possible blade problems? | Golden Skate

possible blade problems?

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Happy new year!
I've been skating in my new boots and blades (Jackson Evo w/ mark IV blades not fully mounted yet) for about 1.5 months now. I'm approximately freeskate 1-2 USFSA levels, and I've learned that you need to stay on the rocker/ sweet spot to spin and I know where mine is. however, when I get on the sweet spot I go up too high and end up on the toe pick or go down and exit the spin. another person I asked did say that my position in my scratch spin was wrong, which changed my center of mass and all that. I fixed that, but still couldn't solve the rocker problem. could it be because of my blade? I think I've seen somewhere people saying that the blades aren't good, idk. i really do need a lot of help right now, if someone had spinning tips that would be great too. also if I needed different blades, is it possible to use different blades with the same boot if the blades fit?

edit: the blades are permanently mounted, i was just confused by what qualifies as a permanent mount. thanks to all who helped/gave advice!
 
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tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Happy new year!
I've been skating in my new boots and blades (Jackson Evo w/ mark IV blades not fully mounted yet) for about 1.5 months now. I'm approximately freeskate 1-2 USFSA levels, and I've learned that you need to stay on the rocker/ sweet spot to spin and I know where mine is. however, when I get on the sweet spot I go up too high and end up on the toe pick or go down and exit the spin. another person I asked did say that my position in my scratch spin was wrong, which changed my center of mass and all that. I fixed that, but still couldn't solve the rocker problem. could it be because of my blade? I think I've seen somewhere people saying that the blades aren't good, idk. i really do need a lot of help right now, if someone had spinning tips that would be great too. also if I needed different blades, is it possible to use different blades with the same boot if the blades fit?
The blade you have has a flat spin rocker and low heel lift angle. For background info, refer to the Paramount videos here: https://www.paramountskates.com/videos (in particular, "Blade Profiles" and "Lift Angles"). The problems you're describing are inherent with such a blade design. The blades are mounted with screws on the Evo, so you can swap them out for a better blade.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
It's your blade, they aren't the greatest and are flat rocker. You are only semi mount so you should be fine with switching blades, look at MK Pro or JW Coro Ace, they'll have the spin rockers you are looking for.

Good luck! :)
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
It's your blade, they aren't the greatest and are flat rocker. You are only semi mount so you should be fine with switching blades, look at MK Pro or JW Coro Ace, they'll have the spin rockers you are looking for.

Good luck! :)
I looked at both and... well firstly both the price tags are probably higher than what my mom would want to spend. if in any way i could convince my mom, i saw that for the MKpro blade at least, it says its good for working from your axel to double lutz... is there such a thing as over blading? because i am for sure not close to axels yet. for the JW coro ace ones, it has a crosscut pick. what exactly is the difference between straight cut and crosscut? im currently in straight, but which one is better?
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
I looked at both and... well firstly both the price tags are probably higher than what my mom would want to spend. if in any way i could convince my mom, i saw that for the MKpro blade at least, it says its good for working from your axel to double lutz... is there such a thing as over blading? because i am for sure not close to axels yet. for the JW coro ace ones, it has a crosscut pick. what exactly is the difference between straight cut and crosscut? im currently in straight, but which one is better?
Yes, you can overblade but you wouldn't be in this case if you went with either intermediate blade I previously suggested. Skating is expensive, that is a fact. To put it into simple terms: The difference b/t straight cut toepicks and cross cut toepicks is this...
The straight cut pick will allow the skater to quickly pick/bore into the ice deeper, which increases height but could cause you to lose momentum. The Cross-cut Pick doesn't delve as deeply into the ice, but will grip the ice better and you won't slide as much. (be aware this depends on each individual skater and their technique).
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Yes, you can overblade but you wouldn't be in this case if you went with either intermediate blade I previously suggested. Skating is expensive, that is a fact. To put it into simple terms: The difference b/t straight cut toepicks and cross cut toepicks is this...
The straight cut pick will allow the skater to quickly pick/bore into the ice deeper, which increases height but could cause you to lose momentum. The Cross-cut Pick doesn't delve as deeply into the ice, but will grip the ice better and you won't slide as much. (be aware this depends on each individual skater and their technique).
in your opinion, which one would be better. also how big of an issue is this... aka do i need to switch almost immediatly or will i be fine for a bit before switching. just to note, when i was in my artiste's with the same blade, I didn't exprience problems like now, but i also knew nothing about rockers and all that.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
in your opinion, which one would be better. also how big of an issue is this... aka do i need to switch almost immediatly or will i be fine for a bit before switching. just to note, when i was in my artiste's with the same blade, I didn't exprience problems like now, but i also knew nothing about rockers and all that.
I honestly don't know you and your skating. This is a very personal preference, are you a big jumper? Are you more of a spinner, footwork person?
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
I honestly don't know you and your skating. This is a very personal preference, are you a big jumper? Are you more of a spinner, footwork person?
idk if I can really answer that because the only solid jump i have is a waltz jump :cry:
as for spins... idrk
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
I looked at both and... well firstly both the price tags are probably higher than what my mom would want to spend. if in any way i could convince my mom, i saw that for the MKpro blade at least, it says its good for working from your axel to double lutz... is there such a thing as over blading? because i am for sure not close to axels yet. for the JW coro ace ones, it has a crosscut pick. what exactly is the difference between straight cut and crosscut? im currently in straight, but which one is better?
If your feet were no longer growing, I would say the extra cost of the MK Pro or Wilson Coronation Ace (CA) would be well worth it. But since you indicated in another thread that your feet are still growing, and indicated here that cost is an issue, here are two other options.

Wilson no longer makes entry level blades. MK does make the Flight and the Galaxy; those cost about $120 vs. about $250 for the Pro and the CA. I know nothing about them; perhaps others could comment on them; in particular, whether they have decent spin rockers.

A good alternative, if you luck out, is the discontinued Wilson Majestic. This was previously one level down from the CA. It certainly is waay better than what you have now, and will likely carry you through until you outgrow your current boots. It is still available from online figure skate stores and sellers on eBay; local pro shops may have some squirreled away. But it will be hit-or-miss whether a particular seller has your size; so hunt around. The full asking price appears to be $145, but some listings are as low as $50 + shipping. If you go this route, buy only "New" or "New Old Stock (NOS)"; and even then, verify with the seller that they have not been sharpened except at the factory. Don't buy "Used", "Like New", "Lightly Used", "Used Only Once", .... Good Luck!
 

bostonskaterguy86

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Country
United-States
A good alternative, if you luck out, is the discontinued Wilson Majestic. This was previously one level down from the CA. It certainly is waay better than what you have now, and will likely carry you through until you outgrow your current boots. It is still available from online figure skate stores and sellers on eBay; local pro shops may have some squirreled away. But it will be hit-or-miss whether a particular seller has your size; so hunt around. The full asking price appears to be $145, but some listings are as low as $50 + shipping. If you go this route, buy only "New" or "New Old Stock (NOS)"; and even then, verify with the seller that they have not been sharpened except at the factory. Don't buy "Used", "Like New", "Lightly Used", "Used Only Once", .... Good Luck!

Seconding this advice! I got a brand new, in-box pair of MK Pros for $100 on eBay from a skating store that was purging old stock. They have K-picks, which are smaller picks welded on to the blade on either side of the main pick. They were supposed to help with getting a clean toe-in with good grip, but I don't think they were very successful, and they don't make them anymore. Can't say they've helped much with my toe loop, but I can really only blame my technique for that! 😅 I was a bit nervous that I got scammed somehow, but when the blades showed up they were indeed brand new.

Also - don't be afraid to ask your pro shop if they can get you any sort of deals on blades. They sometimes have access to old stock directly from manufacturers or wholesalers. My tech got me my Jackson Debut boots for a pretty significant discount because they were the previous year's model, and they were just sitting in the Jackson warehouse collecting dust.
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
If your feet were no longer growing, I would say the extra cost of the MK Pro or Wilson Coronation Ace (CA) would be well worth it. But since you indicated in another thread that your feet are still growing, and indicated here that cost is an issue, here are two other options.

Wilson no longer makes entry level blades. MK does make the Flight and the Galaxy; those cost about $120 vs. about $250 for the Pro and the CA. I know nothing about them; perhaps others could comment on them; in particular, whether they have decent spin rockers.

A good alternative, if you luck out, is the discontinued Wilson Majestic. This was previously one level down from the CA. It certainly is waay better than what you have now, and will likely carry you through until you outgrow your current boots. It is still available from online figure skate stores and sellers on eBay; local pro shops may have some squirreled away. But it will be hit-or-miss whether a particular seller has your size; so hunt around. The full asking price appears to be $145, but some listings are as low as $50 + shipping. If you go this route, buy only "New" or "New Old Stock (NOS)"; and even then, verify with the seller that they have not been sharpened except at the factory. Don't buy "Used", "Like New", "Lightly Used", "Used Only Once", .... Good Luck!
Thank you! I will look into those options. Are there any other lower level blades that are cheaper and still would be better than my current one? Just incase i can't find the ones you mentioned. Thanks again!
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
Seconding this advice! I got a brand new, in-box pair of MK Pros for $100 on eBay from a skating store that was purging old stock. They have K-picks, which are smaller picks welded on to the blade on either side of the main pick. They were supposed to help with getting a clean toe-in with good grip, but I don't think they were very successful, and they don't make them anymore. Can't say they've helped much with my toe loop, but I can really only blame my technique for that! 😅 I was a bit nervous that I got scammed somehow, but when the blades showed up they were indeed brand new.

Also - don't be afraid to ask your pro shop if they can get you any sort of deals on blades. They sometimes have access to old stock directly from manufacturers or wholesalers. My tech got me my Jackson Debut boots for a pretty significant discount because they were the previous year's model, and they were just sitting in the Jackson warehouse collecting dust.
The proshop at the rink i normally go to changed from both figure skating and hockey to only hockey now. When this happened, a few years ago, there was a sale on everything, so I think there is no more figure skating stuff there. sadly
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Another thing is, i see that there are different rocker lengths? what is the difference?
At your level, don't fret over it. Also, whether you stick with an 8' radius (main rocker) entry level blade or switch to a 7' radius entry level blade, you'll likely eventually switch to a 7' radius intermediate blade. As far as I know, the only current production 8' radius intermediate blades are made by Jackson Ultima, and those are plagued with the flat spin rockers you're trying to get away from. [The discontinued Wilson Coronation Comet has a nominal 8.5' radius rocker; still available as new old stock.]
 

viamarkable

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 11, 2021
At your level, don't fret over it. Also, whether you stick with an 8' radius (main rocker) entry level blade or switch to a 7' radius entry level blade, you'll likely eventually switch to a 7' radius intermediate blade. As far as I know, the only current production 8' radius intermediate blades are made by Jackson Ultima, and those are plagued with the flat spin rockers you're trying to get away from. [The discontinued Wilson Coronation Comet has a nominal 8.5' radius rocker; still available as new old stock.]
I see. as you progress, and get better, does the radius make a big difference? it was a random question i thought of while browsing the forum
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Thank you! I will look into those options. Are there any other lower level blades that are cheaper and still would be better than my current one? Just incase i can't find the ones you mentioned. Thanks again!
Before MK switched to the current entry level Flight and Galaxy (those have 8' radius main rockers), they had entry level blades with 7' radius main rockers. They may still be available as new old stock at a discount. But I have no first hand knowledge of them; perhaps someone else will chime in. [Whereas I have a lightly used pair of Wilson Majestic blades that I looked over before replying.] Wilson also previously had their versions of the Flight and Galaxy (Wilson and MK are owned by the same parent company now). They too may be still available as new old stock at a discount. But again, I have no first hand knowledge of them; perhaps someone else will chime in.

Riedell Eclipse has a couple of entry level blades. Their spin rockers are more pronounced than what you have, but not as pronounced as Wilson or MK. I wouldn't recommend you spending money on them at this point.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
I see. as you progress, and get better, does the radius make a big difference? it was a random question i thought of while browsing the forum
I'll leave that question for others to answer. [I've skated on both 7' and 8', but my experiences are too limited for my response to have much value.]
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I see. as you progress, and get better, does the radius make a big difference? it was a random question i thought of while browsing the forum
I don't really think so, until you get to Elite level when you're going to know exactly what you like! In my humble opinion, I think that people use 7ft v 8ft rocker as an excuse to buy different blades in the hope that it will magically change whatever problem they are having with their skating, usually spinning. Once you're on a good blade with a decent spin rocker, technique is the thing that fixes that. Note that the spin rocker is different from the blade rocker!

If you're happy in Jackson boots, then I'd say that the best thing to do is to shell out for either Coronation Ace or MK Professional (my preference is the CA as I've worn them in the past and found them to be an excellent blade) as you should be able to move them to your next boots when these wear out.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
If you're happy in Jackson boots, then I'd say that the best thing to do is to shell out for either Coronation Ace or MK Professional (my preference is the CA as I've worn them in the past and found them to be an excellent blade) as you should be able to move them to your next boots when these wear out.
<<Emphasis added>> In another thread, the OP wrote:

they did measure my foot, but didn't trace. when they got the boot, they also took out the insole and compared my foot with that.
I'll see about the superfeet insoles.. thanks! Also, i've heard about risport a lot, but is it expensive? if yes, would it be worth it to get them since i'm still growing rapidly. thanks again!

<<Emphasis added>> So it's likely she'll outgrow her current boots (within a year maybe?) rather than wear them out, and may not necessarily be able to reuse her blades (perhaps maybe if she gets them towards the long end for her current boot and doesn't go through too large a growth spurt; and depends on her next model boot, even if still in the Jackson line). Her new Jackson Evo kit (with included crappy blade) lists for about US$240 (the OP is in Canada); an MK Pro or Wilson Coronation Ace blade alone lists for about US$250, so that's a lot of money for "maybe" and "depends". Given these additional factors, lower cost options should at least be considered.
 
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