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Completely agree with both points. I think all of the vendors would be smart to get on board here. They can help us and we can help them. We talked about this at length last month 🙂 At the same time though I don't think they have an obligation to do so just because people like their products, which is what it seems like some are inferring.

You’re way overstating a level of “free promotion” vs how much the product sells itself. Most of the posts in this thread have been questions and answers. Is it The sites fault most people who have bought one are satisfied? JR hasn’t promoted the machine at all, if anything it competes with his own business. the most recent posts you have responded after are someone listing pros and cons, and another person mentioning they’d have a hard time spending the current price on it......

Although this is more of a Q and A for the most part it sure seems to me that's turned into more of a free promotion for this product. And as per the guidelines I personally think JR should be compensated for the amount of sales it seems to be generating. Similarly to another topic a while back about the pro shops. Just my opinion.

As I say- if I were Jeremiah Sparkington or Josediah True, I’d throw them a bone IF the brands grew directly from this website; but this is merely what I would do (and do regularly to thank people for referrals or free advertising).

Sparx is far from unique in that it's a smaller company that's been discussed in great detail on MSH. Marsblade, Sprung, VH/True, KOR and many others have had long and popular threads over the years. It's great if some of them are able to come to events and buy advertising, but it's the members who choose to discuss the products; both what they do and don't like about them. I agree with IPv6's statement above.

Kickbacks, no.. but it would be damn nice to see manufacturers buying advertisements. They sure do get enough out for the site and their support of it is essential to it's success.

I’m just stating my observation, but I guess you’re point of view is the only one that matters here

I can understand where you’re coming from, Mr. Oldtrainerguy. The difference is that it is the rank and file of this site discussing the sharpener with little participation of the owner and/or employees. He’s present, but there is not any active “stealth” advertising or promotions from the company owner. Now if I were “Jerimiah Sparkington” (I know- not the real owner’s name), I would throw a bone at this site owner if this thread was making business hop (and no- he doesn’t have to in my opinion). This is simply a discussion on the sharpener- good, bad and otherwise.

Maybe the lack of criticism reflects the general satisfaction of owners? I was chatting to someone who may soon be the UK distributor for Sparx, and he said that a good hand grind was better than a Sparx grind, which rather took me aback. He explained that blades are often bent, and automated machines do not necessarily deal so well with bent blades. My right blade is very slightly bent, perhaps due to the holder, but a Sparx did a good job of sharpening it. I suspect that if a blade is bent to the degree that a Sparx can’t deal with it, then the bend should be rectified.

Automated skate sharpeners will be the norm in 10 years. However, IMO if the promotion this machine is getting on this site as one of the first people on it if not the first on here I believe JR should be getting something from it? That's my point it has ZERO to do with how I feel this machine can and cannot sharpen skates.