Please forgive me for being a buzz of new questions...

[Miss Behaved]

It's the curse of being new to any forum. That being said:

I did a search first like a behaved girl should. OK, OK, no more puns.

Does anyone use lace tightening hooks? One or two, commercial or DIY? I wouldn't know if I'd need them, please advise.

I am trying Slip Not laces, the woven rubber threads idea seems sound. Your input welcome.

I will share my method of shortening unduely long laces. The problem is creating a new aglet. I measure the end I want and make a Sharpie mark. I cut a half inch strip of packing tape and center it on the mark wrapping around as tight as I can. Then I cut at the mark. Now each half has a quarter inch of clear packing tape to prevent fraying.

Next I find a clear shrink tubing that very closely slides over the clear tape. I cut a piece one half inch long. I slip it over the tape and shrink with the high setting with my heat gun. The result is a beautiful aglet that one quarter inch is bonded into lace fabric, the other quarter inch bonds to the tape. If the tubing should happen to be pulled off, it's because the tubing was too large diameter or more likely, it needed more shrinking and bonding heat constantly around the tubing. It works for me, your mileage may vary. No warranty expressed or implied.

Just trying to give back to all that help so much. Thanks for letting me share. Miss Bee

[Mort]

Check this out.

http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/overunderlacing.htm

That's the lacing I always use. It pulls the flaps together very evenly. Well with 1 modification at the last eyelet. Instead of crossing on the last set I keep them on the same side which leaves more room for my tendon so there's less lace bite potential.

There's a lot of styles on there.

As for lace preferences, I prefer slim flat laces, I really believe rental laces are the best(at least the ones we have at my home rink), they are cheap, slide easy, hold knots well and are easy to get undone. If the end of the lace fails it can be burnt to stop the fraying.

[Miss Behaved]

Thank you Mort, I put that straight into my bookmarks. I like experimenting, but hate loosing money. This will help. Happy Holidays!

[rufusprime99]

This never comes loose.

[Miss Behaved]

OK another update. I hated the Slip Knots, I dumped them. They wouldn't tighten well and a pain to get the skate off, the only place where the impregnated rubber helped it quickly wore off.

I then bought common pink skate laces at 96". Now I used Ian's website and bunny (corset) lace my skates.. I can pull the bunney ears in the center tightening the bottom then top differently and place the knot bows tightly under the Jacson Vantage strap.

At the bicycle shop I smiled nicely to the guy and he gave (yes gave) me two twenty inch wheel spokes and nipples and a bad twenty four inch tube. I thanked him genuinely and made a b-line to Home Depot for two small round wooden drawer knobs and a PVC slip repair coupling. At home drilling a tiny hole through each knob, some Goop and a spritz of red paint I have my lace pullers for two dollars.

The tube pulled through the coupling so there is an equal loop on each side makes a great leg and foot exerciser. OK, I'm cheap, but crafty! Miss Bee

[Trixton]

Have you tried waxed Derby Laces? No need for any special lace tightening hooks with these. You can tighten each segment of lace independently, so you can adjust for hotspots, tight areas, loose areas, etc. You can tell they work because they have a little crease in them by the end of session at each lace hole, indicating they have not moved. Plus they look fantastic.

[larryoracing]

They just wrap some tape around the boot to stop the laces from coming loose.
If you can imagine 2" wide duct tape wrapped around your boot to stop the laces from coming loose.

It was a special tape, but duct tape would work. The idea was simple and the tape comes in different colors. I saw clear and black and tan in the ice skating store/counter.

Sincerely,

Larry Otani

[chuckboucher]

Originally Posted by Trixton

Have you tried waxed Derby Laces? No need for any special lace tightening hooks with these. You can tighten each segment of lace independently, so you can adjust for hotspots, tight areas, loose areas, etc. You can tell they work because they have a little crease in them by the end of session at each lace hole, indicating they have not moved. Plus they look fantastic.

I use the Derby Laces on my inline speed skates where having tight collars is crucial.

I also employ under/over techniques, depending on which eyelets are laced. My speed skates have 8 eyelets and I lace as follows (starting from the toe as eyelet #1)

Eyelets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: over
This is to make sure that they laces don't loosen at all toward the bottom.

Eyelets 6, 7: under
This allows for some loosening over long distances. It helps with foot cramping.

Eyelet 8: over
This makes sure that the collar doesn't get loose at all.

As of late, I skip lacing eyelet #1, as my toes have been cramping a lot (pre-diabetic type 2 [even at my fitness level, bad genetics]) doesn't help.