The PITCH holder idea

[wickedwrister 0]

While the actual holder might be of high quality, I think the whole idea of the PITCH system is a gimick. As stated before, if you are not happy with the stock radius of the steel you already have a strike againt you. Now you are spending almost as much money as if you got the pitch corrected by your LHS. Yes, if you have no experience with pitch correction this might be a fairly good way to experiment to get you in the ballpark but then what? Now you have a specialty blade that you are going to leave in one position anyway and eventualy after umpteen sharpenings over the course of a year you are going to have to have it re-radiused and re-pitched anyway. If you are going after the S500 or whatever boot is attatched to it than so be it, but the rest still seems like a gimick. The holder might be around for a while, but I don't see the rest lasting. Anyway, my 1 3/4 cents :) .

[GekigangarIII 0]

As stated before, if you are not happy with the stock radius of the steel you already have a strike againt you. Now you are spending almost as much money as if you got the pitch corrected by your LHS.

That can be said about ANY steel on any holder. You might not like the stock radius of a tuuk, etc. Actually, everything you said about the pitch could be said of any holder/steel.

The point is it allows you to change the pitch of the skate at will. Without having to go to a shop and have it cost you money. People might find they like a different pitch better and not have to worry about trashing their blades to do it. I really don't see any DISadvantage to it at all.

Bottom line is, it works, and it works well.

[Chadd 916]

It's a great selling tool for the skate. No extra cost and you can adjust the pitch from a Graf to a Bauer Supreme. Or for people replacing broken holders, not to mention it matches up to old Tuuk and current Easton holder holes.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

I think I expressed my thoughts in the first post.

And I think Geki refuted your post ;) Do you buy a skate for the radius the blade has?

[wickedwrister 0]

I see your point, but...... I skate a Bauer right now. I have had Grafs and CCMs too. Once I found what I liked, it turned out to be different than all of them as bought stock. Bauers were too far back on my heels and Grafs too far forward. CCMs were close, but I don't like an 11' radius. I think had I never been exposed to all of this radius and pitch stuff I would not be so neurotic about it :o ! Whatever I buy now has to be a custom grind anyway so I guess that's why I don't get the whole Pitch System thing. For me, it's just giving you 3 stock type leans that I would have to change anyway. To each their own I guess.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Actually CCM is a 10'.

I understand what you are saying, and I am not saying that PITCH is the solution for everyone, however, based on my demographics (which is the majority of the market) PITCH allows the skater to try something they have never tried before.

Not every hockey player is like the ones here on MSH. Most guys just get their equipment and go.

[jimmy 194]

Wickedwrister is right on the money!

I credit Mission for bringing "pitch" out in the open. However, their holder only works until it is sharpenened a few times, then after the actual pitch is unknown. The only true way to know your pitch is to have a qualified skate sharpener do it on the steel. I too agree the pitch holder will disapear in a year or two.

One radius and two pitch adjustments is only a fraction of what is available, e.g., custom radius's. Some of my customers have tried several different radius with varying pitch adjustments till they got what felt right for them. There are just too many variables. Some have 2 degree toe down, others .5. The Mission Pitch holder is good, but doesn't offer enough choices.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

By that logic, you can say that about any holder.

But what differentiates PITCH from the others, like I said before, it brings the whole pitch idea to people who otherwise would have not tried it.

I personally do not see it as a gimmick and I do see it having staying power.

[jimmy 194]

All I'm saying is why tease someone with just a couple of options, that may be altered after the first sharpening.. Don't get me wrong, the Mission holder with a couple of adjustments is hands down better than other holders, but it wouldn't be my choice if I was a seriouss skater who wanted optimal performance.

[jimmy 194]

As I said, it is better than nothing but, my problem is still, the skater dials in # 1 setting and thinks he's got a toe down pitch, however, the guy who gave him the "free " sharpening with skate purchase, altered the steel right out of the box. The poor skater doesn't have a clue what he has and is fumbling around dialing in stuff that's not doing anything. Nothing wrong with the holder, just bad skate sharpeners who make it useless.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

I fail to see why you keep on making that point. Yes, ANY bad sharpening can alter the radius and pitch on ANY blade. You went with agreeing with wickedwrister that it was a gimmick to "it doesn't offer enough options" now to "it's better than nothing." WHICH would be what everyone else has been trying to say. By no means I ever said it was the end-to-be-all solution for everyone - but it's a start. Let's just leave it at that.

[estovlo2 0]

I personally love my pitch holders. It was cool being able to try out different settings, but I settled on -1 since I was a Supreme guy before.