TRUE TF9/TF7 skates

[Miller55 333]

39 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

PayPal also offers refund on return shipping on purchases made with paypal. Up to 30 bucks a return , 12 times a year. It's a great feature. Used it quite a bit lately bc of covid 

That's awesome. Ok have to look into that with the twigs I just returned. Thanks

[VegasHockey 1280]

8 hours ago, Miller55 said:

That's awesome. Ok have to look into that with the twigs I just returned. Thanks

I didn't know that. Is that processed automatically? 

[Miller55 333]

1 hour ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

I didn't know that. Is that processed automatically? 

No. You have to set it up on your account and then file a claim within 30 days of the return. 

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns

Details. Hope this is okay to post here. 

[Sniper9 530]

16 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Huh, I didn't know this! Thank you!

At least it is for Canada. Don't see why it's not for the US as well. Not sure where you're all from though. Just Google it and it'll tell you how to opt in. No hidden fees either just a perk to use PayPal. 

[gosinger 122]

So, another day in the TF9, 2nd time on ice, 4h in total now.

After replacing the tongue to the classic VH, ditching the footbed for my Superfeet Yellow, and getting waxed laces there is no significant difference in fit/feel my custom VH/True. The holder/steel took a bit of getting used to (will probably have to go shallower on the hollow), but now I really start to like it. I'm fairly confident on my edges, protection from shots seems good (although no full-on clappers to the side yet), starts and stops feel good, leading a power-skating session today without any issues.

So far I am very happy - I will still do some DIY inserts into the toecap to reduce negative space (moving the tongue forward always created pressure points on the side of the boot) in the toe-cap, but the new TF9 will relegate my custom (2nd hand) True/VH to the backup-skate slot. I think True has a winner in this skate, even if the pricing is not as competitive in Europe as it is in the US/Canada. Even played with the idea of ordering another two sets in the US with that awesome deal mentioned earlier in this thread 😄

[calixguy18 8]

40 minutes ago, gosinger said:

So, another day in the TF9, 2nd time on ice, 4h in total now.

After replacing the tongue to the classic VH, ditching the footbed for my Superfeet Yellow, and getting waxed laces there is no significant difference in fit/feel my custom VH/True. The holder/steel took a bit of getting used to (will probably have to go shallower on the hollow), but now I really start to like it. I'm fairly confident on my edges, protection from shots seems good (although no full-on clappers to the side yet), starts and stops feel good, leading a power-skating session today without any issues.

So far I am very happy - I will still do some DIY inserts into the toecap to reduce negative space (moving the tongue forward always created pressure points on the side of the boot) in the toe-cap, but the new TF9 will relegate my custom (2nd hand) True/VH to the backup-skate slot. I think True has a winner in this skate, even if the pricing is not as competitive in Europe as it is in the US/Canada. Even played with the idea of ordering another two sets in the US with that awesome deal mentioned earlier in this thread 😄

Thanks for the review. Sorry if you've already stated this but what is your foot shape and volume?

[gosinger 122]

50 minutes ago, calixguy18 said:

Thanks for the review. Sorry if you've already stated this but what is your foot shape and volume?

7.5EE in Vapor 1X (always been a Vapor footshape), 7.5R in True, might be able to go down to 7.0 in the True post-bake. Details were posted here.

[VegasHockey 1280]

 

[calixguy18 8]

On 8/12/2020 at 12:25 PM, SkateWorksPNW said:

 

He said pros would be wearing this skate. Did he misspeak? I would think they'd be wearing the customs. 

[althoma1 575]

Well, the TF9s have the same specs as the customs; they're just built on a standard last. I'm sure pros can get specs the average player can't, however; some pros will essentially wear custom TF9s. I don't think any pros would bother with a retail skate unless it was an emergency situation. When you're getting paid to perform your best; custom makes the most sense. 

[krisdrum 233]

I'm so tempted, especially with the fact I fit in a junior skate.  Based on this video, I think the TF7 will be very popular with folks with smaller feet.  The 20gr weight penalty seems more than acceptable for the price, especially in light of what seems like no real penalty on the performance or comfort/fit side of the equation.  For their sake, I am really hoping they are well made and gain market share from the dominant players.

[Miller55 333]

11 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

I'm so tempted, especially with the fact I fit in a junior skate.  Based on this video, I think the TF7 will be very popular with folks with smaller feet.  The 20gr weight penalty seems more than acceptable for the price, especially in light of what seems like no real penalty on the performance or comfort/fit side of the equation.  For their sake, I am really hoping they are well made and gain market share from the dominant players.

Yup, QC is the name of the game here for True. I know a few shops who are not stocking the retails and stopped doing fittings for custom Trues even, just because of how many build issues there were. I'm expecting the retails not to have that issue, but if this first batch winds up not being great, they might have a very tough time overcoming that reputation. They're gonna end up like Easton

[krisdrum 233]

20 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

Yup, QC is the name of the game here for True. I know a few shops who are not stocking the retails and stopped doing fittings for custom Trues even, just because of how many build issues there were. I'm expecting the retails not to have that issue, but if this first batch winds up not being great, they might have a very tough time overcoming that reputation. They're gonna end up like Easton

Yeah, one of our former billets had 2 pair of the customs and said he had nothing but problems.  1 pair was constantly "in the shop" getting repaired.  If memory serves he sent one pair back to them in September or October and didn't get it back until January or February. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

The only reason I haven't already gotten a pair of TF7's is because I'm shut down hockey-wise with the virus.  Specs-wise, its like they went inside my head and extracted what I wanted in a skate.

Mark

[Miller55 333]

7 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Yeah, one of our former billets had 2 pair of the customs and said he had nothing but problems.  1 pair was constantly "in the shop" getting repaired.  If memory serves he sent one pair back to them in September or October and didn't get it back until January or February. 

Yup, heard about this. Issues with the gluing, tendon guards, eyelets, rivets (which are actually common for monocoque boots from what I understand). I just saw on Reddit some guy posted his size 13.5 custom Trues that are so shallow that there's a space on both sides of the tongue where you can see his sock all the way. It's not even close.

My only experience was with pro returns, which I thought were amazingly comfortable, but ended up selling to someone because they were RORs skates and he wanted them so bad. I paid 350 and told him that if he covers the cost of TF9s for me I'll give them to him. That was before I heard about the rebate too lol. I'm gonna go get fitted for then next week at Pure and see. Although, doesn't really seem like there's much of an advantage of the 9s over the 7s at this point. I'm not a drug dealer so 20 grams means nothing to me

[calixguy18 8]

3 hours ago, Miller55 said:

Yup, heard about this. Issues with the gluing, tendon guards, eyelets, rivets (which are actually common for monocoque boots from what I understand). I just saw on Reddit some guy posted his size 13.5 custom Trues that are so shallow that there's a space on both sides of the tongue where you can see his sock all the way. It's not even close.

My only experience was with pro returns, which I thought were amazingly comfortable, but ended up selling to someone because they were RORs skates and he wanted them so bad. I paid 350 and told him that if he covers the cost of TF9s for me I'll give them to him. That was before I heard about the rebate too lol. I'm gonna go get fitted for then next week at Pure and see. Although, doesn't really seem like there's much of an advantage of the 9s over the 7s at this point. I'm not a drug dealer so 20 grams means nothing to me

carbon vs fiberglass boot, clarino vs nylon liner, low profile vs traditional felt tongue, coated steel vs regular. Also more stiffness in the TF9. I ordered my pair yesterday even though I'm shut down from the virus as well!

[krisdrum 233]

32 minutes ago, calixguy18 said:

carbon vs fiberglass boot, clarino vs nylon liner, low profile vs traditional felt tongue, coated steel vs regular. Also more stiffness in the TF9. I ordered my pair yesterday even though I'm shut down from the virus as well!

Sure, there are differences, but I'm wondering how much of an impact they have on the overall skate.  So the TF7 is a little bit: heavier and not quite as stiff.  Is Clarino a significant upgrade from the nylon wicking?  Maybe.  Is the low profile tongue "better"?  Steel is somewhat of a consumable, so not sure coated vs. regular makes a huge difference either. 

Maybe I am way off base, but I have a feeling the TF7 will be the popular choice for the value to performance ratio it provides. 

[Miller55 333]

35 minutes ago, calixguy18 said:

carbon vs fiberglass boot, clarino vs nylon liner, low profile vs traditional felt tongue, coated steel vs regular. Also more stiffness in the TF9. I ordered my pair yesterday even though I'm shut down from the virus as well!

I understand there are differences. Carbon vs fiberglass is the only one that is significant to me. I prefer clarino liner but I'm not particular and I actually prefer the felt tongue on the 7s anyway. Don't care about the steel, so there's not much reason to spend the extra 200. Again, this is without trying them on. I'll try them both on next week and see, maybe there are intangibles to the fit, feel and comfort. But on paper there's not much difference to me

 

[Miller55 333]

9 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Sure, there are differences, but I'm wondering how much of an impact they have on the overall skate.  So the TF7 is a little bit: heavier and not quite as stiff.  Is Clarino a significant upgrade from the nylon wicking?  Maybe.  Is the low profile tongue "better"?  Steel is somewhat of a consumable, so not sure coated vs. regular makes a huge difference either. 

Maybe I am way off base, but I have a feeling the TF7 will be the popular choice for the value to performance ratio it provides. 

Agree with this. Especially when you consider it compared to the other big brand offerings at that price point. And especially for parents with growing kids and teens

[Sniper9 530]

Retails are likely made in China. People knock on things made in China and although there are some pretty shitty quality things coming from China, or dollar store stuff, the products coming from China from big names have pretty good QC. I would imagine the retails look way better in terms of fit and finish. From pics I've seen it already looks way better in terms of stitching, lack of glue residue, etc. 

Attention to detail is definitely something the Chinese are very good at... And reputation. All those factories probably fighting to get the contract to make products for diff companies. 

[calixguy18 8]

6 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Sure, there are differences, but I'm wondering how much of an impact they have on the overall skate.  So the TF7 is a little bit: heavier and not quite as stiff.  Is Clarino a significant upgrade from the nylon wicking?  Maybe.  Is the low profile tongue "better"?  Steel is somewhat of a consumable, so not sure coated vs. regular makes a huge difference either. 

Maybe I am way off base, but I have a feeling the TF7 will be the popular choice for the value to performance ratio it provides. 

I get what you're saying. Value is very subjective and I think a lot of people will see the value gain in going from a $900+ skate to a $600 one. 

From the sound of it (in the IG video), Scott seems to be glowing over the value proposition of the TF7. The hard thing to tell is where the skate falls on the performance spectrum. Is it a beginner skate? Intermediate? 

5 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

I understand there are differences. Carbon vs fiberglass is the only one that is significant to me. I prefer clarino liner but I'm not particular and I actually prefer the felt tongue on the 7s anyway. Don't care about the steel, so there's not much reason to spend the extra 200. Again, this is without trying them on. I'll try them both on next week and see, maybe there are intangibles to the fit, feel and comfort. But on paper there's not much difference to me

 

That's fine. No one is trying to convince you to buy the more expensive one. Just because you don't see the value in it, doesn't mean other people don't. 

[Miller55 333]

4 minutes ago, calixguy18 said:

That's fine. No one is trying to convince you to buy the more expensive one. Just because you don't see the value in it, doesn't mean other people don't. 

Uh... Ok.

 

I just said I don't see the advantage of the 9s over the 7s, and then you tried to point out a list of differences, as if the 9s are better. I responded that those aren't major considerations for me, and then you decided to defend your right to have an opinion... Lol

[krisdrum 233]

13 minutes ago, calixguy18 said:

The hard thing to tell is where the skate falls on the performance spectrum. Is it a beginner skate? Intermediate?

Can you expand on this a bit more?  Not trying to be dense, but I'm struggling with a definition of "beginner", "intermediate", and "advanced" skates.  Is it a stiffness profile?  Is it weight?  Durability of the materials?  Expense of the materials used?  How many times/hours the user will be on the ice a week?

A beginner skater can go out and buy $1000 top of the line skates just like anyone else. 

Now, I'll give you top end skates seem to prioritize stiffness and reduced weight.  Durability?  Maybe.

I have a hard time looking at a 1 piece fiberglass shell with great heat reactivity and calling it "beginner" or even "intermediate".  A 1 piece boot is usually reserved for the very top end skate, if the manufacturer even offers it.  Regardless of the material the boot is made from. 

To my eye, the TF7 provides a lot of bang for the buck, especially when you compare it to what the competition puts out at the same price range.  They may prove me wrong, only time will tell that story. 

[calixguy18 8]

51 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Can you expand on this a bit more?  Not trying to be dense, but I'm struggling with a definition of "beginner", "intermediate", and "advanced" skates.  Is it a stiffness profile?  Is it weight?  Durability of the materials?  Expense of the materials used?  How many times/hours the user will be on the ice a week?

It's all of those things. Generally, a lower tier skate meant for beginners is going to use lower quality/less advanced materials leading to being heavier, less stiff, lower durability, and resulting in lower cost. There are usually price points associated with each tier. 

Here's a more thorough description of the tiers: https://www.icewarehouse.com/lc/skates/how-to-select-an-ice-hockey-skate.html

51 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

I have a hard time looking at a 1 piece fiberglass shell with great heat reactivity and calling it "beginner" or even "intermediate".  A 1 piece boot is usually reserved for the very top end skate, if the manufacturer even offers it.  Regardless of the material the boot is made from. 

To my eye, the TF7 provides a lot of bang for the buck, especially when you compare it to what the competition puts out at the same price range.  They may prove me wrong, only time will tell that story. 

The $300 price point is usually a low to mid price point in other brands so that's why I said it's hard to tell where these skates fall. I didn't say that they ARE beginner or intermediate skates (although they may be), just that it's hard to tell. When you put a product in an established price point, people are going to think it's of similar quality. Maybe some shop owners would know better.

Being a once piece boot doesn't automatically make it premium skate. I'm sure they could make the same once piece shell out of plastic. And fiberglass isn't that special. 

I agree that it seems like the TF7 provides a lot of bang for the buck but who knows.

Edited August 14, 2020 by calixguy18
added link

[Leif 161]

1 hour ago, krisdrum said:

Can you expand on this a bit more?  Not trying to be dense, but I'm struggling with a definition of "beginner", "intermediate", and "advanced" skates.  Is it a stiffness profile?  Is it weight?  Durability of the materials?  Expense of the materials used?  How many times/hours the user will be on the ice a week?

A beginner skater can go out and buy $1000 top of the line skates just like anyone else. 

Now, I'll give you top end skates seem to prioritize stiffness and reduced weight.  Durability?  Maybe.

I have a hard time looking at a 1 piece fiberglass shell with great heat reactivity and calling it "beginner" or even "intermediate".  A 1 piece boot is usually reserved for the very top end skate, if the manufacturer even offers it.  Regardless of the material the boot is made from. 

To my eye, the TF7 provides a lot of bang for the buck, especially when you compare it to what the competition puts out at the same price range.  They may prove me wrong, only time will tell that story. 

I’m only an intermediate skater, but my views have changed as a result of experience. Generally skates for advanced skaters will need to be more comfortable and moisture wicking as the skater will be on the ice for longer each session, and more often, and more durable which often translates to stiffer so they don’t break down so quickly. And yes stiffer means better energy transfer. But honestly in many cases skating lessons would provide more benefit. (Not being rude, that was certainly true in my case.)  A friend went through skates in a year or two. Then he spent a packet on CCM carbon fibre skates that lasted 8 years. I know relative beginners in custom skates. They don’t get sore feet, so why not buy custom? 

I have customs, I’ve often worn them for three hours in complete comfort, they are worth every penny. Doubtless I don’t need the performance. The True TF7 might be a worthy competitor if they are as mouldable as claimed. 

Regarding fit and finish, the recent Trues I’ve seen have looked much better. No globs of glue in sight. Could it be that True are making production more consistent and professional? And if they produce in higher quantities they can invest more in tooling.