... and we thought that starting our daughter on skating, would have been a simple after school activity choice 🤷🏻‍♂️

"The toe pick serves an important function on your skates..." Tripping beginners and building character?

I recently switched to the 7’ John Wilson Coro Aces when I upgraded by kit from the stock Jackson Elle’s. Jumps and speed have been come pretty naturally to me as a gymnast/dancer/skier/weightlifter but oof I was struggling with footwork and SPINS. The 7’ rocker helped jumped me forward a couple test levels in a couple weeks. At my age (32) I can’t imagine ever going back to the bigger rocker

It is awesome. As a hockey player, this is the first time I have learned so many parameters and jargon of a figure skate blade. Thanks a lot.

Thank you so much for these clear and brilliant explanations Julia!!! This is so helpful! Now I know which blades I'm gonna choose next, I was hesitating between two types. Greetings from Finland 😊⭐

This really helped me! Im so glad you masde this video for us! 😁

Wonderful information. I’ve been skating with traditional MK Gold Star blades since I began skating 30y ago. I love them. One thing to note, if you change to a different boot manufacturer, the size of your blade may change. It may take some time to get acclimated to the new blade size.

Thanks Coach Julia. I am the only person at my rink that has MK Pro blades. I have had them for over 25 years I love them. Now I know why. Im drop the Great White North, but now live in Virginia. So many women wear other type blades. I am often asked what blades I use & why. I will pass that info onto the young ppl that ask. Thanks for breaking it down. Thanks for your videos.

Thank you! Just in time as I’m looking for new blades!

Fabulous video and the details you provided are outstanding. I'm curious if you have a blade suggestion for someone doing Moves in the Field only.

I’m getting a bonus from work next month and I was thinking about treating myself to some new blades so this video couldn’t have come at a better time!😊 I wear the Risport electra boots at the moment with an edea rotation blade but I would like to upgrade and get a blade with a 7’ rocker. Also, I skate in Sheffield, where the steel for your blades comes from😆

this is so helpful!!! thanks coach julia :)

Wonderful information. From here I will go to the MK Blade offerings.

Thank you so much. My girls and I need to get new skates. This information helped a lot to understand what to get. Now, we just need to ch prices for us (adult for me doing the beginner jumps and my daugters that are younger working up on their jumps).

Great explanation! Love my MK Goldstar, other than Coronation Ace for figures, all I ever skated in. Had a little sticker shock buying the new ones! 😂

Love this video and wish I knew this before. However, got the coronation ace lite blade and I'm loving it.

Dear Coach Julia, as you said in another video: you can 'overboot', but you can't really 'overblade'. My coaches used to recommend MK Prof even for newbies, so I started right away on them with my very first swizzles as an adult skater (~50yo). I just ended my second full season on ice. Currently I can spin an bit on one foot, do decent F/B O/I edges, FO 3s, FI Mohawks and - with a little help - FI 3s and little hops and waltz jumps (btw thanks a lot for the tutorials, they are a great addition to the instructions I get from my coaches). For obvious reasons I can't compare my blades to other ones than the very simple leisure versions, but what I can say is that after the general process of getting used to proper skating blades (and boots), I feel pretty confident on them. Maybe it would have taken 1-2 months less to feel stable on my edges, but switching from 8ft to 7ft might have taken up the same time to reajust - and I saved the extra money for beginner blades I'd have used for max. 2 years. Long story short: Listen to your coach and don't be afraid to chose a more advanced blade if they recommend them for you. Spend that money on individual coaching instead. 😉

Very informative, thank you sooo much! Now I just need to know what I want in my skating to choose the right blade. I'm an adult begginner so I don't need the 3 or 4 rotation blades. I currently have an Aspire XP and don't like them so much. I'm often on my picks and have trouble finding my sweet spot. With this information, I think I need a 7ft rocker, parabolic blade style, and crosscut pick.Never thougt it was so difficult to choose a blade ;)

Side honing is just a gimmick. The way the blades are rust protected ends up ruining the effect, so there's actually no real difference (other than the blade being harder to maintain/sharpen). Tapering can have a slight effect, although chances are your sharpener ends up making more impact on that effect when they're sharpening the blade (and you better pick someone who knows what their doing or you ruin your blade right there). If I had to sharpen my own blades, I would surely go for a parallel blade, lol. But again: No big difference. One thing I'm not sure if you covered, is the _stanchion_ height. That actually does make some difference, and there's some big differences between blades there (that is, how tall the blade is, as in a Gold Seal is much higher than a Pattern 99). Obviously, the biggest thing is whether you're going to freestyle or dance. There's really no "beginner blades" for your "axels" and whatnot. Higher price (typically) just comes with better quality (and perhaps some gimmicks). What I would suggest, is that you pick a blade and find one that you like, and stick to it. *In short: If you like to have stability and an aggressive curve at the front of the blade for your spins, go for Gold Seal/MK Pro, if you don't want that, go Coro Ace/P99. And if you want something in between, go Phantom. That's about it!* Oh, and another thing I'm a bit annoyed about is the way manufacturers give the "rocker" radius: 7'' or 8'' "rocker radius"? Absolutely meaningless compared to the SPIN-rocker (here called "secondary rocker" like JW calls it as well). That's what actually makes a difference, wayyyyy more than the 7'' or 8'' "main" rocker. At least in my opinion. Gold seal rocker is (by specs) 12'' and starts nearest to the toe picks. Phantom is 17'' and starts further back. P99 is 12/27'' and starts furthest to the back (which means, Gold Seals are actually much more "stable" compared to P99s, because that 8'' rocker is actually much longer on a Gold Seal, than a P99. Oh, and most other manufacturers (like Jackson) that say something like "Gold Seal profile" actually have a blade profile closer to a P99 (although they don't say that and...basically lie to the consumer). So, if you're thinking those, you're really getting a blade closer to a P99, so keep that in mind. Aaand as a last note: Toe pick shapes don't matter, whatsoever. Just my two cents!

That was so informative thank you!!! My skate fitter never really explains everything to me. Also, where did you get those lovely wall flowers in your background??

Thanks for your work, teaching and everything!! A++++videos!! I’m updating my self!! Where are the Phantom Special?? XD

Perfect!!! I need this video- looking to buy new skates (boots and blades) this week and I’m freaking out!!! 😅

I have been so confused about the blade specifications and their properties. (Unfortunately the company website doesn’t explain enough for a curious newbie like me to understand how the technologies work) Thank you so much for sharing! This is indeed very beneficial. Will definitely incorporate this into my selection for new boots and blades as my Jackson Freestyle is now a year old with a bit bent ankle and the blades had lost too much metal to sharpen it again (per pro shop’s staff comment). One question: what are the main differences between MK and JW blades?

Could you tell us more about the differences between the normal and lite versions? Have you try them? Or your students have tell you about it? Next month I’m going to buy a mk professional and did some research on them, in many forums they say that the lite version loses its edge extremely quickly, and that they are much more slippery. They prefer the normal ones, although for me the lite ones look prettier haha, do you have any thoughts on them? 🤗

I'm skating on JW Coronation Aces. My dream blade is the MK Gold Star traditional blade.

Power has never been a problem for me so I really wanted to try the 7' rocker, but it's definitely been a huge learning curve for me 💀

Hi Julia I really enjoyed your in depth analysis

Hi Coach Julia, can you also please include a video discussing the hollow? For example, my coach recommends for me a 7/16 hollow on my current blades (also MK gold star), but my previous paramount blades had a 1/2 hollow, and I felt like they had more bite/grip on the ice, but were harder on turns. Thanks for this very informative video!

Thank you for this super helpful video! I’ve heard that MK is preferred on the West Coast whereas where I am on the East, we prefer John Wilson.

Thanks Coach, I thought picking a t-blade was tuff. Nice ring!!

So helpful thank you! How do I know which length/size of blade to get? I’ve only skated with the pre fitted blades that came with my skates a year ago and I’m struggling to get my spins as my blade is 8 inch and super flat/beginner.

The blades on that pair of thrift shop skates from the late 60s /early 70s were MK.. I only discovered this as I professionally sharpened them.. now after the season is over and I can't find an open rink, I bought some new modern skates, second hand, Edea Concerto.. but now I have to look for a nice set of 9 3/4 MK blades to replace the generaric blades on these skates I haven't even tried.. also my MK blades that are older have a different form than the modern ones.. so I am worried about the timing I need to adjust when I finally get ice time. Thank you for your information and inspiration.

Hi coach Julia. Do you have any suggestions on beginner ice dance blades?

I am using Jackson Ultima Matrix Supreme. Its similar to Gold Seal but I think it is a bit lighter and last really long. Nice vdo always!

Hey, awesome video! Do you think you could do a tutorial for a sit tuck and a camel catch foot spin in the future? Greetings from Germany

I went from a coronation ace to a coronation comet then the MK phantom. Life really changed when i switched to the John Wilson Gold Seal. There’s a reason why most Olympic gold medalists going back to the 70’s wear the Gold Seal Boitano Yamaguchi Baiul Gordeeva Grinkov Nathan Chen Yuna Kim To name a few. Also, Carolina Kostner who once skated on Matrix blades, switched to the MK gold star Rev blades. She skated on them for a while. One off season she went to Gold Seals. I remember her in an interview saying she could not believe what she missed out of for so many years. You can see how much lighter , quicker and precede but effortless her skating was and consistent afterwards Also, another skater that skated for years on a MK Gold star but switched to Gold Seals was female pairs champion Winjing Sui. Chinese pair girls usually skate in the gold star and the man the gold seal. She switched and NEVER went back. Also, for those of you that like the skating lesson, years back John Wilson let dave and Jenny try the GS. Jenny was an old school Pattern 99 girl and like all of us had to adjust to that rocker but they documented it on camera. Hope this helps

What do I ask for when I get one of these sharpened? Also I’m learning my one foot spin and I’m having trouble going from my spin entrance to actually spinning, it’s like my blade gets caught on the ice and prevents me from spinning, (not the toe pick, but the edge of the blade) i have a jackson blade with a half inch cut and a slight concave, or the “standard” cut and nothing else fancy. Its a very beginner blade and trying to do my waltz jump on it is hard.. what blade do you recommend for me

Great video and super helpful. I am just confused about one thing: you say you have never skated in a parabolic blade, but the MK Gold Star blade is listed as parabolic on their official website. Maybe they've changed something? When you show the MK website at the end it also shows the blade listed as parabolic (as opposed to the MK Professional and other blades which are standard parallel type). Maybe you have been skating on a parabolic blade without realizing it? :-)

I have skated on Aspire XP blades with an 8ft rocker, for several years now. I learnt as an adult, and have been skating for just over 10years in total. I'm not on my second pair of XPs but other people rave about the Coronation Aces, and have been wondering lately if they might be an option for my next pair of blades 🤔, I'm concerned about switching rocker size a bit though. I'm only doing single jumps at the moment, but I do have a pipe dream of being able to axel, maybe, and I love spinning too, just learnt change foot upright ❤.

Coach Julia, I'm a 65YO Adult skater ready for new boots and blades after skating in Riedells for over 20 years. I'm eyeing the Edea's! I want comfort, plus I have an inside rt. bunion, which gives me discomfort after one hour skating. I love edges and the footwork of Moves in the Field (passed Silver) and Figures. I also want to begin the Solo Dance test track, after having volunteered recently at the National competition. Is 'Flamengo' the boot for me for comfort and Dance study; but is it also perfect for Moves and Figures? Two of my friends have 'Flamengo' and love it. What should I do about blades then? I've never had a Dance blade. I am primarily interested in Moves and Figures, but want to begin the Dance tract. At my age, I want to give up the Freestyle jumps and spins for footwork. But, I might want to practice the initial five jumps and basic spins, though, now and then. Thank you for your excellent advice!

Hi, thank you for the excellent explanation. I’m currently on Jackson Freestyles with the standard Aspire XP blade. My skate tech says they don’t have much of a rocker (spins and footwork is a challenge for me, maintaining a deep outside edge is the bane of my existence but this is mostly a lack of skill probably). I’m currently at ISI Beta-Gamma level, my boots are less than one year old. Skate tech says best to just change to Ice Fly x MK combo but it’s super costly. I was wondering if I could get the MK blade and mount to my Jackson’s then when o reach F3/4 change to the Edea boot and move the MK blade there. Thoughts?

Thank you soo much for those information they are more than useful, I am professional dancer and I started with figure skating 6 months ago … I am planning to buy new skates ,boots and blades … now I am working on simple jumps and rotations on one leg… my trainer suggested me MK galaxy or professional but I am thinking to buy Mk professional … I love to spin … but I am still struggling with three turns a little …. Do you think this tipe of blades could be a good choice?

Hi again Coach Julia, must say you keep your skates in top notch shape and really great looking too. I do the same.

Do you have any lower end blades you recommend? ( yes! I know the lower level blades are not that good)

I wonder about John Wilson Coronation Ace vs MK Professional and MK Galaxy in relation to toe length (for an adult beginner).

Thanks! I also prefer MK blades

I used Phantom with K-pick. Very old blades

Can you explain the different shapes on the mounting, for lack of a better term the side profile of the blade? Why do some have a sort of triangle shape where it is attached? Is there extra strength in this style?

I started out with the blade that came with the Jackson freestyle skate - the aspire XP blade, which was an 8in rocker and I always had trouble spinning. I'm now on a jw coronation ace blade with a 7in rocker and my spins improved almost overnight.

I’m about to switch to the Mk Dance blade from my coronation aces and I’m quite nervous!!

Hi coach Julia! Wonderful video :D I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts about this, I'm going to do private figure skating lessons next month and a very advanced coach teaching triples to students, has offered to be my coach, I feel conflicted as I feel honoured but also nervous as I'm quite inexperienced with only being able to do single jumps the sal, toe and waltz and spins and I fear as if I'm not worthy enough to be coached by this person and I was wondering if I should find another coach or just stay with this one? thank you so much!

Hi Julia, I am watching this now, and I did not know there came so much to blades! I currently have the MK professional, but I have a lot of trouble with spins and finding the sweet spot. Now I notice that MK professional has a 7" rocker, and my previous blades definitely had 8". It has been already 2 seasons since I switched to these new blades, but I am now doubting whether the MK professional may be "above my level". But the thing is, I kind of need to "adjust" to having a 7" rocker anyways, if I want to go into jumping doubles one day... So I am now in doubt what to do... Do you have any tips for me?

So a side-honed creates a deeper hollow essentially? Since it has more of a bite when sharpened the same as a parallel?

Hello Coach ! When would you recommand changing blades, except for jump ? I am competing in adult ice dance, learning single jumps aside in figure skating, and I am currently with Mark IV blades. I will change my boots soon, so it will already cost a lot, and I wonder if I really need to change blades too (mostly for footwork and deep edges). My coach isn't really helpful for this, and I don't have a tech in my city...

MK should make an "ultra" line

What are the differences between the "normal" and revolution blade (or in general those blades with the kinda "Y" shaped connection? Is it just to reduce weight or for something else?

Would you rather recommend the 1/4'' shorter blades which is the standard "blade fit to boot" option at online shops or would you rather recommend the version that's 1/4'' longer than the standard "blade fit to boot" option?

Which are better, tapered or parallel blades for a beginner? I also want them to last me a long time

What about Dance-Blades?

Tried tapered blades, they feel I'm always on my toe pick

As a beginner I was wondering throughout the video why the more professional blades are made to do jumping, spinning and edge work easier. Why do I have to struggle with a more bulky and flat blade through my first attempts at the elements for the next couple of years before switching and then getting a boost in performance quality later? Or are beginner blades just more stable to learn with? 🤔

Guys, I'm desperate. Where are you buying it??? I ordered a pair of RF3 pro Risport skates in NOV 2022 and even now in AUG 2023 I have no news on how it's going... Hole Spain is out of stock... No blades, no boots, nothing

Awwe…last week I switched to Gold Seals to treat myself for birthday…I did do my homework and research, but I’m getting a funny feeling that I might have picked the wrong one…😢

I’m creeped out by the idea of parabolic blades. Blades thinning in the middle? No thank you!!! 😂

This feels like a dumb question but I went to an online store to look at blades and for the life of me can’t figure out if the blades are sold/priced as a pair or individually. What’s normal?

Why they solder the blade when with today's technology, the blade can be made in a single piece but with costs being absorbed by the customer

Welded, not swadered, also sawdered is not a word. I think you soldered with a L

ABSOLUTELY Love 💕 yur videos. You're truly amazing. Got back into skating after nearly 25 years .I have learned so much from you lately💯⛸️.I have a pair of SP Terri Skates with an MK blade.LOVE❤MY MK BLADE !!! I use 2 skate in them when I was younger. Also I wear a size 7 & that is the size they are.But 20 years later they hurt so bad 😢.Had them punched and they still didn't fit correctly. I was in an ice rink that had a pro shop. I slipped on a pair of Jackson's skates & they fit like a glove. Now I think 🤔 I might have rushed into the buy. To make a long story short, I don't think they can mount my blade on those Skates . I love the comfort of the wide width that Jackson boots make.Though they're a less expensive style boot 👢 they have padding which my SP Terri are lacking.. But the SP Terri's & skates of the past have solid wooden heels. Blades could be taken off or on when needed. I don't think you could do this with the Jackson boot. Or even should for that fact They are PVC . Should have done my homework 😮But I'm on a limited budget .I wanted a pair of skates so bad,that I could at least skate in without pain. Any suggestions? Thanks much and God bless always 🕊️⛸️

😃 I really want to thank you for the excellent explanation😮 now I understand better the blades . I want to buy John Wilson gold Seal parabolic Revolution blades.😊 could you please give me your opinion about that???⛸⛸ Thanks in Advance Kind regards. From México City 🌎