Official Review: Diamond Sliver Big League Aluminum Umpire Mask with Leather

[JimKirk]

Official Review: Diamond Sliver Big League Aluminum Umpire Mask with Leather

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[MadMax]

Always remember – this is the mask that caused an evil empire to quake, and to finally act. 
Yup, this was the darling of MiLB umpires, since it's as lightweight as titanium, nearly* as strong, and at a fraction of the premium price (of titanium). The iX3-UMP has that squared XCG so as to easily support a wide array of DTGs, while also featuring an Extended Crown Guard as well, that protects the top of the head from grazing "skull taps". 

It employs solid I-beam aluminum bars instead of an odd aluminum alloy tube that the Wilson DynAlum is comprised of. The DynAlum has a tendency to shear and fracture more often than the iX3. If the iX3 has an achilles heel regarding impacts, it is the welds "popping", but this is no more or less prone to happen than titanium. 

The pads are improved over the old default pads that the original iX3 came with. These are double the volume of foam, and are encased in a soft, pliant leather. 

 

* - titanium has better ductility than aluminum, meaning that it deforms (bends) rather than shears (breaks). Aluminum has been difficult to implement for catchers' masks, because catchers' masks are constantly experiencing impacts from "secondary and tertiary sources", such as being tossed on the ground, banged on the dugout bench, or crammed into a gear bag. An umpires' mask only (should) experience primary impacts, as in baseballs and bats impacting it from the front, which it's been designed and tested to endure.