All Flash

Thank you that is exactly what I already thought.

Keep hearing the kick point on the Mako 2 stick has changed/lowered........Can someone plz elaborate and say how this compares to the RS2 and its main differences so I can be clear on the subject. Thanx

So after 10 days and 7 games demoing the new Mako skates, These are my thoughts; Boot- Molding properties to gain fit is better than any other skates currently out there. It is also 2 eyelets lower cut then my current EQ50's which gives very poor energy return. More so than my EQ50's which are not very stiff compared to most top end skates. I also have found myself more tired than I usually do after games recently with my legs also being more fatigued than per my norm. Not mention protection coverage because of said low cut skate which I found out in my third game. Got a puck right at top edge of skate just above my inside left ankle bone which for just over the last week is still affecting my entire foot. Yes, I understand it is suppose to be that low for range of motion but a skate can be higher cut and not affect ROM if it is the proper stiffness for that skater. Holder & Steel - Leave something to be desired as the steel felt weird compared to STEP or LS2. Also whenever I checked my steel the holder was pushed up in the middle making it seemed warped or not fitting. A little pressure seem to always fix it back to normal though. As for pitch which was suppose to be quite noticeable on these, my experience was balance seem to be in the middle of my foot with stock insoles and perfect for my stance once I put in my custom pro Graf footbeds putting me forward. In saying that though whenever bent forward to really bear down and go the curve of the toe of the steel put me on my face several times. Intangibles - Tongue was fine when skating but took me some time to get it on right and in position because of how close the boot fit when tying my skates. Which I would be easily willing to give up for fit. Tendon Guard - As I said before the tendon area at the back of the boot annoyingly dug into my achilles but once I was playing it was a forgotten issue. Again would like to see tendon guards of different stiffness's for those who might be a little bigger and found it a lil' flimsy. Also a tool for the tendon guard should come with the skates, not a tool for the holders which is a standard Robertson bit.(#2 I believe) Final conclusion - The Mako skates could definitely help with skating technique when used but true advantage over other top end skates comes down to energy return and protection IMHO. Hope this helped.

See below....

Exactly. Doh . Should have elaborated on why I thought that.

Also, the Mako is not stiff compared to all other top end skates IMHO.

Skated in them tonight and 2 things jumped out immediately at me. First, the split at the back of the skate where the tendon guard would usually come all the way up was not painfully digging into my achilles tendon but it was kind of annoying. Second, the pitch wasn't very prominent at all. The balance point seem to be right behind the balls of my feet. Almost fell backwards a handful of times. The skate took me about a half hour to adjust to them with regards to my pivots and turns but my stride was good once I was a lil more comfortable. Also, took a shot off the outside of my left skate..... it hurt. Fit for my inside ankle bones was good, no problems with overall fit of the boot at all. Just thinking bout the tendon guard though and I am wishing they had different stiffness's for the tendon guard that you could switch if the stiffness didn't suit you. Anywho....... starting to ramble and over think this. Got 3 more games over the weekend......more to come.

Just heat fitting my demo pair for my shop, get ten days with them and initial impressions are very good. Wrap and fit are better than any other skate I have owned including customs. I wear an 8.5 EE most of the time except in Easton which I usually wear a regular width. Always have depth issues for both my inside ankles but it is a non issue during this heat fit. Only skating will tell me for sure. Forward lean is slight but noticeable standing in them. Again only skating will give me real perspective on the pitch comparison. Will post again once I have skated in them a few times.

All but 2 of my shops skate boxes for the Mako say 10 mins @ 200*, the others say 16 mins. The only thing I think that might worry me is how small the ankle pads are compared to all other top end skates that are out there.

OK .......so I pulled everything apart and it seems the big pulley attached to the motor is grinding on the base that the motor is secured too. Is there supose to be something between them? Like a bearing or something, anything? This X02 won't run properly until I can figure this out. Going to call Blackstone this week. Any help between now and then is greatly appreciated

Thanks to everyone Have bolted it down, will double check levelness of table, check the arbor and see if tuning is needed

OK new problem with my wheels....... One half used the other new but neither seem to be rounded properly can't get the stone to spin without there being chattering The machine is not secured so maybe thay will help with vibration but wanted to know if anybody could give me some more insight thanx

Good :D can't wait to use it Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

How quiet should an X02 be? Bought a used one and it seems to run fine and is in great condition but when turning on and off it sounds clunky. Can the motor be taken apart and cleaned or is this normal?

Totally in agreement. Refreshing to hear in fact.

Always thought the old vacu-tack system would be the best molding system for today's high end skates.

Was wondering if anyone has some info on the Step "fusion" offering? Also I'm not sure I missed something but are the Nitonol blades from Easton now available to us non Pro's? 0.o

Im thinkin' 100 flex Widow w/nipple grip, black matte finish for lower half and blue on top half with the only graphics being either the warrior logo, or just the word "WARRIOR" on it. Add to that an Iginla clone or the Gionta, both in a 4 lie. Does anyone happen to know what the price tag on this magnificent idea will be? JR, how are you liking your stick?

Update: Dec 16/10 Blade is still stiff, shooting accuracy and passing still there but alas the heel started to fall out. So i cut it off. nice shaft leftover. knowing its a 2 piece i could have found out whether it could be taken apart by heat but didnt have the time so off it came with the hack saw. :( Will definitely buy another Base in the future.

SunlitWILL can u plz elaborate?

BASE Savoy Special Flex: 100 Curve: Iginla clone Height: 6" Weight: 210lbs Age: 32 Postition: wherever needed Level of hockey: now...... beer league and drop in. Time-frame of use: almost 3 months, 3-5 times a week (Sept 9/2010 D.O.P(straight off the rack no customization) Aesthetics: This stick follows the current times and is mostly black with highlighted colors to round out the stick and its maker's name. Fairly standard, nothing that stands out as far as stick graphics go. 6/10 Weight and Balance: Not sure on the actual weight of the stick but it is lighter than half the high end sticks out there and the other half i couldn't tell because of how nice the balance is. That being said, it still does not feel too light in my hands. 9/10 Blade: To start, I will say that the blade that came with my Base "twig" was covered in what i believe they call "Shark Skin", which is an option on the customization and from what the guys at Base told me is what the Pro's like. I'm not sold. I use blade tape so i don't need any pre grip on my blade. Blade rigidity is superb! Even stiffer than most other top end twigs. The only reason I am giving the blade a 9 out of 10 and not 10 out of 10 is that my blade, i believe because of the shark skin is chipped all to hell. Bottom of the blade and mostly near the heel, with a lil' bit of shredding at the toe. When the blade gets chipped the shark skin is so connected to the carbon weave that almost a layer or two of the weave comes off too. This however, has not surprisingly affected the structure or integrity of the blade. 9/10 Shaft/Flex: I prefer a square shaft geometry to a round one because i believe that the torque is controlled more with a square shaft. If you are a Dolo fan then you will love this shaft as it a medium to large size shaft with the rounded corners. As for the flex, it is more like an Easton than any other brand being true to the listed flex. I had thoughts one game it was whipped out but my shooting told me different.Super responsive to say the least. 9/10 Stick-handling and Passing: "Pingy", is the word i will use. The first game I used this stick i couldn't keep a pass on my stick to save my life. That combined with the responsiveness of the shaft in conjecture with the blade made taking passe really hard too, but after the 2nd game everything was fine. Though still "pingy", I got used to it. All these things are subjective to your skill level so, given a relative amount of time anyone, having the skills should have no problems with this stick. Unless of course you need your blade to feel like the ONE95. 8/10 Shooting: As I said, super responsive shaft so this thing ends up kickin' hard with a nice sense of pop coming off the blade as it is super stiff as a whole package. Combine that with the accuracy that only comes off most high end twigs and you have yourself a lamplighter. 10/10 Durability: Blade chipped all to hell from front to back. Super huge gash on front top of shaft right at the kick point from a large player stepping on it. Still shoots true and blade is a non issue as far as structural integrity goes. 10/10 Overall: When I look for a new stick I am looking for shooting first and everything else is just details. I have preference's but not anything written in stone. After all is said and done at the end of the day this stick is as good if not better than most of the other brands top sticks. (not including sticks that just came out or have not been released yet obviously) 8.5/10 Thanx goes to Dolm1te for the template. ;p

whats his minimum bid that needs to be met?

hehe........ check out skate sharpeners on ebay new blackstone stealth going for 5 G's at current bid