Ok, finally bought skates... Decided on Jacksons. I need new skate advice!

[JessicaLynn]

Hi everyone, I don't know if you remember, but I was considering buying Riedell 121 skates. I tried on both Riedell snf Jacksons and found Jackson's were WAY more comfortable for my wider foot. I needed these skates for recreational skating in a rink, and also a first level skills class that I will be taking in January.

I bought the Jackson Mystique, which is a boot and blade attached together. They were $80.00 and seem really nice! The ankle support is INCREDIBLE compared to the CCMS I have now. I know these skates are "lower end" but I think they will be fine for my level. I am working on edges, crossovers, two foot spins, and a waltz jump.

Here's the thing: these skates are a christmas gift from my parents, so they wrapped them up! I have to wait awhile before I can skate in them.

So I was wondering, (since I have time before wearing them) What does everyone here think of Jacksons? How should I break in a pair of skates such as these? I also didn't get the new blades sharpened yet. Is that necessary, and if so, why? Should I look for someone who specializes in figure skate sharpening, or will the guy at the rink do just fine?

Thanks in advance! Please give me any additional advice you might have!

[flippet]

How exciting! :)

There are all sorts of break-in tips for new skates, and I'm sure everyone will be happy to share. (My connection is iffy right now, so I'll post this, then try to edit more in if I can.)


You say the boot and blade are attached? With screws, or with rivets? (I'm not familiar with Jackson models.) I hope with screws, because then if you need to have the blade adjusted one way or another, it can be done. Hopefully you won't, but if you're having a difficult time getting a particular edge, shifting the blade can do wonders.

Yes, you'll probably need to get the blade sharpened. Some blades come with a 'factory sharpening', but it's usually not enough, and if your boot/blade set is 'low' enough, sometimes they aren't sharpened at all. I would ask the other adult figure skaters where they get their blades sharpened--sometimes the 'guy at the rink' is all right, but often it's just a high school kid with little or no training, who mostly sharpens hockey blades and can really do a number on figure blades. Figure blades have a certain 'rocker', or profile to the blade that takes a bit more finesse to sharpen than just a couple of rough swipes down a stone.

Some accessories you'll need for your skates are BOTH soft terrycloth blade covers, and hard plastic blade guards. The hard guards are for walking around in, ONLY, and the soft guards are for protecting your blades in your skate bag, from rust and banging around. If you store your blades in hard guards, you're inviting rust. Walking around without any guards at all is the quickest way to dull and possibly damage your blades.

To break in your boots, at first try sitting around the house wearing them for up to an hour at a time. (Wear the thinnest socks you've got, or better yet, skating tights, or even knee-hi nylons, which is what I personally prefer.)This helps mold the boot to the shape of your foot. (Wear the guards!) To lace them up, DON'T lace them all the way to the top at first (well, you can if you're just sitting, but trying to skate and do things with them laced to the top is inviting blisters). You'll need the knee bend that not lacing to the top gives you. Instead, pull the laces tight over your toes (which won't be too tight, since the boot is pretty stiff there), pull them snug, but not excruciatingly tight over your mid-foot (too tight here can cause arch cramps), and then yank them rather tight right at your ankle bend. From there, lace up about two hooks, tight enough for support but not blinding pain, ;) and tie them off. Only wrap the lace around the ankle if you'd trip on them otherwise. (Your boots will be very stiff, and probably somewhat uncomfortable at first. If they feel like bedroom slippers, then they're likely too big.) If your ankle bones just hurt too much, what you can do is take them to a pro shop, and have the ankles stretched, or 'punched out'. It gives those bones just a smidge more room, and can make all the difference, comfort-wise.

When you're ready to take them out for a spin, lace them the same way. Tuck the laces into your pants, or the boot, so you won't snag a loop. The first time out, try just skating 10 minutes or so, then take a rest, and re-lace if you need to. They'll probably be a bit uncomfortable, but you shouldn't be in pain. After a week or so, they ought to be broken in well enough to skate pretty comfortably. As comfort increases, add hooks, until you're at the top (although in my little concrete SPTeri's, I still don't lace the top hook after a couple of years. I just like the knee bend. :)). (Higher-level skates can take weeks or months to be really comfortable, but lower level ones take about a week, maybe two, in my experience, depending on how often you skate.)

When you start, remember the cardinal rule of skating.... (everybody with me, now!)... BEND YOUR KNEES!!! :D:D:D

Have fun! :D

[tazsk8s]

Originally posted by flippet
How exciting! :)

You say the boot and blade are attached? With screws, or with rivets? (I'm not familiar with Jackson models.)

The blades are screwed on. I bought a pair of these for my little niece a few months ago as her first pair of skates (having learned about cheap, non-supporting, rivet-mounted department store skates the hard way when my daughter was first starting out) They look like decent beginner skates...adequate support but not overly stiff.

[sk8er1964]

Flippet has given very good advice. The only thing I'd like to add is don't be suprised if the skates feel totally wrong to you your first time out. Since you are switching brands and blades, the feel will probably not be what you are used to. When I switched from Reidells to Klingbeils, I could barely stroke around the rink the first time, and I'm an experienced skater.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by JessicaLynn
I also didn't get the new blades sharpened yet. Is that necessary, and if so, why? Should I look for someone who specializes in figure skate sharpening, or will the guy at the rink do just fine?


Glad you're getting your own boots!!!!! How cool!!!

Flippet's advise is all very correct.

As far as sharpening, I've seen even the best figure skate sharpeners make an occasional mistake and ruin blades. I wouldn't trust the guy at the rink unless he comes with a BIG reputation for sharpening figure skates (and I don't mean rental skates).

Find a professional in your area. Ask other figure skaters for recommendations.

I know skaters who FedEx their skates cross country to their favorite sharpener to avoid having their blades messed up.

[JessicaLynn]

Thanks so much for your advice, flippet! :) And yes, as tazsk8s said, there are screws, not rivets.

The major difference with these skates from my old ones is the stiffness in the ankle, and it makes me nervous! But I think trying the tips flippet gave will help me. As far as I know they fit properly. My feet don't slide around and they *just fit* when I have tights on. I feel a tad bit of tightness on my baby toes but I am assuming that will change with the break in process.

This is going to be fun to try them out! My class starts the 24th, so I will have one month to break them in on my own. I will let you guys know how it goes!

[JessicaLynn]

Thanks, garyc254. :) I will definately ask around at the open skate I go to.

Actually, the place where I bought the skates (just a neighborhood sports shop) offered to sharpen them for free when I bought them. I just said ok. Then she came back and said she didn't want to because the machine was unbalanced. Hearing that made me leery about letting just any place sharpen my blades. Although I am glad she had the decency to tell me before she possibly runied my blades!

Also, is there a certain type of cloth you should use to wipe the blades off after skating? Or will any old rag do?

Thanks again everyone!

[garyc254]

Originally posted by JessicaLynn
Also, is there a certain type of cloth you should use to wipe the blades off after skating? Or will any old rag do?

Most people just use a hand towel. I prefer a chamois like you would use when you dry a car after washing it.

Either way, make sure you dry the blade, the blade baseplate, and all of the nooks and crannies.

You can get a chamois at your local auto parts store pretty cheaply. I cut the large one that I bought in half and gave the other half to my girlfriend.

[mikawendy]

Sometimes if the rink is very cold and lobby of the rink is very warm, you may need to wipe your skates dry twice--once when you first take them off, and again as they come to room temperature, if you find condensation on them again.

Be aware of any special policies regarding warranties from the skate shop where you got your skates. For example, the pro shop I go to offers (I think) to guarantee their work on the skates for a certain amount of time in addition to the regular manufacturer's warranty at no extra charge. This means that if I have problems with the fitting or with any sharpening, they will help me fix them. (I'm fuzzy on the details of the arrangement, as I've never had problems.) But this agreement is voided if I ever have anyone at a different shop work on my skate or sharpen the blades.

If you feel that the skates are bothering your ankle bones, you can wear special pads to protect them from bruising or blistering--a good skate shop could suggest some products, or you could see what everyone here uses. (I received a free pair of pads from my skate shop when I bought my skates.) You may want to try the padding before you have any punching out done.

Same goes for if you feel crowding in the toe area and think that the boot needs punching out there. I should have tried skating more than one session before I decided my little-toe area needed punching out--now they seem a bit too loose in that area, and I think my feet must have just been a little puffy one day.

If you've skated in other skates before this pair and have nicer blades on this new pair, beware that the toe pick may be bigger. For the first few weeks in my skates, I was tripping on the toe picks and bruised my knee up pretty badly. Now I'm used to the picks and really appreciate having the better picks for jumping.

Have fun and let us know how it goes!!! :D

[Isk8NYC]

My daughter is on her second pair of Jackson Freestyle boots and she's doing very well with them. Jacksons are good value skates.

That said, take a look at the blades before you wear the skates. The chrome should be smooth, with no rust or flaking. My daughter's last pair had to have the blades changed two times because the chrome started to flake off after use. Doesn't affect quality of the blade, just the appearance. None of the blades started rusting, they just looked ugly. Our pro shop contacted Jackson Customer Service and the blades were replaced immediately at no charge. After the second pair did the same thing, they sent a better blade.

If it happens to you, and you'll see it when you dry the blades, you may want to show the pro shop people.

[Isk8NYC]

Best advice I can give you: don't leave the skates in the car. Even though they're not the heat-molded models, the heat and cold will affect the leather. Not to mention your feet after you put the skates on! Brrr! OUCH!

Here's the next-best advice: buy a roll of Sk8Tape, which is a removable vinyl tape that you put on the boot for protection. Look at your old skates and see where your dings and pings are now. Tape the new ones so they stay bright and shiny. I use the tape on the toes of my kids' school and dress shoes. No more "suede toes!"

I think this link on new skate care is somehow related to the skatingforums' site, but I'm not sure. There's some good advice here:

http://www.itsnotpersonal.com/fsw/newskate.htm

Enjoy your Christmas gift! (Can't they just wrap the box and let you use the skates now?)

[mousey]

^^ be careful with the skate tape. a coach at my rink had a student whos skates went moldy, after moisture got under the tape.

what type of blade do you have? (im curious what type they put on the lower models) i have jacksons too, and i like them. personally, i havent had problems with getting blisters since i got my jacksons (i got blisters when i had gams). also, if its tight in the toe, get it punched out as someone else said already. i had a pair once that was sooo punched out, that it looked like i had tumors growing on theside of my skates:lol: umm as for drying ur blades, anyold towel works. i use a plain white rag (its easy to bleach later). hope ur breaking in process is going well!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by JessicaLynn
Also, is there a certain type of cloth you should use to wipe the blades off after skating? Or will any old rag do? An old face-cloth or hand-towel is fine, chamois if you prefer it. One friend uses a roll of lavatory paper that she also leaves on the boards to wipe her nose with when she needs it! You would think a box of tissues would be nicer....

It's well worthwhile buying or making a pair of "soakers" (towelling-lined soft guards that fit over your blades) to keep them protected in your skate bag. Don't leave them in the plastic guards; these are only for walking about in, and they do get moisture inside them that is hard to get out. The only exception to that rule is if you are travelling, when you may well want to put the hard guards on them to protect them in your suitcase.

I know that in the USA you can buy novelty soakers, with animal faces on them, too sweet (I die for a pair!), but plain ones are fine.

Also, if you can, buy or make a cloth bag with elasticated or drawstring top, one for each skate, to keep them apart and protected in the skate bag. One woman at my rink makes, and sells, a matching set of skate bags, soakers and towel, which make a lovely present, or one can treat oneself.

Another worthwhile investment is a slightly larger towel, this one to stand on while you change your feet - goodness knows what hasn't been on the floor of the rink! I have two, and alternate them, with the used one going in the wash every couple of weeks.

Don't forget that jeans aren't really suitable for skating in - jogging bottoms or "trackie bums" are much better, or stretch leggings. You want something that will move with you, rather than that you move inside.

And I would recommend wearing boot-covers to protect your skates (but then I would, wouldn't I! I long to skate again - I've just got a new pair, maroon this time! I think that's my tenth pair......).