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Not exactly what you are asking, but I have an accessory navicular, and no issues with the TF7s I got two weeks ago. Feels like my foot is firmly tight in the skate, but no undue pressure on my navicular. Was definitely some pressure before baking, but they are great post-bake. I didn’t have to punch them or anything.

Blades have always come with some sort of “profile” on them. Whether or not they matched from the factory, or players did anything to maintain or update that profile is dependent on that player. On this site you have a bunch of nerds who overthink everything and are insistent on all the latest technology an trying new stuff. On the other hand, you have people skating on skates from 1997 with steel you can barely see, and they are still good players. Lots of people, myself included, would advocate that it’s worth profiling your steel and spending the time and money to maintain it. But, if you’ve never thought about it and you don’t feel like you’re missing anything, maybe that time and money is better spent elsewhere. That’s a total non-answer, haha, but I do think we tend to overcomplicate things sometimes.

Anyone play in any Friday night pick up games around Boston that need an extra player or two? I'm probably somewhere in the high Cish, low Bish range, my wife is lower C. Realizing that I really dislike the guy who runs the game I currently play in, and looking for an alternative. (He's one of those dudes who's not a great skater and constantly slashing and hitting people, but doesn't really have any consequences because he runs the game.) Thanks!

When people shifted (ahem) from previous skates to Trues, did you keep the same profile as your previous skates? Coming from 2S skates with quad .5. Holder length is the same, 272. Going to stick it out with the Shift holder and stock steel for now. I know I need to just try stuff and see how it feels, but hoping to get some input and have a good starting point, so I’m not burning through steel and money trying different profiles.

If you go to the front page of this forum, there’s a section called “The ProSharp Project,” where people share there experiences with different profiles. “Worth it” is pretty subjective. What do you like about quad 1, what do you dislike or wish was different?

I mail to a place in Pittsburgh called Binnie’s. I really like the work he does. https://www.binnieshockey.com People on this forum have had good things to say about both PBH’s shop and KK Skate.

Did you change your profile when you went to True from your previous brand? I want to leave the shift holder on. Coming from 2S skates with a quad 0.5. I very occasionally felt on the 0.5 that I got over my toes and felt unbalanced. Not sure if that was having to much weight forward over the 6’ part of the radius, or just poor skating form. I know people say the Shift has more forward lean. I didn’t notice it in my first skate, but there’s so many variables with new skates, and the ice was soft and slow, so hard to get a feel for what was causing what.

I feel like when some people do hardcore number crunching on purchases, they leave out the value of personal time and mental energy. Not having to stress and worry about something is a huge win. Even if a Sparx is only 90% as good as a perfect sharpening, how often do you get that perfect sharpening. For me, I don’t want the stress of doing the Sparx wrong, and getting through the learning curve, haha. That’s why I go to a shop I trust. But, if I didn’t have that shop, I’d opt for the “good enough” option that creates the least headache.

Yesterday, while driving to get my skates sharpened, I stopped and tried on some TF7s, then bought them because yolo. My wife bought new high heels the other day, so we are even Im excited and nervous. They feel ok walking around the house. First game tonight. I didn’t get them profiled yet, because I want to see what the forward lean is like. Because of the one piece design, toe box is absolutely brutal looking, like a ski boot. Maybe in 10 years all skates will look like this, and the separate toe cap will look old and dated. For sizing comparison, I’ve been wearing an 8.5 in Bauers, and went with an 8.0 in these. I didn’t even try on the 8.5, since the 8s felt the way I expected a skate to fit.

Im late responding to this, but there are a few reputable shops who do sharpening by mail. Usually takes 5-7 days total. If you can make the investment and get two sets, you can use the back up steel for the eel your other steel is gone.

I posted a review of the Surgeon 3.1 elbows, shoulders, and shins on page 7 of this thread:

I have a review of the shoulders like 3 or 4 posts up. I’m in the same boat, and went medium.

If you’re ok moving out of the Bauer ecosystem, I find STX surgeon elbows to be lower volume. I’m thin and tall, and the mediums work fine for me.

Offer to buy those blue Ls2s that someone posted in the Show It Off thread, and rock the F out of them. Those custom+ are already old, even if they haven’t been used. If it were me, I’d save the time and headache and just buy a newer holder. Even new old-stock LS2s would be better than something that has been sitting for close to 20 years.

I use one until it breaks, that way the back up is fresh and ready to go. I’ll use it here or there if there is a tape vs skate blade catastrophe, but typically stick to one. My nightmare would be using both equally, then having them both break or go soft at the same time, and not having a fallback option. The answer there is to have another ”in case of emergency” back up that I don’t use, but that seems like too much*. Over the past few years, I just recently entered the world of having my back up stick be a quality stick I liked. Historically, my back up was something that had gone slightly soft, or a stick I didn’t like much. But, in the rare cases I’d have to make full use of the back up stick, it was a clear step down and got in my head. *realizing right now that I have multiple uncut, untaped to-be-used-later sticks downstairs. Ugh. hahaha Damn you internet/consumerism!!!!

Do wheels degrade overtime? If you skate on those, will they just turn to mush, or are they still viable to play on?

Black chassis, black laces; white holder, white laces? Is that the thinking?

I’m pretty light on sticks, and my blades always go soft before I break sticks. Very few slapshots, I’m not much for slashes and stickwork, and I generally just play soft, haha. I sometimes feel guilty, because the stick is still in working order, but once I can flex the blade with my hand, it goes to that big stick pile that “I’m going to do something with.”

15 years ago, we were all bemoaning how kids spent too much time practice moves like this and super fancy video game level stick handling moves, but weren’t focusing on “practical” skills. Now the NHL is the most creative and fun it’s ever been, and dudes are doing wild stuff at full speeds in game. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I got an EZGoal last summer. Left it outside uncovered in Boston over the winter, and it’s fine. I fully intended to put a tarp over it over the winter. But, life. My one dog occasionally uses the back of it like a hammock, and it’s stood up to that as well If you get one, leave the netting around the top and sides a little loose. Having play allows it to absorb energy so the netting doesn’t rip and doesn’t bounce your pucks far away. (Or just hit the net, but that doesn’t work for me…..)

In adult league, I’m happy as long as the opposing center isn’t turned 90 degrees and one of their wings isn’t closer to the face off dot than the ref. That feels like a low bar, but still very, very hard to meet.

+x for baby powder. Also, I’ve switched to only taping the very buttend knob, no “handle.” I feel like grip sticks are sticky enough, and it’s less tape friction on the gloves.

What made you decide to go custom over the stock?