Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[dalebert 8]

Time for an update, skated for the second time on the blades last night. I don't know if it was the ice being harder because of the temperature but I felt a bit faster and definitely wasn't as tired at the end of practice and the half a hour of conditioning we had to do... <_< All in all I am beginning to enjoy it. Hopefully it gets better as time goes on like some of you said it does lol.

[squashguy 0]

IMO, I've tried the flat bottom and at a much earlier time had my skates profiled by NoIcing. I have to say the most noticeable improvement has come from profiling. My skates had been sharpened so that the middle of the blade was higher than the ends, sort of a reverse rocker. I do feel more glide from the FBV, but I get more lateral stability from a normal hollow.

Contouring improves your skating, cornering, stopping, etc. FBV only helps your glide, and hockey is not a sport sorely about gliding, it's about using your edges.

Contouring will always be useful. FBV is a fad that may be here to stay.

[Chadd 916]

IMO, I've tried the flat bottom and at a much earlier time had my skates profiled by NoIcing. I have to say the most noticeable improvement has come from profiling. My skates had been sharpened so that the middle of the blade was higher than the ends, sort of a reverse rocker. I do feel more glide from the FBV, but I get more lateral stability from a normal hollow.

Contouring improves your skating, cornering, stopping, etc. FBV only helps your glide, and hockey is not a sport sorely about gliding, it's about using your edges.

Contouring will always be useful. FBV is a fad that may be here to stay.

FBV is the biggest advancement in skate sharpening in most of our lifetimes, it is not a fad. Further advancements may eventually surpass it, but to call it a fad shows a lack of understanding the concept as well as the industry. Changing your profile may or may not benefit a skater, as they may already be using the best profile for them and their game. Meanwhile the FBV will improve your straight line speed, regardless of the profile on your skates, while not reducing your ability to stop, turn or cut. Even at the NHL level, players do not stride for every second of every shift and even if they did, they would be carrying more speed into every cut or turn thanks to the FBV.

[jimmy 194]

Curious if anyone has found the 100/75 does not have enough bite? particularly on push offs.

Also a funny story about the FBV, last night one of my teamates, a holdout who finally agreed to try it after hearing all the other guys raving about it, finally got to skate on the FBV for the first time. Only problem was, last night we played a team full of ringers, ex-college and AHL players. Poor guy looked so slow out there it was pitiful.

[SAK 2]

Curious if anyone has found the 100/75 does not have enough bite? particularly on push offs.

Also a funny story about the FBV, last night one of my teamates, a holdout who finally agreed to try it after hearing all the other guys raving about it, finally got to skate on the FBV for the first time. Only problem was, last night we played a team full of ringers, ex-college and AHL players. Poor guy looked so slow out there it was pitiful.

Hey Bob, found it to be opposite. People (NHL) find that the 100/75 has a significant bite. Hope it helps. Good story about your friend. It didnt help me against them either.

Edited January 30, 2009 by SAK

[irbenaid 0]

Prior to FBV I was skating on a 3/4" hollow and even tried 1" for the benefits of a little more speed. Obviously I got more speed but less bite and sacrificed that for a little more glide. Besides the extra glide that you get with FBV I now also don't have to sacrifice turning ability and stopping ability for more speed. It's the best of both worlds. That's the full advantage of FBV right there.

[Ivan 1]

Did 90/75 for Team Ukraine Coach Alexander Savitskiy

http://www.sokol.kiev.ua/page-id-3026.html

http://www.hockey.org.ua/Komanba/m513.htm

His feedback was "just incredible".

Team Ukraine head coach Dmitri Khristich (frmr. NHL player - Washington, Boston, Toronto, and LA) politely declined. The only reason he declined was his modesty. He had signed some jerseys for my friends in the States and didn't want me to feel obliged to him for doing that for me.

Added 01/31: Savitskiy called me today and said he never skated so fast in his life. He played in the Russian Superleague and for various West European teams (I believe in Sweden too).

Edited February 1, 2009 by Ivan

[ejj 0]

I skated on a FBV sharpening for the first time tonight. I normally skate on 3/4", and tonight I was on 90/50 FBV. I honestly didn't notice much different. I always have had plenty of glide with the 3/4" hollow, and I'm able (230lbs) to generate plenty of bite as well. I felt pretty much the same on the FBV.

[Ivan 1]

Seem to be getting quite better finishing/polishing results by putting some Fine Shine on top of Lube Tube before final pass. Again, I am using a regular Turbo Spinner portable, not an X-01 or X0-2.

With the regular (non-FBV) spinner dresser polishiing has never been a problem. Using the full size Black Walnut grinding wheel.

Edited February 3, 2009 by Ivan

[rootski 0]

skated on the FBV for the first time tonight, in a game. Felt slippery side to side at first. I fell on a couple tight turns, but other than that i didnt feel that tired. I didnt notice any speed changes, but the feel at the beginning was definitely different. Playing at a high level, I was hesitant to try the sharpening, but did, and didnt notice any negatives necessarily.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

skated on the FBV for the first time tonight, in a game. Felt slippery side to side at first. I fell on a couple tight turns, but other than that i didnt feel that tired. I didnt notice any speed changes, but the feel at the beginning was definitely different. Playing at a high level, I was hesitant to try the sharpening, but did, and didnt notice any negatives necessarily.

I have had a couple high end players tell me the same thing. I ended up doing them a second time and this resolved the issue.

For some reason if you dont do the job very well the first time the bite just isnt there as it should be.

I would highly suggest if going from a regular hollow to the FBV you cross grind first (not a fan of cross grinding) but it seems to work the best to get the hollow in there properly.

If it still doesnt work or feel as good as you would like I would try the next hollow up or sahrper on the FBV and if that is till an issue i would adjust your Profile ever so slightly!

I have olnly had a handful of people want to go back to the regular and the only reason is they Ref and do it internationally and cant take me with them......YET...LOL

[Zamboni 6]

When will your (National) Whitby location be set up OTG?

[Ivan 1]

I would highly suggest if going from a regular hollow to the FBV you cross grind first (not a fan of cross grinding) but it seems to work the best to get the hollow in there properly.

I don't have the opportunity to cross grind before doing the FBV. So I do 1" hollow with a regular spinner and then do the desired FBV. Seems to work fine

[goodguy 7]

Can't beleive I have never heard of this until now.

Does anybody know of any FBV shops in Michigan.

JR we need you back here - maybe we need to setup our own shop?

[Chadd 916]

Seem to be getting quite better finishing/polishing results by putting some Fine Shine on top of Lube Tube before final pass. Again, I am using a regular Turbo Spinner portable, not an X-01 or X0-2.

With the regular (non-FBV) spinner dresser polishiing has never been a problem. Using the full size Black Walnut grinding wheel.

I've been getting a fantastic finish with the regular spinner on my X02 and the stock wheel. I did up some old tacks and the finish was stunning for a portable.

[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?

Edited February 8, 2009 by rootski

[SolarWind 23]

curious - did has anybody tried 100/50 & if so how was it in terms of bite?

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

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!

[Ivan 1]

Seem to be getting quite better finishing/polishing results by putting some Fine Shine on top of Lube Tube before final pass. Again, I am using a regular Turbo Spinner portable, not an X-01 or X0-2.

With the regular (non-FBV) spinner dresser polishiing has never been a problem. Using the full size Black Walnut grinding wheel.

I've been getting a fantastic finish with the regular spinner on my X02 and the stock wheel. I did up some old tacks and the finish was stunning for a portable.

Yeah, with the regular spinner I get perfect finish even without Lube Tube or Fine Shine. With the FBV seem to be getting there too now.

[jschlenske 0]

Question on cross grinders. It might be a stupid question but i'll ask it. What is a cross grinder? What I mean is I know "what" they are and what they do but what kind of grinder is it? I was at lowes and saw they had 6" & 8" wheel grinders. Is this the same thing?

Thanks in advance guys.

[Jordan 13]

The next time you are at a sharpening shop take a look at one of their big machines. Usually they have a cross grinding station on them.

It is a wheel that is positioned on the vertical plane rather than on a horizontal plain (how a regular sharpening wheel sits). It has a profile on the edge that is flat, and is used when you have to remove steel. It gets used when profiling, or when the blades are seriously out of level - edge relative to edge or when one skate blade is too tall versus the other. It also gets used if you have severe damage to a blade and a lot of steel has to come off to get the blade below the damged steel.

In theory, I suppose if it had the correct grit, one could use a home bench grinder...but the odds of success would be extremely low.

[Chadd 916]

In theory, I suppose if it had the correct grit, one could use a home bench grinder...but the odds of success would be extremely low.

The only issue there would be making sure you were actually at a point where the wheel would be flat, not really all that tough if you already have a jig holding the skate. It would just require mounting the bench grinder at the proper height.

[Jordan 13]

Fair comment...was just thinking that without a proper jig, and not knowing the correct wheel speed, or grit of the cutting wheel thatbthere was great potential for disaster. :o

[deniro 0]

So I'm getting back into ice hockey after a long absence (playing inline). I took my 'older' Bauer Air 90s to get sharpened yesterday, it cost $10 and I forgot to ask what radius they did. I got to thinking about sharpening my own skates and I come across this thread.

I definitely like the idea of the FBV and I don't imagine there are any places in Virginia where I can try it out. I have thoughts of getting the X01 for my skates, along with seeing of friends/ teammates want to try it (at a future point). I've never sharpened skates before, but it sounds like I will eventually get the hang of it.

So, on to a few questions, forgive me for any repeats. Maybe there can be sort of a summary as reading the entire thread takes a bit.

The X01 comes with 1 spinner of your choice, correct? I didn't see a place to specify this.

The replacement spinners are listed in fractions of an inch and not the 100/75 type of measurement. Am I looking at the correct place?

Is the Bat Gage a necessity to use this properly? It seems like it would be a good idea, but it isn't cheap (or just get the accessory package).

Lube Tube vs. Fine Shine. What are the differences and why get one over the other?

Semi-related , I've got these Bauer Air 90s with a Tuuk Plus blade holder. It seems like my only option if I screwed up a blade is to get a completely new blade holder, if I can find it and have it remounted. Would I be taking too big of a gamble in trying to sharpen my own skates if they are older like this?

Sorry for the dumb questions, I'm probably over-thinking it.

Thanks.

[JR Boucicaut 3793]

If you're starting out, definitely get the accessory package. Use BOTH lube tube and fine shine - they both have their purpose.

FBV mini-spinners aren't listed yet.

I tell ya what, I'm been sharpening a bit lately - I must admit I was out of the physical rhythm as it had been pretty much 9 months since I was sharpening on a regular basis. I'm helping out at my old store part-time this past week so I've done about 100 pair this week on their standard sharpener (and my back is hating me for it). I haven't touched the X02 in a week. I saw an old client of mine and I told him about the FBV so I took his skates home today. It was truly scary.