Substitute Patch Blades

[Figureskates]

Since I am doing figures, I picked up a pair of used patch blades. The problem now is that I have only one shapening left so my coach decided I should mount the old Coronation Comet blades on my patch boots and use those. They have a pretty flat rocker and had been sharpened to a very flat hollow like patch blades and we had been using them before I got the patch blades.

The reason is that I can't get anymore patch blades since they don't make them anymore and I have a very long blade which makes it even worse. I can get the Comet blades but it is fun to track down a place that has my size (the last set came from Minnesota). She figures if I want to test this August I better get use to the Coronation Comet blades.

I have heard that dance blades are close as well. I know we had visited this topic a year ago, but it was way before I got "hooked" on figures and discovered the difficulties of finding patch blades themselves.

[icedancer2]

This is the thread about figure blades from last summer:

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=16035&highlight=Figure+blades

There are a few links to places that have pretty cheap brand-new figure blades in that thread.

I know that I contacted several of the blade places in the past month and most places have a pair or two sitting on their shelves -- you have to be sure to speak with certain people, because some of the people who answer the phone don't know that there is a difference between a figure blade and a regular free-style or all-purpose blade.

They are out there, you just have to find them. What size do you wear?

I'm not sure what you mean about using dance blades -- I have used dance blades for figures, but they are not ideal, except for the toe-pick which are generally small or domed.

Good luck. You can always try ebay!

[blue111moon]

Way back when I first started figures, my first figure blades were an old pair of freestyle blades with the toe pick shaved off. I don't remember what kind they were to begin with, but maybe a competant sharpener could do the same for you until you can find the proper figure blade.

I know people who do Bronze figure tests in freestyle blades so it can be done. I would think dance blades would be too short in the heel for figures but I've never tried them so I don't know for sure.

If you find a good figure blade sharpener (someone who's done them before a lot), would you let me know? I used to go to Gordon in Boston and he spoiled me for everyone else. Now all the sharpeners I've found are too young to remember figures. I have one guy trained but he's hard to get in contact with and my blades need to be sharpened before Mountain Cup.

[icedancer2]

You can do figures in dance blades -- the shorter length should make no difference (IMHO)

BUT I am finding that doing figures in a dance blade with an 8 foot rocker (Super Dance 99) is much easier than doing them on a 7 foot rocker blade (MK Dance). If only my new boots weren't so stiff I would be trying to do figures in them more, because those 8-foot rocker Super Dance 99s give me a much better flow and run than those other blades.

I haven't tried a figure sharpening yet. I am probably going to pick up some old patch blades and try that -- or put any 8 foot rocker blade on my old skates (soft, easy to do turns and edges in) put on a figure sharpening (we still have people around here who know how to do that, flatten that first pick and see how it goes.

Bluemoon, isn't there anyone over at the SCOB who knows how to do a figures sharpening? You should be able to tell them that you want a 1 inch radius and they should be able to follow the instructions...

Just a thought.

[Figureskates]

I had a sharpener in Wilmington put a figure sharpening (1" radius) on my Comet blades as well as sharpen my patch blades...worked fine.

The 8.5 foot rocker on the Comet blade is close to the patch blade, but I can still tell the difference.