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Blade Options

The following provides a comparison of the Concept2 blades: 

Comp (NEW)

Fat2

SMOOTHIE2
VORTEX EDGE (VE)

SMOOTHIE2
PLAIN EDGE

BIG BLADE

Concept2 Fat2 Blade Concept2 Vortex Edge Concept2 Smoothie2 Plain Edge Concept2 Big Blade
Date of Innovation: 2020 2006 2001 1997 1991
Description: The Comp has retained the critical features of the Fat2 blade, however the the less affective areas have been trimmed away resulting in a lightweight blade that features the same width at the Fat2. The Fat2 is the most efficient blade and offers the greatest potential for increasing boat speed.  The Smoothie2 Vortex Edge incorporates many of the innovations of the Fat2 but with a slightly smaller surface area. The Smoothie2 Plain Edge offers less slip than the Big Blade and stays consistently loaded throughout the drive. Unless you have very specific reasons for choosing the Big Blade, we recommend considering one of Concept2's more advanced blades.
The Feel: Solid lock in the water at the catch with a great acceleration into the finish. Greater efficiency gives a firm feel earlier in the drive; less resistance toward the finish. Resistance is focused on the early part of the drive. Less resistance early in drive. Lacks the firm feel of our newer designs early in the drive. Vortex Edge may be added to increase efficiency.
Tips for Optimising Performance: Similar oar lengths, shaft stiffness and rigging as our Smoothie2 blades, making it an easy transition for athletes. Oar length should be 4-8cm shorter than Smoothe2. More effective when rigged further through the pin. Oar length should be 1-2cm shorter than Smoothie2. More effective when rigged further through the pin. Best oar length may be slightly shorter than the Big Blade. We encourage you to compare with Concept2's newer blades.
Recommended for: Competitive rowers looking for maximum efficiency. Only available with the Skinny Shaft. Competitive rowers looking for maximum efficiency, and willing to try a shorter and/or softer shaft to achieve it. Competitive athletes who want good efficiency without the rigging changes that may be necessary to get the most from the FAT2. Competitive crews who want efficiency but prefer a softer feel. Crews who are familiar with the Big Blade or want much older sets of oars.

Loading Profile

As an oar blade moves through the water, it resists the athlete’s effort. This resistance generates the load the athlete feels. “Loading profile” refers to the varying amounts of load the athlete feels as the blade progresses through the drive.

Concept2 blade designs have evolved as we’ve learned more about blade path and the features that go into making an efficient blade. As a result, different blade designs have different loading profiles. More efficient blades, like the Fat2, offer more resistance earlier in the drive while others offer more resistance later. The greater the catch and finish angles, the more apparent these differences become.

A blade’s loading profile can be impacted by shaft choice. In fact, the Skinny shaft was designed to offer an overall softer loading profile with the Fat2 blade, while maintaining the blade’s efficiency. The graphic at the bottom of this page shows the loading profiles of different Concept2 blades.

While blade type plays a role in the overall load of the rig, you should not try to adjust overall load by blade type. Instead, fine-tune the overall load using oar length, spread and inboard adjustments.

After choosing your blade, we recommend choosing your shaft.

Loading Profile Chart

Explore our Shaft Construction Options


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