stevelknievel 51 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 i just picked up a pair of the new 4ks with the pump. does anyone else have these or have any opinions on them? i know theyre not the greatest skate out there but im just now getting into drop ins and will only be able to play a couple times a week Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thehomez 0 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 i just picked up a pair of the new 4ks with the pump. does anyone else have these or have any opinions on them? i know theyre not the greatest skate out there but im just now getting into drop ins and will only be able to play a couple times a weekSorry to say that I don't have any particular info on the 4k but I purchased the 5k's a few months ago and am very very happy. I'm a big guy 6'4" 210lbs and heard multiple times that the skate won't be stiff enough etc etc but so far so good. I know the skate is still new but they felt a bit stiff at the start and still feel the same way. Took a couple of weeks to break them in even after having them baked, initially was getting some deep blisters but now they are just as comfy as my sneakers. The other thing that I would add is that coming from Nike's with a TUUK holder the Pro E holder on the RBK's is a different feel. Since the old TUUK's put you a bit on your heels and the RBK holders are more neutral or forward lean, I initially felt like I was about to fall on my face. But I got used to this after a few skates. Now I love them and couldn't be happier. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the skates or the holders and I'll try to helpBTW welcome to the forum! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevelknievel 51 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 thanks man! this might be a stupid question but the skates actually fit me great except for the forefoot area on ones a little snug. my issue is that i took the blow dryer to it for about 5 or 6 min and the glue that holds the boot to the bottom (i guess reinforcement between the holder and the boot) looks like its kind of pulling off at the edge of the boot. is this normal? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thehomez 0 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 thanks man! this might be a stupid question but the skates actually fit me great except for the forefoot area on ones a little snug. my issue is that i took the blow dryer to it for about 5 or 6 min and the glue that holds the boot to the bottom (i guess reinforcement between the holder and the boot) looks like its kind of pulling off at the edge of the boot. is this normal?Glad it was of help. And to answer your question regarding the outsole and heating. The first thing I would warn you about is heating the boot while the air bladders are pumped up, make sure you completely empty them before heating of any sort as the bladders are sealed using a heat sensitive glue, so to prevent leaks and failure make sure they are empty. Next regarding the tightness in the forefoot, I think you should wait on messing with the boot at first and skate on them about 4-5 times. It might bother you initially but after a few skates they should break in. If not, then you have the option of having them punched out at that one particular point at a local hockey store. They basically put pressure using a machine and tools on that one particular area of the boot that bothers you and it expands it a bit, my guess is that if the forefoot is bothering you heating won't really help given that there isn't much heat sensitive padding up there, most of that is in the ankle area and area surrounding the pump. And finally, the outsole of your boot sounds like it may be peeling off of the boot a bit. It shouldn't really be a problem considering you will weight it down when you use them and that should push it back together. But it does sound like you might be doing some damage with your heating process and the blow dryer. It may be unevenly heating the boot and causing some parts to get too hot causing the separation. Not sure if they use heat sensitive glue there or not but heating it can't help. And when i first got my 5k's there was a small gap there as well, about 2mm's so if yours is that small too that shouldn't be an issue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andysly 1 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 I agree with everything thehomez said. I also have the 5k and I am also a bigger guy (6ft, 208 lbs.). One other thing I will add - the boot of the 5k (and I assume the 4k) is some sort of fabric rather than composite material. Therefore, it is more susceptible to cuts and abrasions from pucks or skate blades. I used a 2 part epoxy (get the 8 hour type instead of the 2 hour) to repair any cut areas before they got really bad. The epoxy hardens into a hard plastic-type covering and should protect your boots well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevelknievel 51 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 thanks for the help guys! i made sure i deflated the pump before i did anything with the blow dryer and the gap is about 2 mm as well so itll be alright. and thanks for the tip for the boot! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thehomez 0 Report post Posted June 19, 2009 I agree with everything thehomez said. I also have the 5k and I am also a bigger guy (6ft, 208 lbs.). One other thing I will add - the boot of the 5k (and I assume the 4k) is some sort of fabric rather than composite material. Therefore, it is more susceptible to cuts and abrasions from pucks or skate blades. I used a 2 part epoxy (get the 8 hour type instead of the 2 hour) to repair any cut areas before they got really bad. The epoxy hardens into a hard plastic-type covering and should protect your boots well.Great tip Andysly. I haven't had any cuts on my boot yet but I definitely see what your saying. Do you think the cut would just keep expanding if you don't epoxy it? And are there any negative effects of using epoxy on the boot?And to the original poster glad we could help. Hope you love the skates! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andysly 1 Report post Posted June 19, 2009 I epoxy'd one spot about 1 week after I bought the skates - first time on the ice with them I caught someone's skateblade in the side of the boot. The threads that make up the boot were cut a little and had frayed. The epoxy stopped it from fraying any more. And no negative effects from the epoxy yet. That was 3-4 months ago.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thehomez 0 Report post Posted June 20, 2009 I epoxy'd one spot about 1 week after I bought the skates - first time on the ice with them I caught someone's skateblade in the side of the boot. The threads that make up the boot were cut a little and had frayed. The epoxy stopped it from fraying any more. And no negative effects from the epoxy yet. That was 3-4 months ago....Thanks. Definitely the way to go then. Your right that the frayed ends would just keep extending. Thanks again for the info Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
