New Image Shark 954 Pro Goalie Mask

Hey guys... looks like my original review i posted back on 3/26/11 got deleted somehow, so i am reposting:

New Image Shark 954 Pro Goalie Mask Review

So… I try not to be too much of a gear whore, but there is one piece of goalie equipment that I have always loved- Masks! A few months ago, I had a 961 SE refurbished by Ray at New Image Goalie Mask. I was blown away by his service, professionalism, and excellent quality and attention to detail in his work. I have kept in touch with him since he refurb’d my mask, and I was excited to see he was creating his own new line of goalie masks. After a bit of inquiring, I went ahead and purchased a Shark 954 Pro Model goalie mask. Normally, I would have been a bit unnerved buying a new product with no reviews or opinions, but I had no doubts due to my past experience dealing with Ray. I had it on the ice for a few hours last night for the first time so I this will be an out of box/on ice review. I will update later on down the road as I have more ice time wearing it. To give a little background on my reference point/mask history, I have worn an Eddy GT, a Warwick 357 Miller, a 961 SE, and most recently a Fusion 9961.

Here are the specs:

• Full Carbon / Full Kevlar Pro Fiberglass Shell with reinforced Kevlar in high impact sections
• White painted Shell
• White powder coated Pro Cats-eye cage
• Custom Chin Sling
• Custom padded, based on my measurements and preferences

First Impressions
I had seen pictures of the mask before it was delivered, but having it in my hands, I was extremely pleased! It looks even better in person. The mask came with a padded mask bag, and a little kit with a few extras of items I may need in a pinch (extra strap clips, sweatbands, hardware, padding shims).

Looks/Styling
I tend to prefer masks that have a traditional look to them… along the lines of Harrison, Cubberly and Warwicks. I feel that this mask is very similar in style and shape to the models I just mentioned, giving it a very classic look. Ray offers the choice of having the cage powder coated white – which I definitely opted for. I also noticed that Ray uses straps that are actually white, as opposed to cream colored harnesses I have seen on other white factory masks. He offers a bunch of different paint colors at no extra charge, but there is just something about an all white mask that I love.

Craftsmanship/Construction-
The mask is finished extremely well. No bad edges, no paint/clearcoat damage or bubbles. Hardware is all fitted properly and centered. Padding is all cut perfectly. The inside is finished well. It has an almost graphite silvery finish on it.

Fit
This category (aside from protection) is the most important on my list…as it should be for any goalie. After deciding to buy this mask, Ray asked for all the important measurements of my head and specifically what my preferences were for how I wanted my mask to fit. I had an injury to my jaw which makes wearing a chin cup or chin sling painful and uncomfortable, so I normally don’t wear anything in my mask around the chin except for a layer of thin padding directly in the chin drop. I mentioned to Ray that he didn’t need to include the chin cup or chin sling and explained why. Ray responded in the next hour and explained that he would be happy to include the extra padding for the chin drop, but also that he had hand made me a special custom chin sling that would sit a little bit deeper into the chin drop, making it less restrictive and putting much less pressure on my jaw. This solved my issue and when I wore the mask last night, I experienced no jaw pain at all. Overall, the forehead, cheekbone, and temple area is all a perfect fit. The fit of this mask definitely exceeded my expectations and is better than any mask I have owned to date.

Protection
Surprisingly, nobody felt the need to ping one off my melon last night so I can’t comment on how it was to take a shot directly to the head or cage. Tomorrow is a new day, so I will be sure to update this thread as I get sniped

Customer Service
This is a big one for me as well… As many of you have experienced, Ray’s customer service skills are as good as it gets. His communication is excellent with timely and helpful responses. All my pestering emails were answered, and answered fast. The time from initial contact to order placed, to actual delivery was as fast as it gets. Ray also went above and beyond by crafting a custom chin sling – It was something he did without me even asking for it. I am a very pleased customer, and couldn’t be any happier.

Ok, so I wrote a small novel here. Hopefully I didn’t miss anything important, but if I did, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions… or go straight to the man himself, ray@newimagegoaliemask.com

-mash

And now the pictures…

Also got this new padded mask bag, that has Shark 954 embroidered on the top. Very nice quality!