Is there an actual advantage to 2 piece guards over 1 piece guards?

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-Jessi
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I think it's personal preference....as a kid, I always had 1 piece guards, but I wanted to be a "cool" kid and get the 2 piece guards so that I could have 2 different colors...now, I have 2 piece guards because that's what I found first (I have no clue what happened to my old pair...probably got lost in one of my many moves during college)...although, I am tempted to buy another pair of 2 piece guards and being one of the "cool" kids again and having 2 different colored guards....hehe

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

That's what I was thinking. When I was little I had one piece guards and desperately wanted two piece guards like the "cool" kids. Now I have one piece guards because cool isn't so important and the difference in price can pay for one club freestyle session (club ice is cheap here).

But then I thought about who the "cool" kids at the rink are- and they are the higher level skaters. So is there a reason they all use them? Do they fall off less? Are they easier to put on? Once you get huge toepicks will they just not fit in the one piece guards?

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I use one piece because my blades are too long for 2 piece. I have 11 3/4" blades, and with a 2 piece the springs won't stretch enough.

The best one piece guards that I have found are made in Canada and have a clear plastic sleeve over a metal spring.

Rob

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I've had both . . . I actually prefer the one piece for the silly reason that it's not as easy to accidentally pinch my hand when taking the guards on and off!!

My one piece guards do fit over my MK Pro blades . . . which definitely have more toepick than recreational skates . . . I don't know if there is some point where the one piece guards won't fit over the larger toepicks (?).

I was scouring the internet for one piece guards but I couldn't find them anywhere - so I just bought the two parters from my local skate shop. I haven't seen anyone with one piece ones at my rink.

I had the one-piece guards when I was young but that's all there was back then so that's what I bought this time - unfortunately I couldn't find them in natural WOOD LOL!

I asked the young skaters why everybody else is in 2-piece and they said "Cause they don't fall off!"

Ok, there is a little bit of "technique" for walking in one piece guards (which I still remembered after 36 years!) and that same "limitation" allows me to 'step out' of my guards or step into them without bending over and without touching them - I LIKE that THAT is REALLY cool

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I have two-piece because that's what I found first. No one wants mine, though, Tess chewed on them and they're not pretty now, lol! Still work, but not pretty...

I prefer one-piece guards. You can just hook the heel loop and then "slip" into the front section without having to align your blade.

Seems easier to me than the two-piece guards - I always stand there like a flamenco, struggling to get the two-piece guards onto my blades.

I prefer the ones that Rob mentioned, but they're really hard to find these days. Everyone else seems to prefer the two-piece guards.

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I have a question actually, having looked at Google images - are the one piece guards everyone's refering to the same as centipede guards? I hated my centipede ones - they fell off as soon as I moved.

I want flashing guards, myself!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I still have my ancient one piece guards from when I took a few skating lessons around 20 years ago. They're very gouged-up and pathetic looking, but they still do the job, and I don't have to worry that anyone will steal them!

~~taijiya

I've always bought mine at Rainbo, but it doesn't look like they carry them anymore. I just opened my last pack last week getting ready for Adult Nationals. When I order from Rainbo, I usually order several of whatever I need. Multiple laces, guards, etc.

I have also seen them at pro shops.

The are not the Centipede guards. Centipede have a plastic loop in the back. The good ones have a metal spring covered in a clear plastic tube.

I just looked at mine, and there is not a manufacturer's name on them. They do have two diamond shapes on each side, and it says "Made in Canada". And, they are hard rubber, not plastic.

I've just been looking on the 'net and I can't find anyone that carries these anymore!!!!

If anyone knows of a supplier, please let me know. Or, maybe one of the vendors at AN will have them there.

Rob

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Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
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"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

I had one-piece when I first started skating, but the loopy elastic thing broke and I ordered 2-piece to replace. The main draw for me was that I thought they'd be more reliable (no problems with them in 4 years) and I could get two colors :-).

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Gordon Zaft
http://sk8rboi.blogspot.com
School figures are skating's equivalent of the Latin Mass.

I had centipedes/one piece guards at first. One kept falling off and I couldn't walk in them.. so I bought two piece guards. Awesome. And, really easy to take off. I just pull on the front bit, pull it over the toepick and take the guard off.

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Oh, me too!!!

I have two piece guards now - I had the one-piece ones to start with, but they started disintegrating pretty quickly.

Had my two-piece ones for about year, and still as good as new!!

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Amanda

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance . . . "

My Skating Journal

Yep! I bought some and I love them. Everyone loves them! OK so they are 4 times the price of ordinary ones but hey the amount I spend on skating it's a small price to pay for the inordinate amount of pleasure they have given me!

Yes I am that sad!

The actual advantage of two piece guards is that you can but them on while standing up. Just pick your foot up, hook it over the toe pick then onto the heel. With a one piece guard, you have to be seated to put it on the blade as it can't be fitted toe first.

Interesting - I put my 2 pc guards on heel first and I do that while standing

I've put a one piece guard on standing up many times, guess it just depends on your balance, but this theory does make sense.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

The one piece guards were an issue with our littlest (she fell off them); two piece guards solved it. The two-piece ones are stable enough that you can actually run in them - which, naturally, teens and pre-teens do. The price difference was about $6 CAD between one piece and two piece - so it was an easy solution.

I bought some of these of Ebay just the other week ! Someone told me the 2 piece guards don't work too well with the Ultima matrix system, so I bought some in case I need them when my new skates arrive.

I used the one piece guards with metal spring loop years ago, but everyone at our rink uses the 2 piece (though you see some centipede), so I went with the 2 piece. But I much preferred the one piece, always found them easier to put on. As others have said, the plastic loop on centipedes do break. Initially I had a lot more trouble putting on the 2 piece guards than I used to with the one piece - though admittedly I'm older, fatter & less flexible these days.

The seller I bought them from hasn't got any listed at the moment, but might be able to help you if you contact them. They are in Australia though.
The Ebay user id is sugarsew65 , their Ebay shop is called Sugar Plum Creations . Oh and Rusty, there's a pair of wooden guards on Ebay right now !

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

For the amount of time my guards are on, one piece do the job nicely (y)

If you're forever taking them on and off then I suppose you might care about how they look and how easy they are

The two piece blades do work fine with the ultima matrix blade system. I have had the matrix blade for 2 years now and have never had a problem with the two piece guards. That is all i have ever used on my blades. I noticed no difference between my old regular blades and the matrix in wearing the guards.

Where did you get yours from? I didn't know they were obtainable over here, and was thinking I might have to find out if a kind person coming over to the Mountain Cup would bring me a pair.

My present guards are at least ten years old, and look tatty beside a brand new pair, but still do their job very effectively!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!