TopBoxer Dragon Series Facesaver Review

rmphilmacrac

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After a long time I finally decided to try out some of the legendary gear made by TopBoxer himself. I asked for some pictures of some of his work and everything looked amazing, it was hard to decide between gloves or headgear but he showed me a facesaver that caught my eye. I only have one facesaver so another is always a great choice and the style and, “simplicity,” of this one caught my eye. I told him i wanted the exact same headgear that was in the picture, no changes, nothing drastic. What I ended up with is one of the most beautiful pieces of gear that I have ever owned.


Look

All his work looks like a work of art to me, including this Dragon Series Facesaver. The matte black leather is such a high quality and also so soft. The silver piping and ears contrasts against the black. The stitching is clean, straight, it complements the silver especially around the crown loops. Everything about this headgear is absolutely beautiful. Even the suede like liner, called Dragon Dry, looks incredible. Which sounds weird but it just implies quality, it doesnt look cheap, it doesnt imply cutting corners. Overall beautiful work without a doubt.


Quality/Construction/Padding/Closure

As I said before the quality is incredible, some of the most high quality materials Ive used. The leather is vibrant and soft, both the matte black and the metallic silver. Even the laces are good quality. Usually when I tighten up my headgear too much i have to untie it by trying to pry the laces apart with my nails which means i usually end up messing up splitting the laces, this includes the laces I got from Winning. TopBoxer provides some pretty good laces though, definitely durable, flat laces for the back and round laces for the top.

To go along with the quality, the construction is top notch. It can easily rival and even beat some of the top brands without a doubt. No errors, nothing messed up, no loose stitching, close to perfect overall. This specific version uses a buckle closure but it can be changed to something like a Winning quick clip which would also decrease the weight a little. The buckle though does its job and just like everything else its good quality from the leather strap to the buckle itself.

The padding is excellent, sort of a medium density type of foam used. The inside molds to the head, pretty comfortable. The ears are firm which is good because this means they dont collapse, they also dont ruin the comfort at all. The DSF also has some back padding, significantly thicker than something like an FG2900 but its a very soft foam which means it can collapse easily. It still offers better protection than some headgears though .


Liner/Comfort

As i mentioned, this DSF uses the Dragon Dry liner. Im not a fan of any kind of liner but I actually like this one. Usually liners take forever to dry, no matter what the manufacturer says. Liners usually end up absolutely soaked too, i just hate them. I was very pleased with TopBoxers liner though, after 10 rounds the liner is obviously wet but it doesnt feel like a sponge and it also dries up faster than any other liner Ive used. To further add to the pros of his liner, it also makes the headgear a little lighter than full leather.

As I mentioned this headgear is very comfortable. The materials and padding combine to make one of the most comfortable headgears i've ever used. No complaints at all. The reason the Dragon Dry works so well is because while the outside looks and feels soft, similar to suede, it doesnt slip like suede and it also has a PVC coating on the other side that prevents the liner from absorbing any sweat. Thats why it works so well and thats why im actually a fan of it, out of any liner i've used in headgears this is the only one I like. Liners really come down to the user though, some like them, some dont, personally i dont but like i said the Dragon Dry is an exception.


Performance/Protection/Vision

This thing performs as good as it looks. The protection it offers is incredible, it protects the face better than any of my headgears. Not only that but it also doesnt obstruct the vision. Yes the peripheral vision is cut off ever so slightly but it barely makes a difference. Ive used headgears with worse vision in the past and they werent even facesavers!

The bar, while it does cut off some lower vision, its not as drastic as people make it out to be. I can see kicks coming, wearing a facesaver doesnt make me vulnerable to them at all and Im also not some veteran Thai Boxer either. The space between the forehead and bar is perfect as well. On my old R2C facesaver i could sometimes feel 12oz gloves go through the middle and touch my face, with the TopBoxer facesaver though nothing goes through the middle, even bare knuckles cant go through fully. The bar sort of gets in the way with things like shoulder rolls but you're using a facesaver not to be the slickest, smoothest, fighter alive, you're using it for elite protection and thats exactly what this thing offers.

As I said the Dragon Series performed as good as it looks. Absolutely no complaints. I can see everything just fine, i can take practically any punch. This facesaver serves its purpose and then some.


Weight

This headgear weighs in at 19.7oz. Over a pound but when you're wearing it you barely feel the weight. I can move my head around just fine. The weight was something I was a little worried about but my worrying was all for nothing. The headgear feels great and honestly just doesnt feel like a pound.


Cost

The DSF goes for $149 with free international shipping. Great price in my opinion, justified. Gear takes 4-6 weeks to make but the wait is worth it.

To further add, TopBoxer is a great person to talk to. Very kind, professional, the man knows his gear. I already have ideas for my next orders.

[email protected]


Overall

The Dragon Series Facesaver truly is one of the best facesavers out there especially for the price. It offers great protection, great vision, well made, absolutely beautiful piece of gear. As I said before i already have plans for more gear including another facesaver. I really have no complaints about the DSF, it surpassed my expectations. If you decide to get one you wont be disappointed and any questions you have TopBoxer will answer with excellent detail.


+Look
+Quality
+Construction
+Price
+Protection
+Laces
+Customization
+Performance
+Dragon Dry Liner
+/-Weight
+/-Wait time




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TOPBOXER would you be able to shape the nosebar similar to the Winning FG 5000?
 
I love the simple look of the Dragon Facesaver, it definitely looks quite protective. In your opinion how does it compare to Winning's FG 5000?
 
Yeah exactly man, simplicity sold me on it. My next wont be as simple though haha. But i dont have experience with the FG5000 so i cant answer that. Hopefully soon i can get my hands on one but for now the Dragon is serving me well.
 
thank you rmphilmacrac ,
i am glad you like my work.
 
is this headgear similiar to Sabas Facesaver??
 
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