Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[Mikej411 2]

The feedback I got was that 95/75 had more bite and that was what they preferred about it.

I like more bite so I might go that route then if this is true. Ill see when I skate on the 100/50 tomorrow.

Ive read this thread over 30 pages so far. One question I do have is about sweet sticks. I forget who posted it or what page it was on, maybe JR, but he said do not use sweet sticks and listed a reason. However, after reading noicingsports.com, it said using this is beneficial, and they seem to know what they are talking about. Any thoughts on this?

"You also can use a hand-held sharpener to refresh the edges, they are very

good for use between periods and might even extend your sharpening

interval one or two sharpenings. We stock the Sweet Stick that will

work on all hollows. This tools are great for emergencies, like when

you loose an edge during a game."

[Chadd 916]

Without something to compare it to, "more bite" is pretty much irrelevant.

They tend to mangle the edges, unless you use just slide them along the outside of the blade. Personally, I don't care for them. For $3 you can pick up a knife sharpening block at harbor freight that will do essentially the same thing without the potential for bending your edges.

[fbvnyc 12]

I went from 90/75 to 95/1 and am very pleased.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Eek. On purpose? LOL

[Mikej411 2]

Just skated for the first time on FBV. Went from 7/16ROH to 100/50FBV. Noticed more glide for sure but the bite wasnt quite what 7/16 gave me. I also noticed about a 1 inch burr/chip on my inside edge after this 2 hour skate. I havent seen one like that in a long time on ROH. Anyone else frequently have this problem with FBV?

Chadd, I might be moving to 95/75 next since you said it has more bite than 100/50. Do you think Total Hockey provides 95/75?

Edited February 21, 2013 by Mikej411

[mike_o 3]

I believe Total Hockey is doing FBV at the store in Robinson, Very few of my guys liked 100/50, most prefer 95/75

When did Total Hockey open in Robinson? That would have been convenient when I lived in Moon....

[Mikej411 2]

I have no idea when it opened. There is Pure Hockey at NEville and Bridgeville. Total Hockey at Cranberry and Robinson. So far I got the FBV sharpened at Robinson. A good skate but my inside edge was nicked up pretty good after the skate

[Chadd 916]

When did Total Hockey open in Robinson? That would have been convenient when I lived in Moon....

Late summer or early fall I think. My in laws live about 20 minutes west of there, so I stopped in once or twice since then

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

I have no idea when it opened. There is Pure Hockey at NEville and Bridgeville. Total Hockey at Cranberry and Robinson. So far I got the FBV sharpened at Robinson. A good skate but my inside edge was nicked up pretty good after the skate

You may want to try 95/75 next...might be the bite you are looking for.

I assume the nick happened after hitting something...

[mike_o 3]

Ah, when I lived in the Pitt area I'd get my skates sharpened at Perani's since it was close to Bethel Park and Ice Castle which I skated at pretty often. I didn't switch to FBV until after I moved away. I always thought they did a decent job until I went to a sharpener here in the Bay area and they showed me my edges were completely uneven (which in hind sight made sense given signs I had during skating).

For the nick, I wouldn't blame that on FBV, that will happen to your blades from time to time no matter how you have your skates sharpened. There's no way to control that throughout the course of play. I will say the level of quality in steel you have can help with how often it occurs. Good steel will hold up better than cheap steel, but even good steel will lose an edge (should post a pic of my Step steel after a recent game, amazed I could even stand up at the end of the game).

[Mikej411 2]

You may want to try 95/75 next...might be the bite you are looking for.

I assume the nick happened after hitting something...

Ya maybe as I crashed into the boards once. I would try 95/75 but I called Total Hockey and they don't offer that. I also called Perani's and they only have Blademaster.

Ah, when I lived in the Pitt area I'd get my skates sharpened at Perani's since it was close to Bethel Park and Ice Castle which I skated at pretty often. I didn't switch to FBV until after I moved away. I always thought they did a decent job until I went to a sharpener here in the Bay area and they showed me my edges were completely uneven (which in hind sight made sense given signs I had during skating).

For the nick, I wouldn't blame that on FBV, that will happen to your blades from time to time no matter how you have your skates sharpened. There's no way to control that throughout the course of play. I will say the level of quality in steel you have can help with how often it occurs. Good steel will hold up better than cheap steel, but even good steel will lose an edge (should post a pic of my Step steel after a recent game, amazed I could even stand up at the end of the game).

I may go the custom profile option at Noicingsports and future sharpenings there. Hopefully the shipping process isn't inconvenient. Why do you say you were surprised you could stand. Is Step Steel not a good steel? Whats a quality steel I could order from NoIcingSports for my Bauer Vapor x7 skates?

[mike_o 3]

Oh, Step Steel is great. I get mine through noicingsports and highly recommend them. I have a real good sharpener where I live now (SF Bay area) so I don't have to do the sharpen by mail, but for my initial steel purchase I've been going through noicing for a while now.

The point I was trying to make is that no matter what steel or what fashion you have your steel sharpened, you are going to be susceptible to losing an edge. Maybe you stepped on someones stick, or your blade hit a goal post, or you slid feet foot into the boards, or maybe you stepped on something on the way to/from the ice....it's going to happen to everyone. I believe the better the steel, the more the steel can withstand abuse...but it's still steel and if you slide feet first into a goal post, you are going to lose an edge.

And I was surprised I could stand because I lost probably six inches worth of an edge one game a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what happened during the game to cause it, I didn't notice it until after I got back into the locker room. When you lose an edge, there's no edge on the blade to bite into the ice....no bite=your leg slides out from underneath you=you can't stand up :-)

[hockeymass 11]

Is it really significantly more difficult to sharpen Flat Bottom vs. ROH? I ask because I've brought my skates to two places (chains that are fairly well known that I won't name) and both places absolutely mangled my edges. The most recent one was absolutely horrendous, completely ground off the inside edge of my left skate and wrecked the right skate pretty badly too. My brother went there to get his skates done too (before I found out how badly they destroyed mine) and the guy was bitching about how hard it is to do Flat Bottom (this particular place actually does Blademaster, not Blackstone, but obviously same basic idea). I'm having a hell of a time finding a place that can cut my skates in a pinch and I just don't understand how so many places can be so bad at it.

[wrangler 157]

Sounds like a training problem.

[hockeymass 11]

Sounds like a training problem.

It's definitely a training problem, or a not-giving-a-shit problem, I'm just amazed at how widespread it is.

[wrangler 157]

I've been getting FBV at Total Hockey, haven't had problems with the two locations I've used. Seems the same as the sharpening I got at WF, so I guess they're doing it right.

I've never sharpened, but I thought it was about dressing the wheel properly, and getting the blade angle and pressure correct. I would expect some difference in quality based on experience, but not what you're describing. That sounds like a total lack of effort, of understanding what to do, or both.

[fbvnyc 12]

Eek. On purpose? LOL

Hey JR, no by accident. Can you elaborate on your post. I'm curious to get some professional input. Thanks

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

90/75 to 95/1 is a pretty drastic jump IMO. Did you try 95/75 or 100/75?

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Does anyone know if the new monkey store does FBV? OR anaheim ice?

[shooter27 116]

I know Anaheim Ice does Blademaster flat bottom. Not sure about Monkey.

[Chadd 916]

I know Anaheim Ice does Blademaster flat bottom. Not sure about Monkey.

There is no such thing as Blademaster flat bottom.

[wrangler 157]

They seem to be calling it "Blademaster BFD Flat Bottom", as opposed to Blackstone's "Flat Bottom V".

http://blademaster.com/pdfs/BFDFlatBottom.pdf

[shooter27 116]

I'll be honest, looking at that Blademaster PDF, I can't figure out how it's significantly different enough from FBV to get around the Blackstone patent. Is there a summary of the differences somewhere?

[wrangler 157]

I think you just have to look at the documentation on the two websites. The FBV certainly appears to have more variety of choices.

[Chadd 916]

They seem to be calling it "Blademaster BFD Flat Bottom", as opposed to Blackstone's "Flat Bottom V".

http://blademaster.com/pdfs/BFDFlatBottom.pdf

I thought they were prohibited from using it, I guess I was wrong.

I'll be honest, looking at that Blademaster PDF, I can't figure out how it's significantly different enough from FBV to get around the Blackstone patent.

It doesn't, plus there is also the issue of the spinner patent.