Why does MK/Wilson dominate blades?

[Query]

One company, HD Sports, makes MK and Wilson blades, which overwhelmingly dominate figure skating.

Why?

It seems strange: they are quite expensive, and pro shops complain about their manufacturing defects a lot. One pro shop owner told me that Jackson Ultima gives him a larger profit margin than HD Sports.

I tried to come up with plausible reasons. Are these right?

1. Maybe pro shops complain about them more because they are so common - do other brands have other manufacturing defects that get less verbal attention?

2. Maybe skaters want to skate with what their figure skating heroes skate with, and maybe HD Sports sponsors a lot of high end skaters and coaches to use their blades?

3. If you stick with their most common models and sizes, lots of pro shops try to stock them, in the most common sizes. Perhaps some skaters, parents and coaches who travel the competitive circuit have had the experience of being unable to replace something in a hurry when they needed to. Do stories like that circulate and cause others to avoid uncommon models and brands?

4. If #3 is correct, is that because many pro shops can only afford to stock one brand, because they can't put together a big enough order to get a full discount from other brands, or some other reason?

5. Jackson Ultima (Matrix line only!) and Paramount blades have a bulge which makes them difficult or impossible to sharpen on some machines. Perhaps some skaters, parents and coaches have been unable to get an emergency sharpening when they needed to. Do stories like that circulate and cause others to avoid those two brands?

6. Are some pro shops unwilling to sharpen blades they are unfamiliar with?

7. Does HD Sports do something to make it easier than other brands for pro shops to carry their blades?

8. Are they the strongest?

9. Are they the shiniest?

10. Do they have the snazziest engraving?

11. Do most of the best skaters use of a very small number of pro shops, which happen to recommend MK and Wilson?

12. Some other strong advantage?

[hopskipjump]

I don't know of any pro shop that keeps a stock of higher end blades.  They all do orders.  In this economy, stock on shelves is a loss.

I don't know that they dominate.  I'm pretty sure the low end blades from Jackson and Riedell are more common than high end blades (if you add the blades on the ice).

I haven't heard the complaints you are mentioning.  My proshop is neutral about what blades to buy- they will upsell (if you want the legacy, they will show you the matrix legacy sample and compare), but any business that is about selling and buying will do that.  They say every time to confirm with your coach.

1. reputation
2. coach familiarity
3. consistent product

The biggest reason they give for upsell is weight.  But to be frank, the 6oz on your feet (in general) are better taken off a body so I don't buy the blades that are lighter.  And I figure dd is still growing so again buying lighter blades makes no sense.  Shell be 6 oz heavier at the end of the month anyway.  I think heavier blades/skates just makes you stronger (same reason gymnasts wear weights on their ankles during the day).

[sarahspins]

I think it has to do with tradition and reputation - they've simply been around longer.  It doesn't matter if other companies are producing equally good (or possibly better) blades, people know the MK/Wilson brand and trust their performance.  In terms of sheer numbers though, I do think that there are likely more riedell and jackson blades out there than anything else, but most of those are on lower end skate sets... as you get higher up in to freestyle levels, it seems that there is a strong preference for MK or Wilson, but there are more and more elite level skaters in Jackson Ultima and Paramount blades too - I think the market domination of HD sports is eventually going to come to an end.

That said, I don't have paramounts because they are lighter, I have them because the stainless steel will hold a sharpening longer and they won't rust, plus the aluminum runners can be made in cool colors   If I wasn't persuaded by those things I'd still be happily skating on MK Phantom Specials.

[JSM]

Young skaters and parents will tend to listen to their coaches - the figure skating world is a hard one to maneuver if you're new to it.  I imagine most coaches have the most experiences with Wilson and MK, simply because they've been around longer.

When I was young and skating, we didn't have a computer, and the internet didn't exist, and everything we knew about skating equipment (not much) was gleaned by word of mouth.  I think it's great that now there are forums like this, and search engines, and highly informative websites that give skaters more options, opinions, and knowledge.

I notice that most of the skaters I see that have paramount blades here have taken lessons with a certain coach who loves her paramount blades.  Most freestyle skaters are in MK, Ultima, or Wilson blades from what I can tell.


I have gold seals currently, but I am more than willing to change brands if/when I need a new set, though that will be a few years away.  I do love the idea of having to sharpen less with the stainless steel blades!  I don't like the loudness of the paramounts, though - I watched a skater take her senior free test, and was shocked at how scratchy she sounded - and I do think it was the blades rather than her, her skating skills were pretty good (obviously, she was taking a senior free!).

[SynchKat]

I think Sarahspins is right about tradition and reputation.  I would only ever skate on MK or Wilson blades just because it is what I know.  Why mess with something that works well already.  And if you think of a lot of coaches they would have grown up using either MK or Wilson blades because they were basically the only choices so they are going to recommend what they know and have experience with. 

[Skittl1321]

Ultima dominates at our rink.   Even people who used to be in non-Ultimas seem to have switched.  A few people are in MK/Wilson blades, but not many- those tend to be people who have been skating 10+ years.

And since MK/Wilson doesn't have the rental market, I doubt they sell more blades.  There are way more rental skates (at least in the US) then there are personally owned ones.

[sarahspins]

And since MK/Wilson doesn't have the rental market, I doubt they sell more blades.

Actually the MK Rinkmaster is probably the most popular blade on rental skates...  so they might still have the majority share of the market based on just that.

[Skittl1321]

Actually the MK Rinkmaster is probably the most popular blade on rental skates...  so they might still have the majority share of the market based on just that.

You're right- I was thinking Jacksons do most rentals, but they don't - Riedell does, and they use the MK Rinkmaster.
(Interestingly Jackson's blade just says "rental", but it is surely an ultima.)

Both Riedell and Jackson offer men's and women's rental sizes- I'm surprised by that, because people always say rental skates are always mens sizes.

[AgnesNitt]

MK/Wilson has a greater variety of rocker--from 7 ft to 8.5--I think Ultima only has 8 foot, doesn't it? With a greater variety of rockers there's a bigger chance of getting those skaters who don't fit the 8 foot standard.

I'm very, very happy w/ my MK pros w/ 7 foot rocker.

[sarahspins]

Both Riedell and Jackson offer men's and women's rental sizes- I'm surprised by that, because people always say rental skates are always mens sizes.

They may offer them but that doesn't mean most rinks buy them   I've yet to see one myself that actually has both - it's usually more economical to buy the men's sizes and tell the staff to give women skates 2 sizes smaller.

[Query]

I didn't have the RinkMaster in mind. It doesn't show up on any web page that I can find. Perhaps it is really made in an unknown OEM factory in Asia, which is the true "leading" manufacturer of figure skating blades...

[sarahspins]

I didn't have the RinkMaster in mind. It doesn't show up on any web page that I can find. Perhaps it is really made in an unknown OEM factory in Asia, which is the true "leading" manufacturer of figure skating blades...

I think you're on to something there...

[Sk8tmum]

Ultima does not appear above low level test track/entry level competitive in our area.  MK and Wilson dominate, especially Wilson.  Coaches go with what they feel they can rely on, and, when it gets to serious dollars, they don't want to make an expensive mistake. 

Ultima knocks themselves out at the low end, when they're noisy.  Maybe the upper end blades are okay, don't know; but, when you can get a CoroAce or CoroComet for a bit more, and they're quiet and work well, people get into a Wilson or MK mode and are willing to stay there.  At least, that's what I've gotten when I've asked about why the low popularity of Ultima is out there. 

Paramount "tried" to get in - but, after a short flurry, haven't seen any in years.  Coloured blades are not popular at all; I've seen 2 pairs at comps in the past years, and the comments from viewers, judges were universally negative (distracting/babyish/unprofessional). 

Remember: I'm just quoting, not endorsing!

[treesprite]

I had MK Professional blades on 3 successive pairs of skates. The blades I have now are Wilson Coronation Ace blades. The blades I just ordered are Matrix Legacy blades on them,  meaning I won't have to sharpen as often.

I think it would make sense if more people start switching to brands that offer the harder steel blades, due to the cost effectiveness of being able to sharpen less often and not having to replace blades as quickly.

[Query]

I'm not sure the Ultima blades are any harder than most high end MK blades - perhaps less hard. But many Ultima blades are made of stainless steel, and are more corrosion resistant, which is important because blades get wet. So my experience was that the Ultima blades held their edges longer.

I just personally couldn't get used to the shape of the Ultima blades. Hope you have better luck.

[Robin]

I am one of those old-school skaters who has been skating forever on either Wilson Pattern 99 or Gold Seal. I've used both. I love, LOVE the Pattern 99 K-pick, which seems to have fallen out of favor lately. I do prefer hefty blades over lightweight blades. I mean, really, it's not like there's a huge difference but I like to know I'm pushing against something, the feeling of resistance, if that makes any sense. I have tried two different models of Ultima blades and just did not care for the geometry of either one. MK/Wilson tend to be more expensive because they are still made in England; Ultima is made in Taiwan (at least according to the sticker that was on the blades I had). Paramount, I think, is made in the US., but the manufacturing process for aluminum and stainless is less costly than the process for welding steel that is chrome plated. Also, the chrome plating process has very strict environmental restrictions so it costs more to do this in England and the United States--which is probably why Ultima went to Taiwan. And Paramount does not use chrome at all. Yes, pro shops do make more money on them. That said, I love the Pattern 99 as made by the original manufacturer. I'm happy so I have no need to switch--but it's a personal preference.

Also, MK and Wilson only merged recently. They had always been separate companies but they've been around forever. Wilson's been around since the 1600s.