bent skate blades

[cause4alarm 7]

How big of an issue are bent skate blades? I don't have the feeling like I'm skating around in circles, but when I look at my blades from heel to toe, they look like the have a very slight bend in them. They've actually been like that since I took them out of the box actually. They're 8090s and I've had them since last summer/fall.

[gp3r 0]

I had the same problem when I got my Flexlite 12s. I didn't really notice anything when I skated with them. In fact, I realized they were a little bent when the guy who sharpens the skates at the proshop told me. He told me it was actually pretty common to have bent blades on skates that just got out of the box. He told me I could either deal with it, or get new blades, since repairing them could probably cause the steel to break. I ended up getting new ones, not because they were bent though, but because the blade broke a week later.

If your skates are still on warrenty, get new blades, if not, bent blades won't affect your skating that much, unless their like bent at 45 degrees.

[donkey87 0]

You probably won't feel how big of an issue bent steel is until you skate on steel that is mounted properly.

These threads have some more good infromation

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?sh...5&hl=bent+steel

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?sh...5&hl=bent+steel

[cause4alarm 7]

Thanks for the links.

There's no way my skates are still under warranty since I've had them for 1.5 years. I didn't want to bother returning them since I just got them back from returning them for a misaligned holder, and that involved shipping them internationally and waiting several weeks.

I think the guy at my LHS said he'd bend them back for something like $15, but I wasn't sure if the bend was bad enough since I didn't really notice it, so I didn't do it.

[Ngo_35 1]

goto a pro shop, they may have a straightner to flatten out the blade as much as possible.

[biff44 0]

Are the holders put on cocked to one angle, forcing the blades to be permanently bent? If so, you really have to fix it.

Are you blades bent because you were just skating hard on them and weigh a lot? If so, then that is 100% normal. These blades are thin and very flexible. They bend all over the place WHILE you are skating. So starting off with the blades perfectly straight is not a requirement. HOWEVER, the blades DO have to be perfectly straight when they are getting sharpened. Otherwise, one edge comes out a different height than the other. So make sure your sharpener straightens them out before the grind. Most have a simple gauge they slide over the blade, if it slides freely then the blade is flat enough. To rebend them, you just put the point of biggest bend on an edge of a table and lean on the skate with your hands.

[cause4alarm 7]

The blades look very slightly bent when I first got them. I don't know if the holders are causing this. I really hope that isn't the case since, like I said, I already had to send them back b/c they were mounted crooked on the boot.

[TML4LIFE 0]

How well do those blade straighteners actually work??

[Gongshow11 1]

if when you glide and it feels choppy, then theyre bent

[jimmy 194]

How well do those blade straighteners actually work??

If the blade is bent, say from a shot, then they work great. If the blade is bent because the holder was mounted incorrectly, then the bend just comes back. The holder has to be remounted to fix that problem.

[Trippingblue 1]

What's the best way to tell if your holder is improperly aligned? I took a straightedge to my steels and they seem fine but when I look down the edge they look bent slightly. That may actually be an optical illusion, though.

--nick--

[asdfa 0]

i've had my 8090's for about 2 years now and i've only realized in the last two weeks that the steel on both skates bend towards the outside, as in ( on the left skate and ) on the right. i don't know if i didn't look closely enough before or if it's always been like that, but just about 2 months ago, i got LS2 steel put on them. haven't really noticed much in my skating, so is it the steel, the holder?

[flashgordon 0]

I went to get a sharpening today and think I discovered a slightly different problem. I have been using the same Graf 704s with the original Cobra holders for 3-4 years and really like the boot, and have replaced the steel a couple of times as they've worn through frequent sharpenings. So today the sharpener tells me that both of my blades are "crooked". He has me look and sure enough it's quite noticable - the blades seem to be leaning outward. The best way I can think to describe this is with a crappy drawing below - this is what they look like if you're looking at the skates from behind the player standing up - the top two lines represent the holder and the last is the steel:

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It's quite possilble that this has developed because I am very bow-legged. I can't say that I notice it on the ice (I've been playing since I was a little kid) but that's not to say I wouldn't notice it if it were fixed. What do you guys recommend? A new holder, and if so which one to avoid this happening again? I'm a little wary of putting new holders on - if done incorrectly the result can be just as bad, no? Which holders have the same hole pattern as Cobras?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Chadd 916]

slap on new cobras, you will feel the difference right away and no new holes required.

[flashgordon 0]

slap on new cobras, you will feel the difference right away and no new holes required.

Thanks Chadd, would you say that what I described is "normal" for Cobra holders after a few years of wear? I'm not particularly big (6 feet, 185 lbs). Could I avoid this problem in the future with any particular make of new skate if I decided to go that route?

[Chadd 916]

It's very common with cobras. They are working on a new version, I'm not sure if it will have a new model number or if it will be a running change. I saw it a lot with Tuuks as well. I have yet to see the problem with the CCM/RBK or Mission holders to date.

[flashgordon 0]

It's very common with cobras. They are working on a new version, I'm not sure if it will have a new model number or if it will be a running change. I saw it a lot with Tuuks as well. I have yet to see the problem with the CCM/RBK or Mission holders to date.

So if I replace with new Cobras now, I'll likely eventually run into the same issue again I assume? My boots are still in good shape and I don't think I'll have a need to get brand new skates for a while, although I'm sure tempted with all the new stuff out there.

[Chadd 916]

Unless they already changed the plastic formula on the holders(and I doubt they have), you will have the problem again.

[BillyNoop 0]

So I recently picked up some Vapor XXX's and I was out skating in a public session today to get some ice time on them and I noticed the right skate felt a little choppy. Like it would sometimes seem to wobble between edges when cruising straight up and down on the skates (not turning hard on one edge or the other). So I decided to give them a look and sure enough it seems the right skate blade is bowed somewhat. If I put it on a straight edge the front of the blade comes a few millimeters off the straight edge while the back and middle are flush.

Quick background on the skates, they're only about a month old so I imagine I can still get warranty work done. Here's the catch. I have a tournament this weekend so is there anything that can be done in just a couple of days as returning them to Bauer and waiting weeks to get them back isn't an option.

What I gather from this thread is that I can take it to my LHS and the guy may be able to straighten the blades. But I need to have him check to see if the holder is mounted properly otherwise it's just going to go right back.

That sound about right? Any other tips/advice?

As always, Thanks!

[James 0]

Go to your LHS and see if they will put new steel in. My LHS did it for me and they were ready to be picked up in 2 days.

[BillyNoop 0]

So I took it into the LHS and he put them on a straightener and cranked em a few times and was done. They look better but I guess I'll have to wait and see if the bend comes back (aka maybe its the holder)

[BillyNoop 0]

Okay so after a weekend tournament in Vegas the right skate is back to the bent state again. It also looks a little "wavy" before it veers to the right out toward the end of the blade. I guess the next step is have the LHS look to see if the holder is straight but I always get a little nervous about having some kid at the LHS eyeball my $400 skates and decide whether or not to remount them, replace the steel, etc.

Anyone know how frequent a bad mounting from the factory is? Is it more likely I just need to have the steel replaced because it got bent from a shot and straightening it on a straightener won't fix it?

The blade kind of looks like this (although obviously not as dramatic)

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