Blade recommendation: Coronation Ace vs. Eclipse Auroras vs. MK Pro

[smva]

Hi guys ! This forum has been a godsent for me and I've learnt so much thanks to you all !

Here's my problem : I've been in Risport Rf3 pros (size 255) and coronation ace lite (size 9.5) for 6 months and I have been HATING the blades.
What I want (TLDR) : sturdy blades for an adult (63kg/ 140lbs), regular-looking (no "x-look"), no agressive toepick (I like the crosscut I have now), jumps singles

What I feel on them :
I feel like I'm on a seesaw, I can sometimes find the sweet spot for spinning and the next week it's gone and I feel like the blades are the most wobbly slippery sh*t ever. I can't hold my edge on the inside while my edge on the outside is super deep, I have to use my whole body to stop them from turning. I feel like I need to sharpen them at least once a month even though I only get ~16 hours of ice a month !. I also need to overpoint my feet to catch the drag pick when I jump my waltz jumps / axels and my landings are very wobbly (my coach says she sees be wobbling back and forth when I land). She also thinks the rocker looks way too pronounced, but that might be a simple eye trick because of the blade design. I also feel like the blades are really... thin ? I have read the same thing a few times on this forum also. All of this might be due to bad sharpenings, because I remember being able to hold my edges way better when I first got them...

The blades I'm considering :
I am an adult skater, 165cm (5,4ft) and around 63kgs (141 lbs). I want sturdy blades and do not care about their look and weight, though I'd enjoy going back to regular-looking blades to catch my foot easily on biellmans. I only jump singles (have a two-foot axel which is becoming extremely dangerous to pull off because of what I said above) and struggle with centering my spins, so a "lightweight and cool-looking" version of a blade is the last thing I need.

I am considering switching to the regular coronation aces, but if they're exactly the same profile as the lites, that might not solve the problem ? I read that since Eclipse Auroras are made of stainless steel, they need less sharpenings, are a little "flatter" than CAs and the stanchion might be higher under the heel, though I have yet to find a side-by-side comparison which could prove that.
Problem is, they're almost sold out EVERYWHERE in my size.
I do not want to "overblade" with 8 rockers like gold seal or agressive toepicks like 99s either, but if body weight has an impact on blades like it does on boots, I might consider it.

Thanks everybody for your insight !

 

[Friday]

From what you're describing I suspect that you got a few wrong sharpening on your blades by your skate tech tbh.
And it's possible that your blades are wrongly mounted for your boot, given the problem with the inside edges.
(It's also possible that your edges are uneven height wise)

I had the same problem with my regular Coro Ace, I couldn't hold a one foot spin at all. Turns out that the sharpener I gave them to flattened the rocker on my new blades (and messed up the tail).
I went to a different one who tried to save the rocker and now spins are easier, even though not perfect obviously.

 

[smva]

From what you're describing I suspect that you got a few wrong sharpening on your blades by your skate tech tbh.
And it's possible that your blades are wrongly mounted for your boot, given the problem with the inside edges.
(It's also possible that your edges are uneven height wise)

I had the same problem with my regular Coro Ace, I couldn't hold a one foot spin at all. Turns out that the sharpener I gave them to flattened the rocker on my new blades (and messed up the tail).
I went to a different one who tried to save the rocker and now spins are easier, even though not perfect obviously.

Hi ! You're right, I have had this edge problem for a while. I can't backspin on my right foot at ALL. I feel like my foot cannot be in the middle and falls to my inside edge every time. I brought my skates to the only capable tech in my country, who found that the LEFT blade was uneven (he sanded my boots to make them even) but found no problem with my right foot.
I am also 100% sure the tech at my rink (he's mainly a hockey tech) messed up my first sharpening. He even asked me "are you sure I am the one who did this sharpening last time...?" since it was so bad lol. Since he's apparently a god tech to hockey players, and I have read that most hockey blades are made of stainless steel too, I am thinking of getting the Auroras.
It might be an excuse, but I feel like they're restraining every move I do, so psychologically speaking I can't do anything with them anymore. I had a really bad fall two days ago and since I've been hating on the blades since day one, I kinda want to switch to forget my bad feelings about them. I swung my body forward to catch my toepick before jumping and ended up falling on my hip, so I will be resting for at least one month... during which I want to order blades overseas since we have so few of them in my country.

It's kinda ironic to see that we have only ONE good tech here considering my country's athletes have gotten LOADS of gold medals in lots of championships lol (south korea)

 

[Friday]

Hi ! You're right, I have had this edge problem for a while. I can't backspin on my right foot at ALL. I feel like my foot cannot be in the middle and falls to my inside edge every time. I brought my skates to the only capable tech in my country, who found that the LEFT blade was uneven (he sanded my boots to make them even) but found no problem with my right foot.
I am also 100% sure the tech at my rink (he's mainly a hockey tech) messed up my first sharpening. He even ask me "am I the one who did this sharpening last time...?" since it was so bad lol. Since he's apparently a god tech to hockey players, and I have read that most hockey blades are made of stainless steel too, I am thinking of getting the Auroras.
It might be an excuse, but I feel like they're restraining every move I do, so psychologically speaking I can't do anything with them anymore. I had a really bad fall two days ago and since I've been hating on the blades since day one, I kinda want to switch to forget my bad feelings about them. I swung my body forward to catch my toepick before jumping and ended up falling on my hip, so I will be resting for at least one month... during which I want to order blades overseas since we have so few of them in my country.

It's kinda ironic to see that we have only ONE good tech here considering my country's athletes have gotten LOADS of gold medals in lots of championships lol (south korea)

You need to ask around your rink who sharpens the blades of other skaters / sharpens the blades of the athletes.

NEVER let that hockey dude sharpen your blades again, hockey blades have a completely different profile than figure skating baldes (no rocker) and it'd so likely that he messed up the rocker & tail of the blade!

 

[Coach Aimee]

I also feel like the blades are really... thin ? I have read the same thing a few times on this forum also. All of this might be due to bad sharpenings, because I remember being able to hold my edges way better when I first got them...

The blades I'm considering :
I am an adult skater, 165cm (5,4ft) and around 63kgs (141 lbs). I want sturdy blades and do not care about their look and weight, though I'd enjoy going back to regular-looking blades to catch my foot easily on biellmans. I only jump singles (have a two-foot axel which is becoming extremely dangerous to pull off because of what I said above) and struggle with centering my spins, so a "lightweight and cool-looking" version of a blade is the last thing I need.

I am considering switching to the regular coronation aces, but if they're exactly the same profile as the lites, that might not solve the problem ? I read that since Eclipse Auroras are made of stainless steel, they need less sharpenings, are a little "flatter" than CAs and the stanchion might be higher under the heel, though I have yet to find a side-by-side comparison which could prove that.
Problem is, they're almost sold out EVERYWHERE in my size.
I do not want to "overblade" with 8 rockers like gold seal or agressive toepicks like 99s either, but if body weight has an impact on blades like it does on boots, I might consider it.

Thanks everybody for your insight !

You feel the blades are really thin because they are thinner! I have 2 skaters that have these blades - HOWEVER, they are very small/petite skaters who are not focusing on jumping! The Lite design and thinner profile are not appropriate for skaters over 100 lbs that are working on an Axel.

From what you describe with your spins, I suggest that you look at the MK Professional (not the Lite version) And only get them sharpened by a tech that specializes in figure sharpenings.

 

[smva]

You need to ask around your rink who sharpens the blades of other skaters / sharpens the blades of the athletes.

NEVER let that hockey dude sharpen your blades again, hockey blades have a completely different profile than figure skating baldes (no rocker) and it'd so likely that he messed up the rocker & tail of the blade!

That's the other guy, the "good" tech I mentioned.

 

[smva]

You feel the blades are really thin because they are thinner! I have 2 skaters that have these blades - HOWEVER, they are very small/petite skaters who are not focusing on jumping! The Lite design and thinner profile are not appropriate for skaters over 100 lbs that are working on an Axel.

From what you describe with your spins, I suggest that you look at the MK Professional (not the Lite version) And only get them sharpened by a tech that specializes in figure sharpenings.

damn, if only I had known that before D: ...
I might look into the MK professional (obviously not the lites!!!), since the Auroras seem to be out of stock everywhere.
Thank you

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Look at MK Pro traditional profile blade not the revs. The eclipse are going to feel too flat, it's like going from one extreme to the next if you chose them after the CA Lite.

Also, don't let hockey shops sharpen your blades. Figure skate techs only!! If you give us an idea of the area you are in we may be able to suggest where to have your blades properly sharpened.

Good luck!

 

[smva]

Look at MK Pro traditional profile blade not the revs. The eclipse are going to feel too flat, it's like going from one extreme to the next if you chose them after the CA Lite.

Also, don't let hockey shops sharpen your blades. Figure skate techs only!! If you give us an idea of the area you are in we may be able to suggest where to have your blades properly sharpened.

Good luck!

Thank you ! I might get them since the Eclipse are impossible to find in my size.
I'm in Seoul, South Korea. The only good tech I know of is in the outskirts of Seoul. (called Spotec)
The one at my rink was supposed to be a good one too, but he actually has his skate (hockey and figure) shop and just "happens to sharpen figure blades too", in my opinion.

Also, what do you think about parabolic blades ? I see the Mk pros are available with this feature too and wonder if it will help or if it's just another gimmick like the lite version that will not work with my skills / weight and will be hard to sharpen ?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thank you ! I might get them since the Eclipse are impossible to find in my size.
I'm in Seoul, South Korea. The only good tech I know of is in the outskirts of Seoul. (called Spotec)
The one at my rink was supposed to be a good one too, but he actually has his skate (hockey and figure) shop and just "happens to sharpen figure blades too", in my opinion.

Also, what do you think about parabolic blades ? I see the Mk pros are available with this feature too and wonder if it will help or if it's just another gimmick like the lite version that will not work with my skills / weight and will be hard to sharpen ?

I guess then go to Spotec for your sharpenings if they know what they are doing with figure skate blades.
As far as revs/lites. No, not a fan of them at all.

 

[smva]

I guess then go to Spotec for your sharpenings if they know what they are doing with figure skate blades.
As far as revs/lites. No, not a fan of them at all.

Not the rev/lites (I hate them too now haha) but the parabolic ones !

 

[WednesdayMarch]

There's really no point in getting parabolics; until you have really good, strong edges, they are no help at all. You need traditional blades and you also need to make sure they are mounted correctly for you and your skating. If you're struggling to hold an edge, then the position of the blade can also be a cause. It doesn't take much of a shift to make a world of difference, but you should get this done by an experienced and trusted skate tech. Good luck!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Not the rev/lites (I hate them too now haha) but the parabolic ones !

No to parabolics. You have no use for them and need to have Patrick Chan quality edges to even make them worth it.

And FWIW-I never said I hate Revs/Lites. They're great if you are higher level skater and especially if mens skater. For Ladies, not so much.

 

[smva]

There's really no point in getting parabolics; until you have really good, strong edges, they are no help at all. You need traditional blades and you also need to make sure they are mounted correctly for you and your skating. If you're struggling to hold an edge, then the position of the blade can also be a cause. It doesn't take much of a shift to make a world of difference, but you should get this done by an experienced and trusted skate tech. Good luck!

No to parabolics. You have no use for them and need to have Patrick Chan quality edges to even make them worth it.

And FWIW-I never said I hate Revs/Lites. They're great if you are higher level skater and especially if mens skater. For Ladies, not so much.

Thank you so much to the both of you and Aimee ! I am set on the REGULAR MK pros
Aah marketing... why make all those "versions" available on middle-level blades if only top skaters can make advantage of them...? To force people like me to change and buy another blade ASAP, maybe ? Haha

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you so much to the both of you and Aimee ! I am set on the REGULAR MK pros
Aah marketing... why make all those "versions" available on middle-level blades if only top skaters can make advantage of them...? To force people like me to change and buy another blade ASAP, maybe ? Haha

Because there is no real correlation between what skaters actually need and what skaters want and will buy. Especially adult skaters, who, when told of the restrictions those boots/blades will place on their skating and progress, will argue till the day is done to attempt to justify those restrictions...

The best marketing slogan in the business has to be, "You can't overboot in Edea" because totally and absolutely can and I see it every day. Please note: I have nothing against Edea apart from the dishonesty of that marketing angle.

 

[smva]

Because there is no real correlation between what skaters actually need and what skaters want and will buy. Especially adult skaters, who, when told of the restrictions those boots/blades will place on their skating and progress, will argue till the day is done to attempt to justify those restrictions...

The best marketing slogan in the business has to be, "You can't overboot in Edea" because totally and absolutely can and I see it every day. Please note: I have nothing against Edea apart from the dishonesty of that marketing angle.

Oh boy, you're talking to someone living in Korea. There is virtually no middle-level boot sold here. All the beginner adults and young athlete who jump doubles are fit in Iceflys and few men in Pianos. Korea is a society where people buy "what every other people buy because it works" instead of choosing something fit for them. One athlete even struggled for years to get a boot that would fit her, in the end she went to Japan to get fully custom-made boots.
Me buying the lite blades was a mistake. I haven't skated for 15 years(when those blades didn't exist) and the shop I bought them from had a bundle pack for the RF3 pro + ace lites. I haven't skated for so long anyway, I was pretty sure my blade choice was gonna be off and I would need to change soon because the way I spin and jump would have changed.

 

[High Carbon]

Hello! It seems everyone here was already extremely helpful to you! Just to pop in and agree with everyone, You definitely shouldn't have needed to switch too badly. Unless you're doing doubles and triples, the cross-cut vs straight cut toepicks shouldn't make too much of a difference. Between the CoroAce or an MK Pro you should have everything you need so a skate tech that is either undereducated/practiced or a hockey tech that doesn't know anything about figure skates would absolutely be cause for error. I'm very glad you found someone more knowledgeable! I always try to take a bottom up approach when it comes to skate errors. It's always best to check first the sharpening, then the mounting, then issues of excessive pronation/supination, then after all else is ruled out one can consider spending a mortgage payment on new blades! I do also agree that Gold Seals or Parabolic blades are not necessary for you. The GS have a tapered profile which achieves the same affect as parabolic blades, which is to make the "grip" of the blade less in the middle than it is at the ball of the foot. This is great for flowing edges and fast twizzles while still allowing enough bite for jumps, but like others already said, it does take more skill to utilize that benefit. And I agree to generally avoid Revs. In my experience there are even less techs that can adequately sharpen most Revs than traditional blades so while the blade may not be too different for you, you may run into issues with good sharpenings. Also, if I can recall correctly, Pattern 99 are the only Revs that do not have a distal taper to the blade, so most Revs you'd come across would give you the same challenges as a parabolic blade. Hope this helps reinforce everything you've already gotten!

 

[smva]

Hello! It seems everyone here was already extremely helpful to you! Just to pop in and agree with everyone, You definitely shouldn't have needed to switch too badly. Unless you're doing doubles and triples, the cross-cut vs straight cut toepicks shouldn't make too much of a difference. Between the CoroAce or an MK Pro you should have everything you need so a skate tech that is either undereducated/practiced or a hockey tech that doesn't know anything about figure skates would absolutely be cause for error. I'm very glad you found someone more knowledgeable! I always try to take a bottom up approach when it comes to skate errors. It's always best to check first the sharpening, then the mounting, then issues of excessive pronation/supination, then after all else is ruled out one can consider spending a mortgage payment on new blades! I do also agree that Gold Seals or Parabolic blades are not necessary for you. The GS have a tapered profile which achieves the same affect as parabolic blades, which is to make the "grip" of the blade less in the middle than it is at the ball of the foot. This is great for flowing edges and fast twizzles while still allowing enough bite for jumps, but like others already said, it does take more skill to utilize that benefit. And I agree to generally avoid Revs. In my experience there are even less techs that can adequately sharpen most Revs than traditional blades so while the blade may not be too different for you, you may run into issues with good sharpenings. Also, if I can recall correctly, Pattern 99 are the only Revs that do not have a distal taper to the blade, so most Revs you'd come across would give you the same challenges as a parabolic blade. Hope this helps reinforce everything you've already gotten!

Thank you High carbon !
As Aimee said, the lites weren't a good choice from day one. Might have been different with regular Coroaces If I do get to that level one day, I might get gold seals or GS99, but for now, I hope I will have a good relationship with the MK pros