Marsblade I2 Holder?

[VegasHockey 1280]

I know they have a pretty aggressive sale going which could mean either really good or bad things for the holder. I tested the previous generation holder and while it felt decent I disliked how heavy and overly stiff the holder was. Overall I was not impressed. 

Has anyone used the new holder extensively?

Good? Bad? Meh?

[sturdy22 28]

My son, 16 playing 18AA, and I have both versions. My son loved the first version and likes the second version more. The I2 has a better build, blade release and is made from material similar to Tuuks and CCM holders.

The first edition was great just a clunky/heavy design. I like the I2, but I have had problems dialing in my profile. This is not a holder issue, it’s the guy who’s doing the profiling and the fact that I’m just not on then ice as much anymore after 40 years of playing.

I was considering buying another set of steel and starting over. So getting the holder and steel for $89 + shipping is a tempting offer.

Edited October 27, 2022 by sturdy22

[krisdrum 233]

Yep, I'm gonna pull a nearly 2 year old, 2 post thread back from the dead.

Been seeing the I2 "club" ads on social media and has piqued my interest for my 14U son, especially with what looks like a growing roster of junior and D1 young studs adopting the tech.

Anyone have long-term impressions based on extensive use of these over the last 2+ years?

[krisdrum 233]

No one else is using or has experience?  Is it just too fringe a product?  

[Westside 232]

A guy on my team has been using the i2 on his SVH skates for the last 1.5 years. He seems to really like them, but I haven't had a more in depth conversation about the them since he originally had them installed.

[maestro 1]

On 9/25/2024 at 9:50 AM, krisdrum said:

No one else is using or has experience?  Is it just too fringe a product?  

I just ordered a set to try out after seeing the discounted price and refunded mounting offer. Got them last week, mounted them and picked them up this morning. Unfortunately the shop butchered the mount job and one holder is off center. My next ice time is Tuesday night, so I'm hoping it's fixable before then. I'll update on my first impressions if it can be resolved by then. 

[maestro 1]

I got out for a quick skate this morning. I was coming from a 263 Lightspeed holder with ls4 steel, stock radius but probably even shorter due to years of sharpening (standard ⅝). I swapped to a 272 i2 with DLC steel on a ¾ hollow.

I started with the 23 radius insert.  With that one it felt like I was really planted, which is probably due to the longer steel and 11' radius.  Straight line speed felt better, but edges felt a little too locked in. 

With the 20 it felt much better and a bit more similar to my old skates. Speed was still good, stability was great, and edges felt locked but not too stuck. 

17 I started to feel the rocker more.  Still felt fast on the straight aways, but edges were looser. 

14 felt really nice on the edges, and was a bit more "squirrelly" feeling. Less tracked when going in a straight line. 

My skating style (more power/straight line than agile/quick) felt best with the 20', so I'll start with that. I can see the benefits of the 17 as well, so I'll maybe test them both out tomorrow during gameplay. 

I was definitely second guessing/overthinking if one blade was pulling due to the botched mounting job, which I had a second shop "fix".  I'm not sure if that was just in my head though.

Overall they feel pretty good. I only spent about 20 minutes on them, so I'll have to update once I play a game with them. I'm the kind of person who likes to have stuff to tinker with, so that aspect of it appeals to me. For the average player who just wants to toss on their skates and go, I'm not sure they would see the benefit of the upgrade. I will post another update in a couple of days.