John Wilson

What John Wilson does

John Wilson, trading as John Wilson Blades, is a Sheffield, UK-based manufacturer of premium figure skating blades operating as a trading division of HD Sports Ltd. Founded in 1696, the company carries 329 years of cutlery and blade-making heritage and is run by approximately 7 employees from its facility on Rutland Way in Sheffield, the historic center of British blade craftsmanship.

The product portfolio spans legacy steel blades (Gold Seal, Pattern 99, Coronation Ace, Coronation Ace LITE, Coronation Dance) and a newer generation of carbon composite blades (Phoenix, Gold Seal Revolution, Pattern 99 Revolution). Manufacturing follows a proprietary 54-step process using 1075 carbon steel, CNC machining, and robotics, with patented Phoenix carbon fiber technology. Products are specified and used by Olympic and World champion figure skaters including Ilia Malinin and Loena Hendrickx, signaling an elite-tier positioning.

The business model is built on a B2B/B2C hybrid: blades are sold globally through an authorized retailer network of pro shops and skating clubs (where custom fitting is performed), while accessories and apparel are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce. The company complements blades with the Coronation Dance boot through a partnership with Aura Skates, positioning toward a complete-skate-system offer. Pricing is premium and not transparently disclosed, with revenue figures not publicly reported.

Name

John Wilson

Legal name

HD Sports Ltd

Website

https://worldsbestblades.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

John Wilson is a Sheffield-based manufacturer of premium figure skating blades, founded in 1696 and now part of HD Sports Ltd, supplying elite Olympic and World champion skaters through authorized retailers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Figure Skating Blades: Sale of premium figure skating blades under multiple product lines including Classic (Gold Seal, Pattern 99, Coronation Ace, Coronation Ace Lite, Coronation Dance) and Revolution (Gold Seal Revolution, Pattern 99 Revolution) series, along with the revolutionary Phoenix carbon fibre blade. Revenue generated through authorized retail partners and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for accessories.
2. Apparel and Accessories: Sale of branded apparel including coats, puffers, jackets, hats, scarves, bags, wallets, laptop cases and other accessories through the e-commerce platform. Products priced from £25 to £140.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

John Wilson Blades designs, engineers, and manufactures premium figure skating blades in Sheffield, England, sold under the Classic (Gold Seal, Pattern 99, Coronation Ace, Coronation Ace LITE, Coronation Dance), Revolution (Gold Seal Revolution, Pattern 99 Revolution), and Phoenix (full carbon fiber) product lines. The company also distributes branded apparel and accessories (coats, jackets, hats, scarves, bags, wallets, laptop cases) through its e-commerce site, and co-markets Aura performance skating boots. Blade sales are fulfilled through a global authorized retailer network that provides expert fitting, while apparel is sold direct-to-consumer online.

Product overview

John Wilson Blades is a figure skating blade manufacturer with two main product lines: Classic (traditional steel blades) and Revolution (carbon composite blades). The Classic line includes Gold Seal, Pattern 99, Coronation Ace, Coronation Ace LITE, and Coronation Dance, all precision-engineered from high-quality steel in Sheffield, England. The Revolution line features Gold Seal Revolution and Pattern 99 Revolution, combining iconic blade profiles with carbon fibre technology for reduced weight and increased performance. The company also offers the Phoenix as its most innovative blade, featuring a full carbon fiber body with stainless steel runner as the lightest blade on the market. Additionally, Aura boots are offered as a complementary performance footwear brand, creating a complete skating solution with John Wilson blades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revolution: A carbon fibre technology blade series combining iconic blade profiles with cutting-edge lightweight materials for explosive precision.
• Classic
• Phoenix
• Aura

Products and services

• Phoenix Blade

Quantifiable outcome

• Phoenix blades are 46% lighter than traditional blades, 30% lighter than Revolution blades, and up to 20% lighter than aluminum products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aura SkatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAura Skates is positioned alongside John Wilson Blades as part of a complementary product offering. John Wilson Blades directs customers to Aura boots for a complete skating solution, with the messaging 'Together, Aura and John Wilson create a seamless fusion of precision and innovation—trusted by the world's top athletes.' Both brands are engineered for peak performance and marketed together as a complete figure skating equipment system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Edea: Italian figure skating boot innovator with proprietary lightweight technologies, frequently marketed alongside premium blades; competes for the same elite and competitive skater customers.
• MK Blades: Direct head-to-head competitor in figure skating blades with comparable product lines (e.g., MK Dance, MK Flight, MK Twin) targeting the same elite skaters, coaches, and rinks globally.
• Graf Skates: Swiss figure skating boot manufacturer with a long heritage (founded 1921), serving elite and competitive skaters — comparable heritage narrative and channel structure to John Wilson.
• Risport: Italian manufacturer of high-performance figure skating boots trusted by elite skaters, often bundled with John Wilson and other blade brands — a complementary/competing equipment partner in the same channel.
• Paramount Skates: Specialized figure skating blade manufacturer offering competing blade profiles for freestyle and ice dance, frequently seen on competitive skaters as a direct alternative to John Wilson.

Others

• CCM Hockey: Major ice sports equipment manufacturer whose skate technology expertise, material science, and global distribution capabilities represent the competitive ceiling John Wilson would face scaling beyond its niche.

Broad incumbents

• Riedell Skates: Largest North American figure and roller skate boot maker offering full skate systems (boots + blades); competes with John Wilson through bundled offerings and owns Jackson Ultima, the closest full-system competitor.
• Bauer Hockey: Dominant ice sports equipment manufacturer (hockey, but with adjacent skating expertise and manufacturing scale) — sets the bar for industrial-scale skate blade R&D and distribution that John Wilson competes against.
• Jackson Ultima: Owned by Riedell, Jackson Ultima is a top figure skating boot brand that markets complete boot + blade systems, overlapping with John Wilson's premium positioning and elite athlete endorsements.

Emerging players

• Harlick Skates: Custom American figure skating boot maker serving the high-end custom fitting market, with associated blade offerings — competing with John Wilson for performance-focused customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/johnwilsonblades
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-wilson

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Wilson