Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[RussianDangler15 0]

Thanks I thought it was probably something like that.

[Tikkanen 1]

Pretty sure it's a red machine. There is no new Blackstone machine in there. I looked at the Blademaster site and it says it's an FBV cut. I guess the bottom line is I like it more than what I was using, I don't have access to the Blackstone machine, I'm getting the benefits of what FBV is supposed to do and it costs the same so I can't complain. It was a little too sharp this time so I'm going to try X7 this Sunday and see how it works.

Edited January 31, 2011 by Tikkanen

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

You don't need a Blackstone machine - they make a standalone dresser that will work on any.

I looked at the Blademaster site and it says it's an FBV cut. I guess the bottom line is I like it more than what I was using, I don't have access to the Blackstone machine, I'm getting the benefits of what FBV is supposed to do and it costs the same so I can't complain.

And there it is...

LOL

[interpathway 9]

My friends and I get our skates cut at The Garden's Ice House in Laurel, MD. I've sung the praises of the FBV to most of my friends, and we all head over there to get them cut.

I've gone in asking for 90/75 and always been pleased with the results.

One of my friends goes in and is told that they don't cut 90/75, 100/75, or 100/50s, and is asked if he wants a 5, a 6, or a 7.

Does anyone have a conversion chart?/ Have I missed it earlier in this thread?

No idea why some of the guys understand my 90/75 request w/o problem and others refer the customers to the alternate listing scheme. I haven't peeked in at their machine, but sounds like that will be a good place to start in order to understand their madness better.

[wrangler 157]

My friends and I get our skates cut at The Garden's Ice House in Laurel, MD. I've sung the praises of the FBV to most of my friends, and we all head over there to get them cut.

I've gone in asking for 90/75 and always been pleased with the results.

One of my friends goes in and is told that they don't cut 90/75, 100/75, or 100/50s, and is asked if he wants a 5, a 6, or a 7.

Does anyone have a conversion chart?/ Have I missed it earlier in this thread?

No idea why some of the guys understand my 90/75 request w/o problem and others refer the customers to the alternate listing scheme. I haven't peeked in at their machine, but sounds like that will be a good place to start in order to understand their madness better.

I've been through this entire thread, and if there's a Blademaster/Blackstone conversion chart, I missed it.

The only chart I've seen here is the one Chadd posted a few days back:

http://www.blackstonesport.com/FBV_Comparison_Chart.pdf

EDIT: link fixed

Edited February 1, 2011 by wrangler

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

My friends and I get our skates cut at The Garden's Ice House in Laurel, MD. I've sung the praises of the FBV to most of my friends, and we all head over there to get them cut.

I've gone in asking for 90/75 and always been pleased with the results.

One of my friends goes in and is told that they don't cut 90/75, 100/75, or 100/50s, and is asked if he wants a 5, a 6, or a 7.

Does anyone have a conversion chart?/ Have I missed it earlier in this thread?

No idea why some of the guys understand my 90/75 request w/o problem and others refer the customers to the alternate listing scheme. I haven't peeked in at their machine, but sounds like that will be a good place to start in order to understand their madness better.

Some shops do that; they put a number on it so it makes it easier for people to understand (or making it in a way that they retain business as the skater doesn't really know what he is getting)

[interpathway 9]

Thanks guys, Wrangler, the link doesn't work for me unfortunately.

Frustrates me to no end, as I truly get my skates back and I'm not sure what is under my feet. Oftentimes I am sure the gentlemen I hand my blades off to doesn't cut them, so what exactly am I getting?? Just a question I would rather not have to ask myself for the surplus charge that accompanies the FBV technology.

[wrangler 157]

Thanks guys, Wrangler, the link doesn't work for me unfortunately.

Frustrates me to no end, as I truly get my skates back and I'm not sure what is under my feet. Oftentimes I am sure the gentlemen I hand my blades off to doesn't cut them, so what exactly am I getting?? Just a question I would rather not have to ask myself for the surplus charge that accompanies the FBV technology.

Sorry, link fixed.

I'm just getting into this myself. I started skating 40-45 years ago, and the first time I even asked about the sharpening was just recently.

When we were kids, the only thing we knew was to ask to have skates "hollow ground". We figured we should go to a skate place, not a hardware or dime store that had a skate sharpening sign (magic marker on cardboard) in the window. Outside of that, we knew nothing. BTW, we were just neighborhood kids playing outside for the most part, never played organized hockey. I didn't know anyone whose school had a team, and we didn't have money to check out a rink league. So we had no one who knew anything to teach us.

Edited February 1, 2011 by wrangler

[interpathway 9]

That flow chart is pretty complex!

Unfortunately that doesn't get to the root of my issue (but is appreciated nonetheless).

My shop just seems to attribute an arbitrary number to each of their FBV offerings (alright not completely arbitrary, as they are all sequential, I've heard of 4 through 7 so far).

For any shop that might work similarly, I think I speak on behalf of everyone, just post a sign; please!

Those who care will investigate it, those who don't will remain indifferent to the information. Win/Win.

[wrangler 157]

That flow chart is pretty complex!

Unfortunately that doesn't get to the root of my issue (but is appreciated nonetheless).

My shop just seems to attribute an arbitrary number to each of their FBV offerings (alright not completely arbitrary, as they are all sequential, I've heard of 4 through 7 so far).

For any shop that might work similarly, I think I speak on behalf of everyone, just post a sign; please!

Those who care will investigate it, those who don't will remain indifferent to the information. Win/Win.

I'm pretty sure from reading this thread that those are Blademaster numbers, while FBV numbers are Blackstone. As I mentioned, I haven't seen a cross-reference.

I think the shops must be taking a less information = less confusion approach. It wouldn't hurt for them to have a comparison chart to show those who ask.

[Tikkanen 1]

Here's what I found for Blademaster, which I assume you are getting if they give you the X5, 6 or 7 response. I guess it's the same but I'm not an expert!

http://www.blademaster.ca/pdfs/SharpeningGuide.pdf

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

It's not.

[coldshoulder 0]

Here's what I found for Blademaster, which I assume you are getting if they give you the X5, 6 or 7 response. I guess it's the same but I'm not an expert!

http://www.blademaster.ca/pdfs/SharpeningGuide.pdf

For what it's worth, pre-FBV I was skating on 1/2" at the beginning of last season and converted to FBV half-way through.

I'm comfortable now with either 100/50 Blackstone or X7 Blademaster. Both work well for me and I don't notice much difference playing C/LW.

The most important thing for me is to find a shop who's good and consistent. That's why I keep fresh runners in the bag after getting a hatchet job sharpening at a tourney on the road.

[wrangler 157]

Here's what I found for Blademaster, which I assume you are getting if they give you the X5, 6 or 7 response. I guess it's the same but I'm not an expert!

http://www.blademaster.ca/pdfs/SharpeningGuide.pdf

No numbers on the diagrams, unlike Blackstone, which has an interesting presentation:

http://www.blackstonesport.com/technology.cfm

[goblue9280 33]

Question regarding the new holder coming with the x01/02... I see there is now an option to pick either the Childs or regular holder. Can the Childs holder also handle adult skates? I have a couple of mites... one is in a youth size 13, the other in a junior size 2 (and I have two more who will probably be skating in a couple of years)... I wear a 10.5... thinking about getting the x01 with my tax return and not sure which holder I should pick... or if I would need both holders.

[AfftonDad 88]

I have done down to youth size 12 with the X12 holder. Sometimes you have a little difficulty at the toe when the grinding wheel gets small. You can cut off the front corners of your holder and "cheat" the skate a little towards the heel to give yourself a little more clearance though.

Edited February 2, 2011 by AfftonDad

[b e r t 0]

Question regarding the new holder coming with the x01/02... I see there is now an option to pick either the Childs or regular holder. Can the Childs holder also handle adult skates?

I have an X02 with the new Youth Tri Lie Holder and haven't had any problems doing Youth 13, Junior 3 and Adult 10 (all Vapor's)

Edited February 2, 2011 by b e r t

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I have an X02 with the new Youth Tri Lie Holder and haven't had any problems doing Youth 13, Junior 3 and Adult 10 (all Vapor's)

Is there a new Youth Tri-Lie holder ? I bought mine about a little more than a year ago, and cannot mount the smaller, adjustable skates that my kids are using right now. Looking at the Blackstone website, mine doesn't have the big knobs on the base - wish it did though.

As an aside, I took my skates to get them profiled at my LHS. The guys were both surprised and impressed when they found out I was doing my own skates - said they looked good.

[b e r t 0]

Is there a new Youth Tri-Lie holder ?

I ordered an X-02 just before Christmas and chose the Youth holder.

This is the one that I received:

http://www.blackstonesport.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=24

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I ordered an X-02 just before Christmas and chose the Youth holder.

This is the one that I received:

http://www.blackstonesport.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=24

That's the one I was referring to in my post; mine (also a Youth Tri-lie, but older) looks the same save for the knobs. I was just wondering if anything important has changed that might let me mount smaller skates on it. In fact, it comes within a few millimeters of not being able to mount my adult Grafs.

[Fire Walker 22]

I'm considering buying a x-01 sharpener. I was wondering how difficult it is to learn to use the machine and get a decent sharpening?

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I'm considering buying a x-01 sharpener. I was wondering how difficult it is to learn to use the machine and get a decent sharpening?

I bought my X-01 about a little more than a year ago. I had never sharpened skates before.

My biggest problem was figuring out why my edges were not coming out level. I just couldn't figure out how to adjust the holder - sometimes one edge would be high, then I'd adjust it, then the next pass would bring the other edge high. I spent months (maybe an hour at most a week) trying to figure it out, and I'd almost given up. I made a few posts here, and several users were very nice trying to help me, but I just couldn't get it.

Finally figured out by myself that I was holding the skates while making my passes, since my holder does not have the knobs that are depicted on the Blackstone website. Once I figured this out, and started holding the base, everything was easy. From the outset my sharpenings felt just like the ones I got from my LHS, and I am usually pretty fussy. I've been skating on my own sharpenings for a while now. Never had so much as a burn.

I just took my skates in for a profiling at my LHS, figuring that any poor technique might have messed up my profile. When they saw my edges and I told them I was doing them myself, they told me I was doing a good job. Actually, they did a double-take when I told them and even re-checked my edges, and seemed really, really surprised that I could get such a nice finish. I was surprised that after many sharpenings I didn't even need a re-profiling.

The biggest problem I face now is remembering how to adjust the holder when one edge comes up a little high. The way my skates sit in the holder, I have to rotate the skate to put my Blademaster edge checker on the blade. Remembering whether I need to raise or lower the holder if the bottom or top edge is high or low gives me fits, and double that when I have to rotate the skate around some of the time.

I'd say getting a good sharpening is easily within the grasp of just about anyone willing to spend some time to learn how to do a good job.

[rachael7 1]

I'd echo the sentiments above, only I didn't have the problem with holding the skate. My holder has the big knobs, and I kinda figured the holder would flex if I pushed on the skate, so that issue never came up for me. I did have to loosen the spinner a bit to get a really nice shape on the wheel (read the thread for more details on it) and I realized you have to use a VERY light touch when putting the spinner on the wheel. But other than that, it wasn't that hard to learn - just watch the video and practice on scrap blades for a while until you get comfortable.

[Fire Walker 22]

Thanks.

[goblue9280 33]

For the X01 owners, do you have any feelings on the approximate sharpenings/week max that it can handle? Any regrets not going with the X02?

I'm trying to gauge which would work better... Right now I have 2 mites and myself to sharpen for... but I have a feeling when I do buy a machine, I'll be sharpening for a few of their friends on the team. I'm wondering if I do 5-10 pairs a week, if I should jump up to the x02, or save the money for extra wheels/spinners/other accessories?