Blade advice needed

[JulieAnne]

Hi all,

Very happy to have found this forum today,

I'm looking for advice for new blades as I'm feeling like an upgrade could be due, in part because my current blades have some surface rust on them (my fault for leaving them in guards overnight, whoops) and theyve been sharpened a considerable amount. Also because I'm struggling to get more that 3 rotations on a spin and back entry spins are very difficult. I'd like to think this could be helped by different blades, but I don't want to put all the 'blame' on the blades.

I'm currently on the Edea Balance blades, I don't find much about them online, but people's opinion on this site doesn't seem very positive for anything more than beginner classes. The edea site says this about them;

Made from high quality Carbon Steel with 8’ Rocker and ½’’ Radius of Hollow.

From reading quite a few posts I'm inclined to think the Coronation ace could be a good option for me, I am keen on the look of the Ace lite's but I don't want to get a blade just for the aesthetics if the regular ace is genuinely a better blade?

I'm also visually in love with Matrix Legacy Blade MX7050 in Gold, purely for the colour, but I think that might be too intense for now?

About me; I've been skating about a year and a half, usually 6 to 10 hours a week, mainly focussing on edges since I'm part of a synchro team

Thank you

 

[mskater93]

Get a regular Coronation Ace or MK Pro.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Get a traditional Coronation Ace. You could also look into the MK Dynasty blade since you are doing synchro: Just be aware it has a bigger pick straight cut), and a shorter tail.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

As you have discovered, Edea blades are okay for complete beginners, especially nervous ones who find actually gliding to be terrifying. Basically, they are the slugs of the blade world!

Traditional Coronation Ace, although you could look at the Coronation Dance if you'd like a shorter tail for synchro. It has exactly the same toe pick configuration as the Ace and is popular with synchro skaters as well as dancers. There is also the MK Dynasty, as mentioned by @Ic3Rabbit above, which also has a shorter tail but a much more aggressive toe pick.

 

[JulieAnne]

Thank you everyone for the replies!

In all honesty I hadn't even thought about the shorter synchro blades, this might seem like a silly question, but does it make it more likely to fall backwards when doing something like a twizzle or anything else that involves being on the heel? Thank you

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thank you everyone for the replies!

In all honesty I hadn't even thought about the shorter synchro blades, this might seem like a silly question, but does it make it more likely to fall backwards when doing something like a twizzle or anything else that involves being on the heel? Thank you

Any new blade takes practice and finding your sweet spot on it. But Synchro and especially Dance blades are designed for twizzles etc so you should be fine once you get used to finding your centered spot on it. Also, short tails are for not tripping, or clanking blades with another skater to not get too involved in explaining them lol. Not to mention the whole way a dance or synchro blade is designed with edges and slim-lining as well as other special design elements that make it easier to switch edges etc. There is a reason that most ice dancers and synchro skaters wear these blades.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you everyone for the replies!

In all honesty I hadn't even thought about the shorter synchro blades, this might seem like a silly question, but does it make it more likely to fall backwards when doing something like a twizzle or anything else that involves being on the heel? Thank you

I thought that I didn't like doing backward threes because of the shortness of the heel on my MK Dance blades. On trying my old Phantoms and also some new Gold Stars, I discovered that I just don't like backward threes... Twizzles are definitely easier on dance blades and I'm pretty sure they are on Syncro blades, too. The shorter blades do take some initial getting used to, but so does any change of blades, and they are definitely worth the effort. The "lack of clack" (aka the click of death) is fabulous.

 

[JulieAnne]

Hi all!

Thanks again for all the advice, I've taken some time to think on them and I've decided to give the Coronation dance a go, it would be nice to never hear the click of death again! And I'm very much excited to get centered and spinning, I know what you mean WednesdayMarch backward threes still give me the fear haha.

So in my area, we have a shop and a seperate mobile blade mounter/sharpener, I've been talking to my coach and other skaters and they very strongly recommend not getting the skates mounted at the shop but instead to use the mobile mounter/sharpener guy. He often comes by the rink so that makes it quite easy and accessible to me since I don't drive.

The shop however is a few hours away and awkward to get to by train, especially considering the current rail strikes in the UK. They do have an online shop, but I have questions about what size blade I need...

I'm in a size 425 Edea and the current Edea Balance blades are 9 1/3, there is about a millimeter currently between where the plates (?) of the blades are attached to the boot and the front & back of the boot.

Is it best for me to go in shop and for them to size the blades up? could I buy two sets of blades and return one? or do you guys know what size I'd need?

Again thank you all for the help, I'm definitely leaning a lot

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Ah, if you're in the UK, then I'm guessing that your mobile tech/sharpener is Rod Turner. Give him a call or message to discuss the blades. I believe he sells blades, too, as I bought my current dance blades from him.

You'll need to measure the soles of the boots to really know which size blades you need, but remember that dance blades go end to end, with no gap at the heel. Chat to Rod. He knows his stuff.

 

[JulieAnne]

Hi Wednesday,

It's not Rod it's a man called Kip, I'm in the north west

It sounds like it could be a better idea in that case to buy from the shop so they can pick the correct size but get them installed by kip?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Hi Wednesday,

It's not Rod it's a man called Kip, I'm in the north west

It sounds like it could be a better idea in that case to buy from the shop so they can pick the correct size but get them installed by kip?

Sounds like a plan. I am unfamiliar with Kip. I'm currently buried in the very South West, far from any form of civilisation or ice rink...

 

[SkateproJ]

Hi all,

Very happy to have found this forum today,

I'm looking for advice for new blades as I'm feeling like an upgrade could be due, in part because my current blades have some surface rust on them (my fault for leaving them in guards overnight, whoops) and theyve been sharpened a considerable amount. Also because I'm struggling to get more that 3 rotations on a spin and back entry spins are very difficult. I'd like to think this could be helped by different blades, but I don't want to put all the 'blame' on the blades.

I'm currently on the Edea Balance blades, I don't find much about them online, but people's opinion on this site doesn't seem very positive for anything more than beginner classes. The edea site says this about them;

Made from high quality Carbon Steel with 8’ Rocker and ½’’ Radius of Hollow.

From reading quite a few posts I'm inclined to think the Coronation ace could be a good option for me, I am keen on the look of the Ace lite's but I don't want to get a blade just for the aesthetics if the regular ace is genuinely a better blade?

I'm also visually in love with Matrix Legacy Blade MX7050 in Gold, purely for the colour, but I think that might be too intense for now?

About me; I've been skating about a year and a half, usually 6 to 10 hours a week, mainly focussing on edges since I'm part of a synchro team

Thank you

As the blade is sharpened the lift angle becomes lower and lower each time. You rock forward less and less which makes it harder to spin. The ideal geometry is when a blade is new, over time it degrades more and more. A good skate sharpener can grind the pick to adjust and compensate. Over time, the blade profiles or curves become too distorted, and you have to purchase new blades. There is a tool to check the lift angle, it is called the wellness blade checker from Sid Broadbent. There are video’s online that explain all of this. Type in skate blade lift angle on you tube.
I heard Matrix Legacy blades are not available in colors at this time. Paramount Sk8s offer light weight blades that are exact copies of the Wilson profiles and at a lower cost than the Legacy. (CA blade or SP Stainless steel coronation ace blade). They can be ordered in any color from very light colors to dark and even multiple colors on one blade.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I'm doing a fast look into MK Dynasty blades on behalf of a 20-year-old granddaughter with internet connection problems hampering her preliminary research. She wants a blade she can use for both freestyle and for dance tests, not being able to afford two sets of skates and has read recommendations for the Dynasty on a couple of forums. She's wondering about the straight-cut picks, being used to cross-cuts. If she's only doing double jumps, are the straight-cut picks likely to be a problem? A hazard? I've only used cross-cut picks myself, so I can't advise her. Her coach isn't available for advice this week, and she lives some distance from the nearest city with a skate shop.

(And speaking of affordability, in my first Google search for sellers, I was surprised to find those blades on Amazon.ca. I was even more surprised when I looked at their price. Her size, 8.75, was $1,804CAD. Sizes 8.5 and 9 were $383CAD or around there. I know I often try different colours for clothing on Amazon and find varying prices for colours, but that did seem rather a large price difference for one small size difference!)

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'm doing a fast look into MK Dynasty blades on behalf of a 20-year-old granddaughter with internet connection problems hampering her preliminary research. She wants a blade she can use for both freestyle and for dance tests, not being able to afford two sets of skates and has read recommendations for the Dynasty on a couple of forums. She's wondering about the straight-cut picks, being used to cross-cuts. If she's only doing double jumps, are the straight-cut picks likely to be a problem? A hazard? I've only used cross-cut picks myself, so I can't advise her. Her coach isn't available for advice this week, and she lives some distance from the nearest city with a skate shop.

(And speaking of affordability, in my first Google search for sellers, I was surprised to find those blades on Amazon.ca. I was even more surprised when I looked at their price. Her size, 8.75, was $1,804CAD. Sizes 8.5 and 9 were $383CAD or around there. I know I often try different colours for clothing on Amazon and find varying prices for colours, but that did seem rather a large price difference for one small size difference!)

If your granddaughter wants cross-cut toe picks, then she needs to go for John Wilson Coronation Dance blades. Same pick as the trusty Coronation Ace but the dance version with a shorter heel. Nice blades.

 

[mskater93]

I'm doing a fast look into MK Dynasty blades on behalf of a 20-year-old granddaughter with internet connection problems hampering her preliminary research. She wants a blade she can use for both freestyle and for dance tests, not being able to afford two sets of skates and has read recommendations for the Dynasty on a couple of forums. She's wondering about the straight-cut picks, being used to cross-cuts. If she's only doing double jumps, are the straight-cut picks likely to be a problem? A hazard? I've only used cross-cut picks myself, so I can't advise her. Her coach isn't available for advice this week, and she lives some distance from the nearest city with a skate shop.

(And speaking of affordability, in my first Google search for sellers, I was surprised to find those blades on Amazon.ca. I was even more surprised when I looked at their price. Her size, 8.75, was $1,804CAD. Sizes 8.5 and 9 were $383CAD or around there. I know I often try different colours for clothing on Amazon and find varying prices for colours, but that did seem rather a large price difference for one small size difference!)

What level dance is she at? She may be better served to dance in FS blades unless she's at a high level and partnering (where they could get trippy)

 

[WednesdayMarch]

What level dance is she at? She may be better served to dance in FS blades unless she's at a high level and partnering (where they could get trippy)

The shortened heel primarily assists with close footwork. Mohawks are way more user-friendly with a shortened heel.

 

[Diana Delafield]

The shortened heel primarily assists with close footwork. Mohawks are way more user-friendly with a shortened heel.

As I'm finding with my own new dance blades. Worst fall I ever took was in freeskate blades, warming up on my own without my pairs partner. Did a quick Mohawk that was a bit off-centre, somehow stuck the heel of the left blade through the space between the posts of the right blade and locked the blades together. Both legs shot up to hip height parallel to the ice and I dropped like a rock onto my coccyx. The shock waves reverberated up my spine and I actually felt my brain bounce around in my skull. I said I was just jarred, but our coach called an ambulance and I got whisked off and thoroughly tested at the hospital. Amazingly I didn't have a concussion, but it was a long time before I did another Mohawk without flinching first.

 

[Diana Delafield]

What level dance is she at? She may be better served to dance in FS blades unless she's at a high level and partnering (where they could get trippy)

She's working on her Gold tests, but on her own without a partner. She lives out in the boonies on a farm and her handyman father converted an old barn into her very own little rink. (Think a downscale "The Cutting Edge" .) Her semi-retired coach visits family nearby two or three times a month and drives over to give my granddaughter a lesson. I never completed all the dance tests myself, but I did a couple of the Gold ones in freeskate blades, so I think she'd be all right with her MK Pros. However, blade design has changed a lot in the decades since I did that, so I thought I should ask here!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Dynasty blades would be perfect for what she's needing. I've suggested them in other threads, notably, this one.

I would not have her buy dance blades if she's still actively doing freestyle as well and jumping. Do not jump in dance blades!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Dynasty blades would be perfect for what she's needing. I've suggested them in other threads, notably, this one.

I would not have her buy dance blades if she's still actively doing freestyle as well and jumping. Do not jump in dance blades!

Especially when she's usually alone in her little rink, although there's a CCTV camera so her mother can check on her from the house, and her father says she *must* wear a helmet unless her coach is on the ice with her. I'm leaning a bit towards the Dynasty blades myself. I intended to stick to dance when I got back into skating a few weeks ago and bought MK Dance blades, but my new dance partner and I are both former pairs skaters, and the temptation to freeskate instead is really powerful when we found the old skills came back faster than we expected..........