Skate Boot and Blade Mounting Question

[Ldill31]

Hey all, I am returning to skating after a break of over a decade and I recently was fitted and purchased new boots and blades.  I went with the Risport RF1/Vision combo.  The blade does not sit flush with the bottom of the boot around the toe area.  Is this ok?  It doesn't seem right to me.  I pulled out my old SP Teri skates and the blade is definitely flush the the bottom of the boot along the entire length of the blade.

Thanks!

[eillie]

Is it possible that you have a temporary mount?  I've heard it's normal for there to be a little space between the blade & the boot in this case.

[nicklaszlo]

I would be concerned if the gap extended rear of the front screws.  Post a picture?

[FigureSpins]

I had this happen when I moved blades from one boot to another.  It took a few hours for my weight to press the blade into position flush against the sole.  As Eillie suggested, it is likely a temporary mount.  Check the screws before you skate to make sure they're not loose, then have the permanent screws put in when you're sure the mount is correct and that will help pull the blade plate into place.

[Ldill31]

Thanks for the replies.  Here are some photos.  The plastic part of the heel is also strangely ground down, somewhat uneven.  What do you guys think?

Here is the current mount.  There was also a screw on the bottom right but I just took it out because I need to move the blade inward.


Front gap


Ground heel (this was only done on this boot, not the other)

[nicklaszlo]

I would ask a boot tech to add more screws.

[icedancer]

It looks like a temporary mount.

[PhysicsOnIce]

The fact that you have three round screws and only one flat screw, and the fact that you just recently bout them would suggest that this is a temporary mount. 

If you find the positioning of the blade correct, you can have your skate tech add the permanent screws (ie the flat screws), but if you are not comfortable with the blade position it might take a few trial and errors to find the right position. Don't worry too much about the space between the blade and the boot, a temporary mount is almost never completely flush with the boot. Your weight will push your skate down onto your blade plate as you skate. Just ALWAYS make sure to have a screw driver in your skate bag and check that the screws are secured before skating. Also, if you find that your spins are travelling more than normal it might suggest your blade is loose.

[Ldill31]

Thanks, so this is normal for a temporary.  What about the sanding/grinding of the sole?  Is that typical?  It's not quite even so the blade doesn't sit completely flush there either.