Jordan

I have used my home oven several times when a second bake was neeeded without any problem....that procedure will work fine. I also put a towel on the baking sheet for the skates to rest on, so that there aren't hot spots where the skate could touch the metal. Convection ovens generate their heat from an element just the same as a regular oven. They just use a fan to move the air around the cavity in order to get a more even heat (ie top rack bakes cookies at the same rate as the lower rack). So long as the oven has reached temperature, and is turned OFF prior to baking the skates you shouldn't run into trouble.

Warning: potentially dumb question about to appear....but Why couldn't a realtively simple jig be machined that attached to the grinding wheel with guides that extend forward from the grinding wheel (picture two flat plates that are parallel, spaced at the exact width of a skate blade), that could be used to set the the level of the holder perfectly? So, if your are still with me, one side the device would have a slot that would slide onto the actual grinding wheel; then the skate blade would only fit into the guides (ie into a slot on the other side) when the holder was the correct height and pitch. Then remove the device and you would be good to go. Comments?

LOL...reminds me of this: "I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable." -George Louis Costanza

That's the best way to approach it. I have known several people who have tried a particular FBV and then either decide that FBV is not for them, or they just stick to that original FBV. I would definitely recommend trying several different ones to hone in the right one for you.

I wouldn't take those "conversions" too seriously. The FBV gives a very different feel than a standard ROH. FWIW..I used to skate on 3/4, and went to a 90/75. That FBV has way more bite and glide. I am now on 90/50, and I think that it feels more like 3/4 to me.

My novice son (last year), going into minor atom...tried 100/75 and immediately found it had too much bite. Then he was on 90/75 for the rest of the season and liked it, did very well with it. Then, I noticed that he would scrape his edges on the ice, trying to dull them, when they were freshly sharpened. So, tried him on 90/50 and it was perfect! My conclusion is that much like traditonal sharpening, you should experiment with different FBV hollows until you get the right one for your kid; or yourself.

pretty hard to patent a simple jig that is no more than a collection of off the shelf parts (the spinners) and a hunk of machined metal.

You could put the piece that holds the spinners into the clamp of a Blackstone tri lie holder. :(

It will be very interesting to see the BM guys suddenly offering FBV...after so much bashing of it.

Curious if any "barefooters" have used them long enough to give any comment on the new liner when going sockless?

That guy seems like he is making a bad spoof of the movie "Fargo"...

Wow...power play, all critical situations ! Congrats to David! I think that he is unbelievable with the puck in traffic!

Toe caps the same ? or wider/narrower?

Since FBV is not as deep, you could argue that there is less steel ground away with each sharpening. Of course if have a deep nick, you have a deep nick... regardless of the type of sharpening.

No. Highly skilled skaters are more effective at getting on and feeling their edges. They do not require that extra "sharpness" to be able to trust their edges. Messier skated on (well, all kinds of things) a 1 inch hollow at times.

The other day on local Toronto radio station The Fan 590, hockey analyst Pierre Maguire raved about the emergence of David as one of the Blues top players over the last couple of months. He said that David and T. J. Oshie have the Blue's best players over the last month. Congrats David!

I am interested in how this works for figure skaters - I have one of those in my house also. I have no doubt about the glide being a benefit. My only hesitation is they do a lot of foot work where the blade must pivot on the ice, I have found on my skates that the outside edge can catch...I know that I am not explaining this well. Anyhow, would love to hear the feedback that you get JR...I think that you will need to try several different FBV profiles to find the sweetspot for the figure skating crowd.

Agreed. I have used mine since January as well...only had them done once more since having the original FBV put on them, and that had more to do with playing shinny outdoors. My son needs them done from skate to skate contact causing nicks, not because he has lost an edge. He is on the ice about 6-7 hours/week, and we are getting them done about every week and a half...so say about every 10 hours. That was the same when he skated on a regular 1/2 inch. I have no problem with the durability.

My experience has been on both my skates and my son's skates that it lasts just as long. We are both on the 90/75 and it has been great. The one difference I have noticed that can lead to needing a sharp a little quicker is that if there is skate to skate contact, it does seem easier to damage an edge. Funny thing is, that it isn't that I have really been able to feel it while skating, just able to see the gouge and feel like I should get it fixed. Anyhow, I received two emails this week about new stores getting the machine, it is spreading around this area very quickly. Both emails were anouncements touting the FBV as premium service. Interestingly, while one is a LHS, the other is a hockey skills center.

For my son, the 100/75 didn't work out that great..okay but not the "wow" moment that I had imagined. For him 90/75 was the answer, and he skates incredibly well on it. If your son was falling and losing his edge, I would not only try 100/75, but I would make sure that the job was level, and that all prior damage was removed. I would NOT give up on the FBV though. as for adjustment period, I would say about 10 minutes is all it takes, so do it prior to a practice, not a game.

My 8 (almost 9) year old has been on it for a few months. He skates on the 90/75..and I would say that there is an observable difference in speed. Players who he was neck and neck with on his team, he now beats consistently in races.

It was the sharpener that was doing them at the time. He was saying to me that his eye was more dependable than the square, then showed me how the square read level, but he knew better. Then started making all kinds of adjustments to the tri-lie based on that. When I questioned his methodology...well, he got a little testy, particularly when I asked him to go by the square rather than his magic eye. I get the part about if the square getting damaged, that it could give you an incorrect reading...I just couldn't imagine being able to see it with the naked eye. Thanks

Okay...had my son's skates done today (FBV..90/75).. Sharpener says that even though the the square says that the edges are level, he can see by eye that they are not level. He "accomplishes" this by holding the skate up to his eye and looks down the blade. If the edge on each side in 0.75 of one one thousandth of an inch, how could he detect that by eye? I think that is beyond the accuracy level that the human eye is capable of detecting, not to mention accounting for getting the blade perfectly perpendicular when holding it by hand; however, I ask the expert sharpeners here...what gives: i) go by eye on FBV?? or ii) go by mechanical device, square/level??

Taking gas money from your buddy doesn't make you a taxi service. Chadd: The IRS disagrees with you....we may as well present what the law actually says: IRS article: Is it a Business or a Hobby? FS-2007-18, April 2007 The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to follow appropriate guidelines when determining whether an activity is a business or a hobby, an activity not engaged in for profit. In order to educate taxpayers regarding their filing obligations, this fact sheet, the eleventh in a series, explains the rules for determining if an activity qualifies as a business and what limitations apply if the activity is not a business. Incorrect deduction of hobby expenses account for a portion of the overstated adjustments, deductions, exemptions and credits that add up to $30 billion per year in unpaid taxes, according to IRS estimates. In general, taxpayers may deduct ordinary and necessary expenses for conducting a trade or business. An ordinary expense is an expense that is common and accepted in the taxpayer’s trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate for the business. Generally, an activity qualifies as a business if it is carried on with the reasonable expectation of earning a profit. In order to make this determination, taxpayers should consider the following factors: Does the time and effort put into the activity indicate an intention to make a profit? Does the taxpayer depend on income from the activity? If there are losses, are they due to circumstances beyond the taxpayer’s control or did they occur in the start-up phase of the business? Has the taxpayer changed methods of operation to improve profitability? Does the taxpayer or his/her advisors have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business? Has the taxpayer made a profit in similar activities in the past? Does the activity make a profit in some years? Can the taxpayer expect to make a profit in the future from the appreciation of assets used in the activity? The IRS presumes that an activity is carried on for profit if it makes a profit during at least three of the last five tax years, including the current year — at least two of the last seven years for activities that consist primarily of breeding, showing, training or racing horses. If an activity is not for profit, losses from that activity may not be used to offset other income. An activity produces a loss when related expenses exceed income. The limit on not-for-profit losses applies to individuals, partnerships, estates, trusts, and S corporations. It does not apply to corporations other than S corporations. Deductions for hobby activities are claimed as itemized deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040). These deductions must be taken in the following order and only to the extent stated in each of three categories: Deductions that a taxpayer may take for personal as well as business activities, such as home mortgage interest and taxes, may be taken in full. Deductions that don’t result in an adjustment to basis, such as advertising, insurance premiums and wages, may be taken next, to the extent gross income for the activity is more than the deductions from the first category. Business deductions that reduce the basis of property, such as depreciation and amortization, are taken last, but only to the extent gross income for the activity is more than the deductions taken in the first two categories.

**He also left out potential zoning issues in some areas. ** Oh please. You are allowed in virtually every single jurisdiction to run a home based, sole proprietrship without being incorporated or licensed. Of course the IRS would expect you to declare your income from it. It is more likely that one would run into trouble with a local homeowner's association's bylaws than with state or federal regulations. Get over it; sharpening for a few friends, and by the way, charging them to cover costs does NOT constitute a business.