the shoulder and upper arm plates also so they bend and stay that way for a better streamlined fit. 

Shins: I've always thought Honig's shin guards were an under-the-radar good buy.  They are solid and much more affordable than their competitors.  The GR8-Call shins pick right up where Honig's left off.   These are solid and well-made shins.  They offer a great fit and I absolutely love the removable padding (a la F3) for washing or a closer fit.  The only things I would change is to remove the foot pad and strap (plate shoes cover this area, so no need) and perhaps make the side ankle plates about 1-2" wider for more coverage. 

The shirts are of a slightly different material than GD or Smitty replicas, but very close in color.  They do fit a little smaller (think sized for bases, size up for plate) so keep that in mind.   I think the collar's are perhaps a bit better on these than Smitty's.  The sleeves are a little longer on these too.  On me, they come to just at or below the bend in my arm (elbow area). 

[The Man in Blue]

Looking forward to the follow up reviews … and the inevitable garage sale posts … 😉 😁

 

[wolfe_man]

Just wanted to give a bit more of an update.  I really like these guys stuff and their customer service is excellent!  I highly recommend these guys and would order from them with no hesitation going forward.  They are starting small and the website needs some improvement (more pics and much more details of the items for example), but the men behind these are good guys!

The Elite CP actually has no hard plates, it it using several different density new foams.  I can tell you that it feels like there is a hard plate in it, but I am assured it is all foam.  I will be testing it out in HS Varsity baseball in the Spring and anticipate no issues. If I have any fall ball games, I'll wear it and advise.  I understand they are going to make the throat section removable like the Regular CP (Velcro in & out). The large gap plates need to be made smaller and more rectangular a la a Wilson Gold or Douglas too.   I love the fit and feel and minimum depth of this one!

The Regular CP needs some mods and I believe they are going to work on it. The shoulder pads need to match the Elite, get rid of the extra little plate and padding as it gets in the way when wearing it.  Plus, the wings of the main plate already cover that area, so needs to be gone. The Velcro option has to go, put some buckles anchored to the last lower plate edges and it'll provide a closer and better fit - plus look better too!  The large gap plates need to be made smaller and more rectangular a la a Wilson Gold or Douglas on this one also.  But this CP also utlizes the new foam pad jacket and it is much lower profile than most CP's out there today, similar to an Adams or F3 in thickness, but much lighter than an F3 in my opinion.  Once they make the updates, this is going to be a better buy than the Champion in my humble opinion.  Slap a new harness on it and you'll have a Gold that's much lower profile for a lot less money!

I'm told that GR8-Call is in the process of coming up with a premium harness.  They are also coming out with a new fabric on the their shirts soon.

I think we've got a new option that truly cares about feedback and making improvements for us regular guys!  This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship that's mutually beneficial.  We provide them with our honest and helpful feedback and they provide the products and apparel we need on the field at a great cost.

 

[wolfe_man]

Some pics of Regular 13” CP 

I’ve modified the arm plates location, created new pad cushion for the arm plates (recommended that they use the Elite CP ones as they’re much better here), added a new harness, reshaped the gap plates (still needs a little work) and added buckles to bottom plates (was a Velcro’d on harness under last plate).

 I’ve been told they’re going to consider implementing some (all?) of my updates.  They seem eager for feedback. If you have ideas, please pass them on to me.

 

[wolfe_man]

Elite 13” CP

I have added a new harness, cut out the fixed throat pad, reshaped & relocated the gap plates.

Dame thing here, GR8-Call is considering feedback and making improvements (throat guard will Velcro in & out in the future) and considering fixing gap plates too.

I really like the fit and feel of this protector! Lightweight and fits great. 

[wolfe_man]

Back of Elite versus back of Regular CP (blue foam pads peaking from underneath the arm plates)

[wolfe_man]

The padding reminds me of the old TW material but much lighter.

The Elite (RH side of below photo) is 3/4” thick and the Regular (LH side of below photo) is about an inch thick and a bit heavier due to the hard plates of course.

[wolfe_man]

Pics of the shins (15.5”)

These are very much like Honig’s and Force3. They have a removable inner pad for a lower profile fit or for removal for washing a la the F3’s.

The side plate coverage could be a bit wider perhaps but should still be more than adequate to protect you. It’s hard plastic versus soft padding at least, so it’s safer than much more expensive shins out there right now.

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

Pics of the shins (15.5”)

These are very much like Honig’s and Force3. They have a removable inner pad for a lower profile fit or for removal for washing a la the F3’s.

The side plate coverage could be a bit wider perhaps but should still be more than adequate to protect you. It’s hard plastic versus soft padding at least, so it’s safer than much more expensive shins out there right now.

Thanks Wolfie

[The Man in Blue]

Their stuff definitely isn’t sexy looking, but why should it be?  We wear everything underneath our uniform.  
 

I am really liking the low profile of your side picture on the elite CP.  The concept of no hard plates is still boggling my mind.  Though I imagine that helps lend to the lower profile.

I will probably be looking for new shins next season, and will consider these.  I love the minimalist nature of my Davishins, but nobody seems to be mimicking that style.