Leaderboard

It's less a matter of flattening the blade as it is removing the factory polish or coating. New blades come very inconsistent on the bottom, but the coating really gums up a sharpening wheel. Removing that first layer with a mostly flat hollow makes the first sharpen and every subsequent one easier. If you try to do a new cut with a normal hollow, at least with a traditional sharpening wheel, you heat the steel and do a number on the wheel unnecessarily. Plus it takes twice the time. I imagine the same principle applies with these sharpening rings. Also, I would put out there that a "flat" ring and say a 1 1/2" hollow are reasonably similar at those widths, you could accomplish the same with either

Can't speak for the original wheel for the 1st generation machines, but the commercial units have 3 different cross-grind wheels that cut a hollow as part of the process.

Poron to standard foams. 3-piece thumbs to 2-piece thumbs. Embroidered cuff rolls to I don’t even know what to call the plastic crap now. That’s just Bauer. CCM has reduced D3O, or the amount of D3O, they’re using. Palm and gusset materials seems to be getting flimsier. That said, I wouldn’t even bother with retail gloves nowadays. Plenty of pro stock options available with better builds and more options. While it’s a shame CPR and Hockey Menders closed for repalms/customization, ITR does great work and continues to improve with every pair

Lots of pros make awful decisions though and their thoughts shouldn't necessarily matter. Like pro goalies that take a sweet stick to a fresh sharpening job to "finish it off" I'd say Crosby and McDavid are prime examples of "newer gear isn't necessarily better." We've seen Bauer go from full composite outsoles to a mix of plastic and composite outsoles. So sometimes their ideas of upgrades might not really have the positive effect for everyone. If I could go back to an FT1 or earlier stiffness skate I would in a heartbeat.