Howdy and thanks for watching and commenting. You’re correct. When pitch/balance is maintained and only radius is changed (or vice versa) we know the feel/performance is due to the radius.

You're very welcome!

Glad you like it!

Thanks for watching and commenting. Give me a call/text @ 512.293.1506 when you have a chance. I’m happy to help but there’s a lot to discuss.

Howdy! And thanks for watching and commenting. I enjoy bringing this information to the Hockey community. You are correct that radius Lanks plays a role in the general concept of agility. However, there are other aspects to agility that might not be readily apparent - namely, lean. The amount of lean a player can get dramatically influences, the turning radius (one component of agility) that a player can accomplish and maintain control. Active blade, positioning - which is what my balancing techniques do- plays a major role as well. So while it may feel at first that the longer radius makes a player sluggish if they learn to lead more, they can bridge that gap what I have noticed is that players who have a “hop style“ skating style tend to like lower radiuses, while a “strider“ might like a bit of a longer radius. I think the key however, is to try to use as much blade as you can so that you can maximize your lead and get the benefits of speed and stamina while not taking too much away from agility.

Same here. 9/10 combi on the Prosharp. Zero offset. 5/8” hollow. I’ve tried Quad and Zuperior. Not enough blade under the front of my foot and too much in the back.

Howdy Rick and thanks for watching and commenting. First thing I think of when you say that you felt too much blade on the heel, is if your blades are pitched slightly backward. I ask this because if you’re sending away for a profiled blade the pitch angle/number - even if you’re told it’s set neutral or forward - is random and needs to be measured while the blade is plugged into the holder. Sometimes it comes out perfectly, other times, not so much. Further, the left and right skate/holder can differ. My experience is that the variances come from tiny imperfections inside the locking mechanism of the holder. Honestly, there is no “right answer” only feel and performance. I always like hearing about what players think, feel and prefer. The only point that ardently defend is that unless it’s measured, it’s random. So when someone says their blades are pitched forward, I always ask, “how much and as measured from what, exactly?” That’s not me being snarky, or trying to come off as a know-it-all, because I don’t. It’s me following my mentor’s directive of being precise and measuring everything, every time. I call it “benchmarking” the skate. Again, I’m not saying the set up you had was “wrong” only that it’s possible that you were feeling something that had nothing to do with the radius, and everything to do with the pitch, or possibly the opposite. Does that make sense?

It does and I’m totally impressed with your knowledge. I’m a senior comeback player (30 year absence) and I was previously on 9’, 6 degree forward radius Easton runners that were sharpened until there was almost nothing left (probably 8’ or 7’ by then). The first profiles I tried were Zuperior and then Quad, then stock 10’, all on the 21mm taller and what seems like longer Bauer ti steel and finally the 9/10 on the lower (19mm) LS+. Oh and I also changed from a 1/2” to 9/16” and finally to 5/8” Hollow along the way. Point being that the progression to what I settled on was probably a factor. Also, you’re right, these profiles were all done by a mail-in shop (KK). Thank you so much for caring enough to do this video and also for being responsive to comments.

Text me at 512.293.1506 and we can talk … I’m always happy to help.

Howdy Nic, thanks for watching and commenting. Sorry for the delay reply, I was away for Thanksgiving. There’s a lot of go over, maybe best to give me a holler and we can talk or text. 512.293.1505

Howdy and thanks for watching and commenting. I’m not 100% clear on what you mean when you say “forget profiling” “introduce hollow”. I gathering that you mean it’s not worth the time and effort to regulate and set with intention, and to that I would simple (and respectfully) say I disagree, but would love to hear your rationale for thinking that. Further, I would say that most important aspect of a hockey blade’s performance is actually pitch/balance, and in my experience, stock blades/holders for smaller sized skates come out of the box WOEFULLY imprecise and often pitched dangerously backward. Honestly, at that point the getting the hollow just right is kind of a whipped cream on you know what - the skate is going to perform poorly. My mentor - an old master - wants a kid on a proper set up (pitch, radius and hollow) from the very beginning as that can limit the number of compensations they develop to overcome faulty geometry, and for safety as a properly set up blade is significantly more stable than one that’s pitched improperly. Further, he told me that by the time they’re older, unfortunately, they’re “too far gone” to work with for both physical and psychological reasons. Meaning, they know it all and aren’t willing to try something and often the same is true if their parents. The sooner I can get a player set up and able to feel changes, learn to articulate what they feel, and then experiment, the sooner I can get them dialed in to exactly what they want/like/need. I tell everyone I work with, I don’t have all the answers. But, what I do have is a method of isolating the various performance criteria and knowing where to go to get a change in feel/performance. So, for example, a over emphasis on hollow is common, in my experience, among amateur players/parents. They see something in the performance and all they know to do it change the hollow. By contrast, I know the few feel/performance issues that actually are the hollow, and know when/how to make the adjustment - and in my experience, the vast majority of those issues are ice condition related. Overall, as I’m sure you can tell from my videos and this response to your comment, I don’t like randomness in my blades set up. While I agree that to spend a ton of time and energy trying to determine what profile a 10 year old player needs is overkill, we have to take the randomness out of the system. If I’m most likely going to need to grind them to set pitch, I’m going to have to blend them back to a specific radius. So there we are. Set things and observe, discuss, experiment, evolve and improve performance. Does that makes sense?

Hi David, thanks for watching and commenting. The simple answer to your question is to give me a call or text @ 512.293.1506 and we can talk about what you’re looking to do, your skating skill level, etc. I have players send me their skates from all over the country so I can set them up properly. Yes, its possible that setting up several sets with different profiles so they can be tested against each other. However, that obviously increases the cost. Again, a lot of those decisions are based on what you’re looking to do, and your skill level. The main thing is to get everything measured and set with intent. Where are you located?

Hello, and thanks for watching and commenting with a question. Short answer is, yes, lengthening the radius and properly setting pitch Will definitely help improve stability on the ice. However, a more detailed and applicable discussion requires more information. First, I’d need to know more about the skates and, most importantly, the steel. Is it brand new? Do the skates have interchangeable blades? Who sharpened them and what type of sharpener did they use? How do you know the blades are neutral pitched? How do you know they’re a 9ft radius? Has someone measured them for you? Obviously, this is a lot of technical information that, as a beginning skater, you might not have the ability to gather. Trust me, lots of expert skaters/hockey players don’t know this information either. I’m happy to help in any way I can. Easiest way to get ahold of me is via text @ 512.293.1506 Or, if you want to email me at quantumradii@gmail.com Holler at me and I can get a better picture of what you’ve got and what I can do to help. Thanks again for the comment and for watching the video.

Hi Philip. Sorry for the delay. For all players, regardless of skill or age, I recommend beginning on the MOST blade on the ice, then adjust if needed. So, a 13 ft radius is an excellent start for a 6 year old. However, getting a junior skate that can be balance properly is really the issue as the steel is short and often tipped backwards. As such, grinding them down drops them below .5” tall and the skater runs the risk of rubbing plastic on turns. Again, sorry for the delay … I’m a hockey dad too and we were traveling. Holler at me via text if I can be of any more help. 512.293.1506

There’s a possibility of a slightly diminishing turning ability, at first. But, once you learn that the increase in the blade on the ice allows you to lean the skate more and thus get more dynamic with your turns you’ll gain it all back and then some. Lastly, turning radius is great only if one can maintain their speed and inertia and don’t always have to get up and run out of turns - and the longer radius provides that blade-ice contact. As to acceleration, the opposite is the case in my experience. The toe is vital in both finishing the stride and getting on the toes for quick starts. My experience and understanding of the geometry tells me that dropping that front radius makes no sense. I see the diagrams that call the toe the “acceleration point” and that is true. So why would we want to drop that down to as low as a 6 ft radius? 100% of a skaters movement comes from contact with the ice. Speed skaters have a totally flat blade and figure skaters have a much lower radius and it’s placed so that they can spin in a circle- hockey is in the middle. Both aspects discussed above point to another major consideration- especially as players age - and that’s stamina. The less work we have to do to gain and maintain speed the longer we can skate at 100%. More blade is more efficient. Further, as I position the blade exactly balanced in the most biomechanically appropriate spot, the skater doesn’t have to shift their weight dramatically to access the blade on the ice. This also limits injuries like pulled muscles and ankle issues.

@@QuantumRadii Thank you for the reply! My last question would be Bite or grip. Especially when your use to digging into the ice to take off. Would it diminish? Would t want the skates to feel slippery on the ice

@@mkaj3612 thank you for watching my videos! Edge/bite/grip is a combination of feel, player size, and perhaps the most overlooked aspect, ice conditions. Down here in Austin when it’s been 100+ degrees for months, it’s harder to keep ice very hard than Quebec Canada in February. Lots of players here switch to 11/16 or even 1+ hollows. I can say the for a player used to skating without proper balancing and a longer radius will likely need go up a bit as there is more ice contact so it feels like too much bite. But, as I’ve found with all these techniques, everyone is different. The nice thing about the interchangeable blades is that we can try out thing against other set ups in a true real time comparison. I’ve even suggest for better players to try one on one foot and another on the other foot. One thing is certain though, we can always dull a blade to suit softer ice, but - unless we’re an NHL’er or D1 player - we cannot sharpen easily on the bench. So, I tell folks a skate should often feel a bit too sharp right after a good sharpening. Either you can skate it out or use a little trick with a small pad and dull it slightly.

Thank you for the information!

@@mkaj3612 my pleasure. Is there anything I can help with. If you’re wanting to try out my techniques you could mail me your skates and if you need steel I could order BladeTech’s for you, or you could send what you have - it just needs to be tall enough so generally new aftermarket steel works best.

Old school traditional single radius and a patented balancing system developed by one of the old masters. All hand ground with a jig and radius bars … no automated systems. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@@QuantumRadii Maximum edge is a manual system so does Blade master and blackstone , Fleming grey has a system. Invented by Glenn Sakcriska which is the system I run . Who was your mentor?

@skatersedge3139 Mr. Glenn Sakriska

Trained by Glenn, Dennis and Dante

@@QuantumRadii so we run the same system , good to know. Keep up the good work. It looked familiar when you started measuring with a caliper for blade hight when it's seated in the holder.

Howdy JH, thanks for watching and commenting. Quick answer, I think it’s a great profile for stability and power. Longer answer (really questions) … is that blade properly balanced/pitched? With the blade in the holder? Lastly, do you have someone who knows how to properly maintain that profile? If not, it won’t really last beyond the first sharpening if it’s done by hand and even if done on a Sparx it may need some touch ups over time. Holler at me via text or phone if you want to chat more, I’m happy to help in any way I can. 512.293.1506

Very informative video.👍 I’m looking at bladetech runners. I currently have LS+ runners, in my Bauer M4 size 8.5 which comes with a generic 10’ radius. I play centre and am looking for a bit speed and not lose much of the agility. What would you recommend? Thanks in advance.🇨🇦

Howdy and thanks for watching and commenting. Great questions! 1mm forward pitch is what I recommend, not 4mm. Sorry if there was some confusion in the audio/video. So why 1mm forward pitch? Well, that’s the amount of forward pitch that encourages the skaters knee/shin to come forward into the proper skating alignments without being excessive. These numbers have been thoroughly test and experimented upon by my mentor, one of the original skate blade masters, who began his research on the late 1940’s. Like any alignment, more is not always more in terms of benefit/performance. There are some situations where that pitch number can be set slightly less or more to address some specific aspects of the skater’s personal biomechanics. But, 1mm forward is the “benchmark”, if that makes sense. I’ve never set nor even seen a blade with a 4mm forward pitch. I would imagine that if one were set at that number the skater would be stuck on the toes and would find it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to properly access the heel of their skate in turns and stop. As such, a skater with that much forward pitch would fall forward when turning and stopping because the heel was inaccessible and proper skating techniques require working through the blade’s rocker/profile. I’ve seen a player with hand-me-down skates in which one blade was 1mm backward and the other was 2mm forward, and his torso was listing up and down depending upon which foot he was striding with. Even at 2mm the forward listing of his body was obvious. With regards to the profile radius being 15ft, instead of 13ft, again I think it would be excessive and performance would be lost instead of gained. Hockey players use the rocker/profile radius of the skate throughout maneuvers like turning and stopping - they work from the toe into the heel. Even on a 13ft radius some players can find them “slugging” and feel like the 13ft is too much blade and it’s limiting their agility and turning ability. A 15ft would be even more so, potentially. Every profile radius regardless of the number/style is a balance between speed/stability and maneuverability. That’s just the way it works. Now, all that being said, I encourage people to experiment and find out what works best for them. I don’t profess to know every possible combination or skill, feel and blade geometry, only a time-tested starting point that has tested data to back it up. If money (for new blades) were no object, one could experiment with any number of variations and observe the changes in performance. But, given that most skaters can’t even find someone to who know how to properly set pitch and profile, that might be difficult. Hope that makes sense. I’m happy to continue this conversation via email if you like. quantumradii@gmail.com Thanks again for watching and commenting. Skate Hard!

At 9:22 it sounds like you said 4mm pitch.😬 Thanks for your reply.

As the radius increases so does leg extension on your stride. The 15 ft radius will kick your leg out to run the risk of pulling your groin . I currently skate on a 14 ft radius a big reason is that I take my hip mobility very serious and with that I'm fine.

@@QuantumRadii Thanks for this information. Super helpful. I wanted to clarify if you meant 1 cm as the recommended forward pitch (and not 1 mm)? I see most profiling services offer up to 20 mm (aka 2 cm) of forward pitch as options. I currently have a neutral pitch but wanted to get a little more access to the toe of the blade.

@matthewgervase7825 20mm? I measure 1mm but you have to use the proper spot to measure from.

I’m in Austin, Texas. But, I work with player from all over the country. Where are you? Thanks for watching! Skate Hard!

@@QuantumRadii ottawa Canada

@@justindelbeau6854 you could send me your whole skate and I could set them up for you.

Hi. Great video. I'm sorry for this dumb question. But why do you need the whole skate? I'm guessing it's to ensure that the boot itself will be at a certain pitch by adjusting the blade?

Howdy and thanks for watching and commenting. You could try, but I would be willing to bet they’re not equipped to set up like I do. Where are you located?