Replaceable runners has made comeback

[Kaitsu]

I would say that many peoples dreams has some true. Especially if runners pricing is reasonable compared to complete blade and if runners and different toe picks can be mixed. No more issues with the large wheel machines or skate holders when runners can be removed while sharpening. I think this is best blade introduction for long time. I hope this idea is not just stolen from the Sid Broadbent whom is behind if this brilliant idea.

I wish the would make runners also with and without dovetail design so that customers can choose between them without needing to change also different profile.

https://jacksonultima.com/pages/matrix-rxs

[tstop4me]

Funny, I stumbled on that page yesterday when I was looking up the layout of mounting holes for Matrix blades (in reference to a separate thread by Christy).  I thought it was a misdirection to the old Matrix I series.  I didn't realize it was a new release. 

[tstop4me]

I wish the would make runners also with and without dovetail design so that customers can choose between them without needing to change also different profile.

I wish they would make runners with a more pronounced spin rocker, like Gold Seals.

[supersharp]

It seems like this is an opportunity for Ultima to offer more variety in blade profiles, since they could use various runner options for each toe pick style. This would allow us to try all sorts of different blade profiles by just changing runners. Pretty exciting to consider!

Of course, now I need to wait to see if they move this direction.

[Query]

Yay! It's about time.

How did you find this? I didn't see an easy way to find it on their website.

Not cheap to start:
  http://www.jacksonultimaskate.com/static/Matrix%20RXS.PDF

Perhaps you need that System Kit - which would bring the initial retail price with no replacement runners to about $840 + shipping in the U.S., $1000 in Canada. I don't remember exactly, but I think I paid about $550 for the Matrix 1 chassis without runners 10 or 15 years ago, and a pair of runners were $150 instead of today's $180 for the RXS runners. Perhaps that is roughly in line with inflation.

The runners fit all machines, so no need for special jigs or attachments.

But the screws are a bit close to the bottom of the runner. Maybe you need to demount the blade to sharpen on some sharpening tools?

When I bought Matrix I, I did it so I could rapidly interchange 3 types of blade - freestyle (Supreme - probably too aggressive for me), Synchro, and Dance.

Fixing the toepick to the runner (their variant on Broadbent's adjustable height toe pick?? But rather expensive, and not adjustable), means you can't buy multiple substantially different types like that. I wish they had let you attach different toepicks, at different heights, to meet various skater's needs.

And they don't yet offer Dance blades.

I can't tell much about the screws from the picture. Matrix 1 used proprietary shape bolts and nuts that were soft aluminum, and tiny hex sockets. It was very easy to strip the heads (which I did) and even the threads (I didn't, but Mike Cunningham told me some of his customers did), and you had to buy replacement bolts and nuts at somewhat high price from Jackson. I hope they have done better.

Matrix 1 blades sometimes used to "click", because they didn't put a soft spacer between the runner and the top of the slot it fits into. I wonder if they have fixed that minor issue.

Why is Jackson the only company willing to do this in the figure skating world, while replaceable runners have become somewhat common in hockey and speed skating, and replaceable wheels are very common in inline and roller?

The top of the runners look pretty complicated - could the interface shape be sufficiently patented, that other companies can't make runners that fit? I'd like to see a standard mount that every blade company could use. Including blade companies that aren't sophisticated enough to make a chassis. But that might not be Jackson's goal.

The big deal for high end skate techs is that people can mail them the runners, at lower shipping costs than the whole skates. Which is why Mike loved the old ones. But he claimed that most other retailers hated them, because they didn't get as large a profit as when selling complete blades.

If that means they will discontinue them soon, as they did Matrix I, a lot of people will be left without an easy way to replace the runners. So - if you buy, and are satisfied with what you buy, I suggest you get lots of spare runners.

Anyway, it is a great step "forwards", from my perspective.