flip12

I wouldn’t change that either. That’s another thing I think Graf gets more than the other skate brands...though I suppose it’s impossiblebto refute the simple counter-argument that other brands only make their skates stiffer than stiff across the entire boot because that’s what the customer wants; on the other hand Bauer and CCM have begun to walk back their overzealous boot stiffening of late. Again, look at Viking speed skates: they’re not nearly as stiff as competitors’ boots, but they’re still popular and skaters wearing them still figure in the medal count. They’ve meshed the integrated outsole-quarter piece and managed to maintain their optimal feel of stiff down low and softer on top. The marketing of the one piece boot is often a bit wishy washy, but I definitely notice a difference in high speed turning stability and more immediate response wearing my MLX compared to Graf. There are still things, previously mentioned, that I still prefer from my Grafs. But when I swap them out for MLXs mid-session, I feel the performance boost instantly. I’m starting to wonder if this has less to do with there being less material or fewer parts in the boot-holder junction and more to do with the boot better resisting torsion. I’ll add some visual materials to show where that thinking comes from in a little bit. I think I’ll have to dig around to find some images and also probably sketch some others. I just want to finish this monster post, “Sorry,” with this: whatever the cause, I definitely do believe in the benefit of the one piece boot...not that I think it has to be one chunk of a shell, but that the effect of those skates is very real, and I’d bet the future of hockey skates 10-years down the line.

Right. I’d try integrating the parts quarter A - outsole - quarter B into a butterflylike unit, leaving the heel part to be stitched up the same way they’ve been doing for decades. Viking’s heel cup is similar, but I picture the approach I’d try changing less about Graf’s assembly process.

I wouldn’t change the various Graf fits at all, just update the boots’ materials and construction.

I just wish Graf would do a monocoque boot, with an integrated outsole and quarter package.

Just wanted to refresh this line of this thread because I unsurfaced this while digging through Sport Maska (CCM) patents on Google Patents: Here's the patent, Skate and method of manufacture, from 2014: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP2932864B1 That's the closest I've found to an inside look at what could be an indication of how CCM's OPBs are made. It's the same mold form I was envisioning creating that seam trace you can see along the middle of the shell.

IceWarehouse has the 4500 weighed in at 775g for a medium, compared to 975 for the True XC9, 1043 for the Bauer 2S, 1308 for the Bauer S190, 1459 for the CCM 7092, and 1577 for the CCM Super Tacks. I know weight isn’t the be all, end all, but that’s a huge savings. How does it compare protection-wise? *The heavier ones include shells. So maybe the difference isn’t so great after all. The Tackla’s still lighter than the next lightest by 200g, though.

Looks new with the CCM branding on the heel akin to the new Vapors. Yellow so maybe an early look at the next Tacks.

It might seem like a let down that the release isn’t finger operable, but it looks like quite a firm lock and the tool head’s smaller diameter prioritizes the spatial compactness of the mechanism over tool less handiness. That’s the right order of priorities IMO. Also, it looks like a nice pocket size so an amateur coach can have one for making quick swaps on the bench during games or practice. Can the skater do a swap on their own skates while wearing them?

Indeed. I’m partial to not getting slashed on a naked wrist and smart designs that offer both fit and function. I have long arms, though. My XL 20K elbows stop a couple of inches short of my cuffs.

I quite like it, especially in comparison with Bauer’s usual cuffs.

That’s precisely the point I was making. In order to opt for less of something (stiffness in this case), it has to be an actual option. I still strongly disagree with the oft expressed notion that a stiffer skate entails a stronger skater. There are plenty of counter examples, but the general rule would have to account for context, and in the current hockey skate market an argument can be made for skates being too stiff for the good even of the strongest skaters in the world. That’s what I was trying to get across. I absolutely agree it comes down to personal preference.

@Sniper9, no, about the threading of that nut.

Some skaters with great skating ability opt for a flexier tongue to suit their taste. Skate stiffness and skating ability don’t correlate directly, just as shaft stiffness and stick skills don’t.

Did you reach out to True or your local True dealer?

It looks kind of like a yacht sailing on Chara’s thoughts and dreams.

I though it was rather interesting, and not really off topic. Maybe a bit tangential, but a worthwhile perspective on an analogous system. It’s always interesting to see how these things have played out in other arenas if something new but familiar comes along.

It’ll match my AK27 gloves.

Zizek can and does. It really depends on what kind of publication. Skates from different manufacturers actually do imitate each other quite a bit, so this wouldn’t be that far out of the ordinary.

I don’t care enough about holder looks to have it sway what I’ll use, but having said that, I think the new holder looks messy and complicated compared to the Step/VH holder. I thought that one looked really nice overall.

110 grams and what was the size?

Is there anyway that it could be fuse seam joining two individually molded parts in each CCM OPB shell? That was @Sniper9‘s take.

The seam running along the highest point of the part from top to bottom made me think it was a mold seam artifact. I pictured that piece being made in a mold like this one: Notice the similarity in the extremely straight line running along the part where the two parts of the mold meet. The cf is laid up across that seam, but there's a telltale artifact in the resin flow. I don't look at the CCM OPBs and picture two thin carbon fiber parts being fused together along the length of their innermost edges. The AS1 product pictures on IW exhibit the similarity well: What about our resident composites expert, @bunnyman666? Can you shed some light on what might be going on with CCM's OPB construction?

Can you link to the CCM videos showing the shell with the other parts being added? I thought the crease on the heel of CCM skates was residual resin that shows the seam of the mold rather than a seam in the underlying textile that forms the shell. I pictured them doing a layup of carbon fiber pieces going across the heel, but I've never seen anything revealing the process for making that part.

Can you elaborate more on that?

I have Powerfoot inserts. I just forget where. I can't move the tongue lower so easily: I'm still in MLX which has a tab stitched into the tongue that screws into the toe cap. If I were to try that approach, I don't think it would help. It's not the area in the actual toe cap that's too tall, it's the facing and laces not snugging the tongue down enough for my liking from the first to the third eyelet near the toe cap. Moving the tongue further into the toe cap wouldn't address that issue. I think it has to do with how snugly they can be laced when they're baked.