Do these boots look okay to mount?

[megskates]

I bought these boots about 3 weeks ago now. They finally arrived to my skate tech, and he has told me that the sole is too warped to mount the blades.

When I told the seller this, they claimed that there was no problems with the boots and that the screws will pull them into place..

Who is right here?? Pic: https://imgur.com/a/VQWdGe7

 

[tstop4me]

Your photo doesn't show how the heel plate of the blade is sitting on the heel of the boot. Assuming it's sitting flush, that's a substantial gap between the sole plate of the blade and the sole of the boot. I personally wouldn't attempt to pull the sole of the boot that much via mounting screws.

Other considerations:

(1) What boot do you have?

(2) At this point all we can conclude is that there is a substantial mismatch between the blade and boot. Which can be caused by (a) defective boot, (b) defective blade, (c) defective boot and defective blade, or (d) boot and blade are both OK, but they are just not suitable mates (there are considerable variations in mounting geometries between different boot and blade manufacturers). You will need further investigation to check this out.

(3) As a practical matter, what do you plan to do if others write in and agree with the seller? The tech you're dealing with won't take the risk of mounting the blades, so you'll need to shop around for a tech who will.

(4) If you end up stuck with the boots and blades that you have, a safer mounting alternative would be to insert a shim to fill in the gap. But that may throw off the pitch of the boot too much, and you may need to adjust the mount at the heel as well to correct (and causing some change in overall height). And you won't know until you try it to see whether you're OK with it.. This is a matter of last resort if there are no returns (boot or blade or both).

 

[megskates]

Your photo doesn't show how the heel plate of the blade is sitting on the heel of the boot. Assuming it's sitting flush, that's a substantial gap between the sole plate of the blade and the sole of the boot. I personally wouldn't attempt to pull the sole of the boot that much via mounting screws.

Other considerations:

(1) What boot do you have?

(2) At this point all we can conclude is that there is a substantial mismatch between the blade and boot. Which can be caused by (a) defective boot, (b) defective blade, (c) defective boot and defective blade, or (d) boot and blade are both OK, but they are just not suitable mates (there are considerable variations in mounting geometries between different boot and blade manufacturers). You will need further investigation to check this out.

(3) As a practical matter, what do you plan to do if others write in and agree with the seller? The tech you're dealing with won't take the risk of mounting the blades, so you'll need to shop around for a tech who will.

(4) If you end up stuck with the boots and blades that you have, a safer mounting alternative would be to insert a shim to fill in the gap. But that may throw off the pitch of the boot too much, and you may need to adjust the mount at the heel as well to correct (and causing some change in overall height). And you won't know until you try it to see whether you're OK with it.. This is a matter of last resort if there are no returns (boot or blade or both).

I really appreciate your prompt and in depth response.

The boot is edea ice fly. The blade is Jackson Legacy 7.

Right now, they want me to pay $50 to return the boots and do an exchange. I really want to try to avoid that, because this isn't a sizing issue, this is a manufacturing issue.

My previous boots and blades were mounted and sharpened completely wrong by a different tech, so I really want these to be perfect. I don't want to cut corners. Thanks again.

 

[tstop4me]

You're talking pricey boots. Probably the best way to proceed is for you to let us know what country and city you are in. Someone on this forum will likely be able to refer you to the closest competent tech(s) who can check over the boots AND blades in person. [A combo of Ice Fly with Legacy 7 is somewhat odd; but I won't pursue that, and just try to help with your mechanical issues.]

You don't want to simply exchange the boots (even if you are willing to pay the $50). If the boots are messed up, is the seller going to confirm that the replacement pair is OK before they ship it out? And if the problem is with the blades, you're no better off. Are the blades ones you already had, or did you order them with the boots?

Did you order online instead of through a local tech simply because of price, or because you don't have a local tech who will handle the whole order end-to-end? I'm in the US. Most of the local techs in my area include full services if you purchase through them: fitting, heat molding, mounting, sharpening, and adjustments. If you buy elsewhere, the additional cost of needed services can exceed any online savings (even without the fitting fee, if that's not needed for you). Something for you to think about. If you have such a full-service tech in your area, one option would be to return what you bought online and start over (i.e., cut your losses and run). That way, one person has end-to-end responsibility.