Sharpening a Graf Skate

[Megamandan 0]

Lately I have been sharpening a lot of Graf skates and I can't seem to get the blade level with the wheel. I'm using a Blademaster, and the long jig with the spring in the middle. I can't seem to get the blade to sharpen evenly, after resetting the holder and redressing the blade it usually works. I have also checked the jig allignment and it's fine with other skates. Does anyone else have this problem and if so how can I correct it?

[jimmy 194]

Lately I have been sharpening a lot of Graf skates and I can't seem to get the blade level with the wheel. I'm using a Blademaster, and the long jig with the spring in the middle. I can't seem to get the blade to sharpen evenly, after resetting the holder and redressing the blade it usually works. I have also checked the jig allignment and it's fine with other skates. Does anyone else have this problem and if so how can I correct it?

Not sure exactly what you are talking about. I sharpen graf every day and am not having any problems. I will say though graf quality if very inconsistent, and the steel could be messed up. Once I had to grind the top of the blade to get it to fit into the holder and match up with the other runner. Are you measuring blade widths with a caliper?

[Megamandan 0]

Yes, it seems that it's almost like the srping in the middle of the jig is pushing on the boot which makes the steel uneven. They are Graf Ultra's, I do about 4 pairs and about 3 of them have this problem. The sizes probably range from 7-10.

[Megamandan 0]

http://www.blademaster.ca/products.asp?id=21 thats what the jig looks like accept where the black knob is in the middle of the base....thats where the large vertical spring is....and at the top of the spring is a metal cap like on either of the twon ends.

[forbs02 20]

If you turn the base of that spring you can adjust the tension on it. Sometimes when I put the skate on the jig before I align it, I press down on the boot over the spring to get it into place. Try that...

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

Y'all need to get with the times.

Get the M-E/Blademaster or the Blackstone Tri-Lie holder - it'll cut your sharpening times in half.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Y'all need to get with the times.

Get the M-E/Blademaster or the Blackstone Tri-Lie holder - it'll cut your sharpening times in half.

Yah Like JR said ...no idea where you got that idea..LOL

[logan 0]

Finally back on the board after a long time away! So much to catch up on MSH!

Anyhow, to help out with the question:

Grafs tend to stay open really wide when they are not laced up tightl--especially the stiff/wide/larger foot sized ones.

Might want to tie the laces tightly together and tuck them inside the boot. That should solve the problem of hitting the spring in the middle.

[PH_Hockey2 4]

Y'all need to get with the times. 

Get the M-E/Blademaster or the Blackstone Tri-Lie holder - it'll cut your sharpening times in half.

I can back that up, I love the ME Icon holder I use, but those things are a lot of money. I don't think every shop can afford them.

[Hockey DeVoTee 1]

IKON Holder........... Worth Every PENNY!!!

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Y'all need to get with the times. 

Get the M-E/Blademaster or the Blackstone Tri-Lie holder - it'll cut your sharpening times in half.

I can back that up, I love the ME Icon holder I use, but those things are a lot of money. I don't think every shop can afford them.

whats not to afford you can do skates in half the time as long as you have the holder and level? Dont understand some of the old shop ways....

[sogaduch 0]

yeah the Ikon holder is amazing just a few clicks to adjust and its set no guessing on how far you have to move the bars down

[analog999 0]

I don't get it. My wissota holder works just fine...

This blademaster looks like the one you recommended from blackstone:

http://www.blademaster.ca/products.asp?id=119

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

I don't get it. My wissota holder works just fine...

This blademaster looks like the one you recommended from blackstone:

http://www.blademaster.ca/products.asp?id=119

After all the sharpenings I have done either the Blademaster or the Blackstone holder would be way better then the Wissota. (used a Wissota when I started) there is no comparrison!

[Chadd 916]

The Wissota is a nightmare compared to the blademaster, blackstone or ME holders.

[analog999 0]

Why's that? Once you've got it adjusted all you have to do is move one dial depending on the thickness of the skate.

[Chadd 916]

There is nowhere near as much control over the skate with the Wissota holder. The more ways you can manipulate the skate, the more likely it is you will be to sharpen them properly. I have to buy a new sharpener for home use but I'm not getting another wissota, even though that means spending twice as much for BS or BM.

[analog999 0]

Hmm. I guess I still don't quite understand. Once the skate holder is level, which itself is fully adjustable, albeit not the eaiest to adjust but adustable none the less, all you need to do is tilt the skate forward or back to get the desired angle to sharpen even edges depending on the thickness of the skate.

In other words, I only have to make one adjustment with the tilt knob to sharpen skates properly. I've been doing this for many months now and everyone loves my sharpenings. The sharpenings are even - I check them with the maximum edge.

What else am I missing?

[jason@ewh 0]

Lately I have been sharpening a lot of Graf skates and I can't seem to get the blade level with the wheel. I'm using a Blademaster, and the long jig with the spring in the middle. I can't seem to get the blade to sharpen evenly, after resetting the holder and redressing the blade it usually works. I have also checked the jig allignment and it's fine with other skates. Does anyone else have this problem and if so how can I correct it?

why not just unscrew the spring and check your edge by only holding up the base?

It would be the $$$$$ way.

[dix0r 0]

i used to have this problem on almost every pair of grafs i'd sharpen, and ONLY on grafs. to fix it, i'd need to flip the skate (ie, i normally go toe to the left, so i'd do one that way and one heel to the left to get it level).

then one day someone took the spring off our holder and i never looked back.

any idea how much the tri-lie or BM equivalent is?

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

The Bladmaster is about 650 or so CDN and the TriLite Blackstone is 599 or there abouts

[jimmy 194]

Hmm. I guess I still don't quite understand. Once the skate holder is level, which itself is fully adjustable, albeit not the eaiest to adjust but adustable none the less, all you need to do is tilt the skate forward or back to get the desired angle to sharpen even edges depending on the thickness of the skate.

In other words, I only have to make one adjustment with the tilt knob to sharpen skates properly. I've been doing this for many months now and everyone loves my sharpenings. The sharpenings are even - I check them with the maximum edge.

What else am I missing?

I don't think you are missing anything. For the low volume or home sharpener, the Wissota is just fine and if set up properly and proper technique is used, you can get a superior sharpening. I think the others are talking about high volume, no way a Wissota could be used, unless each customer waited 30 minutes.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Hmm.  I guess I still don't quite understand.    Once the skate holder is level, which itself is fully adjustable, albeit not the eaiest to adjust but adustable none the less, all you need to do is tilt the skate forward or back to get the desired angle to sharpen even edges depending on the thickness of the skate. 

In other words, I only have to make one adjustment with the tilt knob to sharpen skates properly.  I've been doing this for many months now and everyone loves my sharpenings.  The sharpenings are even - I check them with the maximum edge.

What else am I missing?

I don't think you are missing anything. For the low volume or home sharpener, the Wissota is just fine and if set up properly and proper technique is used, you can get a superior sharpening. I think the others are talking about high volume, no way a Wissota could be used, unless each customer waited 30 minutes.

Jimmy,

Excellent point I did sort of forget that part......but hey if you were pretty good and you were going to do your teams skates then it would be worth the investment as you could do a teams skates in an hour and at say 5 bucks for say 15 pairs it wouldnt be long before you were making some good cash!

Of course as long as you werent taking business from your LHS......

[analog999 0]

Hmm.  I guess I still don't quite understand.    Once the skate holder is level, which itself is fully adjustable, albeit not the eaiest to adjust but adustable none the less, all you need to do is tilt the skate forward or back to get the desired angle to sharpen even edges depending on the thickness of the skate. 

In other words, I only have to make one adjustment with the tilt knob to sharpen skates properly.   I've been doing this for many months now and everyone loves my sharpenings.   The sharpenings are even - I check them with the maximum edge.

What else am I missing?

I don't think you are missing anything. For the low volume or home sharpener, the Wissota is just fine and if set up properly and proper technique is used, you can get a superior sharpening. I think the others are talking about high volume, no way a Wissota could be used, unless each customer waited 30 minutes.

Jimmy,

Excellent point I did sort of forget that part......but hey if you were pretty good and you were going to do your teams skates then it would be worth the investment as you could do a teams skates in an hour and at say 5 bucks for say 15 pairs it wouldnt be long before you were making some good cash!

Of course as long as you werent taking business from your LHS......

I could easily do 15 pairs in an hour, depending on how bad the skates were and whether they wanted me to get the entire nick out. I sort them by radius first, then I sort them by blade thickness. I can see where a machine that can do stuff automatically and/or had multiple wheels with different cuts already set up would be faster, but I don't see how the holder has much to do with it. There is only one adjustment on the holder and to mount the skate takes about 4 seconds. It definitely does not take me more than 5 minutes per pair.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Better check your addition there ...15 pairs in ok condition you will always have one or 2 that need a little extra........should take you at 5 min a pair 75 minutes.

Hence with this holder you can get that down to 2 to 3 minutes a pair.

so 15 times 3 is 45 minutes and if you have issues then 1 hour......