Is it a big change to change blades 1/4 inch smaller? | Golden Skate

Is it a big change to change blades 1/4 inch smaller?

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
I have actually done this recently but I also changed blades so it was a big change for me but if you’re staying in same blade type is it a big change to move to a size smaller?
 
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
I'm a beginner, so take my comment with that in mind. My first pair of boots and blades ended up being a bit too big. I ended up going down one size boot and 1/4" off the blade. I swapped out for a stiffness level up, but kept the same blade, just a smaller one. I noticed a big difference in a good way, but I think much of that is attributed to having a properly sized boot, rather than a smaller blade. I do think it's a bit easier to spin now, which is probably largely due to the shorter blade size, but the difference isn't leaps and bounds.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Yes, a very big change, though mine was half an inch smaller. (Edeas with a smaller sole profile than Jacksons, apparently.) I couldn't do more than wobble around in circles for a couple of days, my first lesson in them was me re-learning crossovers, and I'm still struggling to re-learn a loop.

Now admittedly my tale comes with the caveat that four weeks after getting them mounted I managed to hurt myself (not on the ice) badly enough that I was then off for seven months, although this was unexpectedly good for the adjustment because it meant my brain had nearly forgotten what it was like to be in the old 10 inch blades.
 

Vicki7

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
I actually went the other way - switched from Edea to Jackson boots and my fitter said my current blades were too short. So I got the same blade in the new, longer size. It was weird at first, couldn't hit the rocker easily at all. Getting better now, 5 and a half months in. I'd imagine going shorter must be even more of an adjustment.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I actually went the other way - switched from Edea to Jackson boots and my fitter said my current blades were too short. So I got the same blade in the new, longer size. It was weird at first, couldn't hit the rocker easily at all. Getting better now, 5 and a half months in. I'd imagine going shorter must be even more of an adjustment.

Yup. I was basically rocking backwards and forwards for the first week alternating between "no toes! where are my toes!" and "no heels! where are my heels!".
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
If, in addition to changing the blade length, you are also changing the boot model, boot size, or blade model, you cannot attribute changes to skating characteristics just to the change in the blade length: you are confounding two or more simultaneous changes.
 

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Yes, a very big change, though mine was half an inch smaller. (Edeas with a smaller sole profile than Jacksons, apparently.) I couldn't do more than wobble around in circles for a couple of days, my first lesson in them was me re-learning crossovers, and I'm still struggling to re-learn a loop.

Now admittedly my tale comes with the caveat that four weeks after getting them mounted I managed to hurt myself (not on the ice) badly enough that I was then off for seven months, although this was unexpectedly good for the adjustment because it meant my brain had nearly forgotten what it was like to be in the old 10 inch blades.

I’ve been told 1/2 inch is a big change. 1/4 is okay I think.

If, in addition to changing the blade length, you are also changing the boot model, boot size, or blade model, you cannot attribute changes to skating characteristics just to the change in the blade length: you are confounding two or more simultaneous changes.

Yes I know that. That’s what I did recently changed boot/blade brands and sizes. What I mean is more for future if I should keep everyythe same but only change the blade length.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Yes I know that. That’s what I did recently changed boot/blade brands and sizes. What I mean is more for future if I should keep everyythe same but only change the blade length.
My previous comment was directed at the posters who made conclusions on the effect of blade length even though they switched boots too (e.g., non-Edea to Edea, or vice-versa).

As I replied in your related thread, a 1/4" is within the variation recommended by various boot manufacturers and skate techs (given that most blades come in 1/4" increments; whereas boot lengths come in finer increments). And, when you go shorter, you can make slight adjustments by changing the mounting position (toe-to-heel as well as inside-to-outside), so you should be OK.

Another factor is how far along you are in your skills. If you are already proficient in a skill, you generally can make the proper adjustments to technique to compensate when you make minor changes to equipment. It's a different story when you are in the process of learning a new skill, because you don't know whether it's the equipment or your technique.
 

zjamic

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
I have actually done this recently but I also changed blades so it was a big change for me but if you’re staying in same blade type is it a big change to move to a size smaller?

I found it a bit challenging at first. The first few days I just skated around to get used to the smaller size and sometimes i forget my blade is 1/4" shorter and have small stubbles. I did switch blade brands, but the profile was the small for both.

Good luck
 

Curlygirly81

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 8, 2017
I skate in two skates, one with a 7" rocker the other a 8"... The 8" is also a quarter inch shorter and I didn't feel a huge difference in terms of length or rocker.. You will get mixed opinions, it depends on a lot of factors, experience, skill level, blade brands....
If you were to have any issue, it wouldn't last very long, you should adjust fine :)
 

claref

Spectator
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
While everyone is saying that changing blade size is a major change, I personally disagree. I went from a 9.5" blade to a 9.25" blade and I was used to them within minutes. However, this is just my experience. Good luck!! :)
~Clare
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
While everyone is saying that changing blade size is a major change, I personally disagree. I went from a 9.5" blade to a 9.25" blade and I was used to them within minutes. However, this is just my experience. Good luck!! :)
~Clare
Well, "everyone" doesn't include me (see my previous posts). As I pointed out, several posters confounded change in blade size with simultaneous other changes (such as a blade model, boot model, or boot size).
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
It makes more of a difference with dance blades, as opposed to free-skating ones. Whereas it's okay to have freestyle blades a bit shorter, dance blades should go from end to end of the sole of the boot. That 1/4" makes a massive difference if it isn't there and you already have a truncated heel... (I found this out the hard way 2 decades ago!)
 
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