Euro Grafs

[gopens67 0]

http://cityfans.free.fr/catalogue/graf709gd.jpg

http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~sekiyama/Skate/skt2.htm

Check out some of these Grafs... you think theres any difference in performance versus the North American models?

[Jackal3688 0]

Damn, if my currency calculator is correct, then those vapor 10s on the second page are $518 US dollars. That seems kinda steep I would say...

[Stampeder 2]

Maybe a bit better, now that they're getting sloppy over here.

[kosydar 0]

Great White 705s with Tuuks already installed? Nice.

[gopens67 0]

I know right...

[Dave 1]

I may be biased as I am from Europe, but keep in mind that Graf Switzerland is the mother company that makes the Graf skates for over 20 years. Graf Canada is their young North American branch. So Euro Grafs are by no means anything inferior.

Considering all the bad things I've heard about the quality of Graf Canada skates going to hell, I must say that I have never heard anything similar about Swiss Grafs. My Swiss Graf 705 teclites show absolutely no sign of bad workmanship.

One might only speculate about the reasons for the differences in quality. Graf Switzerland is still familiy-owned by the Graf family. Graf Canda is (AFAIK) largely owned by an investment group. As with many companies owned by pure investors, quality seems to go down once profit becomes a the prime factor.

BTW, it seems easy to tell if a Graf skate was made in Switzerland or Canada: Swiss Grafs have red insoles whereas (I believe) Canadian ones have black insoles.

Hockeyshark

[Dave 1]

Great White 705s with Tuuks already installed? Nice.

My guess is those pics/skates are pretty old. Graf used to offer 705 "pro" with Tuuks (not great whites) in North America in the 90s (I remember epuck had them, yellow laces, too). At some point BNH prohibited Graf from putting Tuuks on their "retail pro" skates.

So these pics on the Jap site must be old. Maybe they still have them in stock since the mid-90s...

[gopens67 0]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEBI:IT

those have red insoles, they dont look euro to me.

[kosydar 0]

My older 705s had reds, but my new 705s have blacks.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Swiss Grafs cost much more than the Canadian ones. I think they all switched to black insoles. Best way to tell is on the outsole, it says where it's made.

[EricG. 0]

All grafs used to have red insoles, because even the ones in north america were made in Switzerland. My last grafs were 703s made in Switzerland, and they actually wore out on me faster and felt less stiff then the ones that I used before them (made in Canada).

[hockeydude2003 0]

I know for a fact that charles graf goes to graf canada for an annual inspection and he says that the workmanship is equal to what he does in switzerland

[gopens67 0]

how do you actually know that for a fact?

[kz471 0]

Great White 705s with Tuuks already installed?  Nice.

My guess is those pics/skates are pretty old. Graf used to offer 705 "pro" with Tuuks (not great whites) in North America in the 90s (I remember epuck had them, yellow laces, too). At some point BNH prohibited Graf from putting Tuuks on their "retail pro" skates.

So these pics on the Jap site must be old. Maybe they still have them in stock since the mid-90s...

The 707 and 705 tecno are Japan Special. They have Tuuk and Japan width. I agreed the Japanese site is old. But the 707 and 705 tecno are available in Japan. You can see both white and black Japan special at:

http://www.sksaitama.com/

[Ranger-#8 1]

are the japanese wodths narrower than north america?

[kz471 0]

are the japanese wodths narrower than north america?

no, it's wider than EE.

[hockeydude2003 0]

how do you actually know that for a fact?

cause i went to the graf plant in calgary and thats what the graf president told us that charles comes out there once a year to make sure that everythings up to par

[Eazy_b97 1]

I don't doubt that he comes there, he may even say that they are equal. However I would think he'd almost have to, it would be bad for buisness if he said the products he's selling over here aren't of the highest quality.

[Chadd 916]

We used to have 705 technos at the shop, the technos were crap.

[kz471 0]

We used to have 705 technos at the shop, the technos were crap.

Sorry, I forgot to explain. 707 and 705 tecno mean white version of Japan special. I know Graf had tecno skates a few years ago.

[hockeydude2003 0]

yeah he does, both graf canada and graf europe work together