Question:

HI: Does any have a old style metal jock cup they want to see? Please e-mail me!   Thanks !

Response:

Two questions on the antique metal cups.. I have seen them referred to as being made of titanium alloy, but understand they were usually made of stainless steel.  Does anybody know if both materials were used?    I also have heard that the term "getting your bell rung" was used in baseball not for getting hit in the head, but for getting hit on the metal  cups, whose bell shape poduced some unique pitches–in the catcher’s voice if nothing else. On a hot day in the infield, an aluminum alloy cup with lots of cooling fins  sounds good to me.  

Response:

Would you settle for magnesium?   At least that was the metal of favor of the BIKE  brand during the late 50’s and early 60’s.  When I attended a high school military school in that era, it was tradition that the "newboys" would find P/T and marching off demerits more "rewarding" if perfomed in jock and metal cup.  Our plebe class was so outstanding’ that we all received "metals" during uniform fitting on our first day.   Uniform regulations required that all metal items be polished. We put Brasso and effort on buttons and belt buckles, but were flabergasted when ordered to "present cups" from our P/T shorts, then given demerits for not shining the damn things.  (You couldn’t shine magnesium anyway).  About the only thing else I remember about the things is that they were hot, and the cushions kept coming off.   The plebe platoons were nick=named "support groups"

Response:

What I remember is that in 1968 my college "bookstore", in addition to carrying the Bike cup — then the flat version, made out of some material like the black "plastic" used in the old telephones — had two bins of metal cups and a separate bin of cushions.  All were unboxed and if they had brand names, they were obscurely etched into the surface of the cups.  You bought your cup and then fitted a cushion ring to it yourself. I had two versions (one of those things I could kick myself for not having saved for years) —  one, out of what appeared to be aluminum (could have been magnesium), was in design identical to the Bike flat cup.  The other was made out of a stiffer, more weighty material — I can only assume steel or stainless steel  — and, surprisingly, was ahead of its time — it had some, but not all, of the depth of today’s Bike "banana".  Since my sport was hockey, I favored this one as providing a bit of a dip down and protection below the groin against the stick that happened to come up between the legs. I assume cup supporters — the snap pouches — existed then, but most of us wore the cups by wedging them between two regular straps.  Some guys just slipped them into the pouch of a single regular jock.  Can’t imagine that that did it’s job very well  — I’d not heard your explanation of the term "getting his bell rung" — but it would seem to fit. Someone else wrote that what they remember is that they were hot  — as in temperature <g

.  Since metal retains heat, I suppose they must have been

for the ballplayers.  What I remember is the opposite experience of suiting up with a cup that had been sitting in my gear bag for hours in the unprotected cargo hold of a bus on a winter day.   Seemed to take "steel balls" to don. Since the "cushions" were loose fitted — again, maybe, they were supposed to be glued on and I did not know it at the time — one thing that I remember was that in the action of skating they could work themselves loose — leaving a rounded, but still pretty cutting edge outlining the groin.  If that happened, and you took a direct hit,  it was like being pounded "down there" with a cookie cutter. On the other hand, even in those days when I definitely did not think of these things as erotic — though they probably were — there was something different about metal over the later plastic  — or at least I think so — maybe it’s hindsight/nostalgia.  Seemed when you put one on, it was like getting into the "armour" of a Knight  — more combative, for some reason. Ah… the good old days!! <g

stephan young wrote in message

<68f1sc$c0…@newsd-143.iap.bryant.webtv.net

…

Two questions on the antique metal cups.. I have seen them referred to as being made of titanium alloy, but understand they were usually made of stainless steel.  Does anybody know if both materials were used?    I also have heard that the term "getting your bell rung" was used in baseball not for getting hit in the head, but for getting hit on the metal  cups, whose bell shape poduced some unique pitches–in the catcher’s voice if nothing else. On a hot day in the infield, an aluminum alloy cup with lots of cooling fins  sounds good to me.

Response:

Would you settle for magnesium?   At least that was the metal of favor of the BIKE  brand during the late 50’s and early 60’s.

Unless it was a magnesium alloy, not likely they were made out of magnesium. Magnesium is rather flammable and would probably rust away real quick in a sweaty crotch. The dumber people think you are, the more surprised they’re going to be when you kill them. -William Clayton

Response:

In Jim Bouton’s Book, BALL FOUR a reference is made to " getting his bell rung ".  According to Mr.  Bouton  the catcher’s metal cup madea ringing sound if struck the right way by a pitch.  Many years later during a Yankee game, I heard Phil Rizziuto say over the air, " He sure got his bell rung ", as the catcher rolled around in agony on the field.  Bouton got himself blacklisted for this tame ( by today’s standards ) expose  of the actics of the Yankees,on and off the field during the ’60’s.         I also had a metal cup during the late 60’s which was magnesium. Haven’t the faintest idea what I did with it.

Response:

And… guess what… Metal jocks seem to have returned!    Page 154 of February’s issue of Black Belt magazine has an ad from Panther Productions…  Among the stuff is a "Thai Steel Jock"…  price 19.95.

Response:

Chris Hanson wrote:

And… guess what… Metal jocks seem to have returned!    Page 154 of February’s issue of Black Belt magazine has an ad from Panther Productions…  Among the stuff is a "Thai Steel Jock"…  price 19.95.

Chris, how about some details, like address to order or anything that could help us get one.

Response:

Roger… Panther Productions is in your part of the world…. 1010 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92675   800 322 4442. BTW:  Super Bowl’s coming soon…   A bunch of us will be out and about in FOOTBALL GEAR in Los Angeles @ the Faultline for the occasion! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Daddy Roger wrote:

Chris Hanson wrote: And… guess what… Metal jocks seem to have returned!    Page 154 of February’s issue of Black Belt magazine has an ad from Panther Productions…  Among the stuff is a "Thai Steel Jock"…  price 19.95. Chris, how about some details, like address to order or anything that could help us get one.

Response:

Saw the advert today. . . try www.panthervideo.com and see if its there. This is the web page listed in the ad. Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Chris Hanson wrote:

Roger… Panther Productions is in your part of the world…. 1010 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92675   800 322 4442. BTW:  Super Bowl’s coming soon…   A bunch of us will be out and about in FOOTBALL GEAR in Los Angeles @ the Faultline for the occasion! Daddy Roger wrote: Chris Hanson wrote: And… guess what… Metal jocks seem to have returned!    Page 154 of February’s issue of Black Belt magazine has an ad from Panther Productions…  Among the stuff is a "Thai Steel Jock"…  price 19.95. Chris, how about some details, like address to order or anything that could help us get one.

Response:

The 800 numbers is not working there phone # is 714-498-7765 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Chris Hanson wrote in message <34B85526.4…@pacbell.net

… Roger… Panther Productions is in your part of the world…. 1010 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92675   800 322 4442. BTW:  Super Bowl’s coming soon…   A bunch of us will be out and about in FOOTBALL GEAR in Los Angeles @ the Faultline for the occasion! Daddy Roger wrote: Chris Hanson wrote: And… guess what… Metal jocks seem to have returned!    Page 154 of February’s issue of Black Belt magazine has an ad from Panther Productions…  Among the stuff is a "Thai Steel Jock"…  price 19.95. Chris, how about some details, like address to order or anything that could help us get one.

Response: