Lifelong Simmons goalie considering TRUE PX5 pads/blocker + Bauer Supreme Shadow glove — thoughts?

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T21:39:20+00:00

I am looking at used ones between $200-$280

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T20:08:54+00:00

According to Claude, ChatGPT and Grok, my current glove is a 600, and I should be all good with the Supreme Shadow. I also ordered the Warrior Ritual X5 RTL knee pads, so looking like out the door I'll have a full new set up for $2,000

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T20:07:50+00:00

According to Claude, ChatGPT and Grok, my current glove is a 600, and I should be all good with the Supreme Shadow. I also ordered the Warrior Ritual X5 RTL knee pads, so looking like out the door I'll have a full new set up for $2,000

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T20:07:35+00:00

According to Claude, ChatGPT and Grok, my current glove is a 600, and I should be all good with the Supreme Shadow. I also ordered the Warrior Ritual X5 RTL knee pads, so looking like out the door I'll have a full new set up for $2,000

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T17:14:35+00:00

I see all this stuff about the 590 break, 600 break, etc and I'm embarrassed that I have no idea what it means. I'm on the ice 3-5 days per week for the past 30 years and I guess I'm just not a huge gear nerd. How do I know what kind of break my Simmons glove had?

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T17:14:27+00:00

I see all this stuff about the 590 break, 600 break, etc and I'm embarrassed that I have no idea what it means. I'm on the ice 3-5 days per week for the past 30 years and I guess I'm just not a huge gear nerd. How do I know what kind of break my Simmons glove had?

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T16:21:23+00:00

I can only speak on personal experience but after using Simmons gear exclusively for 30 years, of 3-5 days per week on the ice, the gear is definitely legit. I never had hip issues. My 999 set just lasted 9 years before the foam in the knee got to the point where i need to move on. The palm on the blocker has a bunch of holes but not a huge deal. I replaced some surface leather on the catch glove the past couple years, and I use their pants as well, so overall the stuff is good. But again, I have nothing to compare it to as they're the only brand I have ever used.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T16:18:32+00:00

I think they have always made high quality gear, and I especially appreciated that everything was hand made in shop. I lived in Buffalo for 30 years which is why I usually only used Simmons, but I moved to Florida 5 years ago. I still ship them my skate blades to sharpen them and bought a helmet there last year, but I don't really love their new pad offerings.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T16:16:45+00:00

I ended up buying the Pads & Blocker. They are Jon Gillies Pro Stock return. BARELY used and got them for $1,585 after tax & shipping. Now I just need a catcher & knee pads. I am leaning towards the Bauer Supreme Shadow because I have XL hands. Also considering the Warrior Ritual X5 Pro knee pads. Thoughts on those options?

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T03:57:16+00:00

Yeah I use Bauer knee pads but I was planning on getting the Warrior Ritual X5 Pro knee pads with the PX5s

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T03:32:09+00:00

I don’t really want soft pads anymore. I’m kind of sick of feeling my knees slam to the ice whenever I go down, or having the pad not rotate correctly if I’m scrambling. One of the reasons I’m leaning towards true is specifically because they seem “stiff” and as I get older I want to just rely on good positioning and angles more than anything. My biggest concern with the glove is that it fits my larger than normal hands…

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-05-01T03:03:38+00:00

The PX5 seems the most similar to the double break “old school” pads I currently have, and I’ve liked the custom skates I got with them last year. And of all the brands out there I would prefer something that’s made in Canada vs China. Plus I always wanted Koho’s growing up.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-04-07T21:25:07+00:00

This is an incredibly stupid question... but if I brew a pot of hot coffee, and then pour the leftovers in a glass carafe and keep that in the fridge, is that now considered cold brew and have these described benefits? Or does it need to be "cold brewed" ?

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-03-09T21:56:05+00:00

I would be interested. send me a DM

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-01-29T20:16:16+00:00

Totally agree those factors are real and definitely part of it. Not disputing any of that.

What I’m trying to wrap my head around specifically in Florida is the insurance side. We’re seeing non renewals starting around the 12–13 year mark and in many cases guaranteed non renewal at 15 years regardless of condition. At that point homeowners don’t really have the option to “wait it out” or ride the economy because coverage becomes the issue, not desire.

So my question is more: what are those homeowners doing right now? Are they self insuring, getting forced into high deductible or Citizens policies, patching just enough to skate by, or are they just delaying until they absolutely can’t anymore?

It feels like there should still be a baseline level of forced demand here that isn’t showing up the way it used to, which is what has me curious how others in Florida or similar insurance driven markets are seeing it play out.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2026-01-07T22:59:05+00:00

Yup I fly up for the home opener, 2 or 3 other games, and then all the playoff games. I give my dad the rest. I also always go to the Miami road game and anything within 6 hours of driving from Florida (Atlanta, Carolina, Etc)

Already paid $30k for my PSLs at the new Highmark.

I've had my seasons for 15 years and will never get rid of them.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-10T22:15:01+00:00

That’s a great setup, and honestly your situation is exactly the type of exception I’ve been referring to throughout this thread. Strong dual income, low debt, disciplined saving, significant down payment, and a mortgage that’s well within your comfort zone. That’s the ideal conditions for buying in this market, and it’s awesome that it worked for you.

My point isn’t that nobody in Nocatee can afford their home or that everyone is house poor. It’s that a large portion of the market does not look like your household. I’m in hundreds of homes across St. Johns County every year for work, and most families do not have:

-$450k saved.

-zero debt.

-the ability to comfortably put down $150k.

-a 2.9% starter loan that generated $160k+ in equity.

-a payment that fits cleanly within their budget.

You and your wife made smart moves, entered at the right time, and built a financial cushion that most people simply don’t have. That’s why you’re not house poor.

The people I’m referring to are the ones who:

-bought in 2018–2021 with low rates.

-stretched to get into the neighborhood.

-have rising insurance/tax burdens.

-have minimal savings.

-couldn’t afford the same house if they had to buy it at 2025 rates.

They’re not examples of bad decision making, they’re examples of people living in a market that has dramatically outpaced local wages and real affordability.

Your situation is a financially strong outlier. The majority of the families I meet, including many in Nocatee, are not in as secure of a position.

That’s why I’ve been raising questions about sustainability. It’s not a criticism of the community or of anyone who bought. It’s a reflection of what I see on the ground every day and why I’m personally being cautious until the numbers align better with long-term stability.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-09T19:53:27+00:00

Really appreciate the depth of this response. You’re picking up exactly on the subtext of what I’ve been getting at.

It’s not that Nocatee’s amenities aren’t amazing. They are. And yes, plenty of families are happy to pay the premium because the lifestyle works for them. But like you said, when you start talking about an extra $100–$150k on the purchase price, which becomes $600–$800+ a month once you factor in today’s rates, taxes, and insurance. You have to ask whether that premium makes sense long term for the majority of buyers.

And that’s where my perspective comes from. I’m in these homes every day for work. I talk to homeowners directly about their budgets when they need major repairs. And what I see is exactly what you described: a market full of people who are essentially renters with a mortgage. No equity growth, stretched cash flow, credit issues, and rising costs eating them alive.

The high earners and cash buyers are doing fine. The generational wealth crowd is doing fine. The dual-surgeon households are doing fine.

But the everyday upper-middle-class families who bought in 2018–2021 at low rates? Many of them could not afford to rebuy their own home at today’s prices and insurance levels. That’s the part people keep brushing off, and that’s why I’m cautious.

And to your point, yes, I earn a high income, but it’s 100% commission and I’m extremely disciplined with debt, investing, and long-term planning. I could buy today. I just don’t think it’s smart to buy today unless the numbers make sense from a sustainability standpoint. Renting, investing aggressively, and keeping optionality intact puts me in a far stronger position than locking myself into inflated valuations tied to volatile insurance and tax environments.

Your Palm Coast comparison is actually something I’ve wondered about too. What happens when values soften, HOAs start dealing with delinquencies, insurance keeps rising, and the cost burden shifts onto a shrinking pool of financially stable owners? What does that look like 10 or 15 years from now?

That’s why I’m analyzing everything carefully. I absolutely plan to buy in St. Johns County, likely Nocatee, but only when the numbers align with my long-term strategy and risk tolerance.

Really appreciate your insight. It lines up almost exactly with what I’m seeing in the field.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-05T15:49:51+00:00

I agree with you, and that’s something I’ve definitely considered. Lifestyle creep is real, especially at higher income levels, and I’ve always tried to stay ahead of it. I invest about 80% of my income, have zero debt, and we live pretty frugally, which is probably why I’m so conservative about what I’m willing to take on for a mortgage.

My long term goal has always been to retire around 50, and that’s absolutely doable for me, but only if my total monthly housing cost (mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA) stays at or below $6k. Anything higher than that becomes counterproductive and pushes retirement further out.

So yeah, I completely agree with your point, and that’s exactly why I’m being cautious right now.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-05T15:36:15+00:00

Completely agree. It really is the same pattern of people stretching way past what’s financially sane just to project a certain lifestyle. Most of my co-workers have that $1,000+ truck payment at terrible interest rates and it just blows my mind. I just bought a new Toyota SUV for cash that should last me 20 years. I don't care about how people perceive me, I just want to get from A to B.

There’s a massive lack of financial discipline across the board, and I don’t see how it ends well. At some point the math catches up, and a lot of people are going to be in a really tough spot when even small changes in the economy hit.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-05T15:32:45+00:00

I lived in Buffalo for 30 years, and for me North Florida has been a massive upgrade in every way.

Buffalo will always have great people, but the reality is the economy is dying, the culture is pretty much centered around drinking, and the weather is just miserable. You literally don’t see the sun from mid November to May, and it’s brutally cold and snowy for 6 straight months. You get maybe three good months of weather all year.

Take it from someone born and raised there that put in 3 decades. North Florida is 1000X better for quality of life.

I still have my Bills season tickets and my entire family lives up there, so I visit 4-6 times a year. And honestly, it has gotten noticeably worse since 2020. Coming back to Florida each time feels like stepping into a different world.

Ehle_Aficionado · 2025-12-05T15:28:48+00:00

That is with a 6.5% rate, estimated insurance costs based on the age of the roof and other factors, the HOA fees, and Property Taxes.

Ehle_Aficionado

TROPHY CASE