Is there a left and right blade?

[lyssykw]

I just got new boots and blades and had the blades mounted by one of the coaches at my rink, who is reputable.
 However, I’ve just noticed that the writing on the blades is on the inside, not the outside. Does this make a difference? I’ve never seen a blade mounted with the writing facing inward. I have Ultimate Apex freestyle if that helps.
 I skated on them briefly and they felt ok, I could spin in them etc. However, I did have trouble stopping. The outside edge felt very grabby.
  I asked my coach and he said that he thinks it’s ok, but to be honest I’m not sure. Should I take them back to the other coach? 

[tstop4me]

I've no direct experience with the Ultima Aspire.  All the blades I'm familiar with have a left and a right.  The difference is in the shape of the sole mounting plate (not symmetric inside to outside).  Blades are typically mounted with the logo on the outside edge.  If the blades are reversed, there may be a slight difference in weight distribution, and the degree of overhang of the sole plate (depending on the mounting offset with respect to the sole of the boot).

[Bill_S]

I had a pair of Jackson dance blades here to examine a bit over a year ago, and the shape of the mounting plates was symmetrical. L/R could have been interchanged without affecting skating.

It would be hard to mount non-symmetrical plates to boots unless there were gross ineptitude involved, so I assume that your Jacksons have symmetrical L/R mounting plates. In that case, the effect of switching them would be purely visual.

I'd examine other issues for the grabby edge and stopping (i.e. level edges?). Keep in mind that every new boot and/or blade will have a period of time where you get used to them.

[Christy]

I have Matrix Elite blades. They definitely have a right and left blade and you can tell by the shape at the front of the blade plate. I can't check currently but IIRC the "Elite" is on the inside of the blade and "Matrix" on the outside.

[lyssykw]

I managed to get in contact with the coach who mounted them. He said that the blades are symmetrical and can be used for either boot.
 He also said that he was thinking of the look when he did them, eg- keeping it clean on the outside. As my boots are blinged up on the outside.
 He offered to swap them back, but now I feel like a doofus for asking 

[tstop4me]

I managed to get in contact with the coach who mounted them. He said that the blades are symmetrical and can be used for either boot.
 He also said that he was thinking of the look when he did them, eg- keeping it clean on the outside. As my boots are blinged up on the outside.
 He offered to swap them back, but now I feel like a doofus for asking 

You shouldn't feel awkward about asking.  It's an atypical mounting:  having symmetrical mounting plates in the first place, and then intentionally mounting them with the logo on the inside.  It's always best to check if you suspect something might be amiss:  even if nothing's wrong, you now have reassurance and peace of mind.  I'm glad all is well. 

[Bill_S]

It's a bit ironic, but if I had kept the Jackson Ultima Dance blades with symmetrical mounting plates, I probably would have mounted them with the logos inside. I thought that the jet black logo against the chrome blade was garish, especially for dance.



The Protege blade logo was quieter, with a warm gray logo. It also had a symmetrical mounting plate.



Here's a photo of the Protege mounting plate, showing just how symmetrical it is...




For comparison, here is a front mounting plate of a Pattern 99...



It's obviously oriented for a specific side - left side in this case.

[tstop4me]

It's a bit ironic, but if I had kept the Jackson Ultima Dance blades with symmetrical mounting plates, I probably would have mounted them with the logos inside. I thought that the jet black logo against the chrome blade was garish, especially for dance.

If a Jackson marketing guy reads this thread, I wonder if he'll recommend making all their plates asymmetric ... that way skaters won't be able to hide their logos.   

[Bill_S]

Hah! That's when Marketing and Accounting would have a battle. It's less expensive to make symmetrical plates, and Accounting would go to war for that. 

[tstop4me]

Hah! That's when Marketing and Accounting would have a battle. It's less expensive to make symmetrical plates, and Accounting would go to war for that. 

Supply Chain Management to the rescue:  Make the plates asymmetric to keep Marketing happy; outsource production to China to keep Accounting happy.

[FigureSpins]

Bill - did you sell all the blades you tried while doing your measurements?

I thought all high-end blades had a left and right plate design.  Learn something new every day.

[Bill_S]

I came to the conclusion that these blades weren't their showcase models. That's in line with your thinking. A Protege, for example, is fairly low-end. I was a little surprised by the dance blades coming with symmetrical plates, but they don't require the absolute strength of freestyle blades to withstand the impact of doubles, triples, and quads. Symmetrical plates make sense for both of the blades I examined.

I still have quite a few lightly-used blades cluttering the shop. It's starting to look like a rink's pro-shop.

[Leif]

Regarding level edges, it’s well worth getting an edge or BAT gauge. Even competent technicians make mistakes.