Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[jimmy 194]

What I've found is those who thought the 100/75 had too much bite, and the 90/75 not enough bite, they liked the 100/50. So far so good, it's filling the spot.

[Spreedizzle 1]

Just got my new X01 from Blackstone. I have not used it yet so all I have are my initial impressions of the Blackstone company.

All I can say is that Steve is a fantastic person to deal with, attentive and has a true passion for his craft. He was patient enough to deal with all of my questions with regards to the unit and the various spinners, and answered them all quickly and intelligently. I was called by Steve on Tuesday that my order was going to be shipped out, and well......Tuesday a week later here in sunny Florida I have my X01.

Fantastic company and individual to deal with.

[pmspaul 0]

The /50 spinners aren't available on the mini so there is less experience with them.

Chadd,

Do you know if there are plans to do so?

Thanks. Bob

I would expect them to be available eventually.

As per Steve at Blackstone 2 weeks ago, they are planning on releasing the other FBV's(100/50 & 90/50) in the mini-spinners to fit the X01/X02. The exact timeline is up in the air.

Oh, and like Spreedizzle said, Steve is fantastic to deal with. He treated me like I was buying the most expensive unit they sold. First class all the way.

[cbart 1]

The /50 spinners aren't available on the mini so there is less experience with them.

But they are available on the bigger Blackstone machines, correct?? Asked my LHS today and the guy said they weren't released yet, but I'm thinking they just haven't ordered it...

[Chadd 916]

The /50 spinners aren't available on the mini so there is less experience with them.

But they are available on the bigger Blackstone machines, correct?? Asked my LHS today and the guy said they weren't released yet, but I'm thinking they just haven't ordered it...

Jimmy has one so I'm guessing they are available. Your shop might not be aware of their release.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

For those of us in Nor Cal, EWH is now doing the FBV. B)

[goodguy 7]

Any discounts on the x01 x02 or are you guys paying retail?

Don't want to sound like a cheap skate (no pun intended) but almost a grand for a personal sharpening machine is a little above MY budget right now.

But I love new deveopment and FBV sounds so interesting - I just can't see driving all over to find FBV shops and couldn't get it at tourneys etc.

So I would get my kid hooked on FBV and then have to change back and forth every few sharpenings - seems like a good way to mess up his technique and go through blades (and genrally end up with crappy edges).

Any recommendations?

Edited February 11, 2009 by goodguy

[Chadd 916]

X01 and X02 are both very good value for the money and selling very well, don't expect any discounts for a while. It would probably be cheaper to buy a second set of steel and always carry a backup to tournaments and road games. That seems much easier and more logical to me.

[JR Boucicaut 3793]

That IS the retail price - X01/X02 is geared to end users, not stores.

[Ivan 1]

Any discounts on the x01 x02 or are you guys paying retail?

Don't want to sound like a cheap skate (no pun intended) but almost a grand for a personal sharpening machine is a little above MY budget right now.

But I love new deveopment and FBV sounds so interesting - I just can't see driving all over to find FBV shops and couldn't get it at tourneys etc.

So I would get my kid hooked on FBV and then have to change back and forth every few sharpenings - seems like a good way to mess up his technique and go through blades (and genrally end up with crappy edges).

Any recommendations?

Worth every penny IMO

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

I just got a 100/75 put on my skates yesterday, and skated on them for an hour today at public skate. I was coming from a 7/16", and have tested everything from a 3/8" to a 3/4" ROH, before settling on the 7/16" ROH. I think the 100/75 definitely feels like a 3/8" or deeper, when stopping. Although the glide was noticeably smoother and faster, the 100/75 had way too much bite when stopping. I'll be skating on them again for another two hours on Saturday when I help coach my son's mite team, but I'm pretty sure I'll be going to a 90/75 for my next sharpening.

[Ivan 1]

I just got a 100/75 put on my skates yesterday, and skated on them for an hour today at public skate. I was coming from a 7/16", and have tested everything from a 3/8" to a 3/4" ROH, before settling on the 7/16" ROH. I think the 100/75 definitely feels like a 3/8" or deeper, when stopping. Although the glide was noticeably smoother and faster, the 100/75 had way too much bite when stopping. I'll be skating on them again for another two hours on Saturday when I help coach my son's mite team, but I'm pretty sure I'll be going to a 90/75 for my next sharpening.

Same feel for me - the 100/75 had way too much bite when stopping. Went to the 90/75 (new custom One95 (needed to get used to them alone). With a little bit of adjustment, usual boot break in and unlacing the top eyelet, skating feelt unreal at a drop in game earlier today. Sharpen my skates myself

Blackstone recommends the 90/75 FBV as a starting point.

[rootski 0]

sharpened on fbv again, tried it for the second time.

i felt alot better on my feet, felt more push, better turns, but still unstable going into boards or corners for pucks.

felt a sense of 'no control' when in these zones.

But as i said, better turning and overall less fatigue, better speed.

edit: think im skating on a 90/75 possibly or 75\90 not sure?

I would suggest trying the 100/75 just for shits and giggles....you will get the bite you want for sure.....maybe a little to much but I would try it!

tried the 90/75 and loved it. maybe will try the 100/75 later on for fun. Pretty satisfied with my grip on the ice though. Great turns and still no speed sacrificed... Thanks!

[pmspaul 0]

Ok, I've got a pair of off brand chinese made skates a mite dad asked me to sharpen up with the FBV. They have a runner with a width of 0.095". This is about 20 thousandths shy of normal width, yes? Well, I sharpened them with a 90/75 FBV, there seems to be a proper edge on it, at least the thumbnail says it's sharp. Edges are even height-wise.

Before I give these back, I was looking for opinions as to whether this will be a substantial enough edge. A pair of older tacks I had to do next have a width of 0.110", so a 100/75 would leave 0.010" additional width on the runner to form the V edges, which has proven to work just fine. On a blade that is 0.095" wide, the 90/75 only leaves 0.005" of width on the runner for the v edges. Is this enough?

And if it is, wouldn't this actually leave you with an FBV that would feel more like the 100/75 (or possibly even more bite) than the 90/75?

Just curious as to anyone's thoughts...

[jschlenske 0]

I ordered the X02 friday and had a question for everyone that has ordered the X-01,02. Did you have to sign for the package? I assume you do but just wanna make sure.

[JR Boucicaut 3793]

Latest update -

I put a good friend of mine on it - he was one of Laura Stamm's original instructors and I was very curious to see what he thought.

Got a phone call and while I barely understood him because I was at the Daytona 500, all I heard was "HOLY SHIT WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SKATES?" and then VROOOOOOOOOOM as the cars went by...LOL

I'll talk to him tomorrow and find out what is up.

[Nico 0]

Just had my skates sharpened 90/75. Two things I initiall noticed was that I could feel the blades more in contact with the ice and the edges were more pronounced. Of course, glide was impressive.

Not so impressive was my stops and quick starts. My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop. My quick starts were a little uncomfortable. I had to use more ankle roll to dig in, and I didn't feel very quick either.

Anyone else experience these types of issues? How did you resolve it?

[Chadd 916]

Just had my skates sharpened 90/75. Two things I initiall noticed was that I could feel the blades more in contact with the ice and the edges were more pronounced. Of course, glide was impressive.

Not so impressive was my stops and quick starts. My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop. My quick starts were a little uncomfortable. I had to use more ankle roll to dig in, and I didn't feel very quick either.

Anyone else experience these types of issues? How did you resolve it?

What hollow did you use before?

[Nico 0]

Just had my skates sharpened 90/75. Two things I initiall noticed was that I could feel the blades more in contact with the ice and the edges were more pronounced. Of course, glide was impressive.

Not so impressive was my stops and quick starts. My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop. My quick starts were a little uncomfortable. I had to use more ankle roll to dig in, and I didn't feel very quick either.

Anyone else experience these types of issues? How did you resolve it?

What hollow did you use before?

7/16"

[JR Boucicaut 3793]

Not to sound like a shill, but let's think about this...

Of course, glide was impressive.

My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop.

Those two things usually don't go together.

It's either "tons of glide, no bite" or "tons of bite, no glide."

Give it a couple of skates, a few people are experiencing a learning curve.

[Chadd 916]

Just had my skates sharpened 90/75. Two things I initiall noticed was that I could feel the blades more in contact with the ice and the edges were more pronounced. Of course, glide was impressive.

Not so impressive was my stops and quick starts. My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop. My quick starts were a little uncomfortable. I had to use more ankle roll to dig in, and I didn't feel very quick either.

Anyone else experience these types of issues? How did you resolve it?

What hollow did you use before?

7/16"

So you've gone from 7/16 to something with the bite roughly equivalent to 5/8 and the edges are still sticky? Something sounds odd here, did you have them profiled at the same time?

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

I tried a 90/75 on my skates Saturday, and skated on them for 3 1/2 hours straight. I liked it alot better than the 100/75, but I'm going to try the 100/50 for my next sharpening. I prefer a little bit more bite, so I figure I might as well try out something in between the 100/75 and the 90/75.

From looking at the FBV website, it seems to me that the 100/50 and the 90/50 hollows would need to be sharpened more often, since the edge height is lower. Does anybody have any experience with these hollows?

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

I tried a 90/75 on my skates Saturday, and skated on them for 3 1/2 hours straight. I liked it alot better than the 100/75, but I'm going to try the 100/50 for my next sharpening. I prefer a little bit more bite, so I figure I might as well try out something in between the 100/75 and the 90/75.

From looking at the FBV website, it seems to me that the 100/50 and the 90/50 hollows would need to be sharpened more often, since the edge height is lower. Does anybody have any experience with these hollows?

I use the 100/50 with a couple of my players and it seems that all need to be shaprened about the same amount. It depends on the ice the roughness of the game on how often they need to be sharpened. It does seem i am getting one extra skate out of each pair before re-sharpening. The other bonus is that on the fresh sharpening there is less issue with it being done as they arent sinking in as far. Most of the time its the 100/75 players that have the issues when they were on there normal 3/8ths. Now with the FBV 100/75 there is really 0 issues they get right into the game.

With the OPJHL team I work with all the guys on the FBV scored in the first round one had a 5 point game I believe!

I didnt tell them till after the first round it was the FBV. They all had me shapren skates before so they just thought they were getting the same thing as they used to. After the last game I asked one of the leading scorers if he noticed a diffrence and he said " yah not sure what it was I just felt faster" I said so you felt like you can get around guys easier after that first step past them? " yah it was weird it was good though what did you do?"

So I explained the whole system now there all pumped to start the 2nd round!

[Too Old 1]

I've been on a 7/16" thus far and should have my new steel here pretty soon with a 100/75 on them, along with an 8'/13' combo radius. Obviously will keep the neutral pitch seeing how they're Graf's. I'll see how I like that and if all is well then I'll ship the old runners in for the same cut and profiling. Since nobody close to me does the FBV it'll be nice to have a spare set just in case. Excellent service thus far from No Icing; can't say enough about their help going over things.

[Nico 0]

Just had my skates sharpened 90/75. Two things I initiall noticed was that I could feel the blades more in contact with the ice and the edges were more pronounced. Of course, glide was impressive.

Not so impressive was my stops and quick starts. My stops, I feel like my edges are catching more (a little sticky), as I pivot into the stop. My quick starts were a little uncomfortable. I had to use more ankle roll to dig in, and I didn't feel very quick either.

Anyone else experience these types of issues? How did you resolve it?

What hollow did you use before?

7/16"

So you've gone from 7/16 to something with the bite roughly equivalent to 5/8 and the edges are still sticky? Something sounds odd here, did you have them profiled at the same time?

Nothing else was done to the skates, which is why this confused me too. For now I'll just blame myself, and work on my FBV stopping technique.