x-track

...if they are badly rusted it takes 15 seconds ...a quarter turn and the screw snaps! ....pull the blade .done, proper tools provided!

he ain't nuts ....the older /more ice time they get ..the more they move around . i am aware ...cause whenever possible , I separate steel from the boot to achieve a more precise sharpening!! the trigger feature to remove steel is cool and a marketing gimmick ...but for 20 seconds of labour more, you get real screws to really tighten the steel and eliminate any free play !!

@smcgreg ....could you please post some pics of the t-nut's'n screws itself and mounted on the holder/skate !! thx

.....anybody already skating in mako or mako II ever tried the mako M8 and can comment on the fit difference , if any ?? thx

...oh well ....I was as psyched as you to get those skates to test ...but after having done so I'm down to earth again !! I had absolutely no reason to invest in new skates . as my 2 pairs of S 17 's served me well without any issues ...until I decided last year to follow the description of one mail sharpening business regarding custom profiling ....I filled out the questionnaire and , stupid me , sent all 3 sets of steel I had to be profiled .....without actually knowing what ( in numbers ) was being done to them . I expected like miracles upon reception but my skating has suffered since then and I did not exactly know why ! .....well , after trying mako and mako II and assuming they'd fit like the S17 plus all the positive hype of about 80plus Msh pages I pulled the trigger and ordered a M8 in 8,5EE ...as I was told by the national distributor that my size mako II was nationwide sold out till march 15 and the M8 would fit the same ... ...so far on theory ....trying makos and makos II I felt like 8,5 was plenty long enough , even 8 should do after baking , but the M8 in 8,5 felt too short ...trying ultra thin easton socks vs my regular hanes crews helped marginally , but not enough! being stubborn i tried them on ice but it was too much of a difference .....I felt ultra agile , the pitch difference didn't bother me , but I lacked stability , plus my feet hurt due to the shortness and feeling flat footed with the so called ortholite foootbed ...which is imho nothing more than an undefined, shapeless piece of recycled yoguhrt cup. I have received some blackedge steel for the S17 that I sharpened today and which I will try tomorrow to see if this helps .... I appreciate any input as : -what radius is stock S 17 steel vs mako steel ?? -what radius is balckedge steel ? -what are the differences M8 and mako ?? M8 padding felt very thin !! ...heel lock not sufficient. -recommendadion for other skates coming from S 17 .....having a thin ankle and wide forefoot !! - general thoughts about the issue !! thx alot !!

.....there's a comparison chart sticker on most bauer skates' inner cardbox lid !

EE will be the same but size 0.5 or a full size down

I have a 9W in the S17's and will order a pair of 8,5EE makos today ...as the 9EE makos I tried felt like an 9,5 S17 unbaked so if they stretch like the S17 after baking i would need 8,5

i am saying that a 8,5 mako in D is as wide as a 9 S17 in W

I skated in them 3 weeks ago ...had my S17 9W on my left foot and the 8,5D mako on the right ....fitwise they are pretty close while the mako felt a bit more agile but I'd put that towards the shorter runner of the 8,5 mako vs the 9W S17 .....they weren't baked but felt pretty good on my foot ...the guy I got them from , an easton pro rep , uses them as replacement for his S17 9W as well so the sizing should be accurate ....for the bauer guys I'd recommend 8,5D mako for somebody skating in 8,5 EE upper vapor line ...for EQ guys I'd say the mako has a lot less volume in general than the EQ , lengthwise an 8,5 EQ would be a 8,5 mako !!

I ' ve seen the S 19 pad and tried it on .....it's less protective than the st 16 and has no rigid rib protectors ..the head opening is much smaller ...so I will stick to my st 16 ...or get a back up st 6 , which is basically a st 16 without the segmented biceps pads

..is the S 12 skate for the CAN and US market only ?????