opinions on T-blades?

[hattrick74 0]

i am interested in trying them and looking at the salming F-1 pros, they are only $150 and seem like a good skate. but i have never tried t-blades. its either those F-1 pros or synergy 700 or RBK 4K

thoughts?

[Chadd 916]

The Salming boot is very comfy, better than the Easton in my opinion. You can swap out the holder if you don't like it but you can never fix a bad boot.

[tokes 0]

If you really like the boot but have a great sharpener in town it might be worth it to get the skate and swap the holders. I know T-blade runners are about 15 bucks, but how long do they last? I have a great sharpener, and it's 3 bucks a pop for sharpening when you buy a card, so T-blade's would have to last 5-times longer than a normal sharpening for it to be beneficial for me to run T-blades.

FWIW, I had my skates narrowed down to the RBK 4K or the Synergy 777's, I ended up with the Eastons and I like them a lot, they felt similar to the RBK's but the Synergys were on sale so I went for them. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those skates, so I think you just need to decide if the T-blades are right for you. If you play/live in an area with only a mediocre sharpener I could see it being worthwhile to go for the T-blades.

[Nick23 0]

T-blades are the kind of things that you either love or hate. I was one that really didnt like them. But i have a friend who loves them, the blades on mine lasted about 2 weeks, his about 3 months. I think the difference is hold we skate, i tend to skate very low and turn at a very deep angle. Which with the thin part of the tblade i would loose contact with the ice, which left me falling over alot, although i have no comlaints about skating in a straight line. My friend skates standing quite upright, so he does not have this problem. So the bottom line is personal preference, if possible it would be best to have a go in them first, really test them out, make the decision for yourself.

[Bruin88 0]

i didnt like my t blades ,i kept slipping out when i turned. i got about 50 skates out of the blades cause i had a stone for them

[Krog7d7 0]

i am interested in trying them and looking at the salming F-1 pros, they are only $150 and seem like a good skate. but i have never tried t-blades. its either those F-1 pros or synergy 700 or RBK 4K

thoughts?

My thoughts...

They are loud!

[Jason Harris 31]

Don't listen to me about the skates.... ;)

However, regarding the T-Blades, I won't switch back, although they felt very funny initially. There's no doubt the angle of push is different from a conventional blade, and I found I had to bend lower than I was accustomed to doing. Once I found the right angle -- and preferred rocker and radius -- I stopped having to think about my stride. My turning agility was much improved.

Regarding durability, I change out my blades once this year in June. I used a stone once or twice on the first pair, and I've used a stone once on the current pair. I used to sharpen every four or five times I skated, which was about every two weeks.

Last, I'm convinced the noise is from the sharpness of the blade. If I really concentrate on hitting my stride correctly, I don't make any noise -- particulary while going straight. However, I have a tendancy to pop up while turning, and I find the blade cuts into the ice fairly noisily then.

[jimmy 194]

There are so many variable is blades, and skater types, that it is impossible to quantify t-blade or regular blade effectiveness. Some people get their skates sharpened once a year, they like that. Others, every 2 skates, they like that. I see the problem with t-blades is the hype that they hold an edge this super long amount of time. Impossible. I can skate all year on my regular blades too, but that doesn't mean they are performing at maximum. Same with t-blades. All I can say is every one of my customers with t-blades has dumped them and returned to regular steel.

[hattrick74 0]

i am a born roller player who switched to ice a couple years back, so my training really began on rollers, so would t-blades be even worse then regular blades?

[hockechamp14 0]

i am a born roller player who switched to ice a couple years back, so my training really began on rollers, so would t-blades be even worse then regular blades?

I can't offer you any advice, but that would be an interesting comparison if roller players would like t-blades better.

[Jason Harris 31]

All I can say is every one of my customers with t-blades has dumped them and returned to regular steel.

When I come back for the tradeshow, I'll stay with one of my buddies in Nashua. I'll have to do a Mystery Shopper on you -- just to give you a real challenge..... :lol:

[Jason Harris 31]

i am a born roller player who switched to ice a couple years back, so my training really began on rollers, so would t-blades be even worse then regular blades?

I would imagine the transition would be similar. There's no doubt that an effective stride for T-Blades is slightly lower than an effective stride for conventional blades, but I've found that to be true going from roller to ice.

Either way, your stride will have to change.

[tokes 0]

Regarding durability, I change out my blades once this year in June. I used a stone once or twice on the first pair, and I've used a stone once on the current pair. I used to sharpen every four or five times I skated, which was about every two weeks.

When you changed out the blades in June, how long has you been on the blades for? In terms of weeks/months and ice times.

[dangle7 0]

i've been using t-blades for the past 3ish seasons and i likem alot. i used to use the stock cobra holders on my skates, i had a really fast kinda short stride. when i switched to t-blades for some reason my stride got longer by a bit. i really like the fact that they slip a bit more/ better than conventional steel. it kinda fits the way i play/ skate. you never really lose your momentum on them, it feels like ur always in the play/game. the one drawback i've found over the years is that it's difficult to tell when the blades are dull, because they always feel pretty consistent. a fresh pair is like heaven, but the worn out ones still work pretty ok as backups. as duration of shapness goes. i've literally played and entire 2 months with the same pair in, this was at 4-5 skates a week. this was a little extreme, but they can last a long time. i guess it all just depends on what kind of feel you're going for. i think another big difference is that the edge is pretty much always there. i mean, if you want to cut in hard and do a tight turn or something, you should be good. it's kind of like having a fresh sharpen on regular steel, but all the time. i weigh 200ish pounds and i use m9 blades, which i think is pretty good. but basically it all depends on what ur into. some skating styles are suited better towards conventional steel imo. a more choppy type skater most likely would not like t-blades cuz there would prolly be alot more slippage in their running type stride. players with a more mechanically correct style stride would most likely enjoy them though.

[Jason Harris 31]

Tokes, do you mean the skates or that particular pair of blades?

I think you're referring to the blades themselves. I had put the previous pair on around Thanksgiving and started to notice they were gettng duller around late February. I would have used the stone on them at that point, but I went to the Let's Play Hockey Expo in Minnesota and wanted to use them as an example of how sharp they were after 3+ months of use.

I then used the side stone on them and continued with them until early June. However, I played one game in the Chowder Cup outside of Boston in early May, and I noticed that I did not have the same grip as I had in Denver. Part of that was from being tired after taking a 3.5 hour red-eye flight the night before, but I realized part was the ice was harder at that rink. It became obvious to me that my blades would not have lasted as long if I skated at that rink fulltime.

Regarding how often I skated, I was playing in two leagues, would usually play pickup on Saturday night and would coach mini mites on Monday nights.

So, I'd say an average of 3.5 times per week -- even though I'm still a lousy skater. :lol:

[tokes 0]

What stone are you using on them? Or do they come with a stone? That definitely sounds like a lot of life out of a set of blades. If the boots are as good as they say they are, 150 bucks sounds like a steal for those skates.

[jimmy 194]

All I can say is every one of my customers with t-blades has dumped them and returned to regular steel.

When I come back for the tradeshow, I'll stay with one of my buddies in Nashua. I'll have to do a Mystery Shopper on you -- just to give you a real challenge..... :lol:

DOn't worry, I can smell a plant, and spies a mile away! However, if you let me sharpen a real pair of skates, I guaranty you'll never use t-blades again!!! I'll have you mailing me your blades from Colorado because you just can't live without it, just as many across the US do every day. :D

While you are in the store, ask for the Saliming demo. hehe.

[Jason Harris 31]

Hey, I said don't listen to me about the skates! :lol:

The stone is a side stone made specifically for T-Blades, since the metal is a stronger metal than conventional blades. I bought it for $15 at www.thepenaltybox.com, since no one local had the stone. My buddy had tried to sharpen the T-Blades on his machine, but he said it started wearing down the grinding stone, so you definitely would need the T-Blade specific side stone.

[Jason Harris 31]

While you are in the store, ask for the Saliming demo. hehe.

Oh, I like that one, Jimmy -- I've been telling everybody about it.

I don't know what possessed you to try it but, seriously, I'm glad you stumbled upon it! :lol:

[jimmy 194]

While you are in the store, ask for the Saliming demo.  hehe.

Oh, I like that one, Jimmy -- I've been telling everybody about it.

I don't know what possessed you to try it but, seriously, I'm glad you stumbled upon it! :lol:

It works, believe me. Sold 3 sticks today. I began collecting cut off pieces and broken sticks years ago. Nothing convinces a customer more about durablity of a stick than whacking it with a mallet and seeing how long it takes to break. Plus seeing construction and wall thickness is a great selling point.

No kidding, and I'm not sucking up here, I have a Salming G1 piece I've layed into more than 50 times and it's still solid. Other brands gave in usually in 2-4 whacks.

So, when does the boat arrive? I need more!

You got to give up on those t-blades! Like I said, come on by, I'll exorcise you from the brainwashing those t-blade salesfolks have put you thru. Stop drinking the purple coolaid and get back to reality! Do you really think a t-blade can walk on corcrete and still have an edge. Jeeeeeze!

[Keith 0]

I personally find the t-blade holders too flexible.

[Jason Harris 31]

Do you really think a t-blade can walk on corcrete and still have an edge. Jeeeeeze!

I've got a great story about that, but there's a bit of a set up.

I went to Exeter Academy, although, as I always say, I was smart enough to get into Exeter and dumb enough to get kicked out. :o But that's another story.....

There was a kid there that was absolutely brilliant but completely inept socially. He was big, not at all attractive, spoke in a squeak and was pathologically shy. The story was his father quit as one of the top executives at IBM and moved to NH, so his son could be a day student. During the summer after eighth grade, he taught himself French to third year level, and he graduated in three years, which is pretty unheard of at Exeter.

Two great stories.

1) My friend saw him riding his Wizard of Oz bicycle with the basket in front while holding an umbrella. The wind from riding blew his umbrella inside out. So he got off his bike and started running two steps, leaping and kicking back as he thrust the umbrella forward like it was a fencing epee. Needless to say, the umbrella stayed inverted, but my friend said it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

2) Every freshman had to take Prep Spaz, which was basically an introduction to all sports. Get dressed and report to the fields. Well, this week was hockey and the rinks are about 100 feet from the locker rooms. We were waiting to go on the ice, when we heard a noise start to grow. "crunch, crunch, crunch. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. CRUNCH!! CRUNCH!! CRUNCH!!

"Uh, Nelson, you're supposed to bring your skates down here, then put them on."

I'll never forget the squeaky reply, "Oh, okay. Thank you." :lol:

[Jason Harris 31]

PS. By the way, things have been picking up and I'm actually considering using the improved cash flow to switch out holders on the majority of my skates.

I much prefer the T-Blades, but it doesn't matter what I like -- it only matters what my clientele wants. I've had enough people tell me our skates are very comfortable, yet I'm aware there are some who haven't tried them on to find out because of the T-Blades.

It's okay to offer T-Blades skates, but it's not good that they are the only skates available. There are reasons behind that in my case specifically, but I'm going to look into changing that.

[hattrick74 0]

it seems like from this conversation t-blades are a thinner lie then conventional blades. thats why i wondered if t-blades would be a problem because of my roller backround

[nate 0]

I've had t-blades for a couple seasons and I am not impressed. They are not that great and dont last me that much longer than normal steel. I am going to get new skates as soon as I save enough money.