Mission L7 Skates

[phomp 0]

I have had these skates for about a year or so.. the blades on these things are horrible for me so far and Im considering buying a new skate. The thing I like about these is that they are narrow and offer good ankle support which is what I need. So If I could swtich from these blade/blade holders to the nike/bauer one or even TBlades I would. Otherwise these are going and I guess I will be on the market for some new skates.

Anyone?

[Oberon 0]

Why you would want to switch out the Pitch holder is beyond me, but, I guess it really is all PP. Tuuk Custom+ will match up with the holes, Lightspeed will not, and I have no clue about TBlades (but I doubt it).

Out of curiosity, why don't you like the Pitch holders?

[phomp 0]

Well I was at my LHS and they said they can put in Tuuk's and T-Blades.

They also told me a lot of people come in with missions and take out the pitch holder & blades and exchange them for Tuuk's.

I do not know what it is about them I do not like (minus the blades not being very durable, They have these spots in them that I can not sharpen out and I have no idea why they are like that) but when I had the Tuuks I found that my skating was a lot better, my cross overs were a lot more narrow. The thing about that though, was when I was in my Bauers they did not offer enough ankle support for me and why I switched.

That is why I like the L7's. They offer great ankle support. But they are quite wide.

So im thinking of either just waiting a bit and getting into some new skates. (I would love to try the one 90's but can not afford that right now =/) Or putting on some Tblades or Tuuk's. Just want to compare the 2.

[B-Nads 0]

Well I was at my LHS and they said they can put in Tuuk's and T-Blades.

They also told me a lot of people come in with missions and take out the pitch holder & blades and exchange them for Tuuk's.

I do not know what it is about them I do not like (minus the blades not being very durable, They have these spots in them that I can not sharpen out and I have no idea why they are like that) but when I had the Tuuks I found that my skating was a lot better, my cross overs were a lot more narrow. The thing about that though, was when I was in my Bauers they did not offer enough ankle support for me and why I switched.

That is why I like the L7's. They offer great ankle support. But they are quite wide.

So im thinking of either just waiting a bit and getting into some new skates. (I would love to try the one 90's but can not afford that right now =/) Or putting on some Tblades or Tuuk's. Just want to compare the 2.

Blade not durable? The Pitch has some of the best steel you can get. I would hate to think your LHS guy is giving you a story to create business - the guy who does my skates told me he does quite a few changes involving Pitch3 holders - but always the opposite - removing the og holders and installing Pitch. You might want to take into consideration that your Missions probably have a very different profile than the Bauers you are accustomed to.

[daca 0]

weird to hear this, as it goes against everything i've ever heard about Pitch 3s.

[Drewhunz 3]

Are they 296's?

[The Stranger 0]

Pitch and T'blades don't line up. I had my T'blades replaced with Pitch and new holes had to be drilled.

[ktang 34]

If you had tighter turns with Tuuks, maybe you can reprofile your Pitch 3 blades with a smaller radius. I think it would be much less expensive.

[hunterphfr 12]

Man I love my pitch 3's, on my 110 xps.

[DamnLocust 0]

if you haven't already, try putting the pitch at -1. they should feel a bit more like your tuuks (custom+ anyway)

I'm not sure of the radius on the pitch vs. the tuuks, but it's definitely an option if they're not the same.

can you elaborate on the spots that you can't sharpen out? are they nicks? rust spots? other discolorations, i.e. burned blades? none of those would be the fault of the holder/steel.

[Chadd 916]

I do not know what it is about them I do not like (minus the blades not being very durable, They have these spots in them that I can not sharpen out and I have no idea why they are like that)...

Whoever is sharpening your skates is not doing them properly

[phomp 0]

thanks for all the info.

I will try putting them at -1 before I change them off. To be honest, I do not go to the same place to get them sharpened every time. I have used Dukes, National, Rinx arena, and the Powerade Arena (GTA area).

Now, I asked 2 of the stores if they are changeable they said yes. That being said neither of them carry mission. But they both told me they change them often for Tuuks.

Who knows

[B-Nads 0]

thanks for all the info.

I will try putting them at -1 before I change them off. To be honest, I do not go to the same place to get them sharpened every time. I have used Dukes, National, Rinx arena, and the Powerade Arena (GTA area).

Now, I asked 2 of the stores if they are changeable they said yes. That being said neither of them carry mission. But they both told me they change them often for Tuuks.

Who knows

They're all changeable - you'll just have to drill the footbed to allign the holes in the holders. It sounds to me like you have a couple things going on.

First off, and correct me if I'm wrong here, you said your Bauers were a looser fitting boot. If you are lacing right up to the last eyelet in the L7's, you are probably losing a great deal of ankle mobility compared to the Bauers, which would definitely affect your skating - especially given the deep, sticff, narrow last of the L7 skate.

Second, as has been suggested here, the rocker of your blade is probably different. Mission designed the P3 holder to allow an approximate adjustment of Pitch to match Bauers (heal pitch), CCM (neutral), and Graf (forward pitch). This doesn't take into the consideration the natural pitch of the L boot itself, which will influence the overall adjustability of the skate pitch. You must also consider that the rocker of the Pitch steel is not uniform throughout the size chart on Missions. Smaller boots have the 9' radius of the Bauer line, then it goes to 10' at a size nine or so, then 11' in the larger skates - Chadd or JR could give the exact numbers.

From my very unprofessional POV, I would suggest your difficulties stem from a combination of a different fit boot, a blade profile you aren't accustomed to, and shotty sharpenings. As suggested, set your holder at -1, find a reputable sharpener and go back there religiously - perhaps have your radius adjusted to match your Bauers, and try skipping the top lace if you don't already do so. You might want to hold off on the radius change, however, as most people I know who swithced to P3 equipped Mission skates did not take too long before they had made the transition from -1 to +1, swearing they would never go back to a heal balanced skate again.

[Engine37 0]

I am really quite shocked to read that you are having issues with your L7s. I got my L7's about 8 months ago, and I could not be happier. I have been absolutely thrilled with the Pitch3 holders and steel (and the boot too!). The steel is very durable, as is the holder (I've taken more than my share of shots off the blade and holder and haven't had a single problem).

You should follow the advice above. I would recommend to try changing 1 factor at a time, though. For example, try skipping the top eyelet when you lace them up....then try adjusting the blades to -1. If you change several things at once and then try them out, you won't know how each factor affected the skate.

Best of luck to ya. I'm interested to see how it turns out for you, because as I said, I have not been able to say a single negative thing about my skates in the 8 months I've had them. If all else fails, and you're still having issues with your steel, try ordering replacement blades from Mission. They would be a lot cheaper than new skates!

[bubber27 0]

thanks for all the info.

I will try putting them at -1 before I change them off. To be honest, I do not go to the same place to get them sharpened every time. I have used Dukes, National, Rinx arena, and the Powerade Arena (GTA area).

Now, I asked 2 of the stores if they are changeable they said yes. That being said neither of them carry mission. But they both told me they change them often for Tuuks.

Who knows

Phomp,

Sounds like your in around the Mississauga area. Hit Sports Unlimited in Brampton, Westwood Arena or either Just Hockey location for a better skate sharpen.

National has the part time kids sharpening your skates, and the Powerade guy is just lazy. But Rinx has to be the absolute WORST place to get your skates sharpened. You'd be better off taking your skates outside and grinding them along the concrete girders in the parking lot.

Phil

[duch 0]

I second Sports Unlimited. I'm in Brampton and no one else touches my skates but them. Never had a problem with them and the guy working there is very courteous and honest with you. They really know their stuff. Only other place I find as good is Dukes on Bloor St in Etobicoke.