Maximum Edge

[Eazy_b97 1]

Generally Maximum Edge places will have the sign up. The guy who created Max Edge claims that all of the NHL teams now use it, so if he was actually a "Pro" he's probably had experience with ME. General clues for ME are stoning before and after the sharpening, cleaning of the blade with the glaze, then they check the squareness with a black "square edge' tool, those are the 3 main things in addition to the signs.

I was trained on ME, I like the system, but you still have to have the mentality to be a sharpener. You need to be a perfectionist and not allow anything to leave, that isn't exactly the way you want it. ME sharpeners can be good or bad, and non ME sharpeners can be the same. If someone is ME trained, they at least know, or have been told, what they are trying to do. They should know the basics which is better than some places who aren't even taught to sharpen skates, but urged to do so, but it still doesn't garauntee a great sharpening.

[Chadd 916]

Generally Maximum Edge places will have the sign up. The guy who created Max Edge claims that all of the NHL teams now use it, so if he was actually a "Pro" he's probably had experience with ME.

If you get to that point in the industry(NHL), you don't need M-E. I know some of the local minor league teams sent people just to see if there was anything more than hype. They weren't impressed by him.

[sogaduch 0]

actually maximum edge is a seven step proces

1. calibratiing of the machine

2.pre-stones with a 100 hardness stone

3.sharpening

4.checking edges

5.sharpening and adjusting

6.stoning for final pass with blade glaze

7.final stoning and using the blade glaze and wiping.

those are the steps but yes it can be screwed up. the actual tool they give to check the edges has lines. the middle line is there main line, there standard is 1.5lines off. the guy who started it off was very meticulous. if you look at the training manual it shows calculations about how much metal is taken off with each sharpening, you have to be open minded. if you go there without things to ask him hes not going to be that informative, you have to ask him questions about certain things.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

If I was going to be paying that much money, I'd better get all of the information he's got to give.

[sogaduch 0]

If I was going to be paying that much money, I'd better get all of the information he's got to give.

yes but he doesnt know what you want to know, he can talk about anything really. you have to give him open ended questions for him to tell, much like anything else as a salesman you ask open ended questions into finding out a persons needs and wants

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

That's all well and good, but if you are getting instruction from him you have ALREADY bought the service, and he's gone from being a salesman to being a teacher. That's the problem some people have with Bob.

[sogaduch 0]

but shouldnt you already know the concepts of sharpening, its not like hes changing hes just explaining things too you. i agree bob is super hard to talk too but if u ask the right questions hes informative. hes coming to our shop in august for a day and his sons going to the shop in thornhill. they come down once a year for us to talk too him and ask questions

[Shtrsdad 0]

are there any non-shop guys that have good or bad experiences with getting there slates sharpened at M-E.

more to the point: 

are there any consumers on these threads?

gb, I'll offer up my opinion on this technique as a consumer and a relative noob to the hockey world. (+/-6 yrs)

As my username would indicate I'm the Dad/Coach. I didn't play organized hockey as a kid, but, hacked around with my buddies that did. I can hold my own as a Coach, but that too shall change soon. That being said, this is a real educational experience.

I've been using sites like this one and others to gain as much knowledge as I can. Finally, a thread that I have some info and an opinion on.

To give a little background, Jr. #1 has hovered around the the top 2,3,4 teams each year in a VERY large association and is moving to Peewee this year. I have a a couple of very skilled cousins playing and an Uncle that is ME trained. All of their skates got to the ME shop.

Jr. can tell the difference between an ME sharpening and the local hockey shop (LHS right?) within minutes. The biggest deal seems to be the attention to detail and the "level" that they use. Most of the detail comes back to physics and blade geometry. That is to say that if the hollow isn't in the middle of the blade, the edges won't be level. If the edges aren't level, one edge isn't going to "bite". If an edge doesn't bite........ you end up with a 'yard sale' (I was reading that thread too :) )

I've seen just abut the full gambit of machine operators as you all have. While some of the theory behind the ME program may be mumbo-jumbo, the end result is infinitely more consistent. Watching an "expereinced operator" use a toonie to check for level after a desperation sharpening (new Tacks and the Uncles shop was closed) and then taking them to the Uncle after one icetime to see a blage that was 5 or 6 lines out of level sold me.

I have my skates done ME as well. Being a typically lazy Coach I'll take as much help as I can when trying to stay with these kids.

General Opinion, worth the premium that we pay

RBK (yup those are MY initials)

[modernice 0]

RBK

thanks for the solid feedback. I agree that the attention do detail from a good, handsy, M-E technician can be a setp-up from the usual sharpen. And the results have been noticeable, in my case anyways...

cheers

gb

[jrhky36 1]

first experience was about 7 years ago. i noticed that my skates seemed slicker, later found out it was because i changed my hollow. the guy put alot of the glaze on my blades though. i did not go back as the distance was too far. i did buy the ME tune up kit with the glaze in it and used it myself after some one different sharpened my skates each time.

well sinc JR is now close by. i had him sharpen my skates. he turly only uses a drop of the glaze. he would check and recheck the blades for evenness. i did truly notice a major difference after seeing JR.

the truth of hte matter is that it doesn't matter what kind of machine or "system" or process that is used it all comes down to the person doing the work.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Yeah, they recommend gunking up the whole blade...I just put a drop.

[DarkStar50 679]

the truth of hte matter is that it doesn't matter what kind of machine or "system" or process that is used it all comes down to the person doing the work.

End of story. It is all about the guy pushing the jig. If he knows what he's doing, the sharpening will be perfect everytime.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

THere you go :)

[Cavs019 710]

I throw a dab of gusto on and let the wheel run it the length of the blade. Even with the maximum edge tools such as the square, a hack can spend all day trying to get every section of the blade with even edges, without burning heels/toes and getting a smooth finish. I started sharpening when I was 14, (I'm 17 now) and its still a process. I love when people complain that their skates took 20 minutes to sharpen, yet they come back 2 weeks later asking me to do them again because it was the best sharpening they've ever recieved.

[sogaduch 0]

Yeah, they recommend gunking up the whole blade...I just put a drop.

actually JR they dont reccomend putting a gunk of it on they reccomend having the leather just damp. also after the cleaning the blade should be wiped down to remove any excess.next time talk to bob about the amount of max edge liquid on before stating something thats false

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Well, it's definitely more than what I put on.

[sogaduch 0]

Well, it's definitely more than what I put on.

having the leather damp is ur pad dry then? keeping the pad damp picks up the dirt off the blade

[jimmy 194]

actually maximum edge is a seven step proces

1. calibratiing of the machine

2.pre-stones with a 100 hardness stone

3.sharpening

4.checking edges

5.sharpening and adjusting

6.stoning for final pass with blade glaze

7.final stoning and using the blade glaze and wiping.

Granted, many just run the skate across the stone a few times, never inspect or nothing, so compared to that, yes, certainly better. But, I'm not sure how this "process" is really any different than what good sharpeners do. Calibrating, inspecting, honing, adjusting, inspecting again, wiping, oils, waxs and glazes, etc, all methods used by good sharpeners.

I will say, if one considers ME "training", it can't be bad. There just isn't much training available.

Curious, with all the Hype and "Signs", what is the cost difference between a ME sharpening and one at a good pro shop?

[wickedwrister 0]

The 2 places that I have used that use ME both cost $5. I ususally end up at a local bike shop that has a 50 year old machine. $3.

[jimmy 194]

The 2 places that I have used that use ME both cost $5. I ususally end up at a local bike shop that has a 50 year old machine. $3.

LOL. Just proves the point, it's the man (or woman) not the machine

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

My shop = $4

Local M-E = $6

And he's getting it!

[sogaduch 0]

but theres also places here that charge 5bucks and do crap jobs