Fletch 219 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 That's why it used to crack me up when I saw so many people wearing 727s (before 735 came out) They would complain about the stiffness and lack of protection.I'm so ignorant when it comes to Graf that I don't even understand your joke, lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3804 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 Before 735, nomenclature-wise, 727 was the highest boot. So when it came out, people bought them thinking that it was the best boot Graf had to offer, when essentially it was their 07-50 Cyberflex inline hockey boot with an ice holder on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
duch 0 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 Grafs are IMHO are the best made skates on the market. I do not wear them because of the very aggressive forward pitch that I just can't seem to adjust to. I have teamates who have worn them for several years and they still use them after I've gone through several pairs of other models. I guess I also like a bit of a change every now and then so I haven't invested in a pair of Grafs to date. My next pair of skates will definitely be Grafs however as they will probably be my last pair. If I don't or can't adjust to the pitch over any length of time I'll have them profiled to a neutral contour but at least I'll have a pair of skates that will last me to the end of my very humble hockey career. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fletch 219 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 Before 735, nomenclature-wise, 727 was the highest boot. So when it came out, people bought them thinking that it was the best boot Graf had to offer, when essentially it was their 07-50 Cyberflex inline hockey boot with an ice holder on it.Ouch. Well, their lineup is pretty confusing as far as which skate is the "high-end" model. The casual consumer, they're probably going to go by model number or price and go from there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
english15x 3 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 yea. If I wanted Graf skates. how would I know what to get. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nyrslr21 0 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 You'd talk to someone who knew how to size you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krwwc6 0 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 After reading all the horror stories with customer service and graf, I'd be reluctant to purchase a pair. . . . but the 707 is the only skate that will work with my sore ankles that i've found.I'd be willing to try other skates once my 707's breakdown. . . but i'm not willing to fork over hundreds for skates then end up having the worst pain in the world and not being able to skate. . . so i'm sorta stuckbut i do love my 707's. I've had zero problems Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
english15x 3 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 After reading all the horror stories with customer service and graf, I'd be reluctant to purchase a pair. . . . but the 707 is the only skate that will work with my sore ankles that i've found.I'd be willing to try other skates once my 707's breakdown. . . but i'm not willing to fork over hundreds for skates then end up having the worst pain in the world and not being able to skate. . . so i'm sorta stuckbut i do love my 707's. I've had zero problemswhat kind of skates(or foot) do you have or used. I always wanted to know what kind of graf's are for me. I fit comfy in an easton reg width boot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkStar50 679 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 I never look at my next pair of skates as my last pair. No f'n way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Langenbrunner15 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Tommy Albelin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whbd18 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 After reading all the horror stories with customer service and graf, I'd be reluctant to purchase a pair. . . . but the 707 is the only skate that will work with my sore ankles that i've found.I'd be willing to try other skates once my 707's breakdown. . . but i'm not willing to fork over hundreds for skates then end up having the worst pain in the world and not being able to skate. . . so i'm sorta stuckbut i do love my 707's. I've had zero problemswhat kind of skates(or foot) do you have or used. I always wanted to know what kind of graf's are for me. I fit comfy in an easton reg width boot.I skated in Synergy Skates for three years(3 pairs 1300,1 pair 1500 R Width) and I made the switch to 707's extremely easily. Even the difference in stiffness wasnt that bad after acouple of minutes. Most comfortable skate ive ever been in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TBLfan 25 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 I never look at my next pair of skates as my last pair. No f'n way.The bar keeps getting raised, dont see why anyone would. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJ Thompson94 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 The way I understand it, is that graf is the pro stock skate for the non pro player. A NHL player would get their boot custom fitted exactly to the specs they feel most comfortable in, no matter what company the skate is. Forsberg can go to NBH and they'll make the xxxx to fit like anything he wants but just looks like a xxxx. For retail they make one boot and if that fits your foot, perfect if not your screwed. Graf dealers can adjust any graf to fit you perfect no matter what your feet look like. Feet are not all the same. As far as fit goes I'm really considering going for grafs, but, this is going to sound really F'ed up, but I can't get over how grafs look. They just look too plain. I'm talking my brain in getting Grafs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrafPro55 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 The way I understand it, is that graf is the pro stock skate for the non pro player. A NHL player would get their boot custom fitted exactly to the specs they feel most comfortable in, no matter what company the skate is. Forsberg can go to NBH and they'll make the xxxx to fit like anything he wants but just looks like a xxxx. For retail they make one boot and if that fits your foot, perfect if not your screwed. Graf dealers can adjust any graf to fit you perfect no matter what your feet look like. Feet are not all the same. As far as fit goes I'm really considering going for grafs, but, this is going to sound really F'ed up, but I can't get over how grafs look. They just look too plain. I'm talking my brain in getting Grafs.You summed it up very well, sir. If you order custom Grafs, you can make them look any way you like.Forsberg came from europe wearing Grafs. When the other skate companies started throwing money at him, of course he handed them his Grafs and said "Make them just like this". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3804 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrafPro55 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying...They probably made him just what he needs. A pro dept at any company can make anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattzilla 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying...They probably made him just what he needs. A pro dept at any company can make anything.well apparently its not working well enough and maybe he should go back to what obviously works for his feet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msander 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying...They probably made him just what he needs. A pro dept at any company can make anything.well apparently its not working well enough and maybe he should go back to what obviously works for his feet.What obviously worked for his feet 10 or 15 years ago clearly doesn't work for his feet now. If it did, something tells me he wouldn't have missed a couple of seasons due to foot/skate problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkStar50 679 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying...They probably made him just what he needs. A pro dept at any company can make anything.Why is it that we have no problem hearing from you but as a dealer, getting hold of Graf hockey customer service is so difficult? If I have to call again, should I say I'm Peter Forsberg?I tried to get some Cobra steel on next day air shipping for a customer within the last 10 days. I had to leave a voice mail message at Graf Canada in Calgary, accurately described the size runner and situation with next day air shipping involved. I missed the return call at my desk where the Graf hockey customer service rep just said to try again but no info as to if the size was even in stock!! I left another message but phone tag was not the game I was interested in playing. He never returned my second call about the size or stock situation. Our shop sells a ton of Graf Figure boots(although the two mismatched sizes shipped last week wasn't very funny either) but it's easy to walk away from Graf hockey when getting decent customer service is so difficult.Sorry to hijack the thread but Tyler is on the inside so............. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Law Goalie 147 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Then , if his career was THAT important to him, why didn't he go back? I'm just saying...They probably made him just what he needs. A pro dept at any company can make anything.well apparently its not working well enough and maybe he should go back to what obviously works for his feet.Ain't that simple. The foot problem he has is congenital and degenerative. At base, it won't work in *any* skate: either his foot tears the skate apart, or his foot falls apart inside the skate, or both. If he could just throw on a 707 and call it a day, obviously, he would have, but it's a much more specific and insidious problem.The point is that it took a pro custom skate department that can make anything, god knows how many foot and joint specialists, consultancies with master bootmakers outside of hockey, and additional surgeries to Forsberg himself. It could have been any pro skate guys doing the final work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sikocycles 1 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 I would be in grafs if the toe caps were wider. Cant believe how narrow they are even in the wide skate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jordan 13 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Those toe caps are easily stretched and expanded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrafPro55 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Those toe caps are easily stretched and expanded.If the toecap is a real issue, a larger one can be put on a custom skate. But it is true that a ball press can expand them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
epstud74 24 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 I'm in no way affiliated with Graf, but I do understand that they have several different models for different foot types. There should be a chart in every shop though..It might be helpful to see it on the wall..etc..Graf makes a pretty good skate, but maybe needs to increase the awareness of their products and maybe have better marketing.Totally agree that Graf needs to send out some sort of chart to hang near the skate display wall. I get customers all the time in the shop that are totally thrown because the g3's and the g35's are the same price. "Higher number must mean the skate is better, no?" No sir, graf really doesn't make a top end or bottom end skate. They make skates for different feet. It's pretty confusing for customers.There is a chart, but if you know their models you can spot what model they need by their foot type. I know I did.Understandable, but what I'm referring to is the customer..Not the shop employee. I think the more information customers are armed with, the better off they are. Sure, some guy is going to want Graf 703s cuz his buddy wears them, but has no idea that his foot shape isnt built for that skate, but settles for a larger/smaller width in a 703, even though it still doesnt fit him well volume-wise. I think it would also increase awareness that each of the Graf 700 or Ultra series of skate is top of the line for different foot types. Many consumers have no idea the 600 series even exist. All we see in pro shops are the 700 series, the Ultras and the 301. I think a lot of skaters could benefit from a 600 series skate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tsanga 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 Those toe caps are easily stretched and expanded.If the toecap is a real issue, a larger one can be put on a custom skate. But it is true that a ball press can expand them.Could you describe the procedure? Heat, put on the press, and for how long?Nobody around these parts wants to do this to my Graf toecaps, but I would like to arm a store with some proper info on how to do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites