Blade misalignment or adjustment issue?

[zjamic]

Hi all!

So, I just switched to Edea boots and John Wilson Gold Seals Revolution within the past month and a half, give or take a few days. I love the Edea to the point I can't skate in my Jacksons, and the JW Gold Seal Revolutions are so light and dream-like that I wish I could be working on getting more triples in my repertoire and perfecting the doubles. However, the left skate got permanently mounted when the boots arrived because the skate tech and I did some off-ice balance and it seemed right to her and felt pretty good to me, the right skate was temporary mounted because the skate tech and I could not find a good balance point. During the skate trial to see if the alignment was off, I found out that the right blade was moving as I was just doing edge work - and due to LTS coaching starting that weekend, I went back to the skate tech and told her that it felt best when the blade was farther out and it was permanently mounted. So, it kind of feels (sorry, but this is the best way I can describe the blades position) like the blades are positioned in-between my big toe and second (pointer?) toe, but more towards the big-toe on both skates; though on the right it feels like the blade is set relatively and perfectly between the big toe and second toe.

Since getting both permanently mounted, I've noticed that the blades seem loud just stroking and I noticed that I was accumulating a lot of snow when doing basic stroking from the Pre-Preliminary 1/Adult Pre-Bronze 1 patterns, one of my warm-ups. When I do the two footed test there is rarely snow kicked up, but when I do the 1 footed test there is snow build-up on the ice - however, I do go straight, but it could be from my subconsciously altering my body slightly to maintain going straight; I did note that in the track left on the ice that there was some wobbling, but I thought that could be the looseness from the Edea skates around the ankle and needing some time to get used to it. I found that the snow build-up on the ice is more prevalent on my left than right, but when stroking there is quite a bit of snow left when I look back. Also, I noticed that my three-turns on the left foot are nearly always skidding or kicking up way too much snow to be clean before going into a flip or lutz if I'm going beyond a slow/leisurely pace. Lastly, when I spin it feels like my left blade really just wants to be on the outside edge, thought I keep it flat.

I have honestly never had this happen to the point where I can't be certain what is going on, which could be due to having to squeeze my wide feet into boots too small width wise in the past that made the alignment on the blades different than I have now and making me highly uncertain. I've asked my coach and sent her videos, but because she cannot see it in person she isn't too sure and doesn't want to definitely say it's this when it could not be (as of now, I'm only seeing my coach every month or when I can go down to see her (yay online college courses and being 3 hours away!). When I called the skate tech, she wasn't so sure either; I have sent her videos, given her in-depth explanations to what I'm feeling when I skate, and she doesn't really know without being at the rink as well and she is new to the being a skate tech; I did find out that when she isn't sure she attempts to contact the previous owners of the skate shop and they provide insight when they can (though I'm sure they are enjoying retirement; they deserve it!)

I don't know if this a byproduct of misalignment, a tapered blade like the Gold Seal, or just me adjusting to the new boots and blades ... or my injury causing a weakened leg So, having more opinions/suggestions would be wonderful because then I'll be able to test things out or ask my coach and skate tech!

Thank you!

Side note: I should probably ask this on here ... I noticed that the front part of my left blade, the plastic part, has a crack. It doesn't seem to be getting worse or bigger and it is small, but I have had the crack since day one and I have not attempted doubles (my coach would make me do power pulls the whole lesson I go down to see or some other drill ... most likely with the parachute) due to an injury and have only done single jumps (no axel) - the highest being flip or lutz. Thus, I'm very positive I did not put the crack on it blade. I'm not too familiar with the revolution blade yet and the skate tech said that because a lot of people do quads on the revolution blades they should be fine

Again, Thank you!

 

[Nimyue]

As far as the noise, Revolution Blades make a lot of noise. So that's normal.

 

[tstop4me]

Hi all!
Side note: I should probably ask this on here ... I noticed that the front part of my left blade, the plastic part, has a crack. It doesn't seem to be getting worse or bigger and it is small, but I have had the crack since day one and I have not attempted doubles (my coach would make me do power pulls the whole lesson I go down to see or some other drill ... most likely with the parachute) due to an injury and have only done single jumps (no axel) - the highest being flip or lutz. Thus, I'm very positive I did not put the crack on it blade. I'm not too familiar with the revolution blade yet and the skate tech said that because a lot of people do quads on the revolution blades they should be fine

You should have the skate tech inspect the crack pronto. Wilson has a "Lifetime Promise", but not sure what that covers in practice. The chances of you getting a replacement for a defective unit will likely be better if you report the problem right away.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I agree with what tstop said. Get it checked out and replaced if necessary, I would not trust jumping at all on those blades in their current state.

 

[SmallAminal]

As far as the noise, Revolution Blades make a lot of noise. So that's normal.

Out of curiosity, what makes the Revolution blades noisy? Is it the two piece construction chattering?

 

[zjamic]

Out of curiosity, what makes the Revolution blades noisy? Is it the two piece construction chattering?

I'm curious too because I originally thought the noise was due to either misalignment or the fact that Gold Seals are tapered.

And, I managed to contact a John Wilson representative about my blade issue. Said representative said to speak to the dealer and to get new ones ... now it's time to see if the dealer will break of her ideology that if revolution blades can support top skaters doing quads, then I should be fine skating to get new blades. If not, look out coach and skate tech 3 hours away because I'll be visiting sooner than expected.

 

[tstop4me]

I'm curious too 樂 because I originally thought the noise was due to either misalignment or the fact that Gold Seals are tapered.

And, I managed to contact a John Wilson representative about my blade issue. Said representative said to speak to the dealer and to get new ones ... now it's time to see if the dealer will break of her ideology that if revolution blades can support top skaters doing quads, then I should be fine skating to get new blades. If not, look out coach and skate tech 3 hours away because I'll be visiting sooner than expected.

<<Emphasis added>> The Revolution blades can support quads if they don't have defects. I don't see why any dealer would have a problem with returning defective blades.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Out of curiosity, what makes the Revolution blades noisy? Is it the two piece construction chattering?

It's more the different materials that the blade is made from (particularly the upper Revolution part) in comparison to a more "one piece" same material traditional blade.

 

[zjamic]

<<Emphasis added>> The Revolution blades can support quads if they don't have defects. I don't see why any dealer would have a problem with returning defective blades.

I have no clue. I forwarded her the emails between a John Wilson representative that said to get new blades, and she said that she would see me when I'm due in for a sharpen and to enjoy my skates because they looked perfect and the crack is too small to do anything due to the whole "can support quad" ideology. Pretty much, she ignored my email inquiry and has not even returned my call. At the moment, I'm very disappointed in the skate tech and how the business is going since the transfer of the business to her - missing the old owners right now. Tstop4me, I'm also wondering why she is having an issue with returning defective blades because it is making me wonder if she may have placed the crack on the blades before we permanently mounted the left blade ... Like I never saw what condition the blades were in because when I got to the shop she had my boots with the temporarily mounts already, and the crack was there.

On the flip side, she offered me a job that I quickly shot down due the fact she's pretty much screwing me on the blades and that I live nearly 2 hours away from her shop.

Ic3rabbit, that makes so much sense! Thank you for your knowledge and how much you care!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Ic3rabbit, that makes so much sense! Thank you for your knowledge and how much you care! ��

You're welcome! I wore Revolution blades for a very very short time because they sucked ! Made some positions difficult and I hated catch/grab spins in them.

Good luck!

 

[DanseMacabre]

I have no clue. I forwarded her the emails between a John Wilson representative that said to get new blades, and she said that she would see me when I'm due in for a sharpen and to enjoy my skates because they looked perfect and the crack is too small to do anything due to the whole "can support quad" ideology. Pretty much, she ignored my email inquiry and has not even returned my call. At the moment, I'm very disappointed in the skate tech and how the business is going since the transfer of the business to her - missing the old owners right now. Tstop4me, I'm also wondering why she is having an issue with returning defective blades because it is making me wonder if she may have placed the crack on the blades before we permanently mounted the left blade ... Like I never saw what condition the blades were in because when I got to the shop she had my boots with the temporarily mounts already, and the crack was there.

On the flip side, she offered me a job that I quickly shot down due the fact she's pretty much screwing me on the blades and that I live nearly 2 hours away from her shop.

Ic3rabbit, that makes so much sense! Thank you for your knowledge and how much you care! &#55357;&#56833;

Are you in the US? If JW can't help you and the owner's ignoring a defect that she, as the vendor, should take responsibility for you can politely but firmly bring up something like "I'd love to get this worked out with having to go to the Better Business Bureau so I'll see you before my next sharpening because these blades are not safe to skate on. Thanks." No business owner with a lick of sense wants to screw with their BBB rating. Doesn't always work, but I've had good luck with it in the past.

 

[zjamic]

Are you in the US? If JW can't help you and the owner's ignoring a defect that she, as the vendor, should take responsibility for you can politely but firmly bring up something like "I'd love to get this worked out with having to go to the Better Business Bureau so I'll see you before my next sharpening because these blades are not safe to skate on. Thanks." No business owner with a lick of sense wants to screw with their BBB rating. Doesn't always work, but I've had good luck with it in the past.

My mom and I have talked it over, and I have talked with the skate tech I frequent when I go down to see my coach or for college related issues/events. My mom and I came to the consensus of "they are just blades and it is only money, both of which are made every day" and that this was a learning experience for myself; the other skate tech told me he would buy back my MK Professionals for a bit more than he would ever buy back blades and he would make sure I was completely set when I left his shop and the area - thank god for said skate tech liking me and my coach , as well as looking out for clients.

Thank you for you imput DanseMacabre

 

[tstop4me]

the other skate tech told me he would buy back my MK Professionals for a bit more than he would ever buy back blades and he would make sure I was completely set when I left his shop and the area

<<Emphasis added>> Not sure whether this is a typo. Could you please clarify: Your OP discussed a crack in a new pair of JW Gold Seal Revolutions, sold by a first skating tech. Now a second skate tech plans to buy back a pair of MK Pros. Did you mean the JWs, or are the MK Pros blades the second tech previously sold you?

 

[zjamic]

<<Emphasis added>> Not sure whether this is a typo. Could you please clarify: Your OP discussed a crack in a new pair of JW Gold Seal Revolutions, sold by a first skating tech. Now a second skate tech plans to buy back a pair of MK Pros. Did you mean the JWs, or are the MK Pros blades the second tech previously sold you?

No problem, tstop4me!

So, the first skate tech I mentioned is about 2 hours, a little under actually, from my current location. The second skate tech is located an hour south of my college, which is about 4-5 hours away from my current location. When I'm home, which I am more so this year due to taking online courses and getting ready for internship this spring (yay, though nervous) I go to the first skate tech because she is the closest, and my parents and I used to go there when the old owners were still around fulltime. Thus, there was a sense of familiarity with that shop because of my parents, but my mom has even agreed that it is not the same and the new owner/skate tech seems inexperienced for now. However, when I go down to my coach for a lesson or two, I always go to see the second tech for maintenance check and to catch up.

The second skate tech will be buying back the MK Professionals because he was the dealer that sold me said blades and fitted them to my Jacksons. He did say that he would inspect the JW Gold Seals to see how bad the crack is, but he told me that if a JW representative said to get new blades then I should get new blades; he already ordered them in, despite me not going down for another week or so (seriously, this guy is awesome and he cares so much for his clients).

As for the JW Gold Seals, I'll have some nice decorative pieces or I will drop them off at the skate tech I bought them from whenever I'm in the area next.

I hope this explains a little bit of my wonderful complicated life

 

[skatespin]

I'm surprised that more people aren't talking about the defect problems Edea has been having for quite awhile with the Ice Fly. Out of curiosity what is your specific boot size (including width)?

I can tell you I've had some similar issues where the blade/alignment feels off and the glide of the blades is slightly off on the ice too, where I can see some skidding and snow even though i'm using correct technique to do different steps and turns.

Many Edea Ice Flys, especially in my size 245B, are all imperfect to some degree. The boot has a tilt, and the sole does not allow the blade to mount completely flush. These things together cause a skater's stance to not be square and straight and also causes the blade to feel abnormal and your skating performance to not be as good. You could try having a skate tech shim the blade to correct for the defect, but you are better off replacing the boots if the defect is severe.

There is the possibility of the typical culprits: incorrect mounting, incorrect fit, warped blades, or needing more time to adjust to a new brand. I think this is less likely though. After using Edeas for 3 years and having spent the past year struggling to get a good pair, and having spoken with skate techs who have sent countless defective pairs back to Skates US, I would suggest to have someone very knowledgable check the boots.

Also have someone knowledgeable check the blades for warping.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm surprised that more people aren't talking about the defect problems Edea has been having for quite awhile with the Ice Fly. Out of curiosity what is your specific boot size (including width)?

I can tell you I've had some similar issues where the blade/alignment feels off and the glide of the blades is slightly off on the ice too, where I can see some skidding and snow even though i'm using correct technique to do different steps and turns.

Many Edea Ice Flys, especially in my size 245B, are all imperfect to some degree. The boot has a tilt, and the sole does not allow the blade to mount completely flush. These things together cause a skater's stance to not be square and straight and also causes the blade to feel abnormal and your skating performance to not be as good. You could try having a skate tech shim the blade to correct for the defect, but you are better off replacing the boots if the defect is severe.

There is the possibility of the typical culprits: incorrect mounting, incorrect fit, warped blades, or needing more time to adjust to a new brand. I think this is less likely though. After using Edeas for 3 years and having spent the past year struggling to get a good pair, and having spoken with skate techs who have sent countless defective pairs back to Skates US, I would suggest to have someone very knowledgable check the boots.

Also have someone knowledgeable check the blades for warping.

It has been discussed in multiple threads in this section of the forum, for FYI sake.

 

[skatespin]

It has been discussed in multiple threads in this section of the forum, for FYI sake.

Not in this specific thread, which is what I was referring to.

 

[zjamic]

I'm surprised that more people aren't talking about the defect problems Edea has been having for quite awhile with the Ice Fly. Out of curiosity what is your specific boot size (including width)?

I can tell you I've had some similar issues where the blade/alignment feels off and the glide of the blades is slightly off on the ice too, where I can see some skidding and snow even though i'm using correct technique to do different steps and turns.

Many Edea Ice Flys, especially in my size 245B, are all imperfect to some degree. The boot has a tilt, and the sole does not allow the blade to mount completely flush. These things together cause a skater's stance to not be square and straight and also causes the blade to feel abnormal and your skating performance to not be as good. You could try having a skate tech shim the blade to correct for the defect, but you are better off replacing the boots if the defect is severe.

There is the possibility of the typical culprits: incorrect mounting, incorrect fit, warped blades, or needing more time to adjust to a new brand. I think this is less likely though. After using Edeas for 3 years and having spent the past year struggling to get a good pair, and having spoken with skate techs who have sent countless defective pairs back to Skates US, I would suggest to have someone very knowledgable check the boots.

Also have someone knowledgeable check the blades for warping.

I have Edea Concertos, 245 E. The only big issue I've had, aside from the potential blade misalignment causing excess noise and snow buildup on the ice and my blades, is the shorter blade. I have fallen off the back of my blade when doing random things where I lean back a bit too far for the shorter blades, but in my old blades it was perfect. The transition wasn't/isn't all that bad, like ot felr more natural to be in Edeas than my Jacksons - and I have tried Riedells before my Jacksons. Now, when I try to switch back to my Jacksons I feel like I can barely skate and that I am more conscientious of my movements.

Also, my blade has the defect, not my boots. I have new ones on the way. My boots feel fine, they felt amazing after having superfeet put in, which the blades were permanently mounted when the superfeet were in place due to the insoles changing how my feet would sit without (yay wide feet and low arches)