Masterline Handle Guard - unboxing

[Horton]

[escmanaze]

Cool product.

 

But the comments at the end have me really intrigued.

 

I switch from a large diameter to a less large diameter a few years ago and have liked it better. The switch also came with moving from straight to arc, so I wasn't very scientific about keeping it down to 1 variable at a time.

 

Also, is Horton suggesting that switching it up will help keep the blisters away?

[Broussard]

@escmanaze Horton is suggesting that switching handle diameters will alleviate pain in the tendons by changing the grip position of your hand slightly.

[Horton]

I'm saying that using using a larger diameter handle in general will be easier on your hands. I am also saying that using different diameter handles may alleviate some tendon inflammation issues.

[Slalom.Steve]

I find a smaller handle is easier on the hands, you don't have to overgrip and the handle can sit more in your fingers rather than ripping on the top of your palms.

[Horton]

@SlalomSteve

 

 

 

 

[Spencer_Shultz]

Super solid handle guard! Thanks for rocking one @Horton ???

[slow]

Excellent

[Slalom.Steve]

@Horton lol, well I guess I actually shouldn't talk - I haven't tried a bunch of different diameters and only been seriously skiing about 3 years, but I almost never have issues with blisters or callouses on my .940. I have smallish hands (wear small gloves) and even shorter pinkie fingers (seriously, it's weird, I've got extra long thumbs and extra short pinkies). So on handles over 1", in order to actually get my fingers around it, the handle ends up sitting more in my palm than in my fingers, which seems to create more friction/pulling on the skin of the palms and more blister issues.

[powbmps]

In regard to the handle guard, three out of four people in our group have these, and not once has one pulled off the handle. The Velcro setup works great.

 

Previously we all used zip-tied guards and were constantly replacing ties when the guard would partially rip off.

[whitem71]

This version 2 is way better than the first one Masterline produced, which featured neoprene wraps and so tended to rip and tear after light use. Especially so when the handle drags through the water if a skiers falls / on drop off to the dock.

 

Btw I’m with @SlalomSteve with smaller diameter handles (I’m on a 1.00) but I guess it all depends how big your hands are. I use small HO Legend gloves.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Yeah bigger handles are definitely better for your hands, otherwise you're over-gripping and your palm is rotating and twisting more. When I was younger I started with a 1.00inch diameter handle and over the years have gone to a bigger diameter. I just went from a 1.030 to a 1.092. Kicking myself; I wish I would of done it years ago. I know some of my friends who are top level skiers that use the biggest diameter handle available, and have said in passing if they made bigger ones they would use them.

[lefty]

Mildly off topic however if anyone reading this thread is considering a guard-was on the fence about handle guards until this season. Using a different version since May and don’t notice it being there. Then this happened mid season to a ski friend-a close call!

Very happy to have it on now and after seeing this crash would be nervous not skiing with one. Another ski buddy has the ML one and likes it.

[NikolG]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgpYSxWL1dn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

Incredible OM skier Aaron Davies just snapped his ulna, radius and the handle. ? His advice: “All I can say is

consider buying a handle guard as your

next purchase”

[Deanoski]

Dont be a test dumbing get some kind of handle guard

 

It will never happen to me was my thoughts 2yrs ago

 

Lucky to be back at it hitting the blue line daily :)

 

I prefer hard plastic it will defect not conform to heads or body parts

 

But any guard is better than none IMO

 

 

[Andre]

If you check the Instagram of Arron,slide pix for another one of the handle and one of his X ray...scary!