Dutch ice skates with curled-up runner blades (1)
Fig.1: Holland skates with curled-up blades, around 1850
Sturdy, heavily built ice skates with a mighty curl. The circular slot at the rear and the fiddle shaped platforms are reliable indications for their age. The blades ended at the rear in flat threaded eye (detail 1a) in which a screw was turned from the topside as to connect platform and blade. At the front  of the blade a hook was forged, that clamped into a slot (detail 1b). By varying the angle of the hook the play between wood and iron could be reduced (detail 1c).
In 1975 the collection of The virtual Ice Skates Museum started with the purchase of this pair of skates.

Manufacturer: unknown
Mark: none

Technical data: total length: 44 cm; height over ice: 3.8 cm; platforms: 31 cm long, 6.5 cm wide; runner blades: 17 mm tall, 4 mm thick; weight: 400 g
 
Fig.2: Holland skates with curled-up blades, around 1800
The blades of these ice skates have been made of wrought iron. The slot at the rear originally has been circular but made rectangular at a later date. These data and the fiddle shaped platforms are reliable indications for their age. The mark is difficult to read but the name 'SCHULTE' cannot be missed. 

Manufacturer: ?.Schulte & Zonen, unknown town
Mark: detail 2

 Technical data:
total length: 38.5 cm; height over ice: 4 cm;
platforms: 27 cm long, 6 cm wide;
runner blades: 22 mm tall. 4 mm thick;
weight: 335 g
 

Fig.3: Holland skates with curled-up blades, around 1880
 The blacksmith's mark in these skates is well known. This makes it easy to date them. They were made by Theo Vlieg who was a blacksmith at Bodegraven between 1865 and 1896. 'Vlieg' means 'fly' in English and if you look with a bit of phantasy you will recognise a sitting fly with a T on its back.

Manufacturer: Th. Vlieg, Bodegraven
Mark: detail 3b
 
 Technical data:
total length: 33.5 cm; height over ice: 3.5 cm;
platforms: 24 cm long, 6 cm wide;
runner blades: 17 mm tall, 3.5 mm thick;
weight: 260 g
 

Fig.4: Holland skates with curled-up blades, around 1800
 Beautiful, elegant ice skate with a brass inlay in the form of a French lily (detail 4). The brass inlay at the rear is not a decoration but a repair to prevent the wood from tearing. The lilies together with circular slots at the rear and the fiddle shaped platforms are reliable indications for their age.

Manufacturer: unknown
Mark: none

Technical data:
total length: 39 cm; height over ice: 2.7 cm;
platforms: 28 cm long, 6 cm wide;
runner blades: 10 cm tall, 3.5 mm thick;
weight: 225 g
 

detail 1a
 


detail 1b
 


detail 1c
 


detail 2
 


detail 3a
 


detail 3b
 


detail 4

 
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