mc88

Custom VH vs Mako II and which is lighter/heavier: Custom VH skates setup: Left: Length: 267mm (approx) Width: 99mm (approx) Tongue: Single Felt Holder: LS2 TUUK Runners: Step Steel Black Laces: Elite Unwaxed Wide - 84" Right: Length: 264mm (approx) Width: 103mm (approx) Tongue: Single Felt Holder: LS2 TUUK Runners: Step Steel Black Laces: Elite Unwaxed Wide - 84" Retail 7.5 EE Mako II setup: Left L/W: 268mm / 104mm (approx) Right L/W: 268mm / 104mm (approx) Tongue: Stock Holder: LS2 TUUK Runners: Step Steel Black Laces: Stock Unwaxed Wide - 96" VH left - 878g: VH right 874g: Mako left - 850g: Mako right- 846g: Final Thoughts: I think they're pretty much about even. Due to the difference in the laces, I believe the Mako would be a few grams heavier if I used the Elite unwaxed wide laces. Also, if I were to use the thin, stock VH tongues, the VH's would be slightly lighter. Therefore, I'd say they're about equal and their difference in weight is negligible.

KARL STOLLERY

It's pretty much standard, aside from the tongue and Step steel runners. When I take another measurement, I'll pair the VH up with LS2 runners just to make it similar to the Mako setup.

Little update: I'm changing out the CXN holders to TUUK LS2 holders. I'll be updating in about a week or two with some PICTURES (VH vs Mako II weight in grams) and will have a few more notes/opinions. Stay tuned!

I should note that the VH has an aggressively forward pitched boot as well as my Step Steel runners are custom profiled for a 8/12" radius and a slight aggressive forward pitch (so, out of the box, the VH would feel a tiny bit more neutral due to the unprofiled steel).

For those that are interested... an honest comparison between custom VH vs. Mako skates (I tried not turning this into a skate review, but more of a "Which is better when compared to each other" spiel) Fit: VH over Mako mainly due to the simple fact that it's custom to the foot. I found that the VH boot fits like a sock, while the Mako kind of feels like a soft pillow stuffed in a hard shell (basically eliminating negative spaces with extra padded material). Out of the box, the Mako felt really nice, but I'm having some issues with my right inside ankle bone. It seems like the interior padding has some wavy type pattern that creates an odd rubbing underneath the lateral malleolus. I'm going to try to roll/punch it out and hopefully that'll alleviate the rubbing. Meanwhile, left boot feels great... no problems. I have to admit, the Mako has a pretty damn good fit for a non-custom, retail skate. Construction & Appearance: Mako over the VH. The Mako feels stiffer than VH skates. The Mako looks very clean and sleek--clean sewing lines and very little if any sign of glued down parts--with some nice touches, like the fact that they covered the toe with some plastic, versus my bare VH carbon toeboxes. It also has a really, really, nice felt tongue that has some good lace-bite protection and I like that Easton offered coated eyelets to prevent rusting. The biggest downside to the Mako skate is the insole, which I felt lacked basic comfort, support, and insulation (the breathability was great, but perhaps too good... my feet froze!). When I first got my VHs, I was admittedly bummed out that it looked a little sloppy. From glue streaks across the boot, to unglued down clarino bits, to some shaky sewing lines... I think it just lacked the finesse for a final product. The biggest downside to the VH skate is the Velcro'd tongue. While it's a great idea from VH that offers tons of adjustability and customization (if you don't like the tongue, then you can swap it out, or if you want to dry the boot, take the tongues out...etc), I don't think it was the best design choice for long term usage -- once the Velcro on the tongue is shot, it won't stick nor stay in position. Also, similar the Mako, the VH insole lacks support and comfort. It seems like both boots would benefit from custom insoles. Feel/Weight: VH over Easton. Even though the Mako weighs 890 grams versus VH's 930 grams, I think it all comes down to the feel of the holder. The CXN holder feels like a brick underneath my boot: heavy and very sluggish. I think if I swapped out the CXN for the TUUK LS2/Edge holder, the Mako would win hands down. Pitch: Equal. Neither VH nor the Mako offered a more aggressive pitch out of the box. In fact, in both skates, I had to skip the top eyelet to achieve a maximum forward stride. When I switched from my VH's to Mako's, they pretty much felt similar, so I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to switch between the two. Mobility: Mako over the VH by a slim margin. The way the boot has the asymmetrical design really does allow you to take tight turns without feeling the boot edge digging into your ankle. Also, the super flexible tendon guard allows a much fuller range of motion by not hindering anterior to posterior movement. Intangibles: VH over Mako. What it all comes down is... how does it feel on your feet for hours. I could wear my VH's for hours before I'd feel some pain. Whereas after an hour in Makos, my feet froze, the bottom of my feet felt sore, I got some rubbing on my right big toe and left pinky toe, and my right ankle really, really hurt after about 2 hours! The Makos need more fine tuning, but unfortunately, no matter how many tweaks... I think they just won't fit/feel quite as good as a pair custom VH's . Either way, the Mako is a great boot that I'd highly recommend to those who want a non-custom, form-fitting boot that, in my opinion, beats anything put out by Bauer, CCM/RBK, and Graf.

Just bought a pair of Mako II's! Woot. Can't wait to try them out and see how they stack up against my VHs.

Partially. From the limited information available, it seems like they only offer a measurement service and nothing else (doesn't state whether orders/purchases, replacements, and warranties are handled THROUGH the dealer or directly with VH). I'm more interested in authorized retailers/resellers that handle the order (take the money, give you a receipt, then turn around and fulfill the order) and have physical product on a shelf (even if it's just a generic VH boot). Similar to the way Icewarehouse represents Warrior, where they have physical Warrior products on hand, but they also take custom Warrior orders. They take your money, give you a receipt, then fulfill the order. In other words, if the order doesn't come out right, it's up to the retailer/reseller to see it fixed (and not at the consumer's expense).

What the company is doing is unethical. They haven't done it in the past and now that there's a currency difference, they're leveraging their selling power accordingly. I HIGHLY doubt that if the roles were reversed, where if 1 CAD = 1.27 USD that we (U.S. consumers) would still be paying USD prices. It just wouldn't happen. When comparing it to "the big guys," there's really no comparison. They MAP prices accordingly: Where products will be ordered, bought, replaced, warrantied, and sold WITHIN their respective countries. They also will have a presence within the country, for example, Easton US, Easton Canada, and Easton Europe. This way, a consumer nor a private company from a different country, can leverage their buying or selling/pricing power across borders. Yet... that's exactly what's happening here: A Canadian-only based company leveraging their prices across borders without having any presence within the country. In other words, if they had a store front within the U.S. that offered: Orders, replacements, warranties, and purchases, then absolutely... charge in USD. Else, it's blatant PRICE GOUGING - pricing above the market price when no alternative retailer is available. I fully support VH's hockey skates, but I do not support the company behind the product. It's a damn shame they decided to pursue a business model that a small business, with zero presence outside of Canada, shouldn't be doing.

"If the cost of importing/producing a material goes up, then the cost of the final product goes up as well." Standard practice among all things big and small. If I own a small business in the US that buys British materials, and I sell my final products in USD for US consumers, I can't then turn around say international consumers (regardless of the location) will pay in British Pounds (GBP). I raise or lower my prices over time to adjust for inflation/deflation of that material cost.

"If they were like, for example, Easton who operates and has factories/head quarters spread all over the world, then it'd make sense to have a set currency amount ($799.99 USD, $799.99 CAD, $799.99 GBP...etc) and ban exporting of their products to prevent currency leveraging (which is exactly what they do)." They (VH) don't have two store fronts nor multiple factories, shops, nor resellers/dealers present around the world. They operate and work under a single currency (they buy materials in CAD, pay their employees in CAD, and pay taxes in CAD).

There's really no argument here. If you're a business that operates in a single country, you'll be charging that country's currency. For example, if I own a business in the US, and I sell my products in USD for US consumers, I can't then turn around say international consumers (regardless of the location) will pay in British Pounds (GBP). Doesn't work that way. If the cost of importing a material goes up, then the cost of the product goes up as well. In light of this new development, I'm going to withhold recommending VH skates to friends and potential customers.

I'd be inclined to agree with Garth, however, VH does not operate in the U.S. and we (U.S. consumers) are not buying or even ordering from an authorized U.S. dealer/reseller. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to charge dual currencies. Since VH is based and operated in Canada, they should be charging CAD. If they were like, for example, Easton who operates and has factories/head quarters spread all over the world, then it'd make sense to have a set currency amount and ban exporting of their products to prevent currency leveraging (which is exactly what they do). I don't know, I feel that this an attempt at punishing international consumers, while making an unwarranted profit. If the cost of materials has increased (due to currency changes), then it makes sense to raise the cost of your product for all.

I'm severely disappointed in their new business practices... Was considering buying a second pair, but looks like I'll have to pass.

When I bought my skates a year ago, it was CAD+shipping to States. Don't see any reasoning behind charging more just because a customer lives outside of Canada.

I'm sold. Pledged. Can't wait to use it!

Adding more questions to the mix: Would it be able to sharpen and/or create a dual radius? For example, an 8" toe - 12" heel at 5/8" ROH? What about pitches? Is there an option to have a slight pitch, medium pitch, or aggressive pitch (slanted toward the toe and/or toward the heel)? How does it know when it's sharpened? How does it know if it's a leveled sharpening? And how does it handle burrs and/or nicks? Is there any built-in side honing? If it can at least sharpen a combination radius with the same results I'd get from No Icing, I'd be sold. As much as I love paying $45+ a month for a sharpening/shipping costs, it'd be nice to have something to use and experiment with at home. As a side note, if you guys do manage to get this up and flying, I'd highly recommend you take a business trip out to Sharks Ice at San Jose during a tournament weekend. We have been touted as having one of the most successful hockey rinks in the nation (I believe, #1 in the nation) with about 50,000+ participants in local youth/adult hockey clubs. As a local, if there's one thing missing in San Jose, it's a reliable place to get your skates sharpened!

Tape is not needed anywhere on the boot (if you're referring to the Velcro, then you can get it replaced a year or so down the line when it stops sticking together)

Updated 3/12/12: Due to new details coming to light, I no longer support this company.

Highly recommend getting custom profiled runners. I thought I didn't need it, but I tried it and found that really helps. Especially when it comes to the feel of the ice. If that doesn't work for you, then I'd recommend getting some heel lifts. It seems like the Mako boot is super, aggressively pitched forward, so that'll be another alternative for you to explore.

Does the pencil go all the way down and touch the insole or does it poke the back of your heel? When I slide my foot in like normal, my toes graze the end of the toe caps (not a whole lot of room). Also, when I bend forward, I can put a pencil behind the top of the ankle (near the copper rivet), but any farther down and it hits the top part of the bone that extrudes out (in other words, it doesn't go all the way down to the insole). If yours goes all the way down to the insole, then your measurements were incorrect and you may need to get another pair... unless you find that it fits well enough that your entire foot doesn't slide around when laced up/sweated in.

They'll need to be sent back to Scott. Looks like they were made too small. Here's how mine fit:

That or have him leave the holders off, you buy some shims and have them mounted/installed at a LHS.

From conception to birth... My custom mock up Warrior's mock up Birth

^This. I watched an older guy skate in "vintage" hockey skates for years, where he preferred to wrap a shoe lace around his ankle and a shoe lace around his forefoot for stability. When he bought a brand new pair of Bauers, guess what, he does the same lace thing! He was rockin' something similar to these for quite awhile: