Waxed laces

[Norm 0]

Time again for Norm's dumb questions.

HOORAY!! :)

Waxed laces: I'm guessing that they are regular laces dipped or impregnated with wax.

1. What is their benefit?

2. What are their down sides?

3. When I lace my skates I try to get them pretty tight towards the top, especially to lock the heel down. But two things happen. The first is that as I am tightening them as I go for the next highest "lace cross" I lose some tightness in the previous one. Second, after some skating my skates loosen up even more and I'm on the bench trying to get them tighter and still running into problem number one. Will these help?

4. Did I read in another thread that someone cut themselves with these things? YIKES!! :o

Backlacing: I heard this term in another thread

1. What is it?

2. What is its advantage? disadvantage?

3. Are there different ways to lace a skate for different effects?

OPS: Means "one piece stick", right?

Easton Z Carbon 100 stick: I have one and was talking to a couple of buddies tonight. One thinks he knows everything (working at a rink cutting ice will do that to a fella) and the other is new to the sport. I was showing them my stick and telling them that the blade was composite, but the shaft wasn't (obviously). The know it all was trying to get the other new guy to get a $180 stick and I was like "Whatever, 1 of those or 6 of these? And you're not gonna be blasting shots that could break a stick anyways." The KIA claimed that my blade was really wood had maybe a graphite layer but only enought to keep the sticker on.

Who's right?

Yzerman: Above stick is of the Yzerman curve. I'm only now learning the sport and never really watched it on TV unless it was the Stanley Cup finals. So how, exactly, do you pronounce Yzerman? Is it EEz-er-man? Or YEEZ-er-man? Or IZZ-er-man?

Thanks for all the help!!

[notorious#29 0]

Time again for Norm's dumb questions.

HOORAY!!  :)

OPS: Means "one piece stick", right?

Who's right?

Yzerman: Above stick is of the Yzerman curve.  I'm only now learning the sport and never really watched it on TV unless it was the Stanley Cup finals. So how, exactly, do you pronounce Yzerman?  Is it EEz-er-man? Or YEEZ-er-man?  Or IZZ-er-man?

Thanks for all the help!!

I will take the easy ones.

Yzerman would be pronounced "I-zer-man"

And you are correct, OPS means "One Piece Stick"

EDIT:

The Z-Carbon blade isn't a full composite blade like a Synergy blade. I think its more of a hybrid blade. Not sure on that though.

A downside of wax laces that then can cut your fingers when they are wet. Not much of a problem for me, but some people don't like it.

[hockechamp14 0]

it's:

EYE(like the letter I)-ZAR-MAN

:)

Waxed laces:

Some are coated, others are waxed all the way through. I know graf and bauer ones are waxed all the way through. Benefits is that they hold tight better. Downside is that you can tighten them too much and cut off circulation if you tighten them the same way as normal laces.

When moving up the laces, I use my thumb to hold down the previous cross. If you skate a lot, the waxed laces can cut you if they're wet, and your fingers are wet, and you have yet to develop callousces because of the off season or you're new to the sport.

Um, can't help you too much with the rest, sorry.

[Jason Harris 31]

Waxed laces: I'm guessing that they are regular laces dipped or impregnated with wax.

I prefer wax laces. They hold the lower "rung" in place better as you tighten above. I haven't had problems with cutting my fingers, but it's rare when I re-tighten on the bench.

Backlacing: I heard this term in another thread

If it's what I understand it to be -- sort of inverting the way the laces go in to the eyelet -- I really hate this. I know people feel it holds the laces in place better (which is what wax laces do), but you have to pull away from yourself, rather than up, to tighten. But that's a personal preference type thing.

OPS: Means "one piece stick", right?

Yes.

Who's right?

Don't know.

Is it EEz-er-man? Or YEEZ-er-man? Or IZZ-er-man?

EYES-Er-man or actually more like EYEZ-er-man

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Z-Carbon is a hybrid stick - the blade is made like a traditional wood stick, but with a composite paddle.

[Chadd 916]

Backlacing:

Basically all you do is insert the tip of the lace from the outside of the eyelet. I lace up loosely, then snug up the few areas where I want them to be a bit tighter.

[hunter4oz 0]

waxed laces dont exactly cut your fingers, its more like ripping a giant gash across your finger, because when your skin is all wet and wrinkly from sweat on your fingers, the waxed laces have soo much grip, they just rip it open. theres a topic on here with some pretty nasty pics of it floating around somewhere

[forsberg91 0]

A downside of wax laces that then can cut your fingers when they are wet. Not much of a problem for me, but some people don't like it.

Thats happened to me and its not too good.

[Nacho 0]

I lose some tightness in the previous one. Second, after some skating my skates loosen up even more and I'm on the bench trying to get them tighter and still running into problem number one. Will these help?

Waxed would definatly help this problem because the waxed coating grips together better than the traditional lace. And I have cut the outside of my hand when the laces are wet and it's not pretty but the laces are well worth it! lol.

[Sven 1]

4. Did I read in another thread that someone cut themselves with these things? YIKES!! :o

Hey,

first of all, there are no dumb questions, just dumb answers.

Anyways, thats right.

Ambro (i guess) and myself were the onesm who cut in their fingers, he had even pics up on MSH, my cut was even worse :(

It happens when the fingers are sweaty and you're unlucky.

[Squirrel 0]

4. Did I read in another thread that someone cut themselves with these things? YIKES!!  :o

Hey,

first of all, there are no dumb questions, just dumb answers.

Anyways, thats right.

Ambro (i guess) and myself were the onesm who cut in their fingers, he had even pics up on MSH, my cut was even worse :(

It happens when the fingers are sweaty and you're unlucky.

I think it was Accord.

[itchman89 0]

I've used traditional laces for 14 years, I recently switched over last year, and the ones with waxed coating seem to do fine, they elimante loosing and stay tight all the way through a game/practice, I have recomended them to a few of my teamates and they love them as well. I have yet to try a pair of "wax" laces, like the ones offered with Graf but im sure they are about the same.

[forsberg91 0]

Yeah I've used the waxed laces for a while now and I like them alot. They are easier to use i think.

[ambro 0]

4. Did I read in another thread that someone cut themselves with these things? YIKES!!  :o

Hey,

first of all, there are no dumb questions, just dumb answers.

Anyways, thats right.

Ambro (i guess) and myself were the onesm who cut in their fingers, he had even pics up on MSH, my cut was even worse :(

It happens when the fingers are sweaty and you're unlucky.

I think it was Accord.

I think you're right. I never cut myself from them.

[asdfa 0]

is the loosing from the laces slipping or is it from the laces stretching? i have regular laces in my skates, and it seems that my skates get a bit looser after about 2 periods, but my laces don't slip, because they're tight right when i tie them. isn't the point of wax laces also that they don't absorb water?

[Chadd 916]

is the loosing from the laces slipping or is it from the laces stretching? i have regular laces in my skates, and it seems that my skates get a bit looser after about 2 periods, but my laces don't slip, because they're tight right when i tie them. isn't the point of wax laces also that they don't absorb water?

Laces stretch, wax laces stretch less than "standard" laces.