shoot_the_goalie

I think that was Matt Cooke? Jordan Leopold also uses it I believe. I don't think FBV will be revolutionizing the market until it becomes easily accessible everywhere, and it needs to start with young kids. Hockey players (athletes in general) are creatures of habit, and FBV (which I believe is superior to ROH) is not enough of a performance jump IMHO for people to change from what they've always known and are comfortable with for years (NHL pros, etc). I will say this. I sharpen with FBV, and the other night I lost an edge. Had to get an emergency sharpening at the rink, and of course, they only have ROH. Well, got it done, and man, ROH felt sluggish. Couldn't wait to sharpen back to FBV.

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like it's not worth it to get the new gauge since I can get the Batgage to work with good results. I too find that you must make sure that the left side of the gauge is completely flat against the blade. I also make sure to check that there are no fibers (after I wipe finishing oil off with a rag) or any burrs, hairs, etc on the blade, as those foreign materials could throw off the gauge significantly.

Anyone use the new ButterflyGage? The BatGage is kinda finicky, but I've figured out how to use it to get good results. Wondering if the ButterflyGage is that much better to be worth the extra $125.

on the mini, they said spec showing when in compartment. however, I too agree, it doesn't seem like it would matter if it was either way since the mechanism seems to be symmetrical in nature.

I was told by Blackstone that the spinner spec should be showing when placed into the spinner compartment. Wouldn't that make the spec side the side meeting the drag cap? Blackstone told me as long as you're within one notch on both sides (BatGauge), that should be pretty close to even. Each notch is representative of one thousandth of an inch.

Another side question: How do you know when a mini-spinner is no longer good? Blackstone customer service told me after 5-6 grinding wheels (depending on frequency of dressing), but are there physical signs to knowing when it's time to replace a spinner?

Digressing a bit, but just saw that Blackstone has a new edge checker on their website. Does anyone know the price? Is it worth it over the bat gauge? I finally figured out how to work the bat gauge, so I can get decent results with it, but it still is not without it's inconsistency issues.