T-Blades are manufactured in Germany by the company GmbH. They came to the North American hockey scene in the early 2000s. Often times on Graf skates, however, T-Blades were able to fit on all major skate brands.
T-Blades are an alternative to standard hockey skate blades. T-Blades were designed to eliminate getting your skates sharpened. Typically T-Blades would last 4-5 times as long as a standard skate sharpening.
Several professional players wore T-Blades. They include Marcel Goc (Nashville Predators), Dennis Seidenberg (New York Islanders), and Christian Ehrhoff (San Jose Sharks), and others.
Pros Of T-Blades
- Lighter
- T-Blades are designed to reduce to replace skate sharpenings. By using less steel the overall weight of T-Blades is much less than standard skate holders and steel.
- Better Glide on the ice
- Since T-Blades have much less steel on the ice they offer a superior glide than standard ice hockey skates.
- Longer Lasting Edges
- T-Blades are designed to not be sharpened. T-Blades average a 4-5 times longer edge than traditional skate sharpenings. The consistency in T-Blades stays the same from blade to blade. No longer will you deal with the inconstancy of getting your skates sharpened from pro shop to pro shop.
Cons of T-Blades
- Parts
- T-Blades have several parts. The parts are screws, stabilizers, and blades. Often times T-blade screws can be easily lost. If T-Blade screws and stabilizers arent check they can come loose.
- Replacement Costs
- Like any hockey gear product T-Blades are susceptible to damage that is occurred while playing hockey, and being at the rink. If the T-Blade gets nicked, chipped, or flattened it will need to be replaced. Traditional hockey skate blades would only need to get sharpened. Also, T-Blade cannot be sharpened or touched up so once a blade is dull or not useable that is the end of it.
- Noise
- Because of T-Blades design, they are noisier than traditionally skate blades.
How to Replace T-Blade
- Using the T Blade screwdriver, remove each screw and bolt from the T-Blade.
- Repeat Step 1 for the other screws along the blade. Be sure to save the screws and bolts because you will be reusing them.
- Pull the T-Blade, and it will come out of the holder.
- Slide the replacement blade into the holder, and line up the holes for the screws.
- Firmly place the skate blade in its place. You may do this on a hard surface to ensure it is in the holder tightly.
- Insert the bolt into the hole of the skate. Be sure to do it on the same side you removed the bolt from.
- Put the screw on the opposite side of the hole. Use the T-Blade screwdriver to tighten the screw in place.
- Make sure the screws are tight. Do not overtighten them! If do you risk cracking the plastic holder or the blade itself.
- Continue tightening the screws into the bolts in the same way for the rest of the T-Blade until you have done it for both skates
|
Graf Skates to T Blade Sizing Chart |
|
|
Skate Size |
T Blade Size |
|
5.5 - 6.5 |
256 |
|
7.0 - 7.5 |
264 |
|
8.0 - 8.5 |
272 |
|
9.0 - 9.5 |
280 |
|
10.0 - 10.5 |
288 |
|
CCM Skates to T Blade Sizing Chart |
|
|
Skate Size |
T Blade Size |
|
5-5.5 |
248 |
|
6 |
256 |
|
6.5 - 7.0 |
264 |
|
7.5 - 8.0 |
272 |
|
8.5 - 9.0 |
280 |
|
9.5 - 10.0 |
288 |
|
10.5 - 11.0 |
300 |
|
Bauer Skates to T Blade Sizing Chart |
|
|
Skate Size |
T Blade Size |
|
5-5.5 |
248 |
|
6 |
256 |
|
6.5 - 7.0 |
264 |
|
7.5 - 8.0 |
272 |
|
8.5 - 9.0 |
280 |
|
9.5 - 10.0 |
288 |
|
10.5 - 11.0 |
300 |
|
Blade Hollow Equivalents |
|
|
9 |
5/16" |
|
11 |
3/8" |
|
13 |
7/16" |
|
15 |
1/2" |
|
18 |
5/8" |
|
21 |
3/4" |