German 2-Piece Bearings

ThommyBoy · August 29th, 2007, 10:33 AM

Anyone know of anyone who has old stock set[s]of these old school bearings?

A few years back I found 2 full sets in WA and snagged them. Still running them now on two of my 3 three skates.

Cheers, THOM

xlracer · August 29th, 2007, 07:35 PM

Man you are not going to find anything that nice. Maybe a rare find on ebay but they would go for a high price.

ncsk8rgirl · August 29th, 2007, 10:42 PM

yep, what xl said..

I wouldn't sell mine unless my babies needed brain surgery.. and even then, I would have to think about it

splitwoods · August 30th, 2007, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThommyBoy

Anyone know of anyone who has old stock set[s]of these old school bearings?

A few years back I found 2 full sets in WA and snagged them. Still running them now on two of my 3 three skates.

Cheers, THOM

Where were all you guys when we were importing them from Germany a few hundred sets at a whack????? Lets see that was 1971! Back then they were flying off the shelf to be sold and shipped with both Waldeck and Weber Figure and Freestyle wheels!

Splitwoods

angoraknitter · August 30th, 2007, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by splitwoods

Where were all you guys when we were importing them from Germany a few hundred sets at a whack????? Lets see that was 1971! Back then they were flying off the shelf to be sold and shipped with both Waldeck and Weber Figure and Freestyle wheels!

Splitwoods

I need better bearings for my figure wheels. Is it just me (it could be) but are the bearings sold today total crap?

Kennedy · August 30th, 2007, 05:34 PM

I think the "skate" bearings being sold today are of the same quality as the old ones. They were and still are junk.

There are several levels of quality when it comes to bearings. Forget the ABEC number. The ABEC number has to do with dimensional tolerances, it has nothing to do with the quality of the work and the quality of the material. You can make a bearing from the best material in the world and it can be rated as an ABEC 3. You can make a bearing from some mystery material from a salvage yard and it still can hold an ABEC 3. Simply, the ABEC number does not reflect on the overall quality of the bearing.

Back in the day, rinks carried and sold high quality COMMERCIAL GRADE bearings. IE: Hartford, GMN, Fafnir, etc. These bearings were designed to be used in commercial equipment. The materials were better and the overall fit and finish was and is top notch. The commercial bearings could easily handle all your skating needs and do it well. Of course, the price was higher. You got what you paid for.

On the flip side, rinks also sold "skate bearings". They were not at the same quality level of the good bearings. They didn't roll as well, and they didn't last as long. But they were cheap and plentiful. The material quality was not that great, but they worked.

Today, the commercial bearings have all but disappeared from the rinks. The best bearings on the skating market are Bones. Even then, they openly admit they do not make their bearings to a commercial spec, instead they are "skate grade".

The marketing for the new bearings has blinded most skaters into thinking that they are buying great bearings. I recently saw ABEC 9 bearings for $40 a set. A real commercial ABEC 9 will probably be about $15 a piece. In reality, most of the bearings sold in rinks and stores are junk. Technically, they do meet the ABEC specs, but the hidden quality of the materials and finish is not there.

In order to get high quality bearings like we did in years past, you have to bypass rinks and skate vendors all together. You need to go to a bearing or industrial distributor to get good bearings. However, the cost gives most people sticker shock when they get a price of $6 to $10 per bearing. But, they will last forever and roll better than any "skate quality" bearing. They will work as good as or better than the bearings from back in the day.

Sorry for being long winded.

zorg · September 6th, 2007, 02:34 PM

100% agree with you!!!
Goods fast and hard for me are Powell/Bones, SKF, and RocknRon's (http://www.skatetechnology.com/)

roller_dudette · September 6th, 2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zorg

100% agree with you!!!
Goods fast and hard for me are Powell/Bones, SKF, and RocknRon's (http://www.skatetechnology.com/)

Another item on my wish list lol.

Kennedy · September 7th, 2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roller_dudette

Another item on my wish list lol.

At least you are lucky enough to not weigh 240 lbs. I can chew up cheap bearings quicker than a monkey eating a banana.

August 29th, 2007, 10:33 AM	#1
ThommyBoy Quad Speed since 1981 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 188	German 2-Piece Bearings Anyone know of anyone who has old stock set[s]of these old school bearings? A few years back I found 2 full sets in WA and snagged them. Still running them now on two of my 3 three skates. Cheers, THOM

August 29th, 2007, 10:42 PM	#3
ncsk8rgirl Discovered SEDS on 1/1/08 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 4,390	yep, what xl said.. I wouldn't sell mine unless my babies needed brain surgery.. and even then, I would have to think about it __________________ WOO HOO! GRAFIK IS GONNA SK8!!!

September 6th, 2007, 02:34 PM	#7
zorg Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Paris Posts: 67	100% agree with you!!! Goods fast and hard for me are Powell/Bones, SKF, and RocknRon's (http://www.skatetechnology.com/) __________________ zorgdotnl.blogspot.com http://www.youtube.com/zorgdotnl

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August 29th, 2007, 07:35 PM	#2
xlracer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,135	Man you are not going to find anything that nice. Maybe a rare find on ebay but they would go for a high price.

August 30th, 2007, 05:34 PM	#6
Kennedy Go fast, turn left Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Youngstown, Ohio, USA Posts: 3,767	I think the "skate" bearings being sold today are of the same quality as the old ones. They were and still are junk. There are several levels of quality when it comes to bearings. Forget the ABEC number. The ABEC number has to do with dimensional tolerances, it has nothing to do with the quality of the work and the quality of the material. You can make a bearing from the best material in the world and it can be rated as an ABEC 3. You can make a bearing from some mystery material from a salvage yard and it still can hold an ABEC 3. Simply, the ABEC number does not reflect on the overall quality of the bearing. Back in the day, rinks carried and sold high quality COMMERCIAL GRADE bearings. IE: Hartford, GMN, Fafnir, etc. These bearings were designed to be used in commercial equipment. The materials were better and the overall fit and finish was and is top notch. The commercial bearings could easily handle all your skating needs and do it well. Of course, the price was higher. You got what you paid for. On the flip side, rinks also sold "skate bearings". They were not at the same quality level of the good bearings. They didn't roll as well, and they didn't last as long. But they were cheap and plentiful. The material quality was not that great, but they worked. Today, the commercial bearings have all but disappeared from the rinks. The best bearings on the skating market are Bones. Even then, they openly admit they do not make their bearings to a commercial spec, instead they are "skate grade". The marketing for the new bearings has blinded most skaters into thinking that they are buying great bearings. I recently saw ABEC 9 bearings for $40 a set. A real commercial ABEC 9 will probably be about $15 a piece. In reality, most of the bearings sold in rinks and stores are junk. Technically, they do meet the ABEC specs, but the hidden quality of the materials and finish is not there. In order to get high quality bearings like we did in years past, you have to bypass rinks and skate vendors all together. You need to go to a bearing or industrial distributor to get good bearings. However, the cost gives most people sticker shock when they get a price of $6 to $10 per bearing. But, they will last forever and roll better than any "skate quality" bearing. They will work as good as or better than the bearings from back in the day. Sorry for being long winded.