Re-Rockering Blades & Resoling boots

[Skate@Delaware]

Anyone know where I can get these done? Any idea how much $$$ it costs? I live on the East coast but can ship them out.

[techskater]

Resoling boots: Montclair Shoe Repair in Chicago.

Re-rockering blades: Rainbo??

[mdvask8r]

Blades -- Tim Burt @ Ashburn Ice House, Ashburn VA.

http://www.ashburnice.com/

[aussieskater]

umm, Skate@Delaware, dare I ask what happened to your poor boots??

[Query]

I sent you an earlier PM with most of the same info.

This is extermely biased, and reflects very incomplete experience. Other people have other preferences.

1. If the factory is domestic, they might be best place.

Here are the best non-factory skate boot people I know, but all are in MD.

2. Mike Cunningham

http://www.skatersparadise.com

in Waldorf restored my rocker when I messed it up sharpening my own blades over a year or two without recording the profile first. He has a copy of the factory profile from MK, and frequently does custom rockers. Some said he is the most respected non-factory boot fitter on the east coast. Since I don't have enough experience to know who's really best, I might therefore ask him first.

Many bootfitters can resole, though they may vary in the quality of the blade remount. (You do blade mounts yourself, don't you?) I'm pretty sure Mike Cunningham could.

3. Also top notch: former Caravan Skates proprietor Don Giese in Bowie, MD (301-262-8042). He once fit me to boots that didn't hurt, the best recommendation I can give. He really knows his stuff. Sometimes rebuilds boots and makes orthotics to order. I think he does custom rockers too. He's mostly retired, so he might not see a need to work fast.

4. Chuck at Bowie

http://www.bladesofbowie.com

is also well respected and might do it. I've recently been using him to sharpen when I don't feel up to doing it myself. He often does work on the spot, knows a lot. Honest - he didn't hesitate to recommend I take my boots to the factory for major work, when he could have made the profit himself.

Good luck.

P.S. Appointments needed some places.

[Isk8NYC]

Corona & Liebenow (C&L) in New Jersey can handle both jobs. Obviously, you should call them to discuss your boots and what you want done. I had them rebuild my first few pairs of Riedells and fix a few bad sharpenings some time ago. (Before I switched to Klingbeil's and started being more particular about sharpeners.) I think rebuilds are around $100-150 and a corrective sharpening can run up to $40.

C&L has a shop near South Mountain Arena in East Hanover, NJ (973-887-6110) as well as their pro shop at Mennan Arena in Morristown, NJ. (973-993-3002) Richie is usually at Mennan. The legendary "Uncle Al" has limited hours these days, AFAIK.

[mikawendy]

IMike Cunningham

http://www.skatersparadise.com

in Waldorf restored my rocker when I messed it up sharpening my own blades over a year or two without recording the profile first. He has a copy of the factory profile from MK, and frequently does custom rockers. Some said he is the most respected non-factory boot fitter on the east coast. Since I don't have enough experience to know who's really best, I might therefore ask him first.

Many bootfitters can resole, though they may vary in the quality of the blade remount. (You do blade mounts yourself, don't you?) I'm pretty sure Mike Cunningham could.

One FYI to note--I called Skater's Paradise recently and their machine said that their Saturday and Sunday appointments are full and booked up to three weeks in the future; their Thursday appointments are booked up to 1 week in the future; also, the machine did not take messages and advised people interested in setting up appointments to call back during their hours (Th, Sat, Sun 11-5, I think). I think they're busy right now 8O (perhaps with South Atlantic regionals coming up soon??? or other sharpeners are busy and they're getting overflow customers???).

[Skate@Delaware]

Thank you, everyone, for your great responses!!! I am definitely getting my blades re-done, but will have to rethink the boot thing. They are older second-hand and I only need them for teaching (i.e. on the fake stuff and won't be jumping etc). Maybe I'll just get low level boots or those softec type (the insulated ones!) :D