mickz

You guys are missing the point. I'm not saying they should offer obscure curves. There's already companies filling that need. I'm saying their offerings (100% carbon, flex options, curve options) are no different than other small companies that have sourced a generic stick from Asia and put theur logo on? How many times have we heard of savings being passed onto the consumer because the company doesn't pay for endorsements or marketing? The guys that want the rare curves will find a way to get them. the others are all tire kickers who complain about not having a curve in stock but won't pull the trigger if it becomes available. I've dealt with these customers enough times in hockey retail. As for Base hockey sticks, I do see them quite a bit in my local rinks. Mind you the brand originated here. They also had the stick design experience of Kunisaki and Ghassemi (in the begininng) and the connections of Ronning.

How is your brand going to differentiate itself from the competition when everybody is selling a 100% carbon 420g stick in the same 3 patterns. I never said you had to deviate from these curves. Those specs just scream cookie cutter made in China. ask the many brands that have failed with this business plan.

Still doesn't explain why these sticks are available in the same flex, patterns and weight (420g) as your common made in China cookie cutter sticks. Hasn't worked for companies in the past. Harrow comes to mind.

What's his name?

They're not the first company to import Chinese sticks and slap their logos on. What other equipment has this owner developed? We've seen many companies try this business model and fail.

Have you tried using the other tongue inserts that came with your skates?

Can't say I've seen many people use the sweet stick properly or if they know what it's actually doing to their edges. I cringe when I see someone make more passes with a sweet stick than Scooter Jess on a skate sharpening machine.

I do the same with my customers. If they're not sure what hollow to get I'll use 5/8" as a starting point. The next time they come in for a sharpening I'll ask them for feedback and make the necessary adjustments, if needed.

Try a different style or size of spacer.

How old are your spinners?

I've used both the EZ Goal and the Sniper's Edge shooting tarp. Both are excellent options.

I was in the same situation a few years back when I bought the SH8000 for my portable machine. The holders with the dial don't come up often on the secondary market. When holders do surface, they haven't depreciated much in value and they're still pretty expensive. I got tired of looking and bought a new one instead. At my work we've always held onto our holders and other accessories (quills, cross grind dresser, etc) whenever we traded in machines. I hoard holders because once in a blue moon a customer will bring in a skate that won't fit on my main workhouse. I still have the pre-cam lever style where you need an allen key to loosen the anvil before making adjustments.

LS2 is fine. Just make sure whoever services your skate doesn't over tighten the nut on the inside... or worse, drop it inside the holder.

I might have to check it out next time. Last time I was in WA there were maybe two shelves at the Dick's Sporting Goods at Bellis Fair and a small section at the PIAS in Lynnwood. I noticed more WA residents coming up to Canada around the time Northwest Pro closed.

There's so many different "guys" that seem to surface everywhere. Self proclaimed pro guy comes in with no intentions of buying anything. He just wants to tell you stories of him playing Jr or Pro somewhere while name dropping a few players he grew up with. You search his name on Elite Prospects and Hockey DB, no hits. Drug dealer guy doesn't even play hockey. He pays cash for 10 goalie bags and is the easiest sale you'll ever make. Price match guy wants you to price match another local shop allegedly selling the same skate for 40% off. You call the shop up and turns out it's their last pair. It's a size 13 customer return with no box. He wears a size 8 and wants you to honor the price. Old guy brings in his Daoust skates for a sharpening every 5 years. The leather and plastic is all cracked. The steel is banana'd to the point where the wheel will hit the jig if you tried to sharpen it. He insists you do a few passes anyway. Youtube gear guy spends all of his time watching gear review videos. He comes in just to complain about hockey stick prices because his less expensive Brooklynites are just as good. My kid is going to play in the show guy spends money he doesn't have to outfit 6 year old little Billy in top end everything because little Billy is going to the NHL. Little Billy hates hockey. Entitled guy brings in his kid's skates and demands they be sharpened immediately. You're currently 12 pairs deep with 3 employees sharpening but he doesn't take no for an answer. He claims his kid is the best player on the team and puck drop is in 30 minutes.

There's still shops in Seattle?

The letters and numbers haven't held up over the years.

Hoping to revive this thread as it's one of my favorites. It's quite entertaining to hear there are the same types of customers everywhere regardless of where your shop is located. We deal with pro customers who train here in the summers and they are less maintenance than the majority of our retail clients. Similar things can be said for ice rinks. I'm experienced in driving both Zamboni and Olympia machines. I understand how much to cut and how much water to lay but I still get guys hopping on early just to complain about the water not setting.

Negative. All you're gonna find underneath the surface is concrete slab (or sand depending on your rink) and brine lines.

Is there a product these "Youtube stars" don't like? Haven't found one yet. Professional grade vs consumer grade unit.

2 increments on the jig is 1 line on the gauge*

I purchased the Bauer Pro 15 bag earlier in the year and here's my experience owning it. Prior to this bag I was using pro return carry bags from NHL/AHL teams. Since I was traveling to Hong Kong to play in a tournament, I needed a bag that was less flashy and small enough that I could bring it with me on trains, buses and taxis to get from where I was staying to the rink located inside of a shopping mall (Megabox). Positives: The bag has lots of handles and makes it easy to grab and travel with. The build quality overall is excellent. The two different styles of using the straps males it very versatile to fit between doors and taking it on public transit. The design of the bag does not make it clunky like a traditionso backpack bag. Things that could be improved: There is no window for an ID tag. The strings for the zipper pulls are the only cheap feature about this bag. They kept coming off on mine so I just leave it off now. You must be at least 5' 8" tall to use the bag in the backpack orientation otherwise it's going to feel like a hiking backpack.

The Prosharp home takes almost a minute to do one full cycle (1 pass in each direction). That's significantly slower than clamping a skate into a jig and manually doing it.

Hard to imagine a shop that sharpens 10 pairs a day can stay in business for long. It's still quicker to get a pair of skates done on a full sized machine than clamping a skate into a Pro Sharp and fidgeting with the buttons. The Pro Sharp is better for the more redundant actions like profiling. Some pro teams that own both a full sized table top machine and a Pro Sharp don't even use it. They just ship steel out to a third party shop to take care of it. It would work only if there was a local dealer to stock parts and service equipment. Rinks and shops don't have time to wait around for a part to come in if there was a problem. I can call up my local Blademaster rep and they will deliver any parts I need within a couple of hours. This is coming from someone who has previously worked in a city owned rink, privately owned rink and LHS.

I don't see the practicality for larger volume shops unless they can improve on the lifespan of the grinding wheels. During the busy season I'd do about 100 pairs of skates in an 8 hour shift. Multiply that by 2-3 sharpeners running at the same time.