krisdrum

How are you defining "hook"? Is it just up in the toe? Over the length of the blade? I think most blade charts have a depth measurement if you are looking for over the length of the blade. 1/2" is what I think the P88 and P92 are. P88 is a constant curve from heel to toe and only slightly open. P92 the curve "center" is moved closer to the toe (but still mid) and is open. If you are talking about toe hook/kink, then I don't think any blade chart specifies the depth of the hook. But from looking, I'd say P88 and P92 have pretty much zero hook. P90TM is basically a P92 with a toe hook added, but does not look to be as prominent as the P28 hook (maybe because the P28 is a flatter curve overall compared to the P92). So for retail curves, I think the P28 has the most I've seen.

Not to dissuade you from a new pair of skates, but if the only thing you don't like about the Makos is the protection, why not pick up a pair of shotblockers to beef that aspect up and call it a day? Or is the aesthetic too off-putting?

According to IW, they match up to the 78K/68K/48K, so 1 price point down from the top of the line model.

This has helped you? I would think the weight distribution of a 12 belt around your waist would not really replicate the weight of wearing pads all over your body. Or do you think the added weight has simply made you stronger / more well balanced which offsets the weight of kit?

Yeah, my experience has been similar. I have a pair of HPRs and some Vapors. Both 13". I swim in the Vapors compared to the HPR, especially in the gussets.

Local hockey shop. You'll need to try the boots back on after they punch the area to make sure they are good. You'll also need to pinpoint where on the boot the bump is hitting so they can punch the right area.

^^^ This! I also have the bump and wear my shoes similarly to what the OP describes. Getting the heel punched definitely helps make room for the bump and I've found allows my heel to sit deeper in the heel pocket and make better contact with the boot.

Might want to try something with enzymes in it, like Rockin' Green Activewear wash. It is a powdered detergent that is designed for technical fabrics. I've bought almost all my gear used and I usually soak stuff in a tub of water and a few scoops of this wash a few times to get rid of any stink/dirt/etc. Works great in my experience. I usually put the items in a large plastic storage container (like you might use in your garage), fill it with enough water to submerge the items, mix in the powder so it dissolves, place the items in and then weigh them down so they stay submerged. Let them sit in there for an hour or so. Dump the water, repeat, then dump the water and let them sit in fresh water, no detergent. Hang dry afterwards and you should be good to go.

Doesn't mention "hard shell" or any kind of reinforcement to make it rigid. I'd guess it is not, but haven't seen it in person to confirm. It also looks too narrow to work well with taller "towers" like the Shift, unless you overlap the towers. I added some PE sheeting to my son's standard A&R blade pouch, originally to help make it easier to take the blades out, but as an added benefit it added rigidity to the pouch, and could now be used to store a second set of blades since the PE adds more separation options.

Anyone with Haglund's Deformity (Bauer Bumps) use Trues? Either custom or stock? If custom, did they shape the carbon heel piece to accommodate your bumps? If stock, were you able to form the boot or carbon heel section around your bump? I've found in most skates I have to get an area of the heel punched out a bit for my bumps to sit in and so I get more contact area between my heel and the back of the boot to minimize heel slippage. A few years back I tried Makos but found the carbon heel wasn't moldable and I couldn't get my heel to sit tightly in the boot.

Believe this is the one being referenced:

My analysis is based solely on product claims easily found on each of their websites. If there is additional information on either/both, that is great to know, but it was not part of my breakdown. Update: After reading through Russ' response... I think you have to take it with a grain of salt, unless he wants to share the results of those head-to-head tests. I'm sure both units a good machines, with their pros and cons. It would be nice if someone would do a head-to-head to assess long-term value in a controlled unbiased environment. As I mentioned earlier, I am not in the market for a machine, I have access to one already and the $100 grinding wheel entry price was more than reasonable for me. My son and I have been sharing it for the last 18+ months with great results. Well worth the price considering we've only had a handful of times his blades were damaged enough to necessitate a trip to our LHS to get it sorted by a trained professional. As for the product page you linked to, not for the Home version, for the SkatePal. The Home machine wheels are $99.99 USD. No clue what the difference is or why 1 is more expensive for seemingly less sharpenings. Reading through the recent responses, I saw a few issues mentioned that I haven't experienced with the Home machine I have access to. If those issues are deal breakers or something that is giving folks pause, I figured I'd mention my experience with the ProSharp. Nothing more, nothing less, I've got no skin in this game. My son and I and our extended family (3 serious players in that household) have been very happy with the results the ProSharp provides. YMMV.

Ok, sorry, don't want to derail this thread, but I ran the numbers again for my own curiosity and unless I am missing something the units are much closer in price to operate to the same amount of sharpenings, at least from my US-based perspective. YMMV in your location. ProSharp Home Sparx Pro Sparx adjusted to equal 500 sharps Machine 1400 900 900 Wheels, each after initial purchase 100 65 520 Claimed sharpenings per wheel 500 60 8 Sparx wheels = 1 ProSharp Total 1400 1420 If you are looking at the newer Sparx, you are saying $200, which is about 3 wheels worth of saving. Granted the upfront costs of the ProSharp are higher and not everyone can drop $1400. Just food for thought for those looking at the long term value of the two machines.

@Giltis Take my comments with a grain of salt, I haven't used a Sparx. However, I do use a ProSharp Home on a regular basis (not mine, but a family member has one, so my only investment in this so far is a single grind wheel that my son and I share). Based on the recent comments (expensive wheels, needing to adjust after wheel swaps in some cases), you might want to explore the ProSharp option. Now, their wheels are expensive as well, but you get way more sharpenings out of them (I did the math a few years ago and if memory serves the Sparx was more expensive to own and maintain after 3 or 4 wheel changes than the ProSharp was thanks to more sharpenings per wheel) and if Sparx just raised their prices, the value likely leans even more towards ProSharp. I've also never had any issues swapping between wheels and needing to re-align as long as I make sure the newly installed wheel is all the way on the spindle. And we share the machine, so I am swapping my wheel in every time I need to sharpen and putting their wheel back on after I finish. No complains of bad edges on our end or theirs that I am aware of. I usually do 2 passes and then hone with a course stone, fine stone and strop on high end standard finish stainless runners (Step). Now I can't comment on the quality of the sharpening by both, but will say I have been impressed with the ProSharp machine. Honestly, the honing takes more time and effort than the sharpening.

Not that Vet88 doesn't know his stuff (he most certainly does), but I'll confirm his input. I've had several boots punched in the heel to make room for my bumps. The hard part is pinpointing where the punches should be and how deep. Any shop worth their salt will take care and do a little at a time. If you aren't confident in the shop's abilities, seek out another shop.

Have you looked into getting the heels of your AS3 punched? I just did this with my Ribcor 76Ks. Much better.

Interesting. In the year the new fit system has been out, believe this is the first I am hearing a concrete definition of some nuanced fit differences between the Vapor and Supreme boots. There has been talk on here about construction (symmetric vs. asymmetric) and feature (eyelet changes) differences, but I don't think anyone has broken it down as clearly as you have about the shape of the boot producing slightly different fit results.

Regardless of the new fit system? So Vapor in all 3 fits has these characteristics compared to the same 3 fits in a Supreme boot?

Just an educated guess but I'd imagine the Vapor boot in the same fit (Fit 1) might heighten the issue you are already having, as historically it is a narrower/shallower fit. But it really comes down to the construction differences between the 2 lines. Moving the Vapor up to a Fit 2 and I'd be concerned you'd lose the heel lock you are praising in the 3S but maybe gaining a bit of room in the forefoot.

Why not just get the forefoot punched out to fit your foot better? If the heel works, I'd probably stick with it and try to adjust the boot to your liking.

Yeah, I'm a newbie (my son isn't) and have been enjoying the P88 the most, but am very tempted to try the P90TM as one of the reasons I don't like the P29 is the "dual lie" rounded shape to the bottom of the blade. The P90TM has a flatter bottom, which I like, but also has some additional features the P88 can't provide. It looks like a great curve.

Thanks @PBH for confirming. That is great. My son is really enjoying the P90TM (after using a P29 for most of his life) and of course the FT3 we bought him with that curve is a 40 flex, but have since been informed he is strong enough to go up to a 50 flex and after demoing a 50 flex FT4 Pro, he is chomping at the bit for one. The price tag on the FT4 is a bit easier to swallow than the FT4 Pro.

@CCMHockey - I tried reaching out via Insta and have yet to get a response. Hoping this will be more fruitful. Will the new FT4 (not the Pro) stick be available with the P90TM curve in a 50 flex? I've been looking at pre-order pages from the major US retailers (Pure, IW, Monkey) and none list that combination as available. Wondering if it will be released later after the initial pre-order or simply not an option this year (hoping for the former). Thanks.

This is awesome if it means I'll be able to walk into a LHS and buy a ProSharp Home grinding ring, instead of having to mail order them.

I've seen video of places that has you on an elevated platform with the synthetic ice tiles on the floor. Platform is big enough to allow most folks to get a full weight transfer and simulate the leg movement of being on ice.