Tblades, A Day by Day Journal.

[BK 0]

There seem to be a lot of threads about the t-blade system, but none of them really answered my questions about t-blades. I recently purchased a pair of skates that have t'blades on them and I decided that it would be nice to have a daily record of how they felt and when (if) I get used to them. I have heard lots of things about them, like having to learn how to skate again, or that they are really noisy, but no real threads/posts explained about the performance of the t'blades. Over the next week or 2, I will post up my feelings on t'blades and how they are working out fo rme.

I looked at my LHS and didn't see anything, and the shopowner (who is a complete jackass anyways) shrugged off my questions. I hit the web and found a few sites that had them. I have been using my profile 3's for a while now and wasn't too fond of the thought of switching holders. I decided that I would put some thought into it when I get a new pair of skates. Last weekend, I was looking at my well-worn skates and decided that it was high time to get a new set. I have a new season of phl coming up and it would be nice to have a well worn in pair of skates for next years college season. I saw a really good deal on a pair of Salming F1's and decided to buy them. Low and behold, they had tblades :)

[BK 0]

DAY 1

As soon as I found out that they were delivered, I took a break from work and drove down to my postal store where they were delivered. I took them back to work and strapped them on for the first time. The first thing I noticed was how weird they looked. I remember them looking kind of "mean looking" back when I saw them for the first time, but it still took me off guard when I saw how little metal was actually used on the runners. I honestly think that there is more metal in the screws than on the actual runner :P

As soon as I got off of work, I grabbed my girlfriend and headed for the ice. The first step on the ice felt weird. I was WAY back on my heels and my natural urge to lean forward made me look like I have never been skating before. My arms were flailing and I looked like one of those 10 year old kids you see wearing a size 12 rental skate with size 8 feet during public skate.

After a few strides, I really had to take it easy. I have been skating my entire life and my mind knew what to do, but my legs wouldn't let me do those things anymore. Things as simple as crossovers were now things that I had to focus on and actually put thought into while doing them. I noticed some slippage in them, but found that if I adjusted my angle to a little more agressive position, it actually held really well. Another big thing I noticed was how well I could stop. It took very little effort to get a strong deep stop. Another thing I noticed was how well I could turn. It took very little effort to get a deep cut into the ice. Because of this, I could really focus on positioning my legs and getting a deeper cut and faster turn. Dispite all of this, the best thing was how it felt on the ice. I noticed every little bump and nick on the ice. Much like how a nice sports car will communicate how the road feels under your tires, I was feeling how deep I was cutting into the ice. Last but not least... yes.. they are loud. But not in a bad way. It sounds like I am really cutting deeply into the ice. That sound gave me a little extra bit of confidence... which I used to pivot and do some backwards crossovers... to find myself falling and sliding hipfirst into the boards.. ouch..

After pub skate, I had some time to practice in them. I felt a lot more confident wearng pads but I didn't have much time on the ice before I had to take off. I got some shuttle runs in and they felt great. I have a full practice tomorrow and will report back then.

So far, I am impressed.. but wish I didnt have to re-learn how to skate. I feel like I have more authority on the ice, but at this point.. wish I could do something with it other than look like an idiot when I slide into the boards..

[Hobbes_86 0]

What set up do you have on your t-blades? Radius and hollow

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Don't you even!

I'll be in Novi soon...lol

[hurricane 0]

Don't you even!

I'll be in Novi soon...lol

Novi Ice arena?

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Yes

[Hobbes_86 0]

Aww JR you know I won't. I'm just curious about them....honest :D

ps: lovin your new avatar

[Jason Harris 31]

Badkitty (by the way, the avatar is great! :lol: ) bought size 10.5 D's which, offhand, I'm not sure how long the blade is, but all the skates come with medium rocker and 13 mm hollow.

So far, your journal sounds similar to my experience when I first switched over. On the one hand, there was a feeling of being a complete klutz, like skating on butter knives. Conversely, when I cornered I felt way more agile. The interesting thing is three nights later I switched back because the stud on our team broke a rivet, and the skates with the t-blades were a half-size larger than my regular skates, so he wore the t-blades. Man, I felt like I was on butter knives that night, also. :o

It took me about five skates to finally find the knee bend that gave me the bite I needed at all times.

[BK 0]

Its a size 288, Medium rocker with a 13 hollow. Im used to skating on an 11mm hollow (7/16ths), but this is working nicely. I am going to order a pair of the same with a short rocker to try it out.

I dont know if I mentioned it earlier, but I play D for my college team and left wing for the house league. I love the idea of changing out my medium rocker for a short rocker when I am playing Lw. I just wish my LHS would carry the replacement runners.

p.s. Thanks for the compliments on the avatar :) I made it myself :lol:

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

I think she is talking about mine...Buckwheat...

[BK 0]

Badkitty (by the way, the avatar is great! :lol: )

:D I like yours too.

[Bengalpredator 0]

I bought the Salming F1 skate about two months ago. It was my first experience with the T-blade system. The first time I skated in them I had a lot of problem skating. It felt like the back of my foot was always sliding out from underneath me, so a friend of mine who had the T-blades said that I needed to get the 11 size cut instead of the 13 the skate came with. After I made that switch I have not had a problem with making the swith to the T-blades.

I have had a problem trying to go back to my CCM Externos since skating with the T-blade system. I feel like I am flat footed and can not turn as quickly as I did with the T-blades, but I would say that I can stop better with the Externos then with the T-blades. Personally I like the feel of the T-blades, but I would have to say that it is all personal prefernce.

[Jason Harris 31]

I think she is talking about mine...Buckwheat...

So Hobbes is a lady? We need to have some kinda code, cuz one day it's gonna burn somebody....

[JBP 18]

When I first got on my T'Blades I also felt back on my heels. All I did was put a 3mm lift at the heel between the boot and holder. Worked like a charm for me. Much better balance now.

[Hobbes_86 0]

LOL....Lady.....thats funny :lol:

But I will take that as a compliment.

Thank You

Also, Bad Kitty your avatar is really cool too! I just love joshin with JR all the time.

[BK 0]

Ok, sorry I haven't replied to this over the weekend. I actually went to Vegas for a quick weekend vacation with my girlfriend. Luckly we were smart and took our skates with us :)

DAY 2--

It was still a little awkward getting on the ice. I found myself yet again having the handicap of my mind knowing I can do something, but not doing it correctly when I try it. This time around, I had full pads and my stick. I found that after a while of bending my knees a little more, I was starting to get used to them. By the end of practice I felt like they were my own skates. I wanted to take a little more time with them, but didnt have the desire to switch back to my old skates while I broke these in.

DAY 3. VEGAS--

Ah, Public skate. Nothing breaks in your skates or gets you used to your new blades better than dodging 5 year old kids who wear dull rental skates 3 sizes too big for them. I was worried that my skates would go back to the way I would feel if I were wearing my CCMs, but I was suprised when I got on the ice and felt right at home with my new blades. I dodged.. urr.. skated around for about an hour and a half with no weirdness at all. I noticed that I wasnt making as much noise anymore and was really satisfied with how the runners cut into the ice. I could corner a lot smoother than my old profiles and I honestly could feel a difference in the power tranfser. All in all, I am very satisfied with my purchase and don't think that I can go back again. My girlfriend has noticed a difference in my skating too.. she cant corner as sharp as I can and my turns dig deeper into the ice. After seeing the difference, she is probably going to order the same skates (shes currently using itechs). I have another practice today, I am excited to see if there will me more noticable changes.

[t1tan 19]

Any updates on how you're liking them? I just ordered my T-Blade parts and am hoping to get them installed on my Graf 705s friday and trying them out in a public skate...

[gavin 0]

This is kinda interesting. I really enjoy your step-by-step guidance.

I just bought a new pair of CCM Vector ZG130s, moving up from a pair of Vector 3.0s that I absolutly destroyed playing too much defence with.

Aside from some issued with hockeymoney.com, I have totally enjoyed the skating with the new blade system. The actual boot on the ZG130 is about 3X stiffer than the 3.0, but I leave the top pair of eyelets unlaced anyways, and the additional stiffness gives me a huge help in my confidence.

As to adapting to the t-blade, I have only skated on them for a single 2 hour practice, and we were only scrimmaging. I play defence, and I only went to the bench for maybe 2 minutes in the whole practice. I will say that it is tough at first, like I was skating with really dull blades. But on the other hand, they cut WAY better than any other blade, even at its sharpest. I will have to get used to transitions and other things first though.

Anyways, I have a game on friday night, so I really hope to be able to play my new sexy skates in front of a home crowd.

[gavin 0]

badkitty (or anyone for that matter)

where do you plan on getting t'blade replacement blades, holders etc etc

any good ideas? searching around online seems to only get me hockeymonkey.com :(

and my LHS i don't think has ever HEARD of any equiment in the last 5 years, with the exception of bauer vapour. they tend to be pretty useless.

[BK 0]

badkitty (or anyone for that matter)

where do you plan on getting t'blade replacement blades, holders etc etc

any good ideas? searching around online seems to only get me hockeymonkey.com :(

and my LHS i don't think has ever HEARD of any equiment in the last 5 years, with the exception of bauer vapour. they tend to be pretty useless.

I feel your pain.. My closest LHS doesn't carry much, muchless stuff like Tblade replacements. I have found that hockeymonkey is the best place to get them.. there are a few others, but they are always backordered. :S

Anyways, i might as well update while im here. I have had to set aside the tblades for a week or two. I made the mistake of wearing a short pair of socks while breaking them in and ended up cutting my feet above the ankle on the outside. I have practiced in them a few more times and had a few more games, but really need to take the time to let my wound heal before it gets (gasp..) too infected..

I have gotten used to the tblades now and have a hard time going back to my profile 3's. Its like going from a Z rated sports tire to a passenger class house brand tire.. its just not the same. As of right now, im completely sold on tblades. I would like to get something in a shorter rocker, so im going to order them on monday. After getting used to bending my knees a little more the annoying sounds are gone except for on really sharp turns (then it just sounds like its really digging into the ice) and sometimes on crossovers. Another thing I noticed too is that my hipcheck has gotten more powerful. I have to be a little more cautious durring scrims now (and im a big guy..). I love holding players on the boards and just digging into the ice while they elbow and flail to try and break loose :D

Honestly, the best way I can put it is that the tblades are like having cat claws.. you really feel the differenece on you sprints/turns. They really dig deep into the ice, giving me more confidence on the ice. I just wish that my cuts would heal up so I can get going in them again.. Maybe a little gause and duct tape will help that out :D

[t1tan 19]

The same for me, HockeyMonkey is the best I can find and that's where I ordered mind, they should be shipping today so I assume I'll have them installed on monday. I ordered an extra set of runners with them just in case anything happens because none of the rinks/shops around here carry them, but when I need more HockeyMonkey will most likely be the place I order from. I wonder what color runners I'll get, I ordered black holders and stabilizers and or course the metal screwdriver and I think completely black on my 705s will look cool lol.

[jimmy 194]

I have to chuckle at this thread. Let me clear something up before folks go spend $100 or more changing to tblades. Any performance gains from tblades are a result of you changing from one hollow/rocker on your old skates to a different one on the tblades. Had you changed your old skate's rocker and hollow, you would have seen same results. Before one invest in tblades, find a good pro shop that can rocker and sharpen correctly. If you can't, then tblades would be an option.

[HopHead 0]

It seems like the only people who have a problem with t-blades sharpen skates for a living! The skate sharpeners make me chuckle.

Seriously chocking up a better experience with t-blades to different hollows and rockers than their regular blades is not a logical conclusion. Changing hollows and rockers makes some difference but it is minor, not like the significant differences t-blade users are reporting. A good skater can cut the ice with a 3/8" or 1" hollow. The major differences arrive when harder steel and sharper edges are introduced. The same skaters on the 3/8" or 1" hollows will cut the ice even better with sharper edges formed from harder steel.

T-blades are made of a much harder steel than standard blades. The harder steel of t-blades can be made much sharper and highly polished than standard blades. Skate blades are just like knives. If I take a high quality hard steel and sharpen it I can give it an extremely sharp and durable edge. It will cut through wood, rope, etc. with ease. If I try the same thing with the steel of a butter knife or other softer steel I won't get nearly the edge I got with the harder steel. It won't cut thorough rope or wood nearly as well. If you know anything about knives an Emerson knife will hold a sharper edge for a longer period than a Buck knife. The Emerson knives use better steel. T-blades are made from harder formed steel that holds a sharper edge. They will cut the ice better.

It has been reported by a few members that trying to sharpen t-blades on a skate sharpening machine destroys the wheels used to sharpen standard blades. This is evidence that t-blades use a much harder (high quality) steel than on standard runners and backs up the manufacturers claim. It is a simple fact that a harder material will be more resistant to wear than a softer material, thus contributing to t-blades holding their edge much longer than standard steel. Diamonds abrade rubies. Rubies abrade Quartz. Quartz abrades calcite. T-blade steel abrades standard steel.

[hockechamp14 0]

It seems like the only people who have a problem with t-blades sharpen skates for a living! The skate sharpeners make me chuckle.

Seriously chocking up a better experience with t-blades to different hollows and rockers than their regular blades is not a logical conclusion. Changing hollows and rockers makes some difference but it is minor, not like the significant differences t-blade users are reporting. A good skater can cut the ice with a 3/8" or 1" hollow. The major differences arrive when harder steel and sharper edges are introduced. The same skaters on the 3/8" or 1" hollows will cut the ice even better with sharper edges formed from harder steel.

T-blades are made of a much harder steel than standard blades. The harder steel of t-blades can be made much sharper and highly polished than standard blades. Skate blades are just like knives. If I take a high quality hard steel and sharpen it I can give it an extremely sharp and durable edge. It will cut through wood, rope, etc. with ease. If I try the same thing with the steel of a butter knife or other softer steel I won't get nearly the edge I got with the harder steel. It won't cut thorough rope or wood nearly as well. If you know anything about knives an Emerson knife will hold a sharper edge for a longer period than a Buck knife. The Emerson knives use better steel. T-blades are made from harder formed steel that holds a sharper edge. They will cut the ice better.

It has been reported by a few members that trying to sharpen t-blades on a skate sharpening machine destroys the wheels used to sharpen standard blades. This is evidence that t-blades use a much harder (high quality) steel than on standard runners and backs up the manufacturers claim. It is a simple fact that a harder material will be more resistant to wear than a softer material, thus contributing to t-blades holding their edge much longer than standard steel. Diamonds abrade rubies. Rubies abrade Quartz. Quartz abrades calcite. T-blade steel abrades standard steel.

If you want to skate on the concepts of a knife... use the Qwik stick.

If the t-blades were so special besides being able to choose hollow and rocker, then why don't more NHL players wear them?

[althoma1 575]

If the t-blades were so special besides being able to choose hollow and rocker, then why don't more NHL players wear them?

I've never tried T-blades and am not really on either side of the issue, because my knowledge of T-blades is limited, however; I'd have to say that even if there was a new product that did offer some advantages NHL players can be creatures of habit when it comes to the type of skates they're used to. Most of them grew up on Bauer or CCM skates with steel runners which is why I think those are still the most popular skates (especially Bauer). Some of them even put old holders like Prolites on their skates (Iginla) which many think are weaker than more modern holders - they're just used to the old holders and steel and don't want to change. T-blades are more popular in some places in Europe and originated in Germany so you see some German NHL players using them. I'm not saying the T-blades are better than a properly sharpened, profiled and radiused skate, but even if their were some advantages the NHL players who grew up on standard steel may not be willing to switch from what they're used to unless the difference/advantage was HUGE.