Changing Blades from Coronation Comet

[JSHalo]

Hi, everyone! Yes, I am here with yet another dreaded thread on blades But, I figure everyone is a little different, so hopefully those of you with experience skating in different blades will be able to kindly offer some insight!

Currently, I am in Coronation Comets; I will have been in them for 2 years this coming January. I'm working on silver MIF, pre-bronze dance, and my lutz. The problem I'm having with the Comets is very poor (read: pathetic) spins. I can't stay centered, and have a lot of trouble finding the "sweet spot." It's really gotten to the point where I don't WANT to spin because I'm so frustrated with them. I'm also having trouble with edges. I feel as though I have to PULL myself around the lobe on patterns, that I get "stuck" in a flat edge (if that makes sense?).

The man who sharpens my blades has recommended Pattern 99's, but I've seen that some people prefer the Gold Seals because they're a bit rounder, which is appealing to me after dealing with the Comets. GS are really out of my price range and P99's are pushing it quite a bit. And so I've been looking at the Eclipse Pinnacles, which I've seen people say are closer to the GS.

OR, given the issues I'm having, would it be better to drop down to a 7' rocker? It's a really dramatic change, but I wonder if that would be better for the edge problem. I enjoy dance quite a bit more than freestyle, so I'd rather cater to that than to spins.

While I know that new blades isn't going to fix everything (I have to work on myself, too), I feel as though I want to at least TRY something new. I've only briefly mentioned this to my coaches, and we've not yet sat down for a conversation, because I want some knowledge before getting into it so I know what we're talking about. It was my freestyle coach (who is my primary coach) who chose the Comets because she felt it would help my spins and they're more stable.

Any insight is much appreciated! It would definitely help to be armed with some knowledge before I talk to my coach about this. Thanks!

[tstop4me]

I'm somewhat in the same situation as you.  I skated on Wilson Coronation Ace for a long time; then switched to Eclipse Aurora, because the Aurora is made from stainless steel and holds an edge a lot longer.  The Aurora is nominally comparable to the Coronation Ace, but I found out afterwards that the spin rocker of the Aurora has a larger radius (~flatter) than that of the Coronation Ace. My coach has also been nudging me towards the Wilson Gold Seal.  For scratch spins, she loves the very small radius on the spin rocker.  But I don't like to get my blades sharpened often and want to stick with stainless steel.  My first choice was the Eclipse Pinnacle Titanium, which is nominally comparable to the Gold Seal but has a stainless-steel runner.  I got in touch with Eclipse and asked them whether the spin rocker is the same.  They told me it's larger.  Another choice I considered is the Ultima Matrix version of the Gold Seal (also with a stainless-steel runner), but Paramount has a comparison showing that the spin rocker radius on the Ultima Matrix is also larger.  Paramount is the only company I found that emphasizes the spec on the spin rocker and states unequivocally that the radius is the same (12") as on the Gold Seal.  So I recently plunked down a deposit on the Paramount Freestyle 12" in 440 stainless steel.  I'll find out in a couple of weeks whether it's money well spent.  My coach's advice was to stick with the Gold Seal because she knows it works, "tried and true"; neither she nor any of her other students have tried other brands, so I'm taking a big gamble on Paramount's claims. 

If you're specifically concerned with spin rockers, be careful about brands that say their models are comparable to the Gold Seal.   

ETA:  Check out the videos on "Blade Profiles" and "Lift Angles":

https://www.paramountskates.com/videos

[JSHalo]

Thank you for that info, and for the link! That's really interesting re: the Pinnacle's rocker radius. I had looked at Paramount a little, but remembered my sharpener complaining about how they were hard to mount in his machine becuse of the aluminum holder (granted, he complains about a lot of things, stainless steel included). But, the 420SS might be something to keep in mind anyway (same as 440, but with a little difference in the materials).

There are just so many blades on the market and SO much to learn!

[tstop4me]

Thank you for that info, and for the link! That's really interesting re: the Pinnacle's rocker radius. I had looked at Paramount a little, but remembered my sharpener complaining about how they were hard to mount in his machine becuse of the aluminum holder (granted, he complains about a lot of things, stainless steel included). But, the 420SS might be something to keep in mind anyway (same as 440, but with a little difference in the materials).

There are just so many blades on the market and SO much to learn!

The Paramount and the Ultima Matrix both require a special jig to be clamped in standard skate holders.  The Eclipse Titanium does not. Personally, I like the Eclipse design philosophy, price point, marketing strategy (60 day money-back trial period), and responsiveness to customer inquiries.  Too bad they don't use the 12" spin rocker.   Paramount charges a high premium for 440C over 420HC.  I tried to get info comparing Paramount 440C vs 420HC with respect to edge retention.  I didn't get a straight answer from Paramount, and I didn't get any direct answers from skate techs and forum posts.  What I've found from a limited sampling is that most people who buy Paramount spring for the more expensive 440C and are very happy with the extended life between sharpenings.  Since I pay $25/pop for sharpening, I figure I'll recoup the extra initial cost over the 420HC.  Too bad there's no "Consumer Reports" for figure skating gear, in which comparative testing of gear is done.  Experienced (~older) coaches tend to stick with the Wilson and MK blades they grew up with, so they aren't a good source of info.  Skate techs I've talked to carp about the inconsistencies of MK and Wilson blades and like the newer brands for better quality control; however, skate techs typically don't actually try out the variety of gear that they sell, so their recommendations are not backed by first-hand experience on the ice.  I did meet a couple of guys once who are experienced figure skaters, coaches, and skate techs, and try out new gear if the distributors will lend them demos; but I think they are an exception.

Besides the special jig and the high price, the only negative thing I've heard about Paramount from several skaters is that they are noisy.  One guy warned me that judges might ding me during tests and competitions (the noise might get confused with scraping toepicks); but I don't test or compete, so I don't care.  If I can finally nail a scratch spin, I don't care how noisy they are.

[AgnesNitt]

Comets, I've wanted comets for a few years. Other than the spins, how are they?

[skatemom189]

I think you should consider the Coronation Ace.  They have a great spin rocker, similar to Gold Seals but a bit larger to be more forgiving.  A 7' radius.  Not so tall as gold seals, so more stable.  An excellent blade for your level.  My DD just got her flying broken leg sit spin/cannonball/tuck behind in the Aces.  Great blades for spinning. Cheaper than gold seals too.

[JSHalo]

Comets, I've wanted comets for a few years. Other than the spins, how are they?

They're very stable, and they're great for getting a really good push for speed, and they've largely been great for MIF. I have trouble with lobes in dance (they're often too fat and flat, despite my absolute best efforts). It's VERY easy to end up on your pick going backwards, which isn't really a huge issue. You have to be super accurate with the pick, and for the first month I was very timid using my pick in any capacity. Obviously, once you get used to it, it's not a big deal.

[JSHalo]

I think you should consider the Coronation Ace.  They have a great spin rocker, similar to Gold Seals but a bit larger to be more forgiving.  A 7' radius.  Not so tall as gold seals, so more stable.  An excellent blade for your level.  My DD just got her flying broken leg sit spin/cannonball/tuck behind in the Aces.  Great blades for spinning. Cheaper than gold seals too.

The Ace was definitely in consideration, but I started to wonder if I'd be better off with an 8' rocker. I just don't know. I wish I could try a bunch of blades for a week!

[tstop4me]

I wish I could try a bunch of blades for a week!

Wouldn't we all!!!

[tstop4me]

Comets, I've wanted comets for a few years. Other than the spins, how are they?

I thought you had posted a while ago that you had switched to Comets (or was in the process of switching to Comets)?

[AgnesNitt]

I thought you had posted a while ago that you had switched to Comets (or was in the process of switching to Comets)?

I never got around to it because my fitter frowned on it. I'm still in Pros. But I've got a pair of back up skates and I'd like to find some second hand blades and try Comets and Pattern 99s. If I monetize the blog I could tax deduct them!