Audible Nectar

I received the blanks from JB, and of course I guessed wrong! Glad I listened to LAK74, because my guess was too big Some observations that stand out: The wingspan from a 50 to a 54, as well as the length from the back of the neck to the bottom, was surprisingly small. The major difference is in body width. It was interesting to handle and feel the Edge versions, as it is the first time I have handled them. Wayyyyy different from the CCM's, both in material as well as fit. The material is interesting stuff. LOVE the huge Hawk crest If it is true that the Edge 2.0 has shorter and wider sleeves than the 1.0, the 1.0 must be for taffy pullers. I found the 2.0 to be about as long as I would want in the sleeves. Of course, I remind myself that these are the authentic, and are made to be worn with pads. I bought the 54 for me and the 50 for her, just trying to make an educated guess. The 50 for her was a big swing and miss, as the sleeves were way too long and had a lot of room in the body. I think the 46 will be perfect. But more surprising was the 54 fit on me. I could actually live with it, but it is a bit loose. I tried the 50 and found it actually didn't fit too badly, albeit a bit snug for a jersey. The 52 should be perfect. The pics in the size thread help a lot, especially once I had the jerseys in hand to try on. As much as I read these threads it didn't result in a proper initial guess, but I now feel much better about where to go re: sizing now that I have had an initial tryout. BTW - I find JB to be really good to deal with. I have also made contact with Triple Threat, who seem to have all the right answers on the customization, and will be getting the blanks once the right sizes arrive.

That animated gif makes my sides hurt :lol:

Curious who did the customization on these.

I have on order two blank Edge 2.0 Canada made jerseys, which will be customized to commemorate the attendance by me and my wife of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday As soon as I hear back from TTS or CSL (I emailed them and am still waiting for a response) I will arrange customization, assuming these jerseys fit properly. I think they will, as what I have dug into in terms of past threads on sizing seem to indicate I am on the right track.

If you don't mind me asking, who did your customization on your jerseys?

Too many to list them all, but here's a sample: Grateful Dead (lots) Phish (lots) String Cheese Incident (lots) Rolling Stones The Who Yes Crosby Stills Nash (and sometimes Young) Van Halen AC/DC Metallica Guns N Roses Rush Aerosmith Eric Clapton Elton John Queen Peter Gabriel Umphrey's McGee Sound Tribe Sector 9

I got hooked on hockey from watching the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team on TV when they beat the Soviets in Lake Placid. I was 14. I couldn't get over the constant heart stopping thrill of the end-to-end action that sport displayed. In those days, with only local channels, hockey wasn't a product I had access to. I was mesmerized after that experience. My dad was a subscriber to the Chicago Tribune, and i was a regular reader, especially with the sports section as well as the arts section, which listed all of the upcoming concerts. I noticed the coverage of the Blackhawks, and while I couldn't get them on TV, I noticed they were broadcast on radio - WIND out of Chicago. I began tuning in, and that's where I was introduced to Pat Foley. He made the game as vivid as could be imagined given that it was on radio - and the broadcast conveyed the excitement of what that arena was like - the fabled Chicago Stadium. I got quickly hooked on such matchups as the Neal Broten/Dino Ciccarelli North Stars, and the Bernie Federko led St. Louis Blues. I made my first trip to Chicago Stadium at 16. We bought tix from Ticketron and made the trip to "The Madhouse On Madison." I couldn't believe how small that building was for the number of people it held. And I couldn't believe how loud it was. Hockey in person is the best spectator sport in existence, and in that building - with no seat more than 100 feet from the playing surface, it seemed so intimate. Even the standing room seemed close, and seats in the 10th row mezzanine seemed too good to be true. When they played the anthem through that organ, that building shook. Saw a bunch of games in that building - often got mom to write dentist appointment notes so I could skip school and get tickets for the big matchups. They were good in those days, although not quite good enough - they seemed to keep running into Gretzky's Oilers. I remember one game where the Oilers outscored the Hawks 12-9 - Gretzky didn't score but he had 9 assists. As much as it hurt, you couldn't help but be amazed at just how good they were. They knew how to pass. And how to finish. It's been an addiction ever since. One can imagine the joy when they finally won the cup in 2010. I never thought I would see it, especially after the early United Center era when things were really rough. People really gave up on "Dollar Bill", and many came to the UC disguised as empty seats. That was a tough transition, as was the new building, which is so full of luxury suites that four Chicago Stadiums would fit in United Center's footprint. That upper level requires an oxygen tank from the thin air So it's a different experience, but they are winning big now, so it's all good - but I'll never forget, and will always cherish those old days in the Stadium. I watch the playoffs every year - Hawks or not, and enjoy Olympic hockey too - the highlight of the Winter Games. Cable makes it much more accessible and enjoyable - it's a long way from tuning in on that table radio when I first discovered Blackhawks hockey. I also enjoy the local semi-pro team too, who won two cups in the Colonial League some years back. They were great medicine during those lean Hawks years, and great fun for the $$$.

I am interested in purchasing an authentic Chicago Blackhawks sweater/jersey. Before I do so, I thought it best to ask those in the know how best to go about this, in order to get the best quality finished product I can get. As it seems this item can run multiple hundreds of dollars, I want to get this right the first time. I have done a fair amount of reading, and this is what I have read so far: - that the current "closest available to what the players wear" is the "Edge 2.0/7287", unless a "team issued" can be located (and I've yet to see one available for purchase). - that the "customization" can vary from one vendor to another - that some don't use the same material for the nameplate, that the fonts for the letters or numbers can vary slightly, and the quality of the gluing and stitching of the nameplate, numbers, and patchwork. I am especially interested in a vendor who does a solid job in this area. I have a CCM jersey from 1992 (Chelios/Blackhawks) which is a very impressive garment - I am still amazed at how well those were made. I got it at Gunzo's in River Forest. It is in a size 54, but is admittedly a bit larger on me now, as I have lost 20 lbs. since I got it. I figure I would wear a 52 in that version now. I have not ever seen Reebok 2.0s, at least to the extent I could feel them up close and personal, and am curious how they compare in quality. It seems that I can do this in a few ways. One way would be to purchase jersey and customization at the same place - it seems vendors such as JerseyBaron, Locker Room Sports, and this site's namesake, Ice Jerseys can do this, and are all listed on Ebay. Or it seems an option is to purchase the jersey uncustomized then send it to a preferred customizer to finish it off. So I am curious as to this site's recommendations as to how best do this, best vendor/source, and if there's anything I should know before taking the plunge on a modern version of my favorite uniform in sports. Thanks in advance!