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SummerJam!

Hey ya'll, I just wanted to thank all of you who were up in Toronto this weekend (especially JR for the invite). I had a blast and you guys made me feel like I was part of the gang. We were all over the place in terms of hollows used. I'm pretty sure I did at least one of the following: 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 5/8", 9/16", 1/2" FIRE, and 3/4" FIRE. If any of you mind sharing your experience, maybe tell me what you skated on before and what we tried over the weekend and what the final verdict was. Wish I could have hung around, but I had a flight to catch. Again, couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to show you guys the machine. Thanks!

Style points for heel pivot!

Thanks for coming out Steve. I tried the 3/4" fire ring. I was impressed that the machine did it's job so quietly and with no dust. When the skates came out the finish was great and I had even edges. The blades were not hot to the touch (I've had sharpeners overheat the CXN and before that the Mission Pitch steel because it's harder and they don't take their time. This leads to hot steel and usually burnt heels) and I comfortably handled them. I'd brought a second set of steel freshly sharpened to 90/50 FBV, the hollow I've now been using for years, just in case I didn't like the feel of the fire ring sharpening. The last regular hollow I'd used before converting to FBV was 7/8", but I gradually went shallower from 5/8" to 3/4" to 7/8"; so I have experience with all of those hollows. I didn't end up switching out the blades and skated on the 3/4" Fire Ring sharpening for the entire 2 hours on Saturday and then used the same sharpening to ref 4 games on Sunday night. The edges were even and I had good glide, but I'd say it felt like there was a bit less bite than a freshly sharpened 90/50 FBV cut. At the end of the day, the Fire Ring is a bit different than the FBV cut I was used to, but I had no problems skating on it and wouldn't hesitate to get my skates sharpened with a Sparx machine in the future. My steel was not burnt, the finish was good, I had edges and it was shallow enough for me that I didn't catch any edges when transitioning or chatter when stopping (if I ask for a shallow cut and the sharpener puts on something deeper, I know right away as I feel the edges when pivoting and get chatter when I stop - I can't stand skating on a deep hollow). A consistent sharpening without fear of your profile getting ruined or the steel getting burnt/overheated is definitely a great thing.

Thanks for the sharpen Steve. I went with 1/2" with Sparx and it felt great. On par with what I used to get with Doug (Rec sports) and the guys at the Goalie Crease. Now to find some teammates willing to split the cost of a machine...

Ah. I see. Pretty much. I had the original Mako skates and loved them. Got rid of them only because one boot cracked and the other one wasn't too far off. I got a pair of Mako II skates in the same size and it didn't fit nearly as well. I couldn't find any Mako II's that I could work with size-wise so I went over the Bauer 1X's. I like them but like the Mako fit/performance better. The TRUE skates will be my replacement when the time comes. I was impressed with the build. And to see that more pros are wearing these skates brings some credence to point of giving them a shot.

Not sure why one would be so concerned about his defensive skills when he puts up points. But who am I ha? I'd leave him at wing. CBJ has other plans.

I'm super hyped to see some comments on the new skates as well. I hope the quality and comfort is the same. When I stopped by Peranis a week ago, they had no display skates and no idea of the way they were going to fit and sell the skates. It suggested to me that it is going to take some time before true properly rolls out this skate. To me, I kind of expected it with the way the ordering process works and the complications involved of teaching the industry a new way to buy a top end skate.

Man, I was hoping to see a display skate when I stopped by Giant and Monkey today but both didn't have one. My buddy just got one of the last VH pairs with the True tendon guard and he really likes them so far... curious to see how they hold up over the next few months.

First season ever playing, 4th game. Probably missed that pass.

That flow is......magical

It has been a long time since I've posted on MSH. But, have had a fair amount of change over the last year. I work in Sales and was traveling pretty heavily which was taking it's toll on the family (Wife & 3 kiddos). We weren't in the worst financial situation but it was apparent some change needed to happen. Luckily, an opportunity came up about June/July last year that turned into reality. Started a new job (same profession & industry....just diff. company) in Nov. last year and moved the family in March. It allowed us to clean up debt, purchase a much more appropriate sized home, and start getting in front of our finances properly. It has been a very exciting, fun, stressful, frustrating, and ultimately great experience. Kudos to my wife and kids who helped make everything 100x easier by being the awesome people they are. And I found a rink nearby so I've been able to start playing again after about a 12mo hiatus. So that's nice too!

Made the JR NY Ranger twitter page! Got an little up close and Personal with Doogs too.