Question for skate sharpeners

[wickedwrister 0]

So purchased a Blackstone portable at the begining of the summer. I went to the company and was "trained" the day I picked it up. I have become pretty darn good if the feedback I have gotten from my teammates and son's means anything. Here is the question.

If I sharpen the toes and heels every 5th pass and the working radius the other 4 passes, how am I NOT going to get less steel in that area and have high spots on the toes and heels eventually?

Unrelated 2nd question. For some reason I can't get used to my skates since I started doing my own. Anyone else have this issue?

[Rustpot 1]

If I sharpen the toes and heels every 5th pass and the working radius the other 4 passes, how am I NOT going to get less steel in that area and have high spots on the toes and heels eventually?

On the 4 main passes you're taking steel off the whole bottom, you don't do the heel and toe to keep the skate blade for shrinking.

(__________) <-- Rough profile. You sharpen the bottom, taking away excess from the heel and toe. If you did a full pass 5 times, the skate would quickly look like this

(_______) I've seen some skates where the skating edge looks like it's half the runner length from sharpeners taking off heel and toe all the time.

If you did get high spots heel and toe (-------) like that, as soon as you go to take a main radius pass, that high spot is evened out.

Can't answer other question.

[DarkStar50 679]

Vary your passes and don't feel so locked in to your 4/1 system. Deal with the skate you have at the time. Every pair is different.

When the shop is really busy on weekends now with travel teams from other areas, I constantly check the out-of-town skates for level before I start. It is sad how bad some other shops are doing their sharpening. I have seen some real disasters lately.

As for your skates, you just might not be used to the finish you are getting from the Blackstone. We bought a 2 head Blackstone Turbo this past spring. It is a great machine. I especially like how quiet the exhaust works. My skates are A-OK after sharpening on the new machine.