---Light weight blades ACTUAL WEIGHT---

[Skating Skies]

Hi everybody,
I am looking for intermediate level blades that are light weight. I've narrowed it down to:

1. Revolution (MK prof / Coronation ace)
2. Matrix Ultima
3. Paramount

Is there any info online about the actual weight of those blades? How much does this blade weights?

Thank you!

[Casey]

Actual weight will of course vary by specific blade length, and to a very minor degree in cases such as Paramount - which rocker profile and runner material you choose.

[Skating Skies]

I know that it will depend on the size. But I just want to compare them. For example: size 10 of a regular (non-light material blade) and a light weight blade. What is the difference in weight?

[Casey]

You'd probably need to contact the manufacturers for that information, some people here might be willing to dismount and weigh their blades but their measurements are not going to be terribly precise due to most people not having appropriate scales, would vary based on number of sharpenings, and wouldn't be a consistent size to easily compare.

Manufacturers don't generally publish the specific weights (although I'm sure you could ask) but the actual weight savings of a lightweight blade is really not that much.  There is much more weight that can be saved in the boot if lighter weight is desired.

For what it's worth, I have lightweight blades currently, and will be happily going back to solid steel blades next.  I don't notice the weight difference and for me the quality of the blade and how well it works for my skating is more important.

[Skating Skies]

Thank you so much for your detailed response.
So what in your opinion is the best blades for intermediate / advanced skating (freestyle)? What blades do you have (if you don't mind me asking)?

As for the weight of the light-weighted boots: I just wanted to see if it's a really big difference that worth spending money on. I was really struggling to find the specs and I couldn't. I've e-mailed the manufacturers already (I'll share what they say). As for dismounting the boots - I don't expect anybody do it for me - That's why I've asked for the online info.

[Casey]

I started with MK Gold Star blades on my first skates, and really loved them.  Later when I got customs I needed shorter blades and moved to Wilson Gold Seals, and loved them even more (these are the skates in my avatar picture on the left of my posts)!  The 8' rocker versus the 7' of the Gold Stars allowed me to skate faster and with easier stability (tradeoff in maneuverability).  Those skates ended up stolen and to save money, I took advantage of a great deal on Paramount 440 blades that I was offered - they are the Pattern 99 profile version.  Probably it is the Pattern 99 profile that bothers me the most but the blades are also quite noisy on the ice compared to standard blades (some say this is because of the different expansion/contraction rates of the aluminum frame versus steel runner), and I don't like the appearance of the blades nearly as much as traditional blades.  The 440 stainless material is very nice in that it stays sharp a VERY LONG time between sharpenings, and they are probably a good blade for some people, but they don't work as well for my skating.  Pattern 99 and Gold Seal profiles are both an 8' main rocker, but are significantly different towards the front of the blade (the spinning rocker, etc.) and toe pick design.

I don't want to spend the money to try a Gold Seal profile version of Paramounts as I don't even notice the lighter weight at all when skating (plus don't like the appearance) and would rather invest in something I know works, so I will probably get Gold Seals again next time I get blades.  I was very close to purchasing a set of Gold Stars again as I found a great discount on a pair in my size, but by the time I made my mind up somebody else had already purchased them - they are great blades too.  I am also intrigued by SkateScience blades, but am not sure I want to spend that kind of money on something new that has not established a strong reputation yet, which even if great, may or may not work better for me personally.  What blades work best for each person is a pretty individual matter though!

[Skating Skies]

Thank you so much for your details.
I just got a response from Wilsons manufacturer:
Coronation Ace Revolution blades - 0.5 KG for 2 blades
Coronation Ace Regular - 0.56 KG for 2 blades
Not too much of a difference!!!

[Casey]

P.S. Gold Seals have a solid toe plate without the usual cutout, so that also makes them weigh a bit more than any other blade.  Also a few years back the "new technology" option from MK and Wilson at the time were K-Picks, which added a bit of weight as well.  These are no longer advertised by the manufacturer.

Whether the Revolution option catches on better over time than the K-Pick option did remains to be seen.  The Revolution design not only reduces weight, but adds a small amount of cushion/flex to the blade as well, which is being advertised as helpful for making large jump landings less stressful on the body.  That may be a valid point, though personally I think I prefer my blades to be completely solid/rigid.

[Christy]

I went from standard MK Pros to Ultima Legacies, purely to lengthen the time between sharpenings, and didn't really notice any difference in the weight of the blade. I also found the Legacies to be more stable than the MK Pros, although spinning was a bit harder at first.
I'd say finding the best blade profile for you is way more important than the weight of the blade.

[sarahspins]

I'd say finding the best blade profile for you is way more important than the weight of the blade.

I agree 100%

To be honest, the difference in weight between any given blade and another is absolutely inconsequential on the ice... the rocker profile on the other hand, and just how the blade feels are everything to a skater.

I switched from Phantom Specials to Phantom profile Paramounts about 3 years ago and to be honest weight was about the last consideration I had when making the switch - yes the Paramounts are lighter, but do I notice that?  Not really.  I do enjoy the increased time between sharpening, the fact that I got mine in a bright color,  and I actually prefer the feel of stainless vs carbon steel on the ice - but some skaters don't notice any difference, and some vastly prefer the way that their traditional carbon steel blades feel (edge jump take-offs being a huge influence here - stainless is just "different" feeling, and you either love it, or hate it).   It's impossible to know what you will feel about any of them until you try... but I really wouldn't let weight be a huge determining factor in which blades you end up with.

[Skating Skies]

Thank you so much for your input. Nice to know.

[Bill_S]

For comparison purposes...

Size 10-1/2 Jackson "Synchro" blades, 346g each, for a total of 692 grams/pair. They are ordinary steel, not a lightweight composite.

[Bill_S]

One more weighing for the public good...

Wilson Coronation Ace (standard), 10-1/2" ------ 353g each, total 706 grams (0.71 kg) for both.

(I've got to quit doing this nerdy stuff and skate more!)

[Query]

If you go to HD Sport's website, they say a lot of high end skaters use Revolution blades.

OTOH, HD (MK and Wilson) gives high end skaters and influential coaches free blades, and discounts blades to many other coaches - but to some extant only if they use the expensive blades HD Sports pushes hardest. A dealer told me HD is pushing Parabolic and Revolution blades that way. So it's not surprising that a lot of high end skaters use HD Parabolic and/or Revolution blades.

That kind of economic issue always biases what high level skaters and influential coaches use, which is why publicized celebrity product usage has always been a very imperfect way to judge product quality and effectiveness, in any field.

I'm not an elite level skater, but for me, I think weight matters a fair bit, though I think other things matter more.

AFAIK, the lightest high level blades were the Matrix Lite blades - but Jackson stopped offering them a few years back, presumably because they weren't very popular.

That dealer says that Paramount are about 2 gm lighter than Matrix (probably insignificant) - but feels that they suffer a higher breakage rate than HD and Ultima.

Some pro shops can't sharpen Matrix or Paramount blades, because there is stuff that sticks out near the blade runners, that gets in the way, so they need special blade holders. They are also a little harder to sharpen yourself, for the same reasons. I'm not sure if Revolution blades need special blade holders too.

Paramount blades may also be harder to find quickly in an emergency.

Sorry I don't have any recent modern blades to weigh. So I haven't answered your question, but I hope this helps anyway.

[Casey]

If you go to HD Sport's website, they say a lot of high end skaters use Revolution blades.

OTOH, HD (MK and Wilson) gives high end skaters and influential coaches free blades, and discounts blades to many other coaches - but to some extant only if they use the expensive blades HD Sports pushes hardest. A dealer told me HD is pushing Parabolic and Revolution blades that way. So it's not surprising that a lot of high end skaters use HD Parabolic and/or Revolution blades.

Yep, which is why I don't buy into new fads right away.  Even if an advanced skater doesn't like them as much, "free" is a nice price and they are probably good enough to not hurt the skating much.  That said the image that it creates that more advanced skaters are more advanced because of their more expensive blades is false.  Higher-end blades that have been around for a while have earned their reputation though.

AFAIK, the lightest high level blades were the Matrix Lite blades - but Jackson stopped offering them a few years back, presumably because they weren't very popular.

Hmm, I didn't realize they stopped offering them.  They used titanium right?  Presumably thinner than the paramount frames (which are relatively thick since aluminum isn't as strong).  Titanium is heavier than aluminum but you end up needing less of it for the same strength so the end product is often lighter if engineered right.

Maybe in a few years we'll be seeing blades (or at least frames) made of stuff like this:  http://www.techtimes.com/articles/21966/20141211/new-high-entropy-alloy-is-stronger-than-titanium-but-lighter-than-aluminum.htm

Some pro shops can't sharpen Matrix or Paramount blades, because there is stuff that sticks out near the blade runners, that gets in the way, so they need special blade holders. They are also a little harder to sharpen yourself, for the same reasons. I'm not sure if Revolution blades need special blade holders too.

I would imagine they would.  But parabolic blades are also difficult to sharpen correctly, and even standard high-level blades are harder since the metal is thicker higher up the stanchion than at the lower part.  I don't think finding a sharpener with equipment that can handle anything should be too hard, but finding a sharpener as good as his equipment is another story.

Paramount blades may also be harder to find quickly in an emergency.

I'm trying to picture such an emergency...it would probably result with you being stuck with un-broken-in boots as well and would probably not be fun in any case.  Finding the correct blade length of any blade in stock in an emergency might be tough.

I would weigh my Paramounts as I should really replace the silicone seal between them and my boots anyways, but I only have a bathroom scale which wouldn't give any sort of accurate/precise measurement.

[Query]

Hmm, I didn't realize they stopped offering them.  [Matrix Lite]

Matrix Lite had cutouts in the areas that normally have less stress. Still available from some stores that have stock. But they had a specific rocker profile and toe pick shape that may or may not be what a particular skates wants.

I'm trying to picture such an emergency...

Break a blade?

A fish scale (used by fisherman) or postal scale or kitchen scale would give you a good weight estimate, if you drag it into the store. Many backpackers do that when they want to carry less weight on their backs. You could also just carry a little light bungee cord, and a measurement tape to see to what length it stretches. Calibrate it if you want.

[Skating Skies]

Good point about the free "promotions" to elite skaters. I haven't even thought about it... Thanks for your posts!

[Query]

BTW, except for cutouts, I believe Jackson Ultima Matrix Lite were made of the same materials other Matrix are - aluminum chassis, stainless steel runner.

Jackson has a history of making products, than dropping them. They dropped the old Matrix 1 blades, that had interchangeable runners. They dropped the Proflex [sp?] boots that had hinges at the ankles, so you could have a boot that was very stiff side-to-side, yet you could still easily point and flex your ankle forward and back. To some extant they were both good ideas (though the Matrix 1 bolts and nuts were too soft and easily damaged, and someone said the cables in the Proflex boots sometimes broke), but neither is around any more either.

[Neverdull44]

I love my Jackson Ultima blades.   They feel very crisp.  I can now do a 12-15 revolution backspin in them!   

[Skating Skies]

Nice. What exact Ultima blades do you have?

[Doubletoe]

In case anyone is interested in the weight difference between Gold Seal Revolution blades and standard Gold Seal blades, I finally got a chance to weigh mine on a postal scale!  I was particularly curious about the weight difference on the Gold Seals since they have the solid base plate, making them heavier than other blades.

Gold Seal traditional (size 9.5"):  654 grams per pair (1.44 lbs)
Gold Seal Revolution (size 9.5"):  512 grams per pair (1.13 lbs)  = 22% lighter

[Query]

I suspect that blade shape and material parameters are more important to most figure skaters than weight. E.g., I think MK Pro, Coronation Ace, and whichever Matrix blades you like are pretty different in shape.

[Doubletoe]

I suspect that blade shape and material parameters are more important to most figure skaters than weight. E.g., I think MK Pro, Coronation Ace, and whichever Matrix blades you like are pretty different in shape.

Yes, that is true.  But given the choice between a Gold Seal blade that weighs less and a Gold Seal blade that weighs more, I would prefer to have one that weighs less.  The less my boot and blade weigh, the less strain on my body when I have that skate at the end of my leg and its weight is magnified by the effect of centrifugal force (i.e., when I swing my free leg around gong into a sit spin or pull my foot into a catch foot position on a flying camel spin.)

[tstop4me]

Before anyone blows big $$ on lightweight blades, he should consider the weight of the boots the blades will be mounted on.  I just weighed my skates [Jackson men's Elite Suede, size 8W, and Wilson Coronation Ace, size 10-1/2 (coincidentally the same size as Bill's)].  The total weight of the pair of skates is 2659 gm.  A 10% total weight reduction would require a 266 gm reduction in weight in the pair of blades. Not sure whether 10% would even be significant.  A lightweight blade probably would make sense only with a lightweight boot; Edea Ice Fly is marketed as a lightweight boot (don't know how much lighter they are compared to other boots of the same size, though).

[dlbritton]

My skating is certainly not at a point where I would notice a difference in weight in blades, much less boots, but I can see where it could become noticeable in higher level moves (jumps, camel and sit spins, etc). My new Riedell 255s are "7%" lighter than my old ones but I certainly am not able to tell any difference.

Out of curiosity I looked up weights for my ski gear: boots - 2184g each, skis - 1800 g each, bindings - 1100 g each = 5084 g per foot (~11 lbs). But I generally try to keep my skis planted on the snow.