DLX board sizes are always off

[Mbrimson88]

I miss when DLX boards were almost always top and bottom layers dyed, plus the second from top and bottom dyed as well. They look so much nicer with that lay-up, and it was practically their signature for years. Seems like they've abandoned it now, though I do see Polar running that lay-up. In classic DLX colors too, using yellow or pink for the top and bottom with a dark teal or blue for the second layers. Used to see that combo a lot in DLX boards.

It is funny with the different colours and the different periods of how they were pressed, but for a long time there was top and second top coloured, then second bottom, but I don't think people really liked the plain bottom so they switched it up.  Baker boys still do it that way, one colour on top with a colour through the middle, so the bottom is plain.

I should take a pic or two of a few different ways the DLX boards have changed over the years too, as they were very much standard in certain ways for a long time.

Now it looks like top, second, then bottom only coloured from all the recent boards, and different top to bottom, whereas some companies always do the top and bottom the same.

[Glurmpz]

I just measured all the 8.5 DLX decks we have in the shop and none are actually 8.5. They’re all 8.38.

[Mbrimson88]

I just measured all the 8.5 DLX decks we have in the shop and none are actually 8.5. They’re all 8.38.

Sure is weird!

Do you have any of the 8.38 stickered decks?  Eg olive eagle 8.38 x 32.25 with 14.5 wb, or other asst DLX graphics on that same size

I found my olive eagle I just got (and the others I have had pre covid) is bigger than 8.38 so would be almost larger than what those 8.5 stickered boards would be, so would be interesting to compare the ones stickered as 8.5 to the 8.38 and see as I think my 8.38 would be wider than those 8.5 decks.

That is why I am finding this size so good, as it is a wide board with long wheelbase, which is perfect for how I skate.

[Glurmpz]

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I just measured all the 8.5 DLX decks we have in the shop and none are actually 8.5. They’re all 8.38.

[close]

Sure is weird!

Do you have any of the 8.38 stickered decks?  Eg olive eagle 8.38 x 32.25 with 14.5 wb, or other asst DLX graphics on that same size

I found my olive eagle I just got (and the others I have had pre covid) is bigger than 8.38 so would be almost larger than what those 8.5 stickered boards would be, so would be interesting to compare the ones stickered as 8.5 to the 8.38 and see as I think my 8.38 would be wider than those 8.5 decks.

That is why I am finding this size so good, as it is a wide board with long wheelbase, which is perfect for how I skate.

The 8.38 Real renewal we have is 8.38. The krooked 8.38 we have is one 16th shy of 8.5. Also, one of the 8.5 lovers 2 decks is actually that same “8.4” shape I’ve had twice that’s 8.30 in reality. Lol. They really don’t know what they’re doing over there with the measurements.

[Mbrimson88]

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I just measured all the 8.5 DLX decks we have in the shop and none are actually 8.5. They’re all 8.38.

[close]

Sure is weird!

Do you have any of the 8.38 stickered decks?  Eg olive eagle 8.38 x 32.25 with 14.5 wb, or other asst DLX graphics on that same size

I found my olive eagle I just got (and the others I have had pre covid) is bigger than 8.38 so would be almost larger than what those 8.5 stickered boards would be, so would be interesting to compare the ones stickered as 8.5 to the 8.38 and see as I think my 8.38 would be wider than those 8.5 decks.

That is why I am finding this size so good, as it is a wide board with long wheelbase, which is perfect for how I skate.

[close]

The 8.38 Real renewal we have is 8.38. The krooked 8.38 we have is one 16th shy of 8.5. Also, one of the 8.5 lovers 2 decks is actually that same “8.4” shape I’ve had twice that’s 8.30 in reality. Lol. They really don’t know what they’re doing over there with the measurements.

That Krooked sounds exactly like my board!

I haven't seen any of the Renewal or price point 8.38s as they only just came to be in the last drop, but the usual 8.38 always seemed bigger.

How do they feel to skate - the ones you have had that is?  A good size or too small?

[Glurmpz]

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I just measured all the 8.5 DLX decks we have in the shop and none are actually 8.5. They’re all 8.38.

[close]

Sure is weird!

Do you have any of the 8.38 stickered decks?  Eg olive eagle 8.38 x 32.25 with 14.5 wb, or other asst DLX graphics on that same size

I found my olive eagle I just got (and the others I have had pre covid) is bigger than 8.38 so would be almost larger than what those 8.5 stickered boards would be, so would be interesting to compare the ones stickered as 8.5 to the 8.38 and see as I think my 8.38 would be wider than those 8.5 decks.

That is why I am finding this size so good, as it is a wide board with long wheelbase, which is perfect for how I skate.

[close]

The 8.38 Real renewal we have is 8.38. The krooked 8.38 we have is one 16th shy of 8.5. Also, one of the 8.5 lovers 2 decks is actually that same “8.4” shape I’ve had twice that’s 8.30 in reality. Lol. They really don’t know what they’re doing over there with the measurements.

[close]

That Krooked sounds exactly like my board!

I haven't seen any of the Renewal or price point 8.38s as they only just came to be in the last drop, but the usual 8.38 always seemed bigger.

How do they feel to skate - the ones you have had that is?  A good size or too small?

I loved those “8.4” lovers 2 decks cause I prefer 8.30 if I can find it, and that’s what those decks measure out to be. Not an 8.5 guy, but now that I know DLX 8.5s are usually 8.38 that gives me more options in dire times.

Next one I have personally is the real Donnelly 8.25 full SE, measures a tad over 8.25, nice and steep as it’s a 1. Feels amazing but I’m scared to break another new deck so just skating from my lightly used stack until I either shed a couple pounds or get sick of old shit.

[j....soy.....]

With anything generator, 8.25 has always felt like a hair of magic carpetry on 144/148's....and 8.125 felt just flush....

[yungtaco]

We just got the real mason silva sunset “8.38” and its dead on 8.5. The 14.38 WB and 32.18 length is correct tho

[Mbrimson88]

We just got the real mason silva sunset “8.38” and its dead on 8.5. The 14.38 WB and 32.18 length is correct tho

I have always found that the FULL boards are wider, which is to my advantage really, but that is just me.

That graphic is pretty cool too, that fade through the colours to match the graphic sunset.  Is it as good in person as it looks from the pics?

[camel filters]

Are you guys measuring the decks pressing the tape measurer into the concave or leaving it out the concave. Could be why the measurements are off...

[fluffhead]

I'm currently riding the mason full SE sunset deck. I was a little bummed when I got it and it measured to be 8.5 instead of the 8.38 as advertised. But after giving it a chance I ended up picking up another after my second session on it. Love the Full SE shape.

[Skrotum]

I just picked up a real 8.5" full se and it is actually 8.5" the real team bold 8.5" i just finished skating was actually a 8.38". Dlx needs to get their shit together.

[Sedition]

Are you guys measuring the decks pressing the tape measurer into the concave or leaving it out the concave. Could be why the measurements are off...

Lengthwise that would make a a big difference. For width, the difference between a ruler (not pressing) and a tailor's tape (pressing) is like 1mm/2mm. The 8.5 still comes short pressing in.   

[Glurmpz]

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Are you guys measuring the decks pressing the tape measurer into the concave or leaving it out the concave. Could be why the measurements are off...

[close]

Lengthwise that would make a a big difference. For width, the difference between a ruler (not pressing) and a tailor's tape (pressing) is like 1mm/2mm. The 8.5 still comes short pressing in.

Beat me to it - the difference is about 1mm, and in general you measure straight across, not into the concave. Try to hold a measuring tape consistently flat throughout the concave while looking at the measurement and you'll see why straight across is the way to go.

[boogs]

Gotta be a green top

[Weezil]

last 2 boards I've had were dlx boards with green tops. they've been the best decks I've had in a long time. you might be on to something.

[Sedition]

Brown and black stain tops...

[Mbrimson88]

The urban wood myth of ply sheets being graded by quality and then colour coded as such, with the yellow tops being best, as per Frank Gerwer's obsession with yellow tops.

Never had any issues with specific colours and broken or seen almost all colours broken without warranty issues, but I always thought yellow and orange just were so good, but never had a red top I liked (even though I skated one without any problems and passed it on to someone else just as soon as I could to be rid of it) but I think increasingly now, BBS and DLX boards are coming out in all the colour options much more frequently.

[fs1/2cab]

I lined a anti hero and polar deck up, both say the length is 31.875 but the polar is like half an inch longer. This messes with my deck ocd a bit. I always found 32 length a bit too long for me. Luxury problems here. It always get worse when I can't skate regularly. Thanks slap ^^

[DarkPools]

I just picked up a real 8.5" full se and it is actually 8.5" the real team bold 8.5" i just finished skating was actually a 8.38". Dlx needs to get their shit together.

I love DLX boards but the team bold 8.5 was one of my least favorite boards from Real... I was caught off guard by how awkward and dainty it felt. Maybe it's because it felt like an 8.38 that it was throwing me off... Good to know I wasn't crazy on why it felt weird.
The Full SE is my favorite from Real in 8.5. I've skated at least 4 of em and loved it each time! Reliable spec labeling usually, too.

[DarkPools]

Sorry for double post, but it was separate from the above, imo.

From the "Skate stuff bought recently" thread

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My recent pick up from Tri Star Skateshop in Cleveland, OH!
Solid shop and they have a cool board box, also!
Two 8.5s and Mob:
- Anti Hero Pfanner - digging the solid pale white/yellow graphic
- Black Label Troy - this one has a nice medium full shape to it. Not pointy and not super full either. Stoked on this one for sure! Thanks everyone that chimed in with feedback on Label, I have a feeling it will be good once set up

[close]

Curious if both boards are the same size, more so width wise, as I know the AH is supposed to be shorter in wheelbase and length than the BL, but if you have had a peek at the DLX board sizes thread, it would be interesting for your input.

My experience with DLX has been pretty consistent for the most part I think. 8.5, 8.38, and 8.25 all felt like their true size from Real, Krooked, and AH. Maybe i got lucky over the years? I have had one or two that felt small for 8.5: Team Bold last year and some other team model a few years back. I haven't noticed DLX mislabeling the size for any of their boards over the years but it's possible they do some "rounding" of the measurements or tapering to shapes that affect the accuracy of those specs or they are mislabeling the width, as everything else checks out. This is stuff I never paid any attention to in the past. I look for my size and I stand on it, if it feels good, like what I prefer, then I go with it. I know many on here go steps beyond that for the goldilocks board and that's rad!

This Label I got, width-wise, under my feet, feels like a "full" 8.5" and the AH Pfanner feels like a modest/small 8.5 when comparing to each other. The Label is spot on 8.5, though.
This Pfanner, after measuring, does come out to a hair under 8.5 at its widest point and tapers to almost 8.25 near where the tail begins. Technically, this 8.5 should be labeled as an 8.38 or 8.4 based on what the measurements say. However, it still feels like an 8.5 to me, but not as full.

My thoughts are that certain molds/shapes for certain sizes are rounded up or down slightly by DLX if it's close enough to that size. This probably explains why we are seeing 8.38 feel like an 8.5 and an 8.5 feel like an 8.38, etc. That does throw a wrench in for anyone expecting one thing based on labeling and getting something else once they have it...

[Roger Mexico]

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I miss when DLX boards were almost always top and bottom layers dyed, plus the second from top and bottom dyed as well. They look so much nicer with that lay-up, and it was practically their signature for years. Seems like they've abandoned it now, though I do see Polar running that lay-up. In classic DLX colors too, using yellow or pink for the top and bottom with a dark teal or blue for the second layers. Used to see that combo a lot in DLX boards.

[close]

It is funny with the different colours and the different periods of how they were pressed, but for a long time there was top and second top coloured, then second bottom, but I don't think people really liked the plain bottom so they switched it up.  Baker boys still do it that way, one colour on top with a colour through the middle, so the bottom is plain.

I should take a pic or two of a few different ways the DLX boards have changed over the years too, as they were very much standard in certain ways for a long time.

Now it looks like top, second, then bottom only coloured from all the recent boards, and different top to bottom, whereas some companies always do the top and bottom the same.

Please do this. Would be super interested.

[Mbrimson88]

I should take a pic or two of a few different ways the DLX boards have changed over the years too, as they were very much standard in certain ways for a long time.

Please do this. Would be super interested.

Will do! 

[Mbrimson88]

I found a local shop in my travels that had the full range of the Real renewal price point decks in, but I mainly wanted to check the 8.38 and the 8.5 decks, as per the pic below (unrelated shop, but I had seen it with all the boards).

I found that the 8.38 (yellow graphic) was as my other 8.38 boards, a touch under 8.5 and true to 32.25 length and 14.5 wheelbase, but no number stamped into the top, but still the normal feel (and orange top, which I liked).

The 8.5 (purple graphic) was just 8.5 at the widest point just behind the front bolts but tapered down so most of it was less than the 8.38 beside it.  Also the 8.5 was the old classic 8.5 dimensions, so 8.5 x 32.25 with 14.38 wheelbase, and had a II on top, which was correct as per the sticker on it.  I actually liked it a lot to look at and stand on.

There was also an AH 8.38 Taylor Expressions graphic, which was on a II board, same everything as the 8.38 Real deck and a touch more concave.  No other DLX wood in store to check any of the other sizes / shapes, but all these ones pretty much held up to what was on the sticker.


I bought the Real renewal as well, just to have another one but also to see how the newer price point boards hold up, but even just standing on it in the shop, it felt good, solid, a bit of flex, same as the pro AH board so I don't think I will have any issues with it at all.

[jay_nev]

How are the 8.75”? Don’t see those too often, only online

[Sedition]

...
the 8.5 was the old classic 8.5 dimensions, so 8.5 x 32.25 with 14.38 wheelbase...

WHOA. I've not seen one of those around in awhile...just the 14.25 version. Wild shit going down.

[Mbrimson88]

How are the 8.75”? Don’t see those too often, only online

The last one I actually had / saw here was the white eagle, but that was true to size / sticker (and always has been).

There is the Real oval, Krooked eyes, AH white eagle and other specialty graphics, Grant Taylor Curbside Service graphic I saw someone had, in the setup thread.

width: 8.75"
length: 32.625"
wheelbase: 14.625"
nose: 7.125"
tail: 6.625"
 
medium concave
standard popsicle shape

Like this one, as already posted in the other thread, but pics of top, bottom and side too:

https://www.skatedeluxe.com/en/real-team-oval-pearl-patterns-8-75-deck-multi_p140351

[Mbrimson88]

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...
the 8.5 was the old classic 8.5 dimensions, so 8.5 x 32.25 with 14.38 wheelbase...

[close]

WHOA. I've not seen one of those around in awhile...just the 14.25 version. Wild shit going down.

Even shows it as the 8.5 x 31.8 w 14.25 wb on the Real site too, but I had seen a few online shops have it as listed on the sticker so was curious as to which shape it was, which might be different elsewhere though:

https://www.realskateboards.com/

https://www.realskateboards.com/img/2020/rs-2020-del-04-renewals.jpg

[Sedition]

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How are the 8.75”? Don’t see those too often, only online

[close]

The last one I actually had / saw here was the white eagle, but that was true to size / sticker (and always has been).

There is the Real oval, Krooked eyes, AH white eagle and other specialty graphics, Grant Taylor Curbside Service graphic I saw someone had, in the setup thread.

width: 8.75"
length: 32.625"
wheelbase: 14.625"
nose: 7.125"
tail: 6.625"
 
medium concave
standard popsicle shape

Like this one, as already posted in the other thread, but pics of top, bottom and side too:

https://www.skatedeluxe.com/en/real-team-oval-pearl-patterns-8-75-deck-multi_p140351

I normally ride the 8.25/14.38. For some unknown, bewildering reason, I decided a few months back that I wanted to try out that 8.75 white eagle. The above dimensions are spot on, except for my length measurement was 32.43", that is prolly because I measured tip-to-tip, and didn't follow bend of nose/tail.

Unrelated: The 8.75" has the exact same shape as the 8.25", it's just bigger. It was a fun board, but I went back to the 8.25" pretty quick.   

[jay_nev]

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How are the 8.75”? Don’t see those too often, only online

[close]

The last one I actually had / saw here was the white eagle, but that was true to size / sticker (and always has been).

There is the Real oval, Krooked eyes, AH white eagle and other specialty graphics, Grant Taylor Curbside Service graphic I saw someone had, in the setup thread.

width: 8.75"
length: 32.625"
wheelbase: 14.625"
nose: 7.125"
tail: 6.625"
 
medium concave
standard popsicle shape

Like this one, as already posted in the other thread, but pics of top, bottom and side too:

https://www.skatedeluxe.com/en/real-team-oval-pearl-patterns-8-75-deck-multi_p140351

[close]

I normally ride the 8.25/14.38. For some unknown, bewildering reason, I decided a few months back that I wanted to try out that 8.75 white eagle. The above dimensions are spot on, except for my length measurement was 32.43", that is prolly because I measured tip-to-tip, and didn't follow bend of nose/tail.

Unrelated: The 8.75" has the exact same shape as the 8.25", it's just bigger. It was a fun board, but I went back to the 8.25" pretty quick.   

the shorter length would be welcomed. And the wb was spot on 14.625”? Can’t say i see that wb measurement often at all. Did you ride mostly transition with it? Got some 151’s coming and wondering which dlx pairing would work well with them