I need to get new blades and I was just wondering what you guys are working on and what blades you have.

Thanks muchly

When I used to skate I had:

Gold Seal for Free and was working on UK Inter-Bronze Field Moves, Elements and Free and also axel & doubles.

MK Dance for, erm, Dance and was working on UK Inter-Silver (European and 22 Step) and OD and Free Dance.

Some people will tell you that Gold Seals were too much for my standard but I loved them and found them much easier to skate in than Coronation Aces and the like.

As with boots it's an individual thing. Some blades suit some people, others don't. Higher level, though, doesn't mean that they will make you skate better, in fact it can be quite the contrary!

If you can tell us what level you're working at then I'm sure that people will have suggestions for you

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The best whisper is a click

Personally my faves are MK Gold Stars, not parabolic or K pick, just good ole Gold stars!

I am upgrading my blades from the Mirage that came with my boots to the Coronation Comets recommended by my coach (she thinks I'm ready for them-yay!). Two others at my rink have upgraded to them from the Mirage and really love them. We are all working on single jumps, scratch spins and back spins and stuff like that.

Terry

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

What blades are you using now? You might not want a huge change.

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Hey I am beginning to work on doubles. I have Comets now. I am either going to go with Phantom, Vision, or Pattern 99. Those were recommended. I was wondering what you guys think and what you use. I have no blade left so I need to get them shortly. I am leaning toward the Pattern 99s.

Thanks

Oh and Tasha my friend has Gold Seals and she his working on her axel and she loves them

I am a US gold ladies skater. I use pattern 99 Kpick and love them. I have gone through 3 pairs and they have all been lovely. I have just started using MK dance blades for dance. (shocking) I used Phantoms and Gold Seals as a child so they weren't bad either.

la

When I went on 'temporary' hiatus (three years and holding ), I was working in FS3, and had just switched from Pros to Visions. I love my Visions--the smaller rocker was just what I needed to give my spins a boost. And they felt so much speedier than the Pros (which are also a good blade, but you're moving beyond those). I expect I'll be in my Visions for quite some time and levels to come.

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Since you are using Comets with a 8.5 radius, it would make sense to go with the Pattern 99 which is 8.0 radius.

The other two are 7.0 radius and would be way more rockered than you are used to. Unless your coach thinks you would benefit from a smaller rocker....

Good luck with your new blades!

Elsy2 is absolutely right! The Comet is the flattest blade there is, so you had better go with a blade that is almost as flat, which would be a blade with an 8' rocker like a Wilson Pattern 99 or Wilson Gold Seal.

You would only want to change to a 7' rocker (like an MK Vision, MK Phantom or MK Gold Star) if your jump landings are secure but you need help on your spins. A rounder blade (7' radius) will help you get onto your sweet spot and will probably add a few revolutions to your spins, but it will also make your jump landings feel less secure than what you're used to.

I am a stronger jumper than spinner, so I am very happy with my MK Gold Stars, but I wouldn't recommend them if you've been skating on Comets.

For 7 of the 8 years I have skated, I have used Coronation Comets - just got a new pair 2 months ago. As an adult skater, doing low-level dance, and freestyle single jumps they work well for me. A coach that I very much trust has said that once you start seriously training double jumps (probably never for me!) is the time to move up to Pattern 99s and like blades.

Can some please explains what rockers and radius means as they pertain to blades?

Thanks again

Radius can refer to the radius of hollow, which is the size of the groove (hollow) between the edges running the length of the blade. It is measured as the radius of the circle that the hollow is a part of. Picture a penny balanced on the bottom of your blade. If it fits perfectly into the hollow, then the radius of hollow is the same as the radius of the penny. This feature is usually referred to simply as the hollow, so as not to get confused with the radius of the rocker. A deeper hollow (1/4" for example) increases the ability to hold a deep edge, but also makes turning more difficult. A shallower hollow such as 5/8" makes turning easier, but holding deep edges more difficult.

Rocker refers to the curvature of the bottom of the blade, and is also measured as the radius of a circle. Imagine placing your blade (without the toe and heel plates) flat on a circle with a radius of 8 feet. If it fits perfectly on that circle, then that is the rocker of the blade (which is the case for Coronation Comets). A smaller rocker means that the blade is curved more and less of it is contact with the ice as you skate.

When you see the term "radius" with a measurement in fractions of an inch (for example 1/2" or 3/8"), then you know it is referring to the hollow. When you see mention of a radius measured in feet, such as 7' or 8', then you know that it refers to the rocker of the blade.

Hope that helped.

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yes, thank you

Gold stars. Love them!

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

A third lover of the gold stars (not gold seals) here! Though I'm just working on single jumps now and as others have pointed out they're probably "too much" blade, they skate GREAT!

If you use Comets right now and doing good in them (I mean spins and jumps) then go with Pattern 99 or Gold Seal (both have 8' rocker). I think that going to a different rocker blade can be very dramatic experience and it may be good or bad.

Also keep in mind that Gold Seals have higher from the ground clearance then Patterns (about 1/4" higher), they also have longer tail and have higher tail lift if you rock blade all the way to the lower toe pick.

Switching to 7' rocker can make you unstable on jumps. I had a hard time to spin on 7" rocker blades because I was rocking on the blade too much and could not really hit that sweet spot. Swiching to 8' made a huge difference in spinning for me. I also noticed that all turns are much easier and more stable for me on flatter blade. Some people though may have opposite experience. See for yourself wich radius works for you. You were warned

My coach also said the Comet, which has the flatter 8' blade, is great for longer gliding, and better for landing because of the flatness. I'm still trying to understand all this (was never good at math/geometry -have to take your word and my coach's word!)

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I think I have decided on the Pattern 99 now I am just waiting for them. I can't wait though. I want them now!