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yeah Yeah, before buying the Ribcores, I honestly didn't suspect the long journey it would bring me to. Before that I never heard of skate profiling, forward pitch, and stuff like this. I just knew about ROH sharpening, period. If I ever find the right profiling/pitch/sharpening combination that suits my tastes, I'll have the blades "measured" or recorded or whatsoever. because one day I'll need to buy new skates again.

Yes, and the 7ft toe on the 2, vs 8ft toe on the Quad 0.5 When I profile, I always measure steel height with a micrometer or a set of calipers to check how much less steel height is on the toe vs the heal. I can always set pitch between profiles to match if this difference is kept constant. You never know how the steel was placed into the holder. Depending on how the steel was put into the holder/machine, your going to get a different end result. This should be checked at the end and recorded. But… I am extremely precise when I profile and sharpen. People always have issues when they get new steel or new skates. This is a full proof solution.

I find players who like a more neutral balance prefer the Quad 0.5, and those that prefer a more "knees over toes" "forward pitch" choose the Quad 0, Quad 1, and Quad 2. However, any profile can be adjusted to have the pitch added/removed and the balance point adjusted. I am only referring to templates as they come "out of the box."

I tried out the new twigs at pick up. At the outset, it's worth noting that I tried very different sticks - different flexes, patterns, and builds - so it's impossible to offer an apples to apples comparison. Some thoughts: Ovie Redline 85 Flex: this one felt great - super light and nice balance. I've played with other Ovechkin clones before, and this one struck me as having a bit less mid/heel - i.e., starting the curve and huge flare a bit further up the blade. The result was something that felt a little more like a juiced p28 than I would have preferred. That said, I've never used a true Ovie pro stock, so it's certainly possible that this is a more accurate rendition. And, the difference I noticed is miniscule anyway. I'm kind of finnicky when it comes to puck feel, and I miss my two-piece setup and/or wood blades for puck handling. But, I was really impressed with this one. Shooting was great, too. The wacky curve has it's pros and cons, so I'm pretty comfortable chalking any complaints up to user error, but the puck felt great coming off the blade, particularly on wrist and snap shots. Nicklas Pro Model E 75 Flex: I've always loved the Lidstrom/Leetch/Getzlaf pattern. This was a good rendition. For my money, I think it was a tiny bit less open than some versions. And, given that I also picked up an Ovie, it should be clear that I like open patterns and would have preferred a bit more of a twist. But, still good, and felt very comfortable and familiar. The same goes for the overall build, which reminded me of some old Easton shafts. I kept switching between this and the Ovie, and this build definitely felt a bit clunkier, which is probably less an indictment of the stick than a reflection of how great the Redline build feels. Puck feel was still good, as was shooting. Lidstrom is my favorite pattern for slapshots, and even with the slightly lower flex, I felt like this one was very good. Overall, I was very pleased with both, although I think the Redline build was better. The price point for these sticks is great, but the Redline felt more like a steal at this price, whereas the Pro Model E felt more like a good, but not great stick that I might have expected to find at this price point. While I like the "Nicklas" pattern and the shaft dimensions of the Pro Model E, I probably wouldn't buy another Pro Model E build. Instead, I'm thinking that I might shell out for some custom Redline builds, which is to say I came away impressed w/Prostockhockeysticks.com.

I kinda like it

I was an early bird on the first batch of the full R1 skates last year (got the insanely priced early bird price of 50% off). My back ground is primarily roller hockey only. I was using Alkali RPD Shift+ skates previously, so purchasing the R1 skate was an easy choice, in regard to the fitment of the boot is the same (just a lot stiffer) as what i was used to. This meant the only real thing i had to get used to was rocker. The first skate was weird, the rocker is subtle, but can catch you off guard at first. However, as you get used to feeling over having a rocker (remember- ive only played roller), its fantastic, my skating felt incredibly smooth. Transitions from forward to backwards, feel awesome. Its almost hard to put your finger on, but the skating feels enhanced, and buttery smooth. Its hard to put into words. The grip is insane too ( i know a contributing factor is the wheels) but the extra contact through the rocker, really does enhance grip ( i actually want to run some harder wheels and see how they fair). A friend of mine bought a pair too. His experience has been positive. His background is more ice then roller, and he admitted he felt much more at home on the R1s.