Gold Seal vs. Pattern 99 - how different do they feel?

[Christy]

I've seen a number of discussions where people tend to really love Gold Seal and hate Pattern 99 or vice versa. It looks like the spin rockers are very different so I was wondering if people who've tried both could explain just how different the two blades feel and how hard it would be to swap from one to the other and if it would require re-learning a lot of stuff.
Thanks

[sarahspins]

How hard it would be to swap is individual... some people will have more trouble than others.  I've never particularly had a huge problem with any different blade I've ever tried - I can adapt fairly quickly and it's not that big of a deal for me, however I can say that I have tried both of those blades and I didn't particularly care for either of them - but when I first tried out Phantoms, I immediately loved them.

As far as how they feel, the gold seals have a much more curved spin rocker, and you are immediately aware of that - it feels like you go forever before hitting the drag pick.  Pattern 99's are kind of the opposite - they felt very "flat" to me up front.  My Phantoms fall inbetween the two - they are my "happy medium"   MK's Vision is also not as flattened as the Pattern 99 but otherwise a very similar/equivalent blade.  More skaters at my rink are on Visions than on Pattern 99's.

[FigureSpins]

I've tried Pattern 99's several times over the years but I always end up going back to Gold Seals.  I like the more-prominent rocker on the Gold Seals for spins and turns.  I never really noticed a difference in the toe rake during jumps, tbh.  However, what I DISLIKED about Patt99's is the short blade tail - I rocked back off my heel many times with Patt 99's.  I like the higher stanchions on the Gold Seals, too.  Lets me lean more on edges without scraping the boot on the ice.

Gold Seals are heavier due to the solid sole plate and the higher stanchions.  (More metal=more weight)  I've never worried about equipment weight, though. 

[CaraSkates]

I've been in Gold Seals for 3 or 4 years now. Before that I was wearing MK Pros. I still have my old MK Pros on my teaching skates.

I've been really happy with them as far as working well for moves/dance/freestyle. I skate Gold and have an axel/working on doubles/junior moves/silver dances. I've only ever been in these two blades, besides the stock mounted to PVC heel ones. It did take me time to get used to the 8' rocker vs the 7'. I am considering trying the Riedell Eclipse version of the Gold Seals, I think it's the Pinnacle? The price is a lot less and the skaters at my rink on the Eclipse Patt 99s are very happy.

[saje]

This is just one of those things that is the skater's preference.  Unfortunately, blades are expensive, so it can be difficult to try different ones and figure out what you really like.  I had Pattern 99s for a long time and would have kept using them, but my blades got ruined with a bad sharpening  and my coach happened to have a pair of used Gold Seals that were the size I needed (so much cheaper than buying new Pattern 99s).  From the first time I stepped on the ice, I was amazed at how much better the Gold Seals felt to me - especially with spins.  My spins felt 100 times better than before.  Turns were much better too.

I also like how the Gold Seal has a smaller toe pick than the Pattern 99.

Do you know any skaters that use these blades that have approximately the same skate size as you?  Could you perhaps borrow their skates and try out the different blades for yourself?

[rd350]

Just wanted to mention if you try out the Eclipse version, they have a 60 day money back guarantee, so if you don't like them, they can return them.  I went from Coronation Ace to the Eclipse version of Pattern 99 and anticipated a lot of issues but really had none.  It was the ROH that made the most difference and it was different than what I had on the Coronation Ace.

[Cryo]

Do the same general tendencies (gold seal requires longer to get to the pick, pattern 99 very flat) apply to the ultima versions?  the supreme and elite blade, with the freestyle (phantom) being in the middle?

I'm wondering which of the 3 is most similar to the legacy blade (assuming it would be the easiest transition).

[irenar5]

I'm wondering which of the 3 is most similar to the legacy blade (assuming it would be the easiest transition).

I went from Matrix Legacy to Matrix Supreme (Gold Seal analog). 
Legacy was a new blade, with just a sharpening or two (so the profile was pretty intact).  Supreme was 1/2 inch  shorter since I changed boots.  Even though these blades are thought to be a natural transition, my adjustment was long! 

Spins were the worst and took the longest, but footwork felt better right away.  I noticed a more pronounced spring on the edge jumps as well.  With the Legacy I always felt that the spin sweet spot was a bit further back than my ball of the foot.  With the Supremes, the sweet spot feels more forward of the ball of the foot. But then I did lose a half inch in blade length, plus got different boots, so it is not a true "blade to blade" comparison.

I definitely thought I made a mistake switching, but I like them now:-) 

[JSM]

I'm going to quote an old post of mine!

I've skated on Gold Seals and 99s (never coro aces, though, I was in Phantoms as a youngster).  They are very, very different blades!

Pattern 99s are very low to the ground, and have much shorter tails (though larger toe picks).  In essence, there is much less "blade" than the Gold Seal.  I think they are a little easier to control on turns for a few reasons - less blade, less to move, less of a lean is needed to hit a solid edge.  I prefer toe jumps in them, the pick is very secure.  There is less 'glide' with these blades, though.

I ultimately stuck with Gold Seals because I frankly couldn't spin worth a damn in the Pattern 99s.  The rocker on the Gold Seals is pretty severe in comparison, and requires a shift further forward to find the spin rocker.  Edge jumps overall felt more secure to me.  I also felt much easier lift on my axels in the Gold Seals, and I think my speed is a bit better.  They do require more precision than the Patterns, IMO. 

I found Gold Seal to be very different than the Pattern 99 - but I know successful skaters in both blades.  What are you skating on now, and what don't you like about your current blades?

[Christy]

I went from Matrix Legacy to Matrix Elite and found the initial transition fairly painless, however following sharpening problems I'm now having difficulty with the Elites (which are kind of Pattern 99). Most of the people I talk to seem to prefer Gold Seals (but they all have way smaller feet than me so I can't try them out) so I was wondering if the Supremes (kind of Gold Seal) would be a better option next time.
I've changed blades a few times and have not had too many problems but have yet to find a blade I really, really like (if that makes sense).

[JSM]

That does make sense.  Blades are so personal in a lot of ways.

Gold seals are definitely not a necessity, and all of their equivalents are more expensive than other blades.  And once you're on them it's really really hard to go back - the rocker is just so severe compared to other blades.  Once I got over the initial adjustment (I switched from 13 year old Phantoms), my spins were 1000% times better - but for 2 months I was struggling a lot.  Would my spins have improved the way they did just by going to a new version of my old (super flat) blade?  Maybe.  But now I'm stuck with the most expensive model (that said, I really like them now)!

For what it's worth, I'm working on Intermediate Free, Silver Dances, and Senior MITF - and I'm quite possibly overbladed, if that helps!

[Christy]

My number one criteria when it comes to blades is the longest possible time between sharpenings and as the higher level blades have higher quality materials they are my  preferred choice (I can more than cover the additional cost of the higher level blade by avoiding one sharpening trip  )
I was happy with the Legacy but the Elite holds the sharpening longer and the difference in cost between the Elite and Supreme is minimal whilst the blade materials are the same so I just want to work out which profile I will like most.

[JSM]

A lot of the kids in my area move from Coronation Aces to Pattern 99s when they are ready to move into higher level blades.  It's by far the most popular option here - those two blades are worn by 90% of the people around here, I swear.

Have you considered a phantom profile?  You're going to have more of a rocker than the Pattern 99, but less severe than a Gold Seal.  They're a really good blade too, if you're keeping options open (I sometimes miss the toe pick for toe jumps, honestly!).

[Cryo]

In case anyone else was wondering, transition from ultima legacy (ace) blade to ultima freestyle (phantom) both matrix was pretty painless, jumps were there day 1, spins took about 4 sessions to be fast again, but are now back to normal.  Biggest difference is the quicker load on axel, and seemingly more stable landings.