Step Steel

[sbecks72986 51]

just picked up a pair of the black step for the mako. they're not any bigger than the mako steel height wise.

I have a problem with them though,...and i don;t know what it is or what to do. when I was skating on them I had problems stopping cleanly. it had a choppy stop all over the ice. are the skates sharpened too much?

this step steel also attracts snow like a magnet ..reason?

sounds like the rink's ice was too soft for the sharpening you got that also could be why snow was sticking to it. when i had black steel on my APXs i didn't notice snow sticking to it anymore than other steel, usually that changes depending on the ice conditions.

[jimmy 194]

STEP steel has never been the same shape as stock steel, regardless of the manufacturer and model. As for rotating 2 different "shapes", it can be done very easily and many do it without any problems. The key is not to stay on one set or the other too long as to allow your body mechanics to adjust only to that set. We have many customers who even rotate between different brands of skates with no issues, for example Grafs while reffing, and Bauers for their games.

[beanhead 22]

I don't like the heels on them... way too chunky!...I did have the heel shaved down on them,which did make it a bit better, but when I eventually send them to have them profiled again, I'm going to have the heel shaved down even more.

I had the same issue with my Step runners. Way too much steel in the heels. I had to get the heels shaved down to make comfortable heel turns.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

STEP steel has never been the same shape as stock steel, regardless of the manufacturer and model. As for rotating 2 different "shapes", it can be done very easily and many do it without any problems. The key is not to stay on one set or the other too long as to allow your body mechanics to adjust only to that set. We have many customers who even rotate between different brands of skates with no issues, for example Grafs while reffing, and Bauers for their games.

I could see that if you rotate enough, like me going between my player skates and my goalie skates. I don't even notice.

Out of curiousity, is it possible to shave down step steel to be the same shape as stock steel?

[BRUINS_FAN_74 19]

I could see that if you rotate enough, like me going between my player skates and my goalie skates. I don't even notice.

Out of curiousity, is it possible to shave down step steel to be the same shape as stock steel?

I read somewhere (I think on this forum) where someone had it done to theirs match stock steel. I'm going to look into it next time I send mine into no-icing sports.

I had the same issue with my Step runners. Way too much steel in the heels. I had to get the heels shaved down to make comfortable heel turns.

I still wish mine were shaved down a bit more, but still better than it was...

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I read somewhere (I think on this forum) where someone had it done to theirs match stock steel. I'm going to look into it next time I send mine into no-icing sports.

I still wish mine were shaved down a bit more, but still better than it was...

Thanks for the reminder, it's been far too long since I had mine sharpened. Need to send them off ASAP!

[ulf 5]

sounds like the rink's ice was too soft for the sharpening you got that also could be why snow was sticking to it. when i had black steel on my APXs i didn't notice snow sticking to it anymore than other steel, usually that changes depending on the ice conditions.

no...not rink conditions.. maybe the composition of some step batches are different than others. i see that some people have this problem and others do not.

it had initial sharpening to 1/2 but the chatter and turning in them made them a mess to use. now i'm in a holding pattern with them

could it be that the steel and edge is so much stronger than the mako steel that it kicks up the snow and making doing thing much harder. and is it the shape, which i don;t think is that far off, but it does get larger in size from the middle to heel compared to the mako original

should i take this approach

1- sharpen to lighter hollow

or

2-shave them to match the steel already on

will try and post pics of them and the mako steel.

Edited February 11, 2015 by ulf

[BRUINS_FAN_74 19]

Shave them, but just my opinion... I wish they came shaped the same as stock steel, but I would still profile them regardless.

[jimmy 194]

no...not rink conditions.. maybe the composition of some step batches are different than others. i see that some people have this problem and others do not.

it had initial sharpening to 1/2 but the chatter and turning in them made them a mess to use. now i'm in a holding pattern with them

could it be that the steel and edge is so much stronger than the mako steel that it kicks up the snow and making doing thing much harder. and is it the shape, which i don;t think is that far off, but it does get larger in size from the middle to heel compared to the mako original

should i take this approach

1- sharpen to lighter hollow

or

2-shave them to match the steel already on

will try and post pics of them and the mako steel.

Mako Steel is great quality steel, Step is not better quality than Makos. Chattering is a symptom of too aggressive a hollow be it skater ability, weight or from ice condition. (Although a blade like Blacksteel and blackedge has a crisper finer point so it can grab better but no so much it would cause chatter) Simply shallowing the hollow should correct your problem. Try a 9/16 and see if that does the trick. I don't recommend shaving as it reduces performance. Let your body mechanics adjust to the new shape. Be sure to profile the radius and pitch to the same as the Makos, Step is neutral, mako is not.

[ulf 5]

purchased and sharpened from hockey lion

the differences seem to be very small from the mako and step steel

as for mako being top, top steel..i haven;t been as lucky as some people i guess. if i can get 6hrs out of them i was lucky.

as for shaving them down. i was incorrect, as the mako is bigger..so shaving them down isn;t the awnser. it would only make them smaller.

is the black steel suppose to be like this..or did hockey lion take off too much?

here is a pic..and vid below it

look how deceiving the first pic looks

here is a vid of the step and mako on top of one another

View My Video

Edited February 12, 2015 by ulf

[sbecks72986 51]

get a shallower hollow. the height of the runner has nothing to do with it and the shape doesn't affect your skating much. also if the person who sharpened them isn't who normally does it he maybe makes more passes and the same hollow was actually sharper than your used to.

[jimmy 194]

A good quality stainless runner loses about 25% of its edge for every hour of skating and that is effected by the quality of the ice and off ice conditions at the rinks you play at, and type of hockey you are playing (junior practices vs Old mens league for example). If you were getting 4-6 hrs of skating that's about average. Of course you can skate longer than that, but the edges will be dull and offer no performance. The Blacksteel edges of course will last much, much longer. Another factor effecting how long edges last is the quality of your sharpener, those who overheat the blades when sharpening can change the hardness tempering qualities of the metal, weaken the metal to a point where they dull after 1 game, chip or break.

[MThockeydad 469]

purchased and sharpened from hockey lion

is the black steel suppose to be like this..or did hockey lion take off too much?

That's a COMPLETELY different pitch and profile. Did you pay to get the blackedge steel re-profiled?

Your skates will feel entirely different even with the same radius grind.

[Nealoc187 10]

i just finally broke down and i'm having the heel of my step shaved. I had gotten about 90% used to it over the course of 4 or 5 ice times, i could have lived with it, but was getting frustrated by certain movements or actions causing an uncomfortable feeling. being in the middle of a board battle or charging hard around a defender and having a weird wobble or feeling i wasn't used to is disconcerting.

Here's the shape difference between what i was using before and brand new step i was trying to get used to.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Nealoc187

[ulf 5]

That's a COMPLETELY different pitch and profile. Did you pay to get the blackedge steel re-profiled?

Your skates will feel entirely different even with the same radius grind.

they are? i put them on top of one another and their virtually the same. interested to hear more from you..the top/bottom pic makes them seem very different, though..but it's an illusion.

i just took them to my local store and told them of my problem and pretty much a hockey person w/ many years experience made the hollow lighter. same guy fixed them when i took another pair of original mako in when they were butchered by another person and took the toe off.

i just finally broke down and i'm having the heel of my step shaved. I had gotten about 90% used to it over the course of 4 or 5 ice times, i could have lived with it, but was getting frustrated by certain movements or actions causing an uncomfortable feeling. being in the middle of a board battle or charging hard around a defender and having a weird wobble or feeling i wasn't used to is disconcerting.

Here's the shape difference between what i was using before and brand new step i was trying to get used to.

wow.....u got use to something funky. how did you arrive at that point to find out you preferred it?

Edited February 13, 2015 by ulf

[Nealoc187 10]

they are? i put them on top of one another and their virtually the same. interested to hear more from you..the top/bottom pic makes them seem very different, though..but it's an illusion.

i just took them to my local store and told them of my problem and pretty much a hockey person w/ many years experience made the hollow lighter. same guy fixed them when i took another pair of original mako in when they were butchered by another person and took the toe off.

wow.....u got use to something funky. how did you arrive at that point to find out you preferred it?

just years of sharpenings with no refresh to a repeatable standard profile i guess. last profile i got was in probably 2007 on my old skates, and then since then i got my one.9s used which just happened to have steel worn to essentially the same shape as the steel on my old skates, so there was no transition period there.

[BRUINS_FAN_74 19]

That's a COMPLETELY different pitch and profile. Did you pay to get the blackedge steel re-profiled?Your skates will feel entirely different even with the same radius grind.

I thought the same thing when I saw the photo

[MThockeydad 469]

they are? i put them on top of one another and their virtually the same. interested to hear more from you..the top/bottom pic makes them seem very different, though..but it's an illusion.

It looks noticeable to me.

Barely visible differences are noticeable, and that looks VERY noticeably different.

You asked if the shop took off too much, then you're questioning my observation saying that they're virtually the same and the apparent difference is an illusion.

[ulf 5]

It looks noticeable to me.

Barely visible differences are noticeable, and that looks VERY noticeably different.

You asked if the shop took off too much, then you're questioning my observation saying that they're virtually the same and the apparent difference is an illusion.

i'm just looking for help. I don;t know if i'm right in saying that....the hollow fix i just got may or may not change things (hope so).

how much do you people think the shop take off w/ the initial sharpening?..everyone tells me the step black steel is suppose to be bigger than the mako..mine arrived smaller and smaller going to the back...i didn't tell them to profile them. just sharpen to 1/2.

Edited February 13, 2015 by ulf

[Vet88 674]

The shop should take very little off with the 1st sharpening, in theory the edges should be clean, unnicked and relatively true so all they need to do is to grind the hollow deep enough for the edge to set.

I agree with MTHockeydad, the difference is very noticeable. The black steel is much flatter thru various sections of the blade, ergo more blade on ice and hence the chatter in the stop and a different feel in turns. I can't comment on the size. I always get them sent unsharpened, this way I can be sure they are new / unused and my own sharpener gets first dibs at them.

[ulf 5]

The shop should take very little off with the 1st sharpening, in theory the edges should be clean, unnicked and relatively true so all they need to do is to grind the hollow deep enough for the edge to set.

I agree with MTHockeydad, the difference is very noticeable. The black steel is much flatter thru various sections of the blade, ergo more blade on ice and hence the chatter in the stop and a different feel in turns. I can't comment on the size. I always get them sent unsharpened, this way I can be sure they are new / unused and my own sharpener gets first dibs at them.

is the initial sharping and lack of steel from the middle back going to mess me up completely?

and can there be anything to correct it, .if the shallower hollow doesn't work?

[Vet88 674]

It all depends on you. Some players can adjust quickly to different profiles and setups, others can't. In general I have found that the better the skater you are, the less you worry about the setup and the more tolerance you have for changes. You can get the step blade reprofiled to the original mako blade but, looking at the 2 blades you have, you are going to lose a chunk of steel from the step blade in getting this done. At this point you have nothing to lose. Try a shallower hollow, give it a few weeks of practice and if you still don't like it then either swap back to the originals and sell the steps or get the steps reprofiled.

[ulf 5]

skates were made to a shallower ROH. it's better now, but it's not completely there yet. still occasional chatter. more steel was removed.

what doi i do next?

[Vet88 674]

If you want to keep the steps then you need to take the 2 blades (Makos and steps) to a sharpener who can reprofile the steps to the mako shape. It doesn't have to be exact but the general profile of the mako blade needs to be followed. The mid point will most likely be a little different and the overall height will be lower (because of the amount of steel that may be ground off the steps) but at least they will be close enough to the mako steels that you will not notice much difference.

Or stay with them and keep practicing. If you still don't like them after 20 hours of decent rink time then get them changed or swapped out.

[hollowicked 39]

I know the step for the mako is more neutral then stock mako steel but is the radius still 9' or is it 10'?