Cheaper MK/Wilson/HD blades in Britain than U.S.

[Query]

According to

  http://www.tidewaterice.com/blade%20landing%20page.htm

You can buy Mk/Wilson/HD blades much cheaper in Britain than the U.S. That may partly be lower shipping costs and no tariffs (they are made there), but Tidewater Ice claims that U.S. retailers aren't allowed to advertise their blades at lower than some set price.

They suggest you check out blade prices at these British sites

  http://www.iceandrollerskates.com

  http://demonxtreme.com

Incidentally, both also sell boots and some other figure skating equipment, along with hockey and roller stuff.

I wonder how economical it is for U.S. skaters to buy from British sites... If anyone is buying blades now, and is willing to risk mail order, perhaps they could run some numbers, and tell us.

OTOH, if you need to return your blades due to a defect, you would probably have to pay shipping and insurance costs back to Britain - might be a big deal. Because of the many potential problems and the relatively small number of great skate techs in the world, figure skates and blades are one area where discount mail/Internet order is sometimes NOT a great way to go, where it is often better to go to the pro shop with the best skate technician within a day's drive, after making an appointment to see him/her. A bad skate tech can really mess up your boots and blades. So I'm not at all sure buying from Britain by mail is a good idea for U.S. shoppers. (I know of a case where a returned defective blade was re-sold through a mail order firm - to the same person who had returned it. )

[Jenna]

I priced my current blades out of curiosity and it was more expensive to buy them from the UK, $210 with free shipping from skate-buys.com vs $245 from that first link (with shipping and tax).  The blades themselves are cheaper, $145 or so before tax, but the shipping is half the cost of the blade.

[tstop4me]

Yes, be cautious when buying from overseas.  Unless you want to wait an eternity, you will need to pay for shipping by air (pricey).  You might also be subject to US customs upon receipt in the US.  And, depending on the payment method you use, you might also have to pay a foreign currency transaction fee (a few credit cards have no fee, many charge 3 - 4%; not sure what PayPal's latest fees are).

[Christy]

I've always found blades to be much cheaper in the UK than the US / Canada regardless of exchange rate, but the issue is getting them shipped (shipping costs + customs / duty) and then fitted. Edea boots are also much cheaper in the UK, but again it depends if you are willing to try without buying.
Best option is to take a trip, and buy them whilst you're there 

[lutefisk]

Don't forget that part of the purchase price is support after the sale.  I've yet to buy a pair of boots that didn't need punching out after the sale no matter how well they seemed to feel while sitting in the shop.  A good fitter will work with you and generally not charge for those adjustments.  Same is true with blade alignment.  A good fitter will put you on the ice and observe your skating and listen to your input and tweak blade alignment until you get things dialed in.  Ask yourself if you're willing to forgo those services just to shave the price a little by purchasing from a remote vendor whom you'll never meet face to face.  To me the small amount saved ain't worth the loss of good support down the road.  Bringing cheapo blades to your fitter and asking him to install them for you is like bringing your own ham and eggs to the diner and asking them to cook it up for you.  I'd only buy from a long distance discounter if I was knowledgeable enough to do my own blade mounting--I'm not.

[FigureSpins]

I got hooked on Gold Seals because my brother bought them for me as a birthday present.  He was on business in London for almost a year so he decided to make a day trip and visit the Wilson factory.  They sold him two pairs of blades that he brought back to the US on his next trip.  I had just ordered my first custom Klingbeils so the timing was perfect!

Did I need Gold Seals?  No...but he told the salesman that he wanted the best for his baby sister. ♥

[tstop4me]

I looked at the Tidewater site.  Looks like that company has a major axe [not blade  ] to grind with HD Sports (makes of MK and Wilson).  Their advice seems to be more a result of them being ticked off rather than them being interested in saving US skaters $$.