Tblades, A Day by Day Journal.

[Rande 0]

Sounds like some Uberbad hitler invention to me.

[gavin 0]

SalmingUSA: I don't know and I don't care. If t'blade wanted to control thier customer service better, they would sell directly (that was my original intention BTW). But they decided to re-sell through my favorite company. Which turns out was a big mistake for them. Cause I am permamently turned off of anything CCM and anything t'blades. My last skate purchase (Kor shift 1's with Pitch3) proved that.

You are probably right. There was probably a defect. That's what I thought, but I was willing to be convinced by the CCM rep who was apparently an expert. He wanted to convince me rather that his products are CRAP. And I am reluctantly willing to agree.

[Jason Harris 31]

From the way you decribe it, Gavin, the CCM rep made a strategic error in trying to save money from replacing a defective product.

He should have sad, "Wow, I've only seen that one other time but, unfortunately, it looks like your holder has a manufacturing defect. We'll need to swap those out for you." Instead, by telling you the product was made according to CCM's and t'blade's specifications, he essentially is saying their specifications will result in inferior products.

Hell, even if my specs were terrible, I'd still say it was the rare manufacturing defect that caused it! ;)

[gavin 0]

Like I say, I'm not here to correct their business practices, their QC or anything else. But I'm going to let my wallet do the talking on this one. I honestly will not buy from them again because my mental game would suck ... going into a corner thinking "ok... that Bill guy from CCM said that 'crap happens' to his skates and they wouldn't stand behind their products." I know that would affect my game BIG TIME.

Which comes back to the purpose of this thread. Buy t'blades if you want something that looks cool. Or is a little lighter. Or if you think that knowing they could break at any moment is not going to affect your confidence. I know I wouldn't skate on them in a real game, even if I were being PAID to wear them. The pain of going into the boards cause a holder broke on you is JUST NOT WORTH IT. Not to mention the hospital bill.

[mew1838 0]

Why is it CCM that has T-blades?? why not easton, they need new holders more badly than CCM does and I bet they can promote the product better due to superior customer service. CCM's service is just %$^&ed up

[Jason Harris 31]

Which comes back to the purpose of this thread. Buy t'blades if you want something that looks cool. Or is a little lighter. Or if you think that knowing they could break at any moment is not going to affect your confidence. I know I wouldn't skate on them in a real game, even if I were being PAID to wear them. The pain of going into the boards cause a holder broke on you is JUST NOT WORTH IT. Not to mention the hospital bill.

Gavin, if the purpose of this thread is to discuss the pros and cons of t'blades, it's quite fair for you to say that you discovered a hole in your holder after one session of skating.

However, it obviously is unfair for you to suggest that will happen to everyone, since you don't have enough knowledge of other people's experience. For instance, if I was going to go off my experience and feedback of others, I would have had to post that they NEVER break -- at least until your experience added to the knowledge base.

[Jason Harris 31]

Why is it CCM that has T-blades?? why not easton, they need new holders more badly than CCM does and I bet they can promote the product better due to superior customer service. CCM's service is just %$^&ed up

I don't know why Easton didn't become involved. All I know is t'blade, CCM and Graf created a joint venture to market t'blades in North America.

[TBLfan 25]

I think when it comes down to time for new blades/holders I'm going to try them out.

[mew1838 0]

Why is it CCM that has T-blades?? why not easton, they need new holders more badly than CCM does and I bet they can promote the product better due to superior customer service. CCM's service is just %$^&ed up

I don't know why Easton didn't become involved. All I know is t'blade, CCM and Graf created a joint venture to market t'blades in North America.

Easton with T-blades,pefect combo:)

[kornsined 0]

My personal experience with t'blades, doesn't have to be yours (hopefully). THEY SUCK.

Nothing to do with the arguements about whether or not they make you skate like Bobby Orr or not, or if they are lighter/better/super or anything. I find that they will break on you. Mine broke. A while ago. My conclusion is not that it was a deffective pair: a THC representative looked at it twice and told me that it was not a defect. So a non-defective t'blade holder broke after a single easy skate only 90 minutes long, the very same day that they came by UPS.

Because of this inordinate amount of suckiness, I have decided to never again buy from CCM again. Which is funny cause I currently have 5 pairs of CCM's in my dorm room: you could say that I bled CCM. Not any more. I have a pair of Kors and I love them. *Disclaimer* Yes I know any other holder could break, including the Pitch3. But not on the very first skate. That's not the way holders are designed to perform. But according to Bill Finneran, the CCM rep, that is the way t'blades were designed to perform.

It goes without say that I will never buy t'blades either. I might use the pair I have now for... reffing or something. Cause I'm not too scared about having the holder break on me while I'm officiating.

So, go ahead and buy t'blades, but I would never ever play on them in a competetive game. I would not be able to go into a corner with a forward on my tail without second guessing the strength of my holders, and that would be horrible for my mental game. Do you want your mental game to suck? Didn't think so.

It's very unfortunate that the holders crapped out on you on your first skate. It also sucks that the rep told you they were fine because by the sounds of it there was a defect. Although you shouldn't say they suck because of that. That could of happened to any holder, it's just luck of the draw I guess. Either way i say give them another try if not everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

[Bauer_freAK 0]

Sounds like some Uberbad hitler invention to me.

just because it's german, it says FÃœHRER or HITLER on it?! -.- -.- -.- <_<

[Gnorts 0]

Ok kids. If there is one thing I know is T-blades. If you want to read about T-blades you can just go to the CCM forum, I have posted there many times on the subject. Anyways, I've read through this long thread and you guys have hit on all the major points except one. The t-blade system heats up. This changes the physics game big time. Remember that skate Gretsky tried to market with the battery in it that heats up the blade? Well the truth is they work but no one is willing to put batteries in there skates.

Quote from T-blade webpage:

When you skate frictional heat is produced. With a conventional blade system this heat is lost, because the steel can not absorb any of it. The resin a t-blade runner is made of however, can store this frictional heat and the thin steel band heats up by up to almost 4°C. This, by the way, is what we call the thermo-effect which gave t-blade its name. How does this make you faster? When gliding over the ice smoothly the blade runs on a thin waterfilm. The more water, the smoother and the faster the glide! Of course a warmer runner melts more ice, meaning the waterfilm you skate on is more stable. The second reason why the t-blade system is faster than conventional runners is the smoothness of the gliding surface. Compared to a t-blade a freshly sharpened steel runner might have edges just as sharp, but the gliding surface is a lot rougher, it is striated from sharpening. This striation makes the waterfilm rip and therefore slows down the skater. The cold rolled steel strip of which the gliding surface of our runners consists is just a lot smoother, since it is never sharpened. Overall the gliding resistance of t-blade is approximately 35% lower than in any conventional blade. This has been proven by scientific tests. When talking to pro players who use t-blades, only few will tell you that they actually feel like they are going that much faster. What they do describe though, is the feeling that skating is more effortless with t-blades and that it saves energy.

Agility:

In contrast to a steel runner the t-blade runner is flexible. When you do tight turns on the ice usually only the "rear half" of your blade touches the ice. With a steel blade you "plough" through the ice and lose momentum. The t-blade runner adjusts smoothly to the radius of the turn - you are able to pull your runner in the right direction. That way you lose less momentum in turns, quick changes of direction are easier and tighter turns are possible.

[Gnorts 0]

You guys were talking about learning to skate again on t-blades. Here is a reply I got when I asked the same question on CCM last year.

Quote from Hkydog:

The stability issue is due to leverage. The back of the holder is not designed the same way a traditional holder is, it is rounded and does not continue very far passed the heel of the boot. Most skaters will lean back into their skate on a turn that portion of the blade and holder at the back of the skate gives added stability. The Tblade holder and blade is rounded and does not extend after the boot so there is the tendency for the skate to come out from under the skater. Until a skater changes his style of skating this will continue to happen. It is probably why the Graf skates that come equiped with Tblades are some of the most forward leaning skates to compensate and help keep the skater forward.

[jcp2 2]

It is probably why the Graf skates that come equiped with Tblades are some of the most forward leaning skates to compensate and help keep the skater forward.

They already had a substantial forward pitch with the Cobra holders, and I doubt they were redesigned just for t'blades.

[Chadd 916]

Ok kids. If there is one thing I know is T-blades. If you want to read about T-blades you can just go to the CCM forum, I have posted there many times on the subject. Anyways, I've read through this long thread and you guys have hit on all the major points except one. The t-blade system heats up. This changes the physics game big time. Remember that skate Gretsky tried to market with the battery in it that heats up the blade? Well the truth is they work but no one is willing to put batteries in there skates.

Quote from T-blade webpage:

When you skate frictional heat is produced. With a conventional blade system this heat is lost, because the steel can not absorb any of it. The resin a t-blade runner is made of however, can store this frictional heat and the thin steel band heats up by up to almost 4°C. This, by the way, is what we call the thermo-effect which gave t-blade its name. How does this make you faster? When gliding over the ice smoothly the blade runs on a thin waterfilm. The more water, the smoother and the faster the glide! Of course a warmer runner melts more ice, meaning the waterfilm you skate on is more stable. The second reason why the t-blade system is faster than conventional runners is the smoothness of the gliding surface. Compared to a t-blade a freshly sharpened steel runner might have edges just as sharp, but the gliding surface is a lot rougher, it is striated from sharpening. This striation makes the waterfilm rip and therefore slows down the skater. The cold rolled steel strip of which the gliding surface of our runners consists is just a lot smoother, since it is never sharpened. Overall the gliding resistance of t-blade is approximately 35% lower than in any conventional blade. This has been proven by scientific tests. When talking to pro players who use t-blades, only few will tell you that they actually feel like they are going that much faster. What they do describe though, is the feeling that skating is more effortless with t-blades and that it saves energy.

Agility:

In contrast to a steel runner the t-blade runner is flexible. When you do tight turns on the ice usually only the "rear half" of your blade touches the ice. With a steel blade you "plough" through the ice and lose momentum. The t-blade runner adjusts smoothly to the radius of the turn - you are able to pull your runner in the right direction. That way you lose less momentum in turns, quick changes of direction are easier and tighter turns are possible.

Didn't we have a member who had a physics prof debunk all of that?

[jimmy 194]

We also asked for the scientific test results, independent ones of course. Ever since we asked, we haven't heard a wimper from the tblade guy who use to lurk on this site.

[Chadd 916]

We also asked for the scientific test results, independent ones of course. Ever since we asked, we haven't heard a wimper from the tblade guy who use to lurk on this site.

Dr Kunz is a nice guy, hopefully I'll get a chance to see him at the shows this year. It's a good product for some people and certain situations but is certainly not for everyone.

[gavin 0]

However, it obviously is unfair for you to suggest that will happen to everyone, since you don't have enough knowledge of other people's experience. For instance, if I was going to go off my experience and feedback of others, I would have had to post that they NEVER break -- at least until your experience added to the knowledge base.

I am not suggesting that it would happen with everyone. Neither do I think that if I bought a new pair of t'blades, but that wouldn't help out my confidence in the skate any more. The point is not that it is guaranteed to break, but it is guaranteed to reduce my confidence in what I am flying around on.

I don't see what I'm doing that is unfair. I have posted my experience and told why I don't trust them FOR SAFTY ISSUES ALONE.

[Gnorts 0]

CCM would not have put them on there skates if they weren't good. Graf has had them even longer. NHL players do use them. They are for real. I think they are great. Everyone in my area that has them loves them. They can only get better with new holders coming out. AND LETS NOT FORGET THE COLORS! ALL THOSE PRETTY COLORS:) I wear 9-L, they are more stable. I would bet money they are better if someone can invent a test.

[Sticks of Fury 0]

Interesting. I want to see this "Battle of the Blades" end result.

[kornsined 0]

You guys were talking about learning to skate again on t-blades. Here is a reply I got when I asked the same question on CCM last year.

Quote from Hkydog:

The stability issue is due to leverage. The back of the holder is not designed the same way a traditional holder is, it is rounded and does not continue very far passed the heel of the boot. Most skaters will lean back into their skate on a turn that portion of the blade and holder at the back of the skate gives added stability. The Tblade holder and blade is rounded and does not extend after the boot so there is the tendency for the skate to come out from under the skater. Until a skater changes his style of skating this will continue to happen. It is probably why the Graf skates that come equiped with Tblades are some of the most forward leaning skates to compensate and help keep the skater forward.

I've had no issues with adjusting to the t-blades. 5 mins for me and i was good to go. maybe they just suit my style of skating better but no problems for me at all.

[mew1838 0]

I think T-blade is a great innovation, just like the OPS and the Goalie mask. Its takes time for people to accept it

[gavin 0]

I would bet money they are better if someone can invent a test.

They probably are better than traditional blades. But I am so upset about them that I will never ever buy another pair again (don't say I didn't try them!! My wallet is light because I tried them). Further, I am recommending to all who ask me how my "titanium blades" as most people think they are called, to never ever purchase them either. That's just my recommendation.

But you're right, they probably are a better technology.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

CCM would not have put them on there skates if they weren't good.

Yes, CCM thinks so highly of them that they are getting rid of them.

They aren't better. It's a good alternative for those who can't get good conventional sharpenings, but that's about all...

[mew1838 0]

CCM would not have put them on there skates if they weren't good.

Yes, CCM thinks so highly of them that they are getting rid of them.

They aren't better. It's a good alternative for those who can't get good conventional sharpenings, but that's about all...

getting rid of em??