colins

There's no adjustment called tension, but moving the skate blade up or down in the clamping mechanism or adjusting the wheel height up or down both affect the tension on the wheel when it contacts the blade (Hooke's Law - the amount of stretch on the spring which applies force on the wheel/blade changes). That said, on the Sparx you don't really want to apply more pressure than necessary as you'll cause the wheel to chatter or drag on the blade and you won't get a perfectly smooth mirror finish pass. As I've stated before, for very tall new LS3/4 or Step I prefer to use the goalie risers so I don't have to lower the wheel too much and I find that allows both a high contact point on the toe and a nice light pressure on the blade for a perfectly smooth pass. The Sparx seems to be dialed in from the factory for "standard" height steel, and is easily adjustable to handle well worn steel. But I find new "tall" steel to work best with the goalie risers installed. YMMV colins

Yes, I could use the height adjustment knob, but the spring tension and the sacrifice you make for toe/heel coverage - I find tall steel is easier to dial in with the risers in place. Using the risers vs. using the height adjustment knob are not equivalent, because of the spring tension. I only have StepSteel Black, CCM +2mm and LS3 in my house at the moment so I just keep the risers in all the time unless I'm sharpening someone else's skates that have worn or "not tall" steel. colins

They are heavy but also sturdy, the plastic casing is strictly for cosmetics as explained in one of Sparx's videos that covered the development of the unit. The glass viewing door is probably the main weak spot in terms of something that may get busted if you toss the unit around. In the travel case it is nice and secure. Sparx published this video of them testing the cases when they first got them: colins

I use the risers for tall steel. The machine was designed and calibrated for the large majority of steel that existed before the recent LS4, CCM +2mm, StepSteel taller steel trend. I just leave the risers in and find I have no issues with heel/toe or getting that sweet spot for pressure on the blade that way. colins

I don't recall seeing the promotional material that claimed pro shop professionals suck. The Sparx advantage is consistency, and for a very large portion of the average consumer base in need of skate sharpening service, consistency is hard to achieve. As is convenience. That was the Sparx value proposition. I can see how that could be seen as a threat to the traditional established pro shop model, with heavy investments in equipment, processes and skills developed over decades. But I still don't see then how Sparx would have gained any traction in the pro shop market during the initial launch of the product. For the first year or two, even when I first had my machine, most established pro shop commentary was skeptical trending towards negative towards the company and the product. It took a mountain of evidence and happy customers to overcome that. It's taken 3 years to establish the credibility they have now, and from my perspective at least - I don't buy into the idea that pro shops would have jumped on board and helped shape the product had Sparx just approached them early in the cycle to get them on board. Just my personal opinion oldtrainerguy28, and I'm strictly speaking to their business model, not the value that pros like yourself can or could have added to the product. But better late than never - and I'm just glad the path they chose was successful in bringing this to market, with a healthy business model that allows them to continue to support and grow the product. colins

It's a logical place to take it to the next level. But if they had started with that business model, where's the money coming from to create yet-another-skate-sharpener to compete with the Blademasters and Blackstones of the world? It was the folks that put money up for the kickstarter that believed in the concept enough to bring a consumer level skate sharpener to the market. I don't disagree with your points, but it's a chicken vs. egg thing - the Sparx wouldn't exist today had it not been a consumer focused model that got funded by home users. colins

I've never seen a PS100, but other than the extra filtration that allows Sparx to sell/support the cross grind rings on it (and not on the consumer ES100), there's also two other key differences listed on Sparx's website: Consumer Grade Safety Features (ES100) Unlimited Cycle Warranty & Service Plans (PS100) So if you want warranty on the machine to cover >1000 sharpenings per year you'd want to go with the PS100. Then again, if you'll have kids and parents potentially using the machine themselves, it sounds like he safety features on the ES100 would be a safer choice. Again, not having seen the PS100 I don't know what specific differences in safety features it has, but it may have modified firmware that has less lockout situations to make it more efficient to use in a commercial setup. If Russ doesn't chime in you would probably want to contact their sales and verify exactly what those differences are just to be sure you're making the best choice. colins

Also in on the Kickstarter - at $549 USD. Mine shipped May 26th 2016. Been using it multiple times a week since then with no issues. colins

2-3 clicks on a 1/2" Ring will adjust the edge height by .001" which is about half a line on the Sparx edge checker. 6 clicks would be a full line difference. You should make adjustments in 2-3 click increments, then do at least 4-6 passes to ensure a full new hollow is created before measuring and making further adjustment. Or, use a sharpie, and mark the entire hollow and do enough cycles to completely remove the marker before measuring and readjusting. colins

I've thought about this a bit. We know CCM has some excellent resources in their skate department, so it's not a case of them not recognizing the issue. They could correct it easily if they wanted to and avoid the warranty and customer complaints that come from customers like me. But we must be low percentage enough that it's not a business decision they've cared to make. The reason for them continuing to use the stamped, less durable eyelets must be one or a combination of: 1. Marketing guys wanting the CCM logo on the eyelet. Sounds lame, but branding is obviously a big deal in this industry. 2. Cost (both material cost of the eyelets and the tooling to install them?) & weight savings. Probably a few pennies and a couple grams per boot, but it's a factor in a profit driven business. 3. Planned obsolescence. The days of a pair of skates lasting a player (who plays frequently) 5+ years are behind us. They make new models every year, and they'd like for players to have a reason to buy the new models every year. Pay the premium for a custom build and you can spend your way around this and request all brass eyelets from the factory. But not for the retail price point. colins

My son got home from the end of his Jr. A season tonight. Unpacked all the gear and had a look at the skates. For some more context, he played 24 games during Jan/Feb/Mar, plus practicing nearly every day. So spitballing, I'd estimate 80+ hours of use in the 3 months since my last update. The eyelets are holding up great - here's the pics: Overall, I'm extremely pleased with how this has worked out. While there's a bit of structural damage from pucks and bangs, none of the eyelets have moved or appear to be at any risk of pulling out. And now that I've replaced them once, I can easily drill a damaged one out to replace it with a new one. It seems the material in the Blademaster eyelets are much more immune to his sweat, but there is still an element of corrosion at play as you can see in this closeup: But... it's more just on the surface and not affecting the strength of the material yet. I was able to scrape the salty like corrosion/tarnish off with a screwdriver. I bought him a new pair of FT385's as backup - they haven't been used yet, but before they are, I'm going to drill out all the stamped CCM black eyelets and put in the brass Blademaster ones. I've seen pictures of custom FT1's with all brass eyelets (same as they use on the retail skates in the top 2 eyelets and the bottom most eyelet). If we ever spring for a full custom pair, I'd definitely go with that option from the factory. Overall these skates (Jetspeed Control - a SMU based on the FT380 with FT390 and FT1 upgrades) are still in excellent shape. Boot, tendon guards and holders are holding up very well. The rivets are starting to rust a bit , but that's expected with near daily use. colins

He doesn't even mention eyelets options, yet his skates have all brass eyelets not the stamped logo ones. colins

Sorry, my mistake - the case you need is the Pelican 1650. I didn't lookup the model number that the previous poster quoted, but I just double checked mine and it's a 1650. I had previously seen this confirmed as the exact model Sparx sells, but theirs has the custom foam inserts so you don't have to make your own. colins

Certification? The VR24 is HECC certified for players at the Junior and above level. colins

I have a 1510 1650 for mine but I didn't try using the shipping foam. Pelican makes pick-and-pluck foam for the 1510 1650 and other models - making it very easy to customize a perfect fix for your Sparx. colins

They did happen to announce it on Feb. 7th on their Facebook page. Glad to see them finally make it overseas. colins

Yeah the S190 shell is very similar to the CCM Super Tacks shell - velcro and extra beltline protection. The classic Supreme / Nexus shell that you can buy stand-alone is a more simple design, and the couple of team shells I have based on it are the type I was referring. No extra protection and no velcro. Very simple and very good at the same time, great shape/contour and fit and very comfortable. colins

It's the reverse actually, the CCM shell that comes with the Super Tacks girdle has velcro. It also has additional padding around the hip/kidney area. The Bauer has no extra padding and no velcro and the belt is right at the top of the shell, tightening just below the kidney/hip pads on the girdle (or pants if you put it over regular pants). You could stitch some velcro to the Bauer's without a lot of work though. The Bauers just seem to disappear when wearing them - once the belt is tightened you just forget they are there. Which I think is why I prefer them to any other shell I've worn. colins

The Bauer (Currently Nexus) shells are very well made and well shaped, I've found. A lot of other shells don't follow the contours of a girdle or pair of pants very well, and the zipped legs are great if you want a bit more space around the thigh.

I don't imagine there's more than one company making pucks in Canada these days. Howie's say they are made in Canada, pretty good bet they are from inGlasCo but I guess you'd have to call them to confirm. I usually buy mine by the bucket at Canadian Tire, which now owns Sherwood, but the InGlasCo piece wasn't part of the deal as far as I know. I'll have to check and see what country's pucks are being sold there next time I'm in the store. colins

Looks like Howies has some: https://www.amazon.ca/Pack-Canadian-Howies-Hockey-Pucks/dp/B00CAWOF5C

I purchased the 264 and 265 eyelets, and used mostly 265. I didn't find them too long - in fact, on the 1 eyelet that was torn out that I had re-enforced internally with some plastic and epoxy I would have preferred to have the 266 eyelets for some additional length. I would say for these CCM skates at least, the 265 is the best choice for straight replacement. For repairs/re-enforcements I'd want some 266 as well. If you have the luxury, order yourself a set of all 3 sizes to have on hand. I saw a note in the Blademaster catalog (or maybe it was online?) that said the 265 was their most popular seller. colins

Despite being what I would consider an above-average consumer in terms of experience with hockey equipment, I've personally spent $1500+ in CCM skates which have had failed eyelets that resulted in the boot being torn because an eyelet failed and the lace pulled through the facing. So I don't think they consider them replaceable - in one case I took the skate to a reputable shoe/leather repair shop that has been in business for close to a century, and the repair failed after a couple of weeks. In another instance, I took the skate to a reputable hockey shop in Saint John, NB, they installed a new eyelet that repair also failed within two weeks. The two times the repair didn't fail was when I found a small appointment-only boutique repair shop, and the other time when I did the repair myself by replacing all the eyelets with Blademaster brass ones. Eyelets failing to me is not like breaking a lace - severe structural damage occurs that makes the skate unusable if not addressed quickly and properly (a very small percentage of consumers will be in a position to do so). In the first instance, CCM replaced the Jetspeed skates even though they were 13 months old. Credit to them. In the second instance, which were for a newer generation skate and not the same Jetspeed replacement pair, CCM refused warranty even though the skates were just 4 months old and had only been used 3 months since purchase (90 day warranty was the reason for the denial of warranty claim and my receipt showed they were ~110 days old). colins

Vet88, CCM has some real smart guys working on their skate lines. I can't imagine it's a cost or a weight issue using these thin weak eyelets that react to sweat and break down so quickly. To me - the only logical explanation is planned obsolescence. If the eyelets fail after a couple of years (normal user) - great, you need to go out and buy a new pair of the current line of skates. Seems those that sweat more than average get caught in the crossfire - having to replace the eyelets or skates before a single season's use. What's your take on why CCM sticks with these inferior eyelets on their otherwise great top of the line skates? colins

Followup - only about 10 hours use so far, but the new eyelets are looking good. Real test will come in January when my son resumes his season after a broken ankle suffered in October. Here's what the eyelets look like after about 10 hours use in the past couple weeks: colins