Leif

oldtrainerguy28: Thank you for the response, you clearly have an informd viewpoint. Are the CSA test methodologies for hockey helmets online?

A helmet will protect you from concussion due to a puck, or even a stick, hitting your helmet. I’ve had a slap shot bounce off my helmet, and barely noticed it. Without the helmet I would have sustained a nasty head wound and possibly brain damage. I’ve also gone into the boards, and my helmet has protected my head from concussion. What you perhaps mean is that a major cause of concussion is due to the deceleration associated with the head coming to a sudden stop, as seen often in contact hockey, but rarely in the hockey I participate in. I am sure we can agree that a helmet will not prevent concussion in such circumstances, but I don’t think you have scientific data to prove that a helmet cannot mitigate concussion ie reduce the severity. And neither do I, but I suspect it can reduce the deceleration, and absorb some of the shock waves from the impact. I suspect brain damage can result from shock waves moving through the brain. For my part I know from experience that the Reakt 200 is more protective than the 4500. Maybe not always, but enough to know that I won’t wear a 4500 again. Don’t Bauer argue with the VT results, and say that they perform their own rigorous testing? Sadly, a lot of this thread is “I think that” rather than “Studies show that ... “. You’d think governments would sponsor such testing on public health grounds.

Sounds reasonable, a satisfaction guaranteed promise is a marketing tool, so you should take advantage of it. I returned Superfeet for a refund as I hated them. My Bauer 2s Pros are wearing well, but my friends Trues are built like tanks.

I had the basic Bauer bag with two handles, lasted two years. Corners split, fabric split. I have a higher end Bauer bag with wheels, after six months the corners show noticeable wear. Not a fan.

I certainly would not transport mine on a regular basis without a solid case and the Pelican with foam is ideal. The original box is okay for rare use such as moving home. However the Sparx is heavy, easy to drop, so the ProSharp Home might be a better choice as a mobile machine. But the made in Sweden aspect makes it very expensive, and it lacks automation.

The UK and European price is unreasonable IMO. The Sparx is also much more expensive here, but still worth it.

The EU price is about £600 whereas a new or nearly new 1650 (no foam) can be had for ~£200. I could take mine to training sessions and charge for sharpens, but it’s a heavy machine, and all too easy to drop and/or bang against something.

Is there any advantage to black steels if you do a one pass sharpen before every session? From what I have read, the key advantage is keeping an edge longer. Also does anyone know if any particular blades are more or less prone to being tapered? My previous Step Steel blades were tapered so usng a BAT gauge was a bit tough. My Bauer LS5 blades are not tapered. However a sample of one set of each does not tell me much.

6 clicks is quite a bit, I found the optical alignment tool got close (good enough to be honest) and 2 more clicks got it perfect according to my gauge. One pass is perhaps not enough as suggested.

I find the responses to smu odd. Self inflicted wounds? How so? Yes his posts could be very repetitive and they became boring, and uninformative, but he seems to have had an appalling time.

Last year I went from a Bauer 4500 to a Bauer Reakt 200. Whilst my views are subjective, and unscientific, I’m pretty damned sure that the 200 is far more protective. As an example I took a slap shot to the head, above the cage, and felt nothing. The helmet was able to absorb the impact and dissipate the force. I’ve hit the boards a couple weeks of times, and felt little. I’m sure the 4500 would not have absorbed the shock based on knocks I experienced when wearing it as the foam is pretty hard and dense. I don’t know if the 200 offers more protection from rapid deceleration were I to slam my head at high speed into the boards for example, but my experience is that it does offer significantly more protection against impacts. However, I suspect it does offer protection against deceleration, but only partially for obvious reasons. As for the suggestion that a poor helmet is best as it makes you more alert, I had a headache for several days when a big player going at high speed skated directly into me head on whilst I was nowhere near the puck, and not expecting to be floored. I recently went over when chasing someone with the puck, and he deliberately stopped in a brace for impact stance, not a lot I could do about that.

People here are reasonable, and it looks like a useful tool. I can imagine someone being away from home, and preferring to use this gadget rather than risk entrusting their edges to an untried sharpener who could screw them up. I suspect it is much better than competing products such as the Sweet Stick (which once ruined my edges).

I used to sharpen one pair of skates every two weeks with a 50 mile round trip. It will pay back in 3-4 years. Throw in that I get sharp blades EVERY session, with perfect edges EVERY time, and no wasted mornings, and IMO it’s good value even at the sky high European price that we pay.

He certainly does sound like a good candidate. The issue of longevity is an interesting question. The Wissota and other manual sharpeners have AFAIK only one component that can go wrong in normal use namely the motor. The Sparx has I assume two motors (one to rotate the cutting wheel, one to drive the wheel horizontally) and an electronic module. I have electronic goods that have lasted decades without issue, and electric motors can last yonks, so in principle a unit that is not abused could last decades. It also has some electronic switches to detect when the door and latches are closed, and some lights which I assume are LEDs. An LED should out last the owner and switches should be durable. That said, my well cared for Nikon D200 failed after 8 years due to an electronic module blowing.

I don't see how you can ensure level edges without using a BAT gauge.

Seriously? That’s pretty much the default hollow for hockey skates in this country. Go to a LHS and ask for a sharpening, and you’ll get that or 5/8”, unless they are knowledgeable then they might match it to your weight. I know plenty of people on 3/8”, a few on 7/16” including me, lots on 1/2” and some on 5/8”. I’ve never met someone on shallower than 5/8”.

1/2” is not deep, but 3/8” is deep in my view. Curious about the edges. One person I know does a manual sharpen that grips more than sharpens of the same depth from elsewhere. Quite why I know not. The 7/16” on my Sparx is similar to that from my LHS. Is there perhaps a difference in technique between sharpeners, assuming correct alignment of the blade relative to the wheel?

I’m surprised people go from 1/2” to 3/8”, that’s a big change. Good point about the ice, a few months back I tried 7/16” as a 1/2” grind meant my blades were slipping sideways on the hard winter ice, and I much prefer it. A year back I accidentally tried 7/16” and couldn’t handle it, I think my skating technique was not up to using it then. It might be that you are not getting a true 1/2” but a bit deeper when you get them done by hand, perhaps due to the way they dress the stone. In my case the Sparx 7/16” compares with a manual sharpen, in fact the last manual sharpen felt a bit dull so maybe it was actually 1/2”.

Having owned this unit for two weeks, I can say that it is incredible. Being able to do one cycle before every skate means that I have sharp edges, and I really notice it on the ice, I get a better grip and control. And I don't have to worry about dinging an edge on exposed concrete in the rink, as I can touch it up at home. Has anyone changed their radius of hollow as a result of using a Sparx? I do wonder if I could go to a 1/2" from the 7/16" I currently use. Also, does anyone use different hollows for hockey and public skating? My hockey gear weighs a tonne, which means much more grip with a given hollow, so I could go to a shallower hollow for hockey sessions.

FWIW I have Bauer Custom skates and I get some soreness on the outside toes on my right foot. Oddly enough the boot seems to mould itself to my foot while skating and after 30 minutes or so the rubbing goes, and the fit is perfect. However, we don't know how the CCM and Bauer processed compare. (You would hope that both are first rate.)

It sounds like Scott started out making very small numbers of custom speed skates, and then scaled up the process, whereas Bauer and CCM have decades of experience making large numbers of skates, including custom, and they have methods to do a good job AND make it look good. Perhaps as you say making them look the mutts would add significant cost.

Be warned that customs tend to fit much closer, so there will be less room for you to add your own padding. Obviously you might be able to get the skate maker to add padding when they make the skate, but I suspect they only do that in the ankle areas. It is of course possible that the better fit will obviate the need for extra padding, but I'm guessing. I have Bauer Customs and I don't think I could insert padding anywhere, they are a tight fit.

Yes you are obviously right that taste is subjective, that said we really do completely disagree, I find the Supreme 2s Pro understated, just a few touches of yellow on black. The True skate has those ugly blingy stripes on the side. 🙂 But honestly, at the end of the day as long as they are not flourescent pink, with lime green laces ... it’s the function that counts. Cosmetic and aesthetic overlap. It is cosmetic in that it affects the surface, and maybe below too, and it is aesthetic as it makes it look poor. However, I will leave owners to give their feedback and views.

I don’t find CCM AS1 and Bauer 2s Pro garish, quite understated and tasteful actually. It is an aesthetic issue, and to me it suggests sloppiness, and makes me wonder how deep that sloppiness goes. My concerns could be completely unfounded, but IMO they should pay more attention to the first impressions. BTW Bauer Custom are handmade, and immaculately finished.

A full sharpen is four passes each way. A refresh is one pass each way. An owner can of course do as normal, one full pass every 10-20 hours, if they prefer. But why?