I got the Ultima Matrix 2 Elite blades

[Zoomana]

OK, first of all, sorry to be so vague, but I am terrible at proper names.

I was looking at blades over the weekend, and my skate guy suggested the Ultima Elite rather than the MK Vision due to the cost savings (he said they were essentially the same blade).

There are two similar blades, the Elite and the Elite Light (not sure if the lighter one is also an Elite or something else). They are about $320 and $400, respectively.

I got SP Teri custom boots last year, and they are SO HEAVY. OMG. I was warned but didn't listen. It took me months to adjust to them (I had been in very light Reidells).

My skate guy suggested the lighter blade as a way to alleviate some of the weight issue (my skates weigh way more than my husband's, and my feet in regular shoes are ladies 7.5 and his are mens 10).

I have Professional blades right now. I am looking to upgrade to a "bigger" blade (i.e., bigger toe pick).

Has anyone skated in the lighter blades, and do they feel weird? Also, they seem really fragile. My skate guy said they've only been out since June, so I'm a little worried. I'm also worried about switching from MK to Ultima, I do know some people who have had complaints. My last worry (I have many!) is that it won't make a heck of a lot of difference. My skate guy is awesomely patient and even weighed the two different blades for comparison. There is a 3.8 ounce difference each, so that means almost half a pound of difference. I wonder if a half pound is worth it.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm an adult skater with all my singles except working on Axels and hopefully up from there!

[ibreakhearts66]

I don't have experience with them, but I held a pair a while ago (my jump coach works closely with Jackson, so he had one of 3 pairs), and he seemed very excited about them, so that gives me confidence that they're solid blades (he knows his stuff).

I personally have Paramount 420s, which a lighter blades and run about $400. I absolutely love them. I could definitely feel a difference in the weight. Those might also be blades to look at.

[rsk8d]

My booth was next the Paramount booth at Liberty, and I got to pick their brains and look at the blades a bit. They are so much lighter, it's ridiculous! A lot of national competitors, and I'm sure world, use them, and the materials are supposed to be much more durable. They also don't need to be sharpened as much, so you save money there. I'd like to try them when I need another pair, as I have Pattern 99s now.

[katz in boots]

I have Professional blades right now. I am looking to upgrade to a "bigger" blade (i.e., bigger toe pick).

Something to consider is that the MK Professionals are 7' rocker, whereas I think the Ultimas & Paramounts are 8'. That could take some adjustment for you.

[SkatEn]

Something to consider is that the MK Professionals are 7' rocker, whereas I think the Ultimas & Paramounts are 8'. That could take some adjustment for you.

Maybe it's just me, but when I changed from MK21 (7') to Ultima Legacy (8'), I felt no difference. Perhaps the rocker was getting flatter and there are little adjustments as a result. But when I changed from Legacy (8'), to Gold Star (7'), I was so depressed because back 3 turns nearly killed me. And I couldn't spin much. At all. It felt really different from a flatter to rounder.

[hanca]

That's weird, SkatEn. When I changed from rocker 8 to rocker 7, my spins improved a lot. (Like from 3 revolutions to 8 revolutions on the spins). I don't think I want ever go back on rocker 8.

[Skittl1321]

Zoomana- my fitter told me that the lightweight blades are so marginally lightweight that they won't make a huge difference to most adults (but they do make a big difference to skaters under 100 lbs), however, if you have heavier than average boots it might help you get back to a "normal" weight for your boots.

I have the low level paramounts- which don't have the steel that requires fewer sharpenings, and they are definetly lighter than the gold seals from my old skates, but I can only tell when I hold them, not when I skate on them.

[SkatEn]

That's weird, SkatEn. When I changed from rocker 8 to rocker 7, my spins improved a lot. (Like from 3 revolutions to 8 revolutions on the spins). I don't think I want ever go back on rocker 8.

Wow really? My spins were so much better in 8' rocker. I had to crawl back up the spins ladder when I changed to a 7' rocker. I think I'll want to go back to a 8' rocker, even though I spin just fine now. :lol: I guess this is why there are 7' and 8' rocker blades - people like us!:P

[Zoomana]

Wow, the whole rocker issue is a good point, I have never skated with an 8 inch rocker.

I'm not sure if my skate guy stocks Paramounts, will look into that too.

I'm definitely not under 100 pounds (try 135), so if that's the definer, I don't need the lighter blades.

Thanks for the ideas.

[ibreakhearts66]

Wow, the whole rocker issue is a good point, I have never skated with an 8 inch rocker.

I'm not sure if my skate guy stocks Paramounts, will look into that too.

I'm definitely not under 100 pounds (try 135), so if that's the definer, I don't need the lighter blades.

Thanks for the ideas.

I'm also more than 100 pounds, about 115 now and was about 125 when I started skating in the Paramounts, and I definitely DID notice a difference in my skating. I felt faster, my jumps were easier and my spiral was higher. I'm not saying all of a sudden I was zooming around he ice or that my jumps quadrupled in size, but I COULD feel a difference.

EDIT: Wait, are you talking about these (http://admin.tournamentsports.esolutionsgroup.ca/admin/Uploads/Images/img_633580295282871250.jpg) blades? Or has Ultima come out with new ones? The one's my coach had were not these, they actually looked quite like Paramount blades in terms of how the blade is put together. The ones my coach had me feel were insanely light. I can't compare to Paramounts because I never just held Paramount blades, but when he handed people the box, no one was sure if there was actually a pair of blades in there.

[Skittl1321]

I think a lot of that depends on the blade you had before though. A better blade generally gives you most of the benefits you said.

I'm on the paramounts (the cheap ones) and my spins are WAY better, and so is my speed- but I credit the spins to having blades that aren't so worn down, and speed to me actually just getting better, not the weight.

The way my fitter explained it to me (and 100 is arbitrary) is the percentage that the blade weight is of your body weight for an adult is a lot lower than the percentage that the blade weight is of a kid's body weight. So light weight blades are going to have more of an affect for kids than adults.

[Zoomana]

The blades in the picture are not what my skate guy showed me. The blades he showed me looked more like Paramounts, kind of like two pieces, the blade and then it was sandwiched in between lighter metal pieces. He said they had just come out in June.

As to the blade in the picture, my coach says she hates them, they messed up a lot of her kids' skating. But who knows.

[sk8mama]

The two piece Ultima blade that is similar to the Paramount is the Matrix or Matrix 2. The Ultima Lite blade is the lightest weight blade they make. In switching from MK to Ultima, you may actually see an improvement because the quality control on rockers is not the greatest in MK (Wilson is worse). If you use a guage that measures the rocker throughout the length of the blade, there is a huge variation throughout the length and between individual blades. Ultima has better quality control, but the best of the brands mentioned throughout these threads is Paramount in rocker quality. They are also the lightest weight because they are made of a totally different material than most manufacturers are using. Another important thing to consider is the quality of the sharpenings you get. For more information on any of this stuff, you can look at www.onedgeskating.com. It is a newer sales site, but also has some good information on selecting boots and blades as well as skate maintenance and sharpening.

[Zoomana]

Thanks Sk8mama, that is the blade my skate guy showed me, the Matrix one.

A good sharpening won't be an issue since my dude has sharpened members of the world team's skates, so I guess he's "good," LOL.

Greater time between sharpenings would also be a plus since it's 45 minutes each way for a sharpening, total pain.

My Professionals are five years old and have almost no blade left. Spinning has become nearly impossible. So I have to make a decision soon!

[Skate@Delaware]

I've been giving some thought to switching blades; I started on Mark IV which are 8' then went to Coronation Comets (8 1/2) and moved to Coronation Aces (7 1/2 I think). Thinking about going to something 8' but it's just a thought for now-when I was on the Mark IV's and Comets my spins were awesome (but I was also much bigger so not sure if a bigger booty had everything to do with it or not).

Although my 3-turns are much better on the Aces.

[Zoomana]

After asking about these blades a couple of months ago on this forum, and dithering until my old blades were so worn out I could barely skate, I finally took the plunge and whipped out the old credit card and got the blades.

All I can say is OMG I LOVE THEM!

Except for jumping, which is still a little weird on takeoffs, I don't even feel like I have new blades. Last time I switched blades I was a disaster. This time my spins are actually better (first try), and I'm skating way faster. My feet don't hurt as much because my skates are so much lighter now. My jumps (in the air) feel so much easier.

To anyone who is wondering if they will be so much lighter than regular blades and worth the $$ - all I can say is yes! I had Professionals previously, and this is a huge difference.

Thanks to everyone who posted who helped me decide.

[OnEdgeSkating]

Another key to consider with blades and with Paramount is that the mid and high level blades are not only lighter in weight but skaters are getting 120 skating hours between sharpening.

Another key we are seeing skaters do is they get an extra set of runners. So when one set needs to be sharpened you send one pair out and you put the spare set on which have a fresh sharpening. This way you always have one freshly sharpened pair when you need them.

Charles

On Edge Skating
www.onedgeskating.com