Review: Revgear Samurai Line!

ClampXVII

Bravado Muay Thai Trainer
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Greetings and salutations readers! In this article I'll be reviewing Revgear's new Samurai Line. This review will cover their Kote boxing gloves, Happuri headgear, Suneate shin guard, and Haidate Fight shorts. I received these items as a gift. I'm not sure if I would have went out and bought these myself but here they are. I figured I would at least make a good review. Judging from various reviews and posts, Revgear does some things right and could improve with other gear. I've been using their gear for a long time. I liked the older fit better because I thought the gloves were tighter and the headgear was thicker. Their current products aren't too bad though. They are constantly updating their gear it seems because these current models are familiar but very well done. On to the review!

These Kote gloves are pretty much boxing gloves. They're built a little larger than the average 16 oz gloves I used. The gloves feel better for people with larger hands. I didn't have a problem with the fit or making a fist but I could move my hand around the pocket. If someone needed extra protection and uses a gel or knuckle guard, this glove will accommodate it. The thumb is in a good position. It's slightly curved and long but the dense padding keeps it from jamming on the bag or mitts.

The padding is pretty dense because of the gel lining but it'll soften up and make good sparring gloves. There is a thick layer of padding over the knuckles and you'll have to try hard to do a lot of damage with these gloves. Hitting and getting hit with these gloves leaves the user feeling nothing but the spongy texture of the padding landing on the target. The glove are thick so it's a little harder to open up your hands to clinch or tie up with some one. They're pretty much built for punching. They aren't very good Muay Thai gloves because it's hard to open the hands and because the gloves are puffy so slipping in and out of the clinch is challenging.

The materials of the gear is actually pretty nice. The leather is thick and dense and feels pretty strong. The gloves feel like they should last a while if they're taken care of. The lining is a bit thinner than I'm comfortable with. It's lasted so far and I hope that it continues to last as long as the leather. It's the Nylon type of material that does a good job of providing comfort and drying out fast. Whatever the case the gloves look and feel nice. I can't tell if the gloves are even getting marked up and I have to look really hard to see tiny wrinkles caused from hitting.

The gloves feel like a better version of Revgear's Sentinel Gel Pro Boxing Gloves. If you've used that glove before then you'll see the improvements they've done for the Kote gloves. The gloves are good for sparring and training. The thick padding is good for the bag or sparring. It's soft and spongy after starting off stiff. They absorb a lot of impact from punching but they provide no pop on the bag or on the mitts. You land a punch and it goes
 
Their shin guards are pretty much the weakest link in a good line up. Revgear took some of their best equipment and improved them for their Samurai line, but really dropped the ball when it came to leg protection. They used their Defender Gel Shin guards as a base model and painted it a different color. I've used that shinguard before and it wasn't something that I personally liked. I felt they should have used a MMA grappling model to be their Suneate shin guards. It would make a lot more sense to me. The Suneate shin guards feel a tad bulky and oddly shaped.

The leather on these shin guards is good but I'm not a fan of the gel lining being exposed on these shinguard. It would have been better if they sandwiched the gel lining between 2 harder pieces of foam. I just found it to be too squishy and too soft for my liking. There were a number of times where I kicked a knee and felt it go through the shin guard.

One big thing that bugs me about this piece of equipment is how the shin connects to the instep. It doesn't feel solid and secure enough for me and I experience a lot of shifting because it feels like they're 2 separate parts instead of 1 whole shinguard. The alternating straps are suppose to prevent shifting during sparring but I experienced a lot of shifting. It was worse when my legs started to get sweaty. The extra foam padding should be a little thinner as well. Whenever I had them on the straps wouldn't buckle because of how thick my calves are. I find myself just throwing away these extra pillows. The straps feel better to me without the extra padding.

I really don't like these shin guards and I'm not sure why they went with these as their base model. The armor look on these shin guards look downplayed because there is just so much black around the sides. It's easily the worst piece in a good collection. I feel that this shinguard pretty much ruins the Samurai series. I would love for Revgear to dump these models altogether and redo the shin guards using their Slip on grappling shinguard or their professional leather shin guards. I have a lot of experience with those models because 2 of my fighters use them for their amateur events. They haven't failed us at all and they're battle tested. I couldn't imagine trying to use these for anything else except drilling technique before switching them out for sparring shin guards. I just didn't have peace of mind using these shin guards.

Final Score: 4/10

-6 because I don't like the shinguard

For those who don't like to read:

+Real leather
+Gel padding
-I hate the design
-The protection doesn't feel good
-The ankle strap didn't fit
 
The headgear I like. I reviewed the headgear before and I'm glad they didn't change too much stuff. I really like how they included a removable padding for the top of the head this time. It was something I talked about in my previous review. I'd like to think that I had something to do with that but who really knows.

The headgear is on the thin side but the padding is good. It's a good balance of protection and mobility. The weight feels good. It's not too light or too heavy. I actually find the weight of the headgear to be reassuring. The headgear is dense but it's solid around the ears. I appreciate this because I've been hit on the ears and it hurts a lot. I was luckily enough to not tear the ear drum but I did have a ringing in my ear for a little bit. The headgear could have been a little softer or added a different foam under the liner for a better and more comfortable fit. It's not bad but it could use some work.

The headgear has a lace up tie system at the top of the head and a dual hook and loop strap system at the back of the head. It's as close to custom as it'll get without being a lace up tie system and it's actually a little easier and faster to adjust on the fly. A lot of people have trouble with the lace system and it does take some time. It's not something you can fiddle with in the middle of class without getting yelled at by the coaches. This is just 2 straps and it's done.

The lining of the headgear made out a thick fabric material. It's not the smooth dri max type liners I love but it does the trick. I'm not a fan of leather on skin anymore because the sweat pours into my eyes and makes it hard for me to see. I do like how easy it is to clean and dry but if given the choice I take the fabric liner. It takes longer to clean and dry but during a sweaty summer sparring session I don't have as many problems with my visibility.

What I don't like about the headgear is that the cheek protectors could have been thicker and the headgear could have been a little more spongy. During my time with the headgear I could tell that different gloves affected me differently when I got hit while wearing this headgear. A softer glove didn't hurt as bad but when I got hit with a solid glove I could feel the punch land. It's hard to explain without actually feeling it. I think individuals with a longer nose might want to keep their guard up and move their head more. My nose is shorter and I still got hit on it. The visibility of the headgear is good. The cheek guards sit low so I could see everything that was being thrown at me. It's one of the better headgear I've used. It could be softer but it's good how it is.

I liked this headgear and remember giving the previous model a good score. It's a headgear that works better for people with short noses otherwise I wouldn't rely on the headgear alone for protection.

Final Score: 8.5/10

-1 because the cheeks are thin
-.50 because the headgear could have been softer

For those who don't like to read:

+Removable head pad
+Good visibility
+Good protection
+Feels solid
+Clothing liner
+/-Dense padding and a softer layer could have been put under the lining
-Cheek guards need to be thicker for those with longer noses
 
The Haidate fight shorts are my absolute favorite piece of training apparel. These shorts are so amazing that I need to find a way to slap my school logo on a pair. They're very thin and light but still provide an amazing 4 way stretch. They also look really amazing. Just enough flair and style without going overboard with the whole samurai scale armor look. These are seriously my favorite training shorts of all time and this is coming from someone who pretty much wears Muay Thai trunks day in and day out. I literally wake up and slap on a pair of shorts and change them to a different pair of Muay Thai shorts. So these are a breathe of fresh air. I've had experience with MMA shorts before and the range of fit went from bad to OK. Those shorts just felt like they were too rigid or the material was too thick or the waist and butt didn't fit right for my body type. The only other shorts to fit me well were Jaco shorts but everyone and their mom has those. Not many people have these and that is why these are my favorite shorts to grapple and workout in.

The fit of the shorts is spot on. I wear a size 38 and these fit how a size 38 should fit. I usually have go up a size but I got these as a gift. I was skeptical about a size 38 but I'm glad they double checked with the wife otherwise I would have bought myself a size 40 if given the option. They're also not very baggy and stiff. I don't like shorts that look very boxy and long. These shorts hug the hips and thighs instead of just hanging off the hips. The shorts move with me and not around me and it doesn't shift at all. I had to go online and see the price because I was thinking of buying another pair. They're $80.00 online. The price is high but I think they're worth it. Unfortunately the only other color is the scale armor and I think those are a little too loud for me.

I wear these shorts at least twice a week. I wash it after I wear them and dry them on low. I honestly can't tell if they shrunk any but they will last me a while. The material isn't pilling and the threads aren't pulling or loose. The screen printing isn't rubbing off or flaking. The shorts look exactly the same as they did when I unwrapped the box. I get more compliments on these shorts than any other gear from the Samurai line.

What I love about these shorts is that they do not inhibit any movement at all. I have thick thighs and sometimes when I'm trying to throw leg strikes I can feel the material binding around the buttocks and thighs. It's my body type and not so much the shorts that causes the problems. I have a small waist but if I buy according to my size then the thighs and butt feel too snug. I didn't have that problem with these shorts and found myself able to just flow with my combinations and movements. I had no trouble transitioning between low kicks to high kicks and even though I don't do MMA, I had no problems flailing on the mat when the MMA guys took me down. I'm a part time training partner for the professional MMA fighters at the dojo so I know very little about ground work. I do know enough that I can sprawl and close my guard. During all the time on my back I didn't have any problems with showing too much leg from the leg slits. It felt like when I was on my back and my partner was posturing up do whatever he wanted to me, the shorts didn't go pass my thighs. I'm not sure why this bothers too many people but I hear people complaining about it all the time. Get over it guys. You have someone trying to beat you up and you're worried about showing too much leg? Get your head in the game!

Like I said, Revgear offers another style of the same shorts but I couldn't bring myself to buy it. It's just a little too loud for me. I wouldn't even mind buying these shorts in bulk if they were blank or if I could put my school logo on them. I highly recommend these shorts. They're very impressive even if they are a tad pricey. If you want to see these shorts in action just watch Pat Barry vs Shane Del Rosario! Pat Barry is rocking the armor version of these shorts and I'm not sure if it helped him earn the KO victory but the shorts are battle tested.

Final Score: 9/10

-1 because the price is a tad high

For those who don't like to read:

+Excellent fit
+Super light
+Stretchy and comfortable
+Looks and feels great
+Shorts move with the wearer like a 2nd skin
+Doesn't absorb a lot of sweat
-Price is a bit high
 
There you have it. A complete series jam packed into one review. I like how Revgear tried something new and built a complete set using a single theme. It's reminds me a little of Hayabusa's Kanpeki line but done a little louder. I also think that the looks of the gear will either draw people in or turn people off. It's pretty much a user preference. You're either going to buy it or not regardless if you read this review. They pretty much sale themselves. I've gotten so many questions and comments about the gear that I had to let people try it. Some people loved it and others thought it was good but not great. I personally like the line and the prices aren't too bad. I'd love for Revgear to be consistent with this type of quality. It seems like their stuff varies and while I lucked out on some of the gear. I know there has quality control issues. I'm sure they're listening to what we want because the gloves are much better than anything I've used from them before. The headgear magically came with a removable head padding. The shorts are amazing. I'm pretty sure they are paying attention and tightening up their brand.

I hope Revgear continues this line or expands on it. I really like the theme and while some of the gear was done better than others I think it's a solid set of equipment. Overall I would give this Samurai line a strong B grade. Everything was good and there are enough improvements to the gear but I still don't like the shin guards. It's the weakest of the line and I felt like they should have gone with a different model.
 
Dang...how do you get yourself up to do reviews so in depth like this without getting paid...you're a legend for real.
 
Here are the pictures! My bad for lagging. It's getting tougher to put them out right now due to the baby, wife, and work/training!





 
I can't find this kit ANYWHERE! If you still have it and it's in good condition, will you sell this one to me? Gloves, shinguards, headgear, everything.
 
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