Need advice on best blade for new Harlicks. I grew up on Phantoms but have really old MK Pros now. I've never posted or queried in this Golden Skates forum but need help on my blade choice, so here goes!! I read the previous thread and it was somewhat helpful but doesn't hit on my particular issues. I skated as a teen for a few years and competed at the Intermediate level, then quit do the family finances and understanding I was never Olympic material. I started again as an adult and very easily pick-up where I left off and was able to master all my doubles in combination and a couple of triples into my fifties (I'm 65 now). However, being an aging weekend warrior I wore my hips out completely and had to have two full hip replacements and that fully set me back since my doctors and husband scared me into not skating. Well, that was boring, so I have re-learned but am only back up to my axels. Now, my best skates (Custom Harlick's with Phantoms) were 15 years old but broken in but still in great shape for a non-competitive putzing around double jumper BUT they got stolen with my car a few years ago so I had to revert to (gasp) skates I had kept "just-in-case" that are 30 years old (Custom Harlicks with MK Pros). Okay, so I FINALLY got new Custom Harlicks (took at full 1.3 years from order down payment) but I need new blades too. SOOOO, not sure what to guy. My spins used to be pristine and still are EXCEPT by backspin that feel sketchy--and like the first posted, I'd rather just not even warm up with them and go straight to jumps. My back sits, camel and flying camels are good but a standard backspin, twizzle or backspin hopping out--forget it. Forward spins: camel, sits, laybacks, etc., all very comfortable, stable and good. My toe jumps great. My edge jumps from that same right edge are awful unless I'm doing them in combination from a flip or lutz. So, what blades? Any idea why I cannot sustain a backspin when I have done them my entire life? Thanks!! Me about 2 weeks ago relearning laybacks
Advice for blades for Harlicks?
- Thread starter Mia Culpa
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
I read both your posts, although the video with this one wouldn't play on my computer. You have a couple of years on me, but not many, and I'm still skating pairs with the triples downgraded to doubles these days. So I know it still can be done over 60 if you work at it.
My one quick question: Is there any reason why you can't go back to Phantoms? I used MK Pros up to and including senior competition because I'd learned everything on them, and only switched much later to Phantoms. There was a short adjustment period for some elements, particularly flying camel entries, but not much. But if they're what you're used to........?
Thanks for the quick reply! I decided I better get some advice because my 1994 Harlicks have MK Pros on them now as those were the blades I had on that old pair (and the skates I've had to default to since my 2005 Harlicks/Phantoms were stolen). When I got my new Harlicks in 2005 I was skating so well that I don't remember the transition from MK Pros to Phantoms at all (but recall I had nearly no downtime breaking them in and skating on the Phantoms); but, Mitch Moyer out of Michgan suggested Phantoms so that is what I bought. Now, for the first time in my life I'm having to re-learn to skate due in large part to aging fear thing but primarily the hip replacement surgeries because it was tremendously painful to spring/land/twist after the surgeries (as though suddenly my legs could not support me or connect to my brain correctly anymore) and I have stopped being a baby and now workout like a ninja to get my musles/tendons/bones back up to par. I digress. Having to relearn to skate, nothing is routine and I am deferring to the experts for input. I might need a "baby" skater blade since I am skating at a significantly lower level than ever in my life. I simply have no idea and skating public sessions on weekends prohibits socializing with avid adult skaters. So this forum is perfect for what I need and hope to learn!! I'm am sort of leaning towards the Phantoms but then I saw all these people gushing over Gold Seals, then MK Pros kept coming up. Now, my head is spinning too!I read both your posts, although the video with this one wouldn't play on my computer. You have a couple of years on me, but not many, and I'm still skating pairs with the triples downgraded to doubles these days. So I know it still can be done over 60 if you work at it.
My one quick question: Is there any reason why you can't go back to Phantoms? I used MK Pros up to and including senior competition because I'd learned everything on them, and only switched much later to Phantoms. There was a short adjustment period for some elements, particularly flying camel entries, but not much. But if they're what you're used to........?
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
If you've been reading the equipment advice threads, then you know that probably the majority asking for advice are adult beginners wanting to know what boots and blades to buy instead of the rentals or sporting-goods store sets they've been using. You see regular MK Pros and Coronation Aces mentioned often because we try to steer beginners into good basic blades that will serve them well from the beginner stage and up as they progress. Most are using low-level blades that came attached to the sets they'd bought already, and need something somewhat more advanced and stronger because adult beginners are, obviously, taller and heavier than child skaters.
In your case, you're not really a beginner, and you're already accustomed to MKs at both levels, so I had just wondered if there were some reason why you were hesitant to go back to the Phantoms. Their longer picks take getting used to if one is going from Pros to Phantoms, but you'd be going in the other direction. However, knowing quite a few other people, former skaters and "civilians"
, who've had joint replacements, I can see your point. It's admirable to want to regain as much of your former skills as possible, but common sense has to be factored in. If the long picks on the Phantoms are a potential hazard, then you might be wise to move to the Pros. I can tell you that you can still do as much as you were doing before on the ice, just probably not triple toe/flip/Lutz. When I was adjusting to the Phantoms, as a pairs skater I at least had somebody to grab onto if I tripped.My mother-in-law had been quite a high-level tournament bowler since she was a teenager, but when she had a hip replacement and then tried to get back into her sport, she ended up in surgery again to repair the damage she did to her new hip. After that, she switched to lawn bowling and got to be good at that as well. We do have to make some concession to aging! My pairs partner just recently said he thought we should stop doing twists, or at least any more than the version the ice dancer often do now, one revolution and not above the man's shoulders. He felt he was no longer able to toss me high enough for me to complete at least double rotations and be facing him as I came down. Much as I love doing the twists, I let him make that decision for us without argument. Throws are still in the repertoire, since I'm on my own for the landing and a safe distance away from him. I can abort in mid-air if I feel I'm not on a good flight path, and still not collide with him when I land whether on my feet or not.
You're being both ambitious and sensible. I think if I were in your position with a repaired hip and knowing how often that's where you land if you fall, I'd go back to my trusty MK Pros, giving me one less thing to worry about and able to still enjoy a higher level of skating than most my age, with a good solid workhorse blade supporting me. Good luck!
Thank you SOOOO much for your very reflective, thoughtful and wise reply!! I envisioned your bad flight throw with your controlled mid-air abort and felt blessed I had no upper body strength at 11 so did not get approached/matched with a pair partner when the coaches were searching. Terrifying! Rotating vertically alone is hard enough. Anyway, as much as my brain wants to deny it, the bowling analogy is a good one that I must face; but, so far so good for me, as I've taken literal baby steps in strenghthening my muscle/tendons/muscles to relearn flexibility, mobility, balance, strength and now have remastered my spins, flying spins, edges and single jumps in combination. Now that I'm jumping higher and moving faster (not nearly as I was at 50), it seems that for me to maintain/continue my trajectory that to progress safely, I MUST stop reinforcing my worn out 30 year old boots with 2-3 pairs of thick socks to create support and break in my new stiff feels like cement block Harlicks. First, though, I need the blades and at this juncture I/we just don't have enough time left to make uninformed (i.e. bad) decisions. I forgot one issue, though, with the MK Pros, my back spins, pulling out of back spins, right twizzles and even standard entry to my right loop jumps have been "forced" unnaturally since I reverted to my 1994 Harlick MK Pros (I can compensate by pulling up my left knee AND really focusing on pulling up my core while backspinning... but I don't have this issue with back camels or back sits AND I can always pop clean controlled loop-loop-loop after other jumps on the MK Pros, so I think it is my brain). I thought the problem might be that my Phantoms were set better on my 2005 Harlicks or had the rocker in a better place for me than the MK Pros; YET, it may not be the MK Pro blade or the blade-to-boot setting at all and just my phony hips or my old boots or super old blades throwing things off because I never had issues with the MK Pros between 1994-2005. My thought is to buy the MK Pros and if I still have sketchy backspins, etc., then just buy the Phantoms and go with them instead. I will say an advantage to Phantoms is those things are just weapons and can serve me in self-defense or breaking open a window in the event of a flood incident (both foreseeable needs in the Houston crime/hurricane climates)!! Thank you so much for your help as it has helped me better assess and analyze the best fit for me.If you've been reading the equipment advice threads, then you know that probably the majority asking for advice are adult beginners wanting to know what boots and blades to buy instead of the rentals or sporting-goods store sets they've been using. You see regular MK Pros and Coronation Aces mentioned often because we try to steer beginners into good basic blades that will serve them well from the beginner stage and up as they progress. Most are using low-level blades that came attached to the sets they'd bought already, and need something somewhat more advanced and stronger because adult beginners are, obviously, taller and heavier than child skaters.
In your case, you're not really a beginner, and you're already accustomed to MKs at both levels, so I had just wondered if there were some reason why you were hesitant to go back to the Phantoms. Their longer picks take getting used to if one is going from Pros to Phantoms, but you'd be going in the other direction. However, knowing quite a few other people, former skaters and "civilians"
My mother-in-law had been quite a high-level tournament bowler since she was a teenager, but when she had a hip replacement and then tried to get back into her sport, she ended up in surgery again to repair the damage she did to her new hip. After that, she switched to lawn bowling and got to be good at that as well. We do have to make some concession to aging! My pairs partner just recently said he thought we should stop doing twists, or at least any more than the version the ice dancer often do now, one revolution and not above the man's shoulders. He felt he was no longer able to toss me high enough for me to complete at least double rotations and be facing him as I came down. Much as I love doing the twists, I let him make that decision for us without argument. Throws are still in the repertoire, since I'm on my own for the landing and a safe distance away from him. I can abort in mid-air if I feel I'm not on a good flight path, and still not collide with him when I land whether on my feet or not.
You're being both ambitious and sensible. I think if I were in your position with a repaired hip and knowing how often that's where you land if you fall, I'd go back to my trusty MK Pros, giving me one less thing to worry about and able to still enjoy a higher level of skating than most my age, with a good solid workhorse blade supporting me. Good luck!
Right foot problems might be related to the blade alignment or lots of other things that might have changed since you now skate on those old boots.
I think in your case your best bet would be to just go back to the Phantoms. It's one less thing to worry about, and if you're still having issues with backspins, then you know more what to change.
Also, doing triples into your 50's and beyond is something not even many "Olympic material" skaters can say to have done in the end (I'm not so certain I'll make it that far), so that's super cool!
Of course, I'm biased to say that if you feel adventurous, you can certainly go for the Gold Seal, especially if you want to work with spins and deep edges more. These days the GS is a bit flatter than it used to be in the old old days, so there maybe some adjustment period, if you've been on 7" rocker before. But it's certainly not a big deal for you.
But yeah, Phantom or Gold Seal would be my go to!
I think in your case your best bet would be to just go back to the Phantoms. It's one less thing to worry about, and if you're still having issues with backspins, then you know more what to change.
Also, doing triples into your 50's and beyond is something not even many "Olympic material" skaters can say to have done in the end (I'm not so certain I'll make it that far), so that's super cool!
Of course, I'm biased to say that if you feel adventurous, you can certainly go for the Gold Seal, especially if you want to work with spins and deep edges more. These days the GS is a bit flatter than it used to be in the old old days, so there maybe some adjustment period, if you've been on 7" rocker before. But it's certainly not a big deal for you.
But yeah, Phantom or Gold Seal would be my go to!
Well, Phantoms it is! Gold Seal is getting such great publicity and recommendations but my tried and true Phantoms did well for me. Lets see if one of my old Phantom spins will post here... https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B2xPiHrjM/
Thanks so much for all your time on this!!! It really helped me!!!
