Skate Sharpening Vending Machine

[jrgretzky99 1]

Vending Machine - Skate Sharpener

Ok reading the other post gave me a thought about that old P.O.S. vending machine that you used to put your $2.50 into for each boot, load your skate into the auto door and away it went. I'll never forget being so pissed off that I had that piece of crap automated skate sharpener do my skates. That was the last time, the blades were so off square that they were more like at 45 degrees.

The one at our rink when I was a kid didn't last very long.

Does anyone else have a story to tell about one of these?

[james12lucy 0]

Yah, I remember these. I once watched a teammate's entire blade get removed because the machine went crazy. I ground all the way into the holder! It was awesome, but not for the guy's dad...

[peck12 1]

They used to have one at a local store by me and it was the only option when I didn't feel like going to the rink back in the day. Biggest POS ever!! I could have sharpened my skates better with a rock. It snagged one of my skates one time, damage was minimal though.

[doogie24 0]

HOLY SH*T...I completely forgot about those things. Brings back memories.

[LarrieNation9 0]

The Bob Hartley Complex in Hawkesbury, Ontario still has one, I used it a few times last season cause I had never seen one. It wasn't too bad to be honest. Although if you put it on more grind the whole blade had steel needles all over it lol

[Jeff 0]

Ha, I remember loading my Bauer Black Panthers into one of those machines at some rink in SoCal back in '89 or so... I remember I was not too happy with the results, but it was bearable for the game.

[Yoke 0]

I remember those. It was terrible. I was about to put my skates in there once, and someone basically had an intervention with me.

After seeing what it did to a couple other kids, I was glad they did.

[hamstercaster 2]

There are still a couple of these around in some rinks in my area. I never used it but I've seen people using losing a skate, seeing a quarter inch of blade per skate disappear etc. etc. Nice invention but not very pratical or consistent

[Shtrsdad 0]

Those are still in most if not all arenas around here!

Saw the aftermath of one going haywire last year around evaluation time. One of the kids I had coached hadn't done his pre-season sharpening and had to use one of those goofy machines. Didn't look real closse at the first skate until the second had already started. The grind looked more like a bobsled runner that a skate hollow. The Rink Rat was able to go into the skate shop (it was closed) and do a quick cross grind and sharpen to get the kid on the ice. Probably lost 5 or 6mm of blade just get to the point that he could get a hollow in!

[PMurphy17 25]

These things were in every Canadian Tire in Canada in the late 80's and early 90's. Wish the picture showed the side window.

[Joker518 0]

That looks like those vintage bowling ball polishing machines... As they were alluding to in that other thread, could this humble looking skate sharpener be the forerunner of Skynet?

I say burn them all!

[Monty22 833]

There was one in West Hartford, CT a long time ago. Never used it, it just looked like a bad idea.

[Doctor Hook 0]

I've never heard anything positive about those. That's one machine that won't replace a human.

[lyle.m23 0]

wow , you know see if someone was to bring out a mordern one with all the problems sorted i think it could be huge !

[habsfan87 0]

There was one at one of the local rinks, I never tried it, wouldn't. Just seem to sketchy for me, like getting ur skates sharpened at canadian tire or something

[AnthonyJTa 0]

a couple of our local "state funded" MDC rinks have these.... one kid I skate with has no qualms tossing his skates in there.

[Di Matteo98 0]

Vending Machine - Skate Sharpener

Ok reading the other post gave me a thought about that old P.O.S. vending machine that you used to put your $2.50 into for each boot, load your skate into the auto door and away it went. I'll never forget being so pissed off that I had that piece of crap automated skate sharpener do my skates. That was the last time, the blades were so off square that they were more like at 45 degrees.

The one at our rink when I was a kid didn't last very long.

Does anyone else have a story to tell about one of these?

There is an arena about 45 mins away from me that uses that as there town skate sharpener, they have no skate sharpener people around them. It's always funny to see some one put their skates in there and then lose their entire skate blade, makes me happy I don't live in that city. I never did trust those things it always spelled disaster to me, between that and after my first tyke game seeing some one lose their skate blade and destroy their holders that kept me very far away from that.

[Cove 39]

Had NO IDEA what people where talking about until I saw the picture, a rink I played in when I was younger (6+ years ago) had one but I never used it myself, and nobody on my team never used it.

[Bender 0]

Sounds like something, that if someone who REALLY knew what they where doing, could create one that would work really well. It sounds like something that could have been great but the creator didn't quiet get it right...

[jrgretzky99 1]

Oh, and was it horrible. The first time I put my skates in there was the last time. I never used one again and that was 20 years ago.

[Cove 39]

You can't make a machine that works as well as a human hand. Especially when it comes to sharpening skates. It was a good idea (in theory) and they guy who made it probably made a chunk of change but clearly it wasn't worth a bit of stink.

[bhansen24 0]

You can't make a machine that works as well as a human hand. Especially when it comes to sharpening skates. It was a good idea (in theory) and they guy who made it probably made a chunk of change but clearly it wasn't worth a bit of stink.

I agree, no matter how well you make a machine like this, it just won't compete against a human sharpener with a lot of experience. It is a personal touch that cannot be reproduced by a piece of technology.

[Skunk 1]

There was one in West Hartford, CT a long time ago. Never used it, it just looked like a bad idea.

Hey Monty, It's still there!

I laugh every time I walk by it...

(Made by Tudor from Canada)