Graf G35

[Chadd 916]

Open for review

[LkptTiger 1]

Product: Graf G-35s w/ T'Blades - size 7.0 R

Specs: 5'11"; 150 lbs.; size 10.0 shoe; on ice 4-6 times/week

Inroduction: As many of you may know, up until my purchase of these Grafs in mid-November, I had been skating in Vapor XXs for years. I had only really liked the XXs once they broke down and became "soft" so I thought it was time to move on to a nice, "naturally" flexible boot.

Fit: Wow. I never thought I would ever find a skate that fit my foot better than the XXs. I was wrong. The G-35s actually lock my foot in place a tad better, and feel like they've been made just for my foot before I even get them on the ice once. 10/10

Protection: OW! I might as well be wearing sneakers. Instead of praying the puck hits me anywhere when I step or drop infront of a shot, I'm now usually praying the puck doesn't hit either of my feet. 3/10

Weight: Not bad. Not bad at all. Only slightly heavier than the XXs. Really nice. Not heavy by any stretch of the immagination. 8/10

Blade/Holder: The T-blades are very, very nice. It did take me quite awhile to get used to them, but once I did there was a very real "WOW" factor. I just feel like there is much better bite than with anything else I have ever tried. The only thing I can really complain about is the lack of feel for the ice; in the rare event that I do lose an edge, it's usually pretty tough for me to feel the slipping until the very last second. With the Lightspeeds on my XXs, it was almost like I could feel the problem before it actually started... 7.5/10

Durablity: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The composite outsole is a joke. I've had two pairs of these skates (original purchased pair and a warrantee replacement pair) and both of them have had the same problem: the outsole splits. The splitting starts at the inside of the forefoot then moves across the bottom of the boot to the opposite side. It starts out as cosmetic, but it actually eventually effected the performance of the first pair, and will begin doing the same with the current pair. 3/10

Conclusion: If it weren't for the durability issues, this would be one Hell of a pair of skates. They fit great, and the performance is awesome. Unfortunatly, the outsole falls to shit almost immediately :(

Overall Grade: 7/10

Edited February 10, 2009 by LkptTiger

[mojo122 535]

Graf G35’s

Background - 5'9 180, wide forefoot, regular heel, fairly flat arch.

Introduction

I grew up skating in CCM Super Tacks except for a pair of Bauer Supremes and Supreme 7000’s. This was my very first experience with Graf and really wasn’t sure what to expect.

Fit

My previous skates were Bauer 7000’s that were causing me considerable pain around the ankles despite having been baked and then later punched. I was fitted for a size 7W that gave me a snug fit that I have always preferred, but without any noticeable pain or discomfort. I had them baked, which only improved upon the fit for me. 10/10

Blade/Holder

Mine came with the t-blade system. I did give these blades a chance, but in the end since expert sharpeners are readily available in my area, I had the holders/blades swapped out for Mission Pitch 3 holders/steel and had them profiled to 9’. Maybe not the lightest holders out there on the market, but in my opinion certainly one of the best. N/A

Weight

Certainly not one of the lightest skates around, but not what I would consider to be heavy either. That is, until you skate in them. I applied silicone waterproofer at the beginning and then again on a monthly basis. The more I skated, the heavier they got. It almost seemed like the liners were sponges that refused to dry out. I’ve heard that this has been fixed. However, I’m a little hesitant to shell out another $450 to see if that’s the case. 6/10

Protection

The techlite quarters provided adequate protection for me. Maybe not as protective as my Bauer 7000’s, but I took a few shots off the skates and didn’t find it to be much of a problem. After all, hockey players are tough. 8/10

Durability

Over the 8 months that I used these skates I didn’t notice any durability issues. They remained stiff and supportive. 8/10

Intangibles

These skates represent one of Graf’s top of the line models. The initial fit and finish seemed a bit sloppy, but no different when compared to some other top end skates. However, when the holders/blades were changed out, it was noticed that the outersole was initially drilled for Cobra holders and then elongated to make the t-blade holders fit. In addition, the innersole was separating from the outsole. The rivets of the Mission holder fixed this, but as far as I’m concerned this is totally unacceptable since this is supposed to be a high-end skate.

Conclusion

This was once again my first experience with Graf. I loved the fit of the skate, the forward flex and pitch, and the overall performance. What I didn’t like was the lack of quality control as evidenced by the initial holder installation by Graf and the innersole/outersole separation found during the holder swap. Maybe I just got a skate from a lot with bad liners? Graf needs a hydrophobic type liner for their top end skates. Unfortunately for Graf their impression made was not a good one.

Overall Score 7/10

[Alan 0]

Product: Graf Supra G-35 - Size 8.0 W

Specs: 23 years old, 5'11", 150 lbs , Narrow heel, wide forefoot - On ice a couple of hours per week.

Inroduction: I grew up playing competitive hockey wearing CCM Tacks. I stopped playing hockey after a hockey-related spleen injury and then a non-related knee injury in the summer. I skated every now and then, so I purchased a pair of CCM externo 20's for occasional use. After around 6 years of being out of the game, I got the familiar "itch" to start playing again. I purchased a pair of Bauer Supreme 70's and after a winter and summer season they still did not feel comfortable. The last few games that I wore them, I experienced a lot of pain in my heels and up the back of each calf. I was skating much slower than my ability allowed because of the pain. I was frustrated, so I ditched the Bauers and picked up a pair of Graf Supra G35's for a decent price!

Fit: These skates felt great on my feet once I baked them. My ankles are locked firmly in place and they feel the way a proper fitting skate should feel on my feet. The aggressive pitch from the boot is extremely comfortable after getting used to it. The boot was a bit uncomfortable for the first game, but all other games afterward felt good on my feet. 9/10

Protection: The very first game with these skates, I ended up taking a shot off the foot. Didn't feel a thing. If it was my old Bauers, my foot would have been pretty tender afterward. The tendon guard is also thicker and more supportive than my Supremes. The boot feels lower cut (not sure if it is) but it still offers much more protection than any skate I have ever owned. 9/10

Weight: I think that these skates are a little heavier than the Supreme 70's, but it's almost impossible to tell the difference on the ice. My speed has improved dramatically compared to my Bauers, so weight shouldn't mean too much at all. Speed is all about fit and pitch. The "traditional" materials in this skate make it a little heavier but also more protective than the "newer" material skates. Maybe if these skates were a couple pounds heavier it would make a difference, but a few grams difference between the g35 and other brands does not mean anything. 10 /10

Blade/Holder: I never had a chance to try the cobra holder, as the Tuuk Custom + blade and runner was pre-installed on my skate. I have no complaints with the Custom+ as I have been most comfortable using this holder. I wanted to be on a more neutral stance, similar to the stance of my old CCM's that I am familiar and comfortable with. I did not like the LS2 holder on my Bauers. In my opinion, the C+ is one of the best holders on the market. 9/10

Durablity: Durability is usually an issue with the outsoles separating on these skates. My outsole has not separated. My LHS manager said that it was only with a few sizes that Graf had this problem with, and my pair of skates should be fine. If there is a problem with the outsole, he said that they would be glad to replace them at no cost to me. I'm not too worried at all. The boot on the skate has held up great as well so far. 9/10

Conclusion: Buy a pair of Grafs that fit your foot type and you will never go back to another skate. These are great skates that allow me to utilize all of my skating ability on the ice. Treat them well and they'll treat you well out there on the ice. A great skate.

Overall Grade: 9/10

[Jarick 5]

Graf G35 Skates

Size: 8D

Time Used: 6 months

Reviewer: 5'8 175 lb D/C level rec leaguer

Foot: narrow heel, wider toes/forefeet, slightly flat

Background: I have a very narrow heel and wider forefeet, so skate fit has been a bit of trial and error for me. Initially, I was skating in Vapor XIX 8D's, which were too long (causing the foot to roll around in the boot) and too narrow up front (causing awful cramps). I switched to a pair of Vapor XXV's in 7.5EE, which fit great in terms of length and width up front, and I was able to improve my skating quite a bit. The last several months with the Vapors, I noticed I was losing edges and having problems on tight turns and stops. My local shop said the boots were fine but were still too wide for my heels/ankles, causing the foot to roll around slightly.

I've always wanted to try Graf skates because of the low cut boot, the forward pitch, and the traditional style fit. Between my Vapor skate issues and with a nice tax refund, I picked up a pair of G35's.

Fit: Before buying the Grafs, I had never really had a proper skate sizing. Most of the time a kid who would just grab skates from the back and hand them to me to try on. With these skates, the salesman measured my foot length and width, watched me walk, looked at my arch and heel, and made the recommendation for G35's due to the narrow heel and regular forefoot. He also recommended I go with the smallest and narrowest size possible to fit my ankle/heel, then stretch the boot to accommodate my wider forefeet.

These skates definitely have the narrowest heel of any I've tried on, locking it right into place. The toe cap is a bit short and small, so I ended up going from a 7.5D to an 8D, which didn't affect the heel too much. The forefoot was a bit tight, but I was hoping they'd break in a bit. I had them baked and was fitted for the Sidas heat molded footbeds with the air bladder machine.

After a couple skates, I was getting terrible pain behind the ball of the feet, so I had them stretched a bit in the forefoot on either side of the foot. This took care of the problem right away. I also had some trouble getting comfortable with the lacing as I was feeling the laces bite into my foot, so I swapped the waxed Graf laces for Bauer unwaxed, which are much wider and softer. This has pretty much taken care of all fit issues, and now I can honestly say the foot is locked into place and extremely comfortable.

5/10 before baking and adjustments, 10/10 after

Blade & Holder: I have heard some bad things about the Graf holder and steel and see that many people tend to replace them with LS2's. I did really like the Bauer holder and steel, but decided to give these a fair shake. The holders/steel feel a bit different than the LS2's (stiffer and a bit more brittle if that makes sense), but it's not enough to want to spend all the money to get them replaced.

I believe the initial radius of the skates was 11', which felt way too flat. I also went from a 263mm to 272mm blade, which made them feel a bit clunky. I had them re-profiled to 9', which seemed to help in terms of tight turns and transitions. The skates are also pitched forward compared to the Vapors, and I tried to adjust but ended up having them put on the heels a bit more, which now feels perfect.

The steel does seem to get nicked up easier than the Bauer steel and there's always little rust spots on the sides. I will likely skate on these as long as possible then replace with a higher quality steel like Step Steel.

5/10 before adjustments, 9/10 after

Weight: I have never owned a pair of ultra high end skates, so I'm not familiar with using the lightest models on the market. They do feel heavier than my old Vapors and do make my legs a bit more tired, but I'm more concerned with the fit and on-ice performance than I am with the weight. They don't get any heavier by the end of the game and never seem like they're water logged afterwards. When I take the skates out of the bag to dry, the liner and footbed are never wet, so I don't think they suffer from the same water problems as older skates.

7/10

Performance: These skates are quite a bit different from my old Vapors in terms of fit and features. The holder has more forward pitch, placing you on your toes, but the boot itself also seems to encourage that as well. While the Vapors had a flexible tendon guard, the Grafs have a rigid one that angles forward, forcing you to bend your knees. And the cut itself is a bit lower, which allows me to lace all the way up to the top eyelet instead of skipping one or two. All this translates to me skating more on the balls of my feet and with my knees bent more than I used to. While this is personal preference, for a low intermediate skater like myself these are good habits to build.

The other "performance" feature of the skate is the zero negative space due to the tight fit and SIDAS footbeds, which is a wonderful feeling. The first time I put these on, I was amazed at how far I could lean to either side and really use the edges of the skate.

9/10

Protection: I usually don't take many shots off the feet (I try and get out of the way), but I have taken at least one or two off the boot so far. The only one I noticed was near the midfoot on the top (tongue), which did hurt but didn't bruise. I will say that I took a hard shot off the inside of the foot in my Vapors last November, and I had really bad arch cramps almost every day when I first woke up. Since I switched to these skates, the cramps went away completely.

9/10

Durability: Every Graf owner I've talked to had his skates for many years, so I'm hoping these will last me quite a long time. There are little tears in the finish where pucks have hit, but nothing has caused a problem in terms of structure.

EDIT: I forgot I had an eyelet come out after only a few months on these guys. The shop replaced it for free but I will dock another point because it's a $500 skate and still pretty new.

7/10

Intangibles: Absolutely love the look of the skate...white felt tongues, all black boot, and the little flashy green G logo. By far the most comfortable skate I've tried on or worn with a ton of cushion inside the boot. Received lots of compliments on them as well.

Conclusions: Overall I'm really happy with the skates. I have had to do a good amount of adjustments to get these where I want them, but now they feel amazing. I really like the Graf concept of having multiple fits and also like that Graf is more focused on getting the proper fit and using proper technique rather than worrying about gimmicky features. The only real thing I could see improvement is in terms of weight (they are a bit clunky) and external durability (they get roughed up easily).

Overall 8/10

Edited August 31, 2010 by Jarick

[Scopes 4]

Product:

Graf Ultra G35 Skate - Size 9.5, Felt Tongue with Yellow Super Feet installed.

Time Used:

14 months

Personal Specs:

22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs, regular/wide forefoot, narrow heel, little to no arch. On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey

Background:

My skate history has been simple: CCM Tacks including 752 and 1052 . Once CCM discontinued this line, and it was time to purchase a new pair of skates I decided to give Graf a shot. I went with the top of the line, as I felt this would be a pair of skates that should last me quite some time.

Fit: 9/10

After heat molding these skates, and wearing for a couple weeks I noticed that I was getting cut by side of the boot about 2'' about the talus bone (ankle bump). I had been used to my broken down Tacks with little ankle support, so the new ultra stiff boot was a big change for me. After tightening up the upper part of the boot the problem stopped. The width fits my foot quite well, and being sure that I keep from over tightening the lower half of my laces I have no foot issues with these skates at all.

Protection: 7/10

On defense I take a lot of shots off the feet. The felt tongues are a huge help when taking a puck off the laces, however the sides of the skate leave a little padding to be desired. I have had quite a few bruised feet and ankles as a result of taking pucks, but this is nothing surprising. They are nowhere near as padded as the CCM Tacks, but they also weigh quite a bit less, so sacrifices had to be made.

Blade/Holder: 8/10

The skates came with Graf's stock NT-Lite Ultra 5000 holder and blade system. The forward pitch was a big change for me as a defenseman, skating backwards initially felt quite strange but I had the blades re-profiled to a more neutral pitch and was quite happy with the results. The blade's steel leaves a little to be desired as I noticed they get nicked quite easily, but they do hold a good edge.

Weight: 9/10

For me these skates are plenty light. Moving from CCM Tacks, the Graf boot is noticeably lighter, although not the lightest boot on the market this is most likely due to the traditional materials used in this skate. I have no issues with the weight, but compared to a other brands top end skates it is noticeable.

Durability: 10/10

I have been using these skates for more than a year now and they show no real signs of use other than cuts from other skate blades. I take out the insoles and dry them after each use on the ice and this has seemed to keep up the appearances and functionality. They have retained their ultra-stiffness throughout this time as well, which is nice as you do not have to get used to a floppy boot.

Performance: 10/10

This skate does everything I need it to do. I do not feel like I lose any energy in the boot, and as a stiff boot it still has enough flex when needed.

Intangibles:

The skates look great, a classic skate look: black with white felt tongues. I have found that if on the ice for many back to back sessions, the skate may not dry due to the materials but if you have a semi-heated dry room to store them in it should be no problem.

Conclusion:

As on of the top end skates on the market these skates initially disappointed me. I was expecting to step into a boot that would fit my feet perfectly, was was instead presented with something that cut my foot and was a pain to use. After correcting my lacing technique and changing the pitch of the blade I was much happier. These skates were my first experience with Graf and all things considered I am happy with them. The skates are prone to cuts, because the outer is Graf`s leather like material, but that`s just part of hockey.

Final Score:

8.5/10