Any feedback on K picks? Especially Gold Seal?

[theexodus]

Hi!

I am changing my blades from Pattern 99 to Gold Seal and was wondering if anyone could advise how they are going or went with their Gold Seal K picks? I was told that they slip easily and was advised against buying them. Help please!!

(oh and I am learning axel and double jumps at the moment)

Thanks!! Also prompt replies definitely appreciated as I have to give my word on whether K pick or not very soon!

Cheers
Jo

[techskater]

K picks were designed to mask a picking issue.

[Skittl1321]

K-picks seemed to be designed for the highest level skaters.  If you are just working on an axel it doesn't seem worth the money at all.

[theexodus]

Thanks to the replies.

What do you mean by it is masking a picking issue? Could you please explain?

Also I have already paid for a K-pick and even if I take the non k-pick version there won't be refund. So which should I get?

[FigureSpins]

Skaters with poor picking technique - those who hammer, don't pick in straight back, pick in with picks at an angle - can benefit from k-picks because it widens the strike zone on the toe pick area.  The angled pick-in is the main problem it masks - the skater can keep the poor picking technique because they now have extra metal to the left (or right) of the main toerake.




The k-pick option triples the width of the toe rake on this blade.  A skater who has a tendency to pick in at an angle would now have a crutch at the side to help them grab the ice.  It doesn't correct the technique issue, however.

[theexodus]

hi thanks for that detailed explanation which is very handy. Someone told me that k-picks cause slippage. Do you think this is true?

[Skittl1321]

They are supposed to be more stable.

Cross-cut picks can be more slippery to get used to, and these are cross-cut (though it's not the k-pick, but just the regular pick that is), but the idea behind them is that it gives you more angles you can pick at, it just picks a little less into the ice at every angle (because the cross prevents them from being as uniformly deep as a straight cut pick- but if you miss with a straight cut pick, you miss entirely).