New Blades?

[I think I can]

I currently have Cornation Comets and am looking for a better blade. What is a good next step up?

[Mrs Redboots]

Probably Coronation Ace, but do ask your coach what he or she would recommend.

[Elsy2]

Pattern 99, Ultima Freestyle, or Gold Seals. I haven't looked at what is out there in awhile, but these are the most common choices at our rink as far as I've heard.

[dbny]

The Coronation Ace and Coronation Comet are equivalent blades, the only real difference being that the Comet has an 8.5' rocker making it flatter than the Ace with it's 7' rocker. Maybe it's time for Pattern 99's or Ultima Freestyles or Elites, all of which have an 8' rocker, but, as Mrs. Redboots suggested, do ask your coach.

[I think I can]

I will defintlely check before I get new blades- just was wondering what you guys thought. What do you think of parabolics?

And how is the adjustment period when changing blades.

I guess a little background would be appropriate- I skated as a Teen then quit for ten years and have recently come back to the world of skating. I still ahvemy skates from before I quit but will need new ones soon- or rather I will need one new one as one of my skates is broken down and the other is not. I bought new skates right before I quit.

[flo]

I went from comets (loved them) to phantoms.

[I think I can]

Do you like the Phantoms? And why did you choose them over Pattern 99s?

Oh, and what jumps could you land with the comets?

Sorry for so many questions- I think I am a little bit excited over the prospect of new blades.

[flo]

Hi,
I really like the phantoms, and am on my 4th pair. I really liked the comets and thought they were a great all around blade. My coach suggested I get something less flat, with more of a boat shape. I believe the phantom rocker is 7. I had all my singles with the comets.
Enjoy!

[doubletoe]

I would highly discourage you from getting Comets unless you want to lose your spins. The rocker is 8.5', making it the flattest blade around, and very hard to spin on (you will have a hard time finding the "sweet spot"). But all of the MK blades have 7' rockers, making them good for spinning, but still good for jumps, too.

What jumps are you doing? What jumps do you expect to be doing in the next 2 years? The MK Professional blade is a very good blade for everything up through doubles, so you can't go wrong with that choice. If you think you might get a case of "upgrade-itis" and want to buy another pair of new blades within the next two years, then I suggest you just buy the top-of-the line blades now to save yourself the expense of buying blades twice. This is what I decided to do when my MK Professionals wore out. I bought MK Gold Stars and I absolutely love them! Just make sure you have an expert sharpening your blades, especially if you get blades that are tapered, side-honed, or parabolic.

[doubletoe]

I'm sorry, I just realized you said you HAVE Coronation Comets NOW. My apologies. If that's the case, I agree with the idea of switching to a blade with an 8' rocker, rather than going all the way to a 7' rocker. People who have Pattern 99's all seem to love them. I would just caution that they might not be the best blade for you if you do a lot of Ina Bauers, since the blade has a lower stanchion and you might end up scraping your boot on the ice.

Having said that, you will probably need at least a week to adjust to blades with a smaller (rounder) rocker because when you land your jumps, your heel won't want to come down. You'll have to consciously force your heel down to the ice on your landing foot until you get used to the new blades. But on the other bright side, you could find yourself with 2-3 more revolutions on every spin the first day on the new blades!

[I think I can]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I was also wondering what parabolic blades are? And what about k-picks- they were not around ten years ago.

In my skating lifetime I have had Reidells (which I did not really like) SP-teris- which I think I remember liking and Harlicks- which have lasted well. I have really skinny feet. (WOuld be good if my body matched:)) What do you guys think is the best boot? What have your experiences been?

[dbny]

Boot preferences are even more individual than blade preferences, IMO. Everyone's feet are different and the best boot for one may well not be the best for another. Go with boots that feel good and fit well.

[fadedstardust]

K-picks were invented by a coach to aid his student land his triple toe loop because he was picking-in incorrectly and his toe was slipping. It's meant to help people with triples, and it was created to compensate for bad technique. It's looked down upon everywhere I've ever skated, I don't know anyone who's tried it and said it made any positive difference, people buy them way too soon (ie: for doubles), and really they're the most useless piece of crap ever. Parabolic blades are supposed to make your edges crisper. Most people don't know how to sharpen parabolic blades properly and they'll usually end up like regular blades in no time. Parabolic blades narrow in the middle and then flare out at both ends. From what I have heard, there is an ever-so-subtle difference, but not really, and again, the skating world was fine before they came along. If anything that was invented was actually worth anything, you can bet you'd have heard all about the greatness of those things from every elite skater under the sun. And most of them, to my knowledge, don't use these features.

As far as blades, I recommend Pattern 99. They are amazing blades. I don't like the Phantoms because I hate the toe pick. It looks cool, but in action....blah. Hate it. I like the precise toe pick of the pattern 99. But it's truly a matter of preference.

[pennybeagle]

I went from Comets to "regular old" Pattern 99s and within two weeks, I discovered that I could actually spin (never believed it before). That alone was worth it. About a year later, the axel finally turned up, but that probably has more to do with sweat, tears, and God deciding that I'd probably suffered enough than the blades. ;)

I dunno about other people's experiences, but I distinctly recally that the Pattern 99s felt somehow "faster" than the Comets...like I could generate speed with less effort and I could sustain an edge longer (like a spiral) without losing speed. I have no idea if this actually happened, or whether it was just a psychological thing, though.

[I think I can]

Thanks guys.

Pattern 99s sound like the right blade for me but I will talk to my coach before I do anything.

I spin poorly but then again I think I have always spun poorly even before the comets. I know I rocked a lot before the comets and do not seem to have that problem now. Maybe I can blame my blades for my lack of spinning ability. Do you think my coach will buy it?

[doubletoe]

I went from Comets to "regular old" Pattern 99s and within two weeks, I discovered that I could actually spin (never believed it before). That alone was worth it. About a year later, the axel finally turned up, but that probably has more to do with sweat, tears, and God deciding that I'd probably suffered enough than the blades. ;)

I dunno about other people's experiences, but I distinctly recally that the Pattern 99s felt somehow "faster" than the Comets...like I could generate speed with less effort and I could sustain an edge longer (like a spiral) without losing speed. I have no idea if this actually happened, or whether it was just a psychological thing, though.

Pattern 99's have a deeper radius of hollow than some of the other blades, which makes the blades behave like sharper blades. I would presume that's why they would feel faster.

[fadedstardust]

The radius of hollow has nothing to do with the blades really, because whenever you get them sharpened it'll probably be altered. You can get your comets sharpened to the 7/16th hollow the Pattern 99's come with, if you want. What makes a difference in blades is mainly the rocker.

[mikawendy]

K-picks were invented by a coach to aid his student land his triple toe loop because he was picking-in incorrectly and his toe was slipping. It's meant to help people with triples, and it was created to compensate for bad technique. It's looked down upon everywhere I've ever skated, I don't know anyone who's tried it and said it made any positive difference, people buy them way too soon (ie: for doubles), and really they're the most useless piece of crap ever.

I've also heard that K-pick blades are harder to spin on, because if one is too far toward the toe pick (ideally, one wouldn't be, but it happens sometimes), there is more to catch on the ice.

[Perry]

I went from Comets to Gold Seals, and have had Gold Seals ever since (7 years). I can't say I really remember the switch -- I was nine when I changed -- but I know that it wasn't too difficult, and I know that I still love my Gold Seals.

As for boots, that's very up to individual perference. I only wore Reidells until I was about ten, and then I got two pairs that never really fit me and caused a lot of trouble and pain. Since then I've had Klingbeils, and I love them. The break-in period for Klingbeils, at least for me and everyone I've known who's had them, is significatly less than that of Reidells, and they seem to last longer as well. I have customs though, so I don't know if that factors in.

[vintagefreak]

I have K-picks and they were recommended by my coach and I'm only just working on doubles. I found them to be great because when I jump, I feel more secure and more of a grab. My old picks weren't all that trustworthy. I'd pick and sometimes just slip. It could have something to do with the ice I skate on because it is around 16 degrees and you really have to pick differently than softer ice. But anyway, I don't think I have bad technique, at least my coach doesn't say that. I have also had absolutely no trouble spinning, in fact my spins have improved since I got these blades (Comets).

You see (still hangin my head low because of what Fadedstardust said), the main pick part of the blade is standard but on either side are smaller picks but they aren't level with the main pick. So, when you spin, the only thing that could meet with the ice if you were too far forward would be the main pick, not the extra ones. It's like they aren't really there for spinning or anything else. They only matter for jumps. The only time those extra picks would touch the ice would be if you did jump using the toe assist. They just don't match up with the main pick. I've never had any problems, honest!

~AF