RBK Pro Jock: Black and silver beats black and blue
Written: Oct 23 '05 (Updated Nov 30 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: solidly built, reasonably priced, comprehensive protection
Cons: I'm at a loss to find any
The Bottom Line: You might find a better goal jock if you spend more, but I doubt it. This one is excellent
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| puckmugger's Full Review: RBK Pro Goalie Jock |
Why switch?
It’s true, I was pretty darn happy with my Brian’s goalie jock. In fact I was happy enough that I didn’t really want to change brands. There’s a problem though. I simply couldn’t find one to buy online at a reasonable price. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I couldn’t find one at a reasonable price that didn’t have that dang leopard skin print on it. I don’t really think that leopard skin in the locker room works for me.
Further, I wanted to give the new RBK stuff a look. Frankly, borrowing a jock just isn’t something that I’m interested in even if it is for the sake of science. That in mind I sprung for the new RBK.
What does the RBK have that makes it good?
Roboweave! The RBK is to the best of my knowledge the only jock that has the new, flashy roboweave material on it. Yeah, I know, that’s just stupid and frankly I didn’t really care about it either. It does look nice on the shelf though and RBK continues to make great looking products that will catch the eye of potential buyers.
Fortunately, the quality is there as well. People might buy this goalie jock because it is shiny, but they won’t regret it the first time that a shot strikes them in the twig and berry vicinity. Further the protection in this jock is very comprehensive.
The RBK is significantly padded on both sides of the actual banana cup that fits inside. Next, there are small padded wings to protect the upper groin outside the area protected by the cup giving a little wider range of protection than many of its competitors. The belt itself is thick and well padded.
Perhaps most important to my decision is that this is actually a double cup. I know what you’re thinking, What the heck is a double cup? Despite what you might think it isn’t a way to keep from burning your hand while drinking a hot beverage from a paper cup. In fact the RBK Pro has the regular banana cup inside and a hard plastic outer piece that helps to further disperse any impact from flying pucks. As with any piece of gear, the ability to distribute impacts to other areas is very important.
Construction
Roboweave is a high quality material which will outlast most materials currently being used in goalie jocks. The area covered in roboweave is the one that is most likely to wear out. Good call! Beyond that area, the belt is what appears to be 420 nylon. It’s very heavy-duty stuff and like the roboweave, should last a long time.
Behind the outer cup is an unknown material that is a little softer than nylon. It’s a material that RBK clearly chose for its look—black with a metallic silver strand woven through it. This material comprises the majority of the jock so let’s hope that RBK had a dual agenda of looks good, lasts great with it. My guess is that it will be fine.
The wings and lining of the cup are a breathable mesh material. This allows the jock to dry quickly (I played until 11 a.m. today and mine was dry by 2 p.m.) Hopefully the quick drying feature will keep the jock somewhat less aromatic over time. It doesn’t seem to do a lot to keep you cool though.
The top belt is a heavy two-inch wide elastic strap. Again this is good stuff and I have no doubt that it will last a long, long time. The leg straps are a little less exciting. These are ¾-inch elastic, but give the appearance that they might not last as long as the rest of the materials. Further, the location of the plastic buckles on the front of the belt is semi-questionable to me. It probably won’t be a problem with them breaking, but I can see a very rare stinger on the hip when a puck hits the padding above the buckle.
RBK uses a few different types of padding on this jock. The wings have a dense padding which is almost like memory foam. This will diffuse and shots hitting that previously unprotected area very nicely. A lighter sponge foam resides behind the outer cup. On the both sides of the inner cup a thin layer of rubber-like composite material adds a thin layer of protection. Cotton lasting pads the sides of the inner cup.
Other details
Both cups are removable. This will of course allow you to take the jock to the local dry cleaner who will likely wrinkle his nose at the smell, ask what the heck the item is and then charge you the full price for cleaning a three piece business suit and two pair of drapes. Sadly the jock is not really something that you can toss in the washing machine.
The RBK Pro weighs 8 ounces making it easy to carry, however, if you are thinking of taking it backpacking, it does take up quite a bit of room. Further confounding this, the rest of your gear will really weigh you down and why the heck would you backpack to a hockey game anyway?
Final Thoughts
The RBK Pro Jock is a fantastic piece of gear that I’m very happy with. It isn’t the cheapest goal jock on the market at about $60, but it isn’t the most expensive either. I’ve seen some priced up to and even over $100. Frankly, I don’t know why you would even think about skimping on a goalie jock. But on the other hand, the RBK has all the features that you would want to ensure your ability to reproduce remains intact.
The RBK felt a little weird the first time that I wore it. The belt is a little higher than it is in the other jocks that I’ve used. However in all fairness, I was also using new pants which were 90% of the odd feeling I suspect. By the second time that I used the jock, it was perfectly comfortable.
I’ve had a few hard shots land downtown and haven’t felt a thing with this jock. Call me crazy—I’d rather lose a puck because I didn’t feel it than know one is right there because I’m going to have a big bruise in the kibbles and bits later on. I’ll take the silver and black of the RBK Pro over black and blue any day of the week.
I’d recommend this product to goalies of any level. It is a solidly built, reasonably priced piece of gear.
Some of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting Goalie Gear
Itech Goalie Jock
WSI Goal Jock
RBK Pro Goal Jock
© 2005 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
Recommended:
Yes
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puckmugger
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