Vaughn 5500 - A decent entry level mask
Written: Oct 02 '05
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Pros: Not overly expensive, patched kevlar reinforcements, great ventilation for roller hockey.
Cons: Not full kevlar. Cage is iffy.
The Bottom Line: An average entry level mask. If it fits you, I'd recommend it for beginners and roller hockey players.
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| penguinman's Full Review: Vaughn Goalie Mask VM5500 PC |
After taking up the sport four years ago, I've gone from a terrible forward to a pretty decent goalie. I currently play as the starter for the Cornell University Club Roller Hockey team. As the league we play in requires a certified HECC mask, and my old rebuilt Van Veldon was anything but, I decided to pick one of these up.
The VM 5500 is a fiberglass mask with kevlar inset in areas that absolutely cannot shatter, like the forehead and upper chin. This is a good thing, because it means that if you take a puck in the crown you won't be dead. This unfotunately is also a bad thing; by placing pieces of kevlar instead of a whole sheet, it makes the mask weaker along the ends of the inserts. For most skill levels, this will not be an issue.
The mask itself is a rather ubiquitous shape like those made by Eddy, Van Veldon, CCM, and Koho. It has a straight bar HECC legal cage which, with the original padding, has a bar that sits right at eye level. Ugh. Thankfully, since I had 5 feet of mask padding laying around, I ripped out the existing Vinyl Nitrite foam and replaced it with more of the same. The original fit was okay; custom fitting with foam yourself is much more effective. The backplate (the piece that attaches the mask to the back of your nogin) is a five piece job with exposed straps. Pretty standard, no internal hidden straps like NXi or Sportmask.
One of the things I really like about this mask is the ventilation. Six holes in the top, two for each ear, and two in the chin make this a very airy mask. The visual aperature (cage opening) is also generous, although not quite as large as Olie masks. I cannot see the fiberglass of the mask when I'm playing, which says something about how big the thing is.
In the end, the VM5500 is a pretty decent entry level mask. The only thing I question is whether I wouldn't have been better suited coughing up a few extra bucks for a Sportmask or a Stacey Composites mask.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
penguinman
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Reviews written: 20
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