Matrix, Apex & Ultima Blade Technology

Jackson builds blades under three names, and they are not simply good, better, best. Each line solves a different problem: Matrix attacks weight, Apex attacks edge life, and Ultima covers the developmental range where most skaters actually spend their time. This guide explains what is different about each, and the pick geometry that runs across all of them.

Matrix Elite — aluminium chassis

Apex Elite — titanium-coated steel

Ultima Legacy 8 — intermediate profile

Matrix: Taking Weight Out of the Chassis

A traditional blade is forged as one piece of steel. Most of that steel is not the part that touches the ice — it is the chassis and stanchions holding the runner at the right height. Matrix replaces that structure with an aircraft-grade aluminium chassis and bolts a steel runner to it.

The result is a blade 33% lighter than a traditional forged equivalent. Every gram comes off the end of your leg, where it costs the most — you lift it, rotate it and land on it thousands of times a session.

Matrix uses two different runner steels, and the distinction is worth understanding before you buy:

So Matrix Legacy is not a lesser chassis — it is the same aircraft aluminium chassis with a different runner. If weight is what you are buying, Legacy gets you most of the way there.

Apex: Making the Edge Last

Apex takes the opposite approach. It keeps a traditional steel blade design — the strength and feel skaters know — and hardens the runner with a titanium coating. The coating hardens the blade for superior edge life and less frequent sharpening.

That matters more than it sounds. Every sharpening removes steel, so a blade that holds its edge longer does not just save you trips to the shop, it lasts more seasons before the runner is used up.

Apex blades pair the coating with an 8-foot rocker, a 7/16" radius of hollow and tapered edges, on solid mounting plates. The line covers Freestyle, Supreme and Elite for freestyle and pairs, plus dedicated Dance and Synchro blades.

Ultima: The Developmental Range

Ultima is where most skaters meet Jackson blades, and the Legacy 8 exists because coaches asked for it — a genuine intermediate blade to bridge the gap between a beginner runner and a top-tier competition blade.

• Legacy 7 and Legacy 8 — intermediate profiles with a standard heel. The Legacy 8 supports all double jumps and flying spins.
• Lightweight cutout design — roughly 10% lighter than a conventional blade, in a chrome finish that resists corrosion.
• Cross Cut pick pattern with a high lift angle and drag tooth, which makes spins and Axel take-offs cleaner and more secure.
• Plus Aspire X, Mirage and Finesse across the entry and developmental range.

The Three Pick Families

This is the most useful thing on this page, and it applies across all three lines. Toe picks are not simply bigger or smaller — Jackson builds three distinct pick geometries, and they change how the blade behaves on take-off and in spins.

RXS: Replaceable Runners

Every other blade in this store is disposable in the end. You sharpen it until there is not enough steel left, and then you replace the whole thing — chassis, stanchions and all. RXS changes that.

On Matrix RXS blades, the runner comes off and a new one goes on in a matter of seconds. It is held by two torqued screws through the chassis plus an interlocking joint that eliminates any chance of the runner shifting under load. Every RXS runner carries a consistent 8-foot rocker, so a replacement behaves exactly like the one it replaced.

The Ultima RXS System Kit includes the blade removal tool and mounting hardware. Replacement Matrix Runners are sold on their own.

Matrix, REV and Phoenix: Three Answers to Weight

Jackson is not the only maker chasing a lighter blade. It is worth seeing the approaches side by side, because they trade off differently.

Carbon fibre goes lighter and insulates your foot from the cold of the ice, which aluminium cannot do. Aluminium gives you a replaceable runner, which carbon fibre does not. Neither is simply better — read REV & Carbon Fiber Blades for the other side, and Blade Materials Explained for how the runner steels compare.

Rocker and Geometry

• 8-foot rocker across the Matrix and Apex advanced lines, and the Ultima Legacy 8 — a longer contact area for stability through edges and jump entries.
• 7-foot rocker with short heels on the dance and synchro blades, for the rapid edge transitions and tight footwork those disciplines demand.
• Tapered edges on the advanced Matrix and Apex blades, which cut friction for a quieter, faster glide and sharper edge control.
• Higher stanchions on selected models, for deeper edges.

Available Sizes

Blade size is set by the sole length of your boot, not your foot — see the Blade Sizing Guide before ordering, and have the blade professionally mounted.

Choosing between lines? Read How to Choose Figure Skating Blades, or see Boot & Blade Combinations for recommended pairings at each level. For the boots these mount to, see What Makes Jackson Boots Special.