Which blades would you consider?

hopskipjump · July 20, 2011, 11:30:03 PM

70lb skater, 4 and a half feet tall and she is close on her doubles.

We are thinking about the MK Professional (cross cut), Ultima Protege (straight cut), or Legacy (cross cut).

The MK has a 7ft rocker , the others 8 .

She is currently on the stock Onyx blade from Riedell with a 7ft rocker, straight cut.

Which would be your choice? Other ideas?

Sk8tmum · July 20, 2011, 11:46:22 PM

What does her coach recommend?

hopskipjump · July 21, 2011, 12:16:31 AM

She gave one of the suggestions - she said for me to wait - she is going to do some research and has been busy this week. But I like to be prepared and start really know how much I'm going to be spending.

fsk8r · July 21, 2011, 03:31:45 AM

Apparently the cross-cut toe pick is meant to help grip the ice better with toe jumps. Having switched from straight cut to cross-cut toe picks, I haven't noticed a significant difference.
I ended up opting for the Legacy when I switched blades as I was choosing between those and the other Ultima blade at that level (is it the Protege? I can't remember, I know there's the Lite as well) and they had the Legacy in my size in stock.
The JW Coronation Ace is another one to consider as that's meant to be comparable to the MK Pro.

Based on the information I read when I was looking to switch, there seems to be a lot of personal preference in blades and all the ones you've listed are good popular blades. I based my decision partly on cost (Ultima were slightly cheaper) and the fact that I personally get worried that MK/JW have a monopoly on the blade market and I like to encourage competition (might help bring the prices down).

Skittl1321 · July 21, 2011, 08:50:04 AM

I always feel like cross cut gets less grip (it is VERY slidy at first), but can grip from more angles.

I would say 75% of the skaters at my rink in the size/ability level you described have switched to the Ultima Matrix Legacy, and among a few different coaches, so not just one. They all love it (I just got it too, it's a nice blade.)

My fitter really prefered the Matrix over the regular Legacy because of the lightweight feature, and the harder blade. The Matrix is slightly more expensive, but it is still a very reasonably priced blade.

hopskipjump · July 21, 2011, 10:22:01 AM

I noticed that most mk blades come as parabolic blades. Does anyone have any thoughts about those?

I am not too worried about weight effecting jumps because she is a very strong girl, but if it makes a difference long term for joints it might be something to consider.

A different coach says she liked the ultima freestyle. Do you think that is too much blade for a kid who is working on doubles (she is progressing quickly).

Sk8tmum · July 21, 2011, 10:28:30 AM

Nobody where we are uses the matrix blades, so can't comment, nobody uses parabolic. The whole "too much blade" thing is a great debate - some advocate going straight to a top level blade, some say hold off.

I will say that, having moved off of Ultimas, which we did love for price and that, we have discovered that skating has improved tremendously. We had been told - here and elsewhere - that the Ultimas were notorious for "scratchy" and "noisy" edges, and we have definitely seen huge improvements in terms of losing that comment on test sheets since we've gone to a Wilson blade. It's not a change in the skater, it's definitely the blade - we have silent turns and real "edge rip" instead of noise. I know, other skaters will have different experiences - just putting down ours. We also found that cross-cut picks were better than straight cut ... but lots of people prefer straight cut, like on the Pattern 99's.

If you go the Freestyle, you can't go back - it's a high end blade. Also, there will be quite a period of adjustment for her, so, if you're going into tests or competitions, you may be losing a significant amount of training time during the transition. I would go with what YOUR coach recommends - not other coaches - after all, you picked him/her as your coach, right? And you should use the equipment they recommend.

The Legacy discussed is roughly a CoroAce in the Wilson blades: I've never heard anyone say anything negative about these blades!

Weight on blades is nominal. If you're talking about a small girl, the weight saving can be important; however, we found the heaviest thing on the feet were the boots, not the blades.

hopskipjump · July 21, 2011, 10:31:44 AM

It gives me a lot to think about. I should hear back from her coach next week.

Skittl1321 · July 21, 2011, 10:37:57 AM

Quotethat the Ultimas were notorious for "scratchy" and "noisy" edges, and we have definitely seen huge improvements in terms of losing that comment on test sheets since we've gone to a Wilson blade.

I don't know if this is an Ultima problem, so much as the carbon steel Ultima blades. I've been in a carbon steel Ultima, a used Gold Seal, a carbon steel Paramount, and now a stainless steel Ultima.

The gold seal was a quiet blade, and the cheapo Ultima was a scratchy blade, but with the Stainless Steel Ultima I get the most incredible rip- I've had multiple coaches compliment me as if my edges have improved, but it's not me, it's the blade. On the Paramounts (not their high level ones which are stainless steel, less expensive ones) it was more scratchy and the only thing I could get a rip on was one of my fwd crossrolls. The Ultimas I rip on EVERYTHING- they only sound scratchy when I drag my toepicks, but that's my fault. Since the Ultima Matrix Legacy costs the same as the entry-level Paramount I think without a doubt, the Ultima blade is superior, I'm very glad I switched.

I will say that the Gold Seal was AMAZING, it really did feel like it did the turns for me, but I think the overblading issue isn't that it will hurt (I don't think it will) but that it is a waste. Why pay $600 for blades when you could pay $250? I think the extra few hundred dollars would be more beneficial to go to lessons than blades.

hopskipjump · July 25, 2011, 05:47:22 PM

We saw the skate shop and he said her coach was right on with the blade choice. BUT he said parabolic blades are popular because they are lighter and work exceptionally well for footwork. So if you had a choice between MK professional standard blades or MK parabolic professional's which would you choose?

hopskipjump · July 29, 2011, 06:09:23 PM

I think I will go with her coach's suggestion. it might only be a $50 difference, but she is still growing and if she gets new blades every year, that will add up.

isakswings · July 30, 2011, 04:52:39 PM

Quote from: hopskipjump on July 20, 2011, 11:30:03 PM
70lb skater, 4 and a half feet tall and she is close on her doubles.

We are thinking about the MK Professional (cross cut), Ultima Protege (straight cut), or Legacy (cross cut).

The MK has a 7ft rocker , the others 8 .

She is currently on the stock Onyx blade from Riedell with a 7ft rocker, straight cut.

Which would be your choice? Other ideas?

My skater is 90 pounds, 5 ft tall and using a professional blade. She is landing axels and working on doubles. her friend uses a professional blade and is landing all of her doubles and working on 2 axel. A lot of skaters at her rink use Mk Professional blades. A lot of coaches seem to like it as well. I don't think you can go wrong with it

isakswings · July 30, 2011, 05:02:14 PM

Quote from: hopskipjump on July 25, 2011, 05:47:22 PM
We saw the skate shop and he said her coach was right on with the blade choice. BUT he said parabolic blades are popular because they are lighter and work exceptionally well for footwork. So if you had a choice between MK professional standard blades or MK parabolic professional's which would you choose?

I would go with the regular Professional blade. I looked at the parabolic model and decided to go witht he standard model since that is what dd has had on her last 2 pair of skates. It is also the model everyone who uses the Pro blade(at dd's rink anyway) uses. It's a good blade. Good luck deciding!

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Which blades would you consider?