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JJStripes

Step Steel

By JJStripes, in Ice Hockey Equipment

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ktang    34

ktang
Posted

My father is a metallurgist and has access to very high powermicroscopes, so I had my brother (who works at a local hockey shop) grab some broken step steel and just some stock Bauer LS2 steel. When examined, both were not only the same quality steel, but even came from the same company. They're are both the same steel, one just has a polished finish on it. Not worth the extra money.

This is anecdotal, but: about 7 yrs ago I got a pair of Bauer 8090s with LS2 steel. This LS2 steel didn't hold its edges very well, and you could see the spike at the point where the laser cutting started and ended. This spike caused the steel to shift around in the holder until I ground it off. Because this LS2 steel didn't hold its edges very well, I was sharpening them all the time, and then replaced them with Step steel, which required much less sharpening.

Last year I got a pair of 2nd-hand One95s with LS2.1 steel. It holds its edges as well as the Step steel, and I can go an equal amount of time between sharpenings as with the Step steel. I'm still using this steel, whereas with the other LS2 steel it was done after 6 months.

Maybe the newer Bauer steel is comparable to the the Step steel. I do like the taller Step steel, though - a major advantage for replacement steel.

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jimmy    194

jimmy
Posted

If your worried about weight, try the Ti-SS (Step Titanium fusion style) steel. Lighter than LS2.1 and has way better edge retention.

Any aftermarket steel is better than LS2.1. But tell me, is the TI-SS on the market?

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ACE 22 QC    5

ACE 22 QC
Posted

Hello, I work with Step Skates. Let me clear things up;:

- We offer replacement runners in all models and sizes, in high quality Stainless Steel. All our blades go through extensive quality control operations to ensure they are within the standards that we have established.

- We also offer all these models and sizes in our V-Steel. The V-Steel is a highly polished blade. The smoother the side finish, the better edge surface.

- We are now offering Goldsteel and BlackSteel. Both are coated runners. GoldSteel: Ceramic based Titanium coating. Blacksteel: DLC coating. Both are coated on a V-Steel surface wich is a upgrade. The coated blades will start being available early october. It will take a certain transition period for stores/shops to get in on these new blades.

Visit the Step Skating Blade facebook page. For now, it is the most up to date source of info.

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ACE 22 QC    5

ACE 22 QC
Posted

Im about to make the switch from reebok to bauer supreme, and have been reading about the different pitch of the two brands. I've become very comfortable on my reeboks but they are simply falling apart due to lack of stiffness. When the new Bauers arrive, I dont want to suffer through a harsh transition phase if at all possible. I'm considering step steel after reading through this thread as some seem to think it is more forward pitch as opposed to LS2.1. Just wondering if people think its worth buying Step for this reason, or is it really not that big of a deal and I'll get used to the pitch of LS2.1 quickly?? I skate with a fairly deep knee bend compared to most people if that makes a difference. Also, if I were to go down the Step route, what is the stock profile on them??

All STEP models have a 10 foot radius

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zebra_steve    11

zebra_steve
Posted

On the Ti Nitride coating... didn't ccm have this on their SLM blades back int the 1980's?

ChrisMolnar,

Just curious, did your dad do a rockwell C test? Polish and etch the samples to compare grain structure - photo-micrographs maybe? Maybe some sort of spectrometer test to determine the chemical composition of the samples? I'd be curious about the details as I've spent some time in a metallurgy lab myself.....

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top 1974    0

top 1974
Posted (edited)

Hello, I work with Step Skates. Let me clear things up;:

- We offer replacement runners in all models and sizes, in high quality Stainless Steel. All our blades go through extensive quality control operations to ensure they are within the standards that we have established.

- We also offer all these models and sizes in our V-Steel. The V-Steel is a highly polished blade. The smoother the side finish, the better edge surface.

- We are now offering Goldsteel and BlackSteel. Both are coated runners. GoldSteel: Ceramic based Titanium coating. Blacksteel: DLC coating. Both are coated on a V-Steel surface wich is a upgrade. The coated blades will start being available early october. It will take a certain transition period for stores/shops to get in on these new blades.

Visit the Step Skating Blade facebook page. For now, it is the most up to date source of info.

ACE - Thanks for the update.

With the gold and black coated blades, do you have to be careful when you are honing the skate blade, or avoid honing altogether?

thanks,

Bill

Edited by top 1974

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malcb33    97

malcb33
Posted

Using a stone will take the coating off, so its best to avoid it (and tell your sharpener not to as well). The blades sharpen pretty well, but you can use leather to debur if needed.

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ACE 22 QC    5

ACE 22 QC
Posted

I do not recommend honing the BlackSteel and Goldsteel. The side coating being so hard, the burr will usually break off. I recomment using a "scotch brite" type cloth or a piece of leather. Most of the sharpeners that I've spoken with told me they still slighly hone the blade with a very fine stone. Its really sharpeners preference, but honing with a stone is not recommended.

The TI-SS is not yet available. We had a few setbacks and we are working on this project in parallel with a partial Titanium figure blade. We are moving forward and looking to get a more accurate production date.

Thanks

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jimmy    194

jimmy
Posted

Spoke to Guillaume - the BlackSteel will be coming out soon; Gold will be on hold for the foreseeable future.

Funny you say that, I have some Gold on the way from distributor, it was the black they said they didn't have yet.

I do not recommend honing the BlackSteel and Goldsteel. The side coating being so hard, the burr will usually break off. I recomment using a "scotch brite" type cloth or a piece of leather. Most of the sharpeners that I've spoken with told me they still slighly hone the blade with a very fine stone. Its really sharpeners preference, but honing with a stone is not recommended.

The TI-SS is not yet available. We had a few setbacks and we are working on this project in parallel with a partial Titanium figure blade. We are moving forward and looking to get a more accurate production date.

Thanks

One of my customers who can't always get up to me was letting his local guy hone his Blackedges, and that coating came off fairly easily. In my experience with DLC, honing is just not necessary, I've neve had to hone a pair to take off sharpening slivers because they just don't sliver.

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