JUST SWITCHED TO GRAFS....

[MINIGREEK 11]

This isn't about the forward pitch everyone asks about btw...Just got into a pair of the 635's after trying on all the different Graf models, these felt amazing. Baked them, had my LHS put on my typical 1/2 sharpening and went to the rink to give them a whirl. ABSOLUTELY loved them, I think the weight being slightly heavier than my previous Bauers actually made me feel more sturdy on the ice (if that makes any sense). My problem is that as soon as I tried to stop, the skates dug in and sent me flying over the bars onto my ass. So I tried again and same thing, they bit into the ice, but would not "shave" the ice like my old skates would when attempting to stop. Is this because of the Graf forward lean? Do I just need to learn stopping on these new skates? Did the guy who sharpened my skates screw up and put a different ROH than I requested? Should I have them resharpened to a 5/8 to give them less bite? Or should I have my LHS put the TUUK holders and steel on these like almost everyone who skates Grafs seems to do? Sorry for all the questions rolled into one Topic, and I swear I searched these forums for answers before creating a new topic so if this is answered elsewhere, I apologize.

Thanks in advance for all your knowledge...

[flip12 717]

I'm guessing here, but I think you're going up in the radius on the contour of the blade, so you have a larger blade to ice contact area and with the 5/8" hollow that you're used to, resulting in the greater bite. I found that, along with Graf's better fit around the forefoot and heel pocket, the longer radius made for a more stable feeling on the ice. Also, I found I liked an extremely shallow hollow with them, from 1" and up, so you may want to jump back a bit to 3/4" or so, just to see if you start to get the edge you're expecting.

[MN old and slow 92]

I am a graf guy. Like the fit on 735s. Skate on 5/8. The weight does not bother me. At 5-11 247 a few grams is not important. The thing with graf is to look closely when buying. First pair lhs brought out had crooked holders 2nd pair good. Do not buy graf on line as the return would be a hassle. General Sports Edina does great job with graf. My 2cents. I have no connection to General Sports , just a long time customer.

Also like the graf 635 glove. Nice price, great fit, old man style.

[boo10 323]

This isn't about the forward pitch everyone asks about btw...Just got into a pair of the 635's after trying on all the different Graf models, these felt amazing. Baked them, had my LHS put on my typical 1/2 sharpening and went to the rink to give them a whirl. ABSOLUTELY loved them, I think the weight being slightly heavier than my previous Bauers actually made me feel more sturdy on the ice (if that makes any sense). My problem is that as soon as I tried to stop, the skates dug in and sent me flying over the bars onto my ass. So I tried again and same thing, they bit into the ice, but would not "shave" the ice like my old skates would when attempting to stop. Is this because of the Graf forward lean? Do I just need to learn stopping on these new skates? Did the guy who sharpened my skates screw up and put a different ROH than I requested? Should I have them resharpened to a 5/8 to give them less bite? Or should I have my LHS put the TUUK holders and steel on these like almost everyone who skates Grafs seems to do? Sorry for all the questions rolled into one Topic, and I swear I searched these forums for answers before creating a new topic so if this is answered elsewhere, I apologize.

Thanks in advance for all your knowledge...

The forward pitch will not cause a severe problem when stopping. It may feel a little strange, but would not cause you to dig in and topple over.

I'd bet money it's a combination of two things:

1) Graf skates have a longer out of the box radius, (11' I think) which results in more blade contact with the ice when stopping.

2) The Sharperner put a 3/8" hollow on your skates because he was too lazy to dress the wheel and figured you wouldn't notice.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Are you okay with what I am guessing is a softer, lower-cut boot compared to your Bauers as well?

[tattoosbyjay 30]

I just switched to grafs myself , and I must say I wish I would have done it from the beginning , for me stopping has been easier in grafs so id have to agree with the person who said it is most likely something to do with the sharpening

[MINIGREEK 11]

Are you okay with what I am guessing is a softer, lower-cut boot compared to your Bauers as well?

I was wearing the 2013 X60s before, a mid-level skate to say the least, so they weren't as stiff as some of the higher end Bauers. These 635's seem to be stiffer than the Bauers, and because of my sweet cankles from years of soccer/hockey/skateboarding injuries, the lower cut boot actually feels amazing.

UPDATE: So I took my new Grafs out for another spin and still had issues with stopping so I know it wasn't just me. I took them to a different Pro Shop to have them check the hollow and make any adjustments. It sounds as if Boo10 nailed, the guy took one look and said there's no way these were done at a 1/2 and suggested that if I was having that much trouble I should consider going up to 11/16 or 3/4. So I had him go 3/4 and they are perfect!!!! I used to get the most heinous foot pain in my last 2 sets of skates and the same pain in my snowboarding boots. I have really flat and really wide Fred Flinstone feet. The pain does not exist in these Grafs, I can finally skate for hours pain free. I can't believe it took me so long to find a skate that fit like this, up until now I just assumed everyone was just dealing with excruciating foot pain while they were in skates. Thanks for all the help fellas, much appreciated!

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Enjoy them! I miss my Grafs, but opted for a lighter alternative. My X:60's were considerably stiffer than my 703's.