Sparx Skate Sharpener - At home sharpener

[IPv6Freely 2093]

And in many places even if you ask for something different you’re likely just going to get 1/2” anyway. 

[bunnyman666 445]

4 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

And in many places even if you ask for something different you’re likely just going to get 1/2” anyway. 

Unfortunately too much truth in that statement...

[bflohcky 0]

OK, I've been thinking about purchasing a Sparx. I still skate 1-2 times a week, but my 5 year old is a hockey nut and skates 2-3 times a week, sometimes more during the season. We also have a rink in the yard during the winter months that he will spend 4 hours skating on any given day before his mom or myself drag him in the house to eat something and thaw out for a few minutes. I find that I am sharpening his skates far more often than I sharpen my own as the little guy tends to abuse the blades quite a bit while stepping on sticks, banging into the boards, etc. I also suspect the backyard rink dulls them quicker as the ice is often considerably harder than you'd find in a climate controlled rink. If his compassion for the game sticks and he's playing for the next 10+ years I could see real value in this machine. However I'm concerned about it's durability over the long haul. We have a number of shops around but the the cut is inconsistent and there's always someone different sharpening. I've never seen some of the guys dress the stone. We've had a couple bad sharpening's this year resulting in uneven and flat inside edges which my son is quick to call out.

During my competitive playing years, The same guy sharpened my skates for as long as I can remember and I can't remember a bad cut. Can't seem to find that anymore.

Obviously the price is quite a hit to the wallet when raising 3 kids. He has 2 younger sisters and our middle one is already starting to skate and showing some interest in the game.

I've gone back and forth between a Sparx and a Wissota. I've never sharpened a pair of skates in my life however. I like the cleanliness of the Sparx and the greatly shortened learning curve.

Any input is greatly appreciated. Having a hard time pulling the trigger (being in the middle of a bathroom gut job doesn't help).

[IPv6Freely 2093]

6 minutes ago, bflohcky said:

OK, I've been thinking about purchasing a Sparx. I still skate 1-2 times a week, but my 5 year old is a hockey nut and skates 2-3 times a week, sometimes more during the season. We also have a rink in the yard during the winter months that he will spend 4 hours skating on any given day before his mom or myself drag him in the house to eat something and thaw out for a few minutes. I find that I am sharpening his skates far more often than I sharpen my own as the little guy tends to abuse the blades quite a bit while stepping on sticks, banging into the boards, etc. I also suspect the backyard rink dulls them quicker as the ice is often considerably harder than you'd find in a climate controlled rink. If his compassion for the game sticks and he's playing for the next 10+ years I could see real value in this machine. However I'm concerned about it's durability over the long haul. We have a number of shops around but the the cut is inconsistent and there's always someone different sharpening. I've never seen some of the guys dress the stone. We've had a couple bad sharpening's this year resulting in uneven and flat inside edges which my son is quick to call out.

During my competitive playing years, The same guy sharpened my skates for as long as I can remember and I can't remember a bad cut. Can't seem to find that anymore.

Obviously the price is quite a hit to the wallet when raising 3 kids. He has 2 younger sisters and our middle one is already starting to skate and showing some interest in the game.

I've gone back and forth between a Sparx and a Wissota. I've never sharpened a pair of skates in my life however. I like the cleanliness of the Sparx and the greatly shortened learning curve.

Any input is greatly appreciated. Having a hard time pulling the trigger (being in the middle of a bathroom gut job doesn't help).

You sound like a good candidate for one. If you can afford the expense, then do it 🙂 

[Leif 161]

12 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

You sound like a good candidate for one. If you can afford the expense, then do it 🙂 

He certainly does sound like a good candidate. 

The issue of longevity is an interesting question. The Wissota and other manual sharpeners have AFAIK only one component that can go wrong in normal use namely the motor. The Sparx has I assume two motors (one to rotate the cutting wheel, one to drive the wheel horizontally) and an electronic module. I have electronic goods that have lasted decades without issue, and electric motors can last yonks, so in principle a unit that is not abused could last decades. It also has some electronic switches to detect when the door and latches are closed, and some lights which I assume are LEDs. An LED should out last the owner and switches should be durable. That said, my well cared for Nikon D200 failed after 8 years due to an electronic module blowing. 

[shoeshine boy 242]

I owned a Wissota for probably 15 years before I got in on the Sparx during the Kickstarter campaign. both are fantastic machines but for me, the time savings that I get with the Sparx are incredible. I have yet to get a bad sharpening on my Sparx. our household has 2 players skating 2 to 3 times per week. either way you go you'll get a quality machine and I think you'll find that it's worth the cash.

Edited March 20, 2019 by shoeshine boy

[darkhors 88]

8 minutes ago, bflohcky said:

OK, I've been thinking about purchasing a Sparx. I still skate 1-2 times a week, but my 5 year old is a hockey nut and skates 2-3 times a week, sometimes more during the season. We also have a rink in the yard during the winter months that he will spend 4 hours skating on any given day before his mom or myself drag him in the house to eat something and thaw out for a few minutes. I find that I am sharpening his skates far more often than I sharpen my own as the little guy tends to abuse the blades quite a bit while stepping on sticks, banging into the boards, etc. I also suspect the backyard rink dulls them quicker as the ice is often considerably harder than you'd find in a climate controlled rink. If his compassion for the game sticks and he's playing for the next 10+ years I could see real value in this machine. However I'm concerned about it's durability over the long haul. We have a number of shops around but the the cut is inconsistent and there's always someone different sharpening. I've never seen some of the guys dress the stone. We've had a couple bad sharpening's this year resulting in uneven and flat inside edges which my son is quick to call out.

During my competitive playing years, The same guy sharpened my skates for as long as I can remember and I can't remember a bad cut. Can't seem to find that anymore.

Obviously the price is quite a hit to the wallet when raising 3 kids. He has 2 younger sisters and our middle one is already starting to skate and showing some interest in the game.

I've gone back and forth between a Sparx and a Wissota. I've never sharpened a pair of skates in my life however. I like the cleanliness of the Sparx and the greatly shortened learning curve.

Any input is greatly appreciated. Having a hard time pulling the trigger (being in the middle of a bathroom gut job doesn't help).

So I have 3 people in my house who each skate multiple times a week, plus my brother and his kid. If you figure $10 a pair x 5 people over the course of a season, we're going to break even very quickly. Here's a few things I really love about the machine.

1.) I don't have to worry about the pressure I'm putting on the skate blades. It's consistent each and every time. I can run 2 passes on my skates before I play or once a week. I'm on the ice about 4 hours a week and 2 of those are just coaching. 

2.) it's super easy to change hollows. If I decide to go with something different, I just unscrew the ring, put the new ring in and off I go. I usually check the calibration every 10 sharpenings or so unless I notice something's off when I check the edges. 

3.) I can put this almost anywhere. If I want to put in my dining room, I can do that without fear of having metal shavings everywhere. I can also take it with me to tournaments and do it in the hotel room and know that my edges are perfect.

We weighed the options, but for us it seemed like a no brainer and less work to achieve the same results. We're also sharpening for other kids, beer league teammates and such so we're making a little money on the side to help offset the cost of rings too.

One thing I would say is to get the sparx edge checker. I have the Blademaster one and it's good, but the sparx is better for just a little more money.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

What I personally wouldn’t do is try to do the math to figure out the break-even. Maybe if money was the #1 reason why I wanted a Sparx, but honestly that was so far down the list of reasons that it was kind of irrelevant. 

I also feel like my time is worth something, not to mention the time wasted skating on a bad sharpening. 

The convenience is worth far more than any kind of perceived or real monetary savings, to me at least. 

[BenBreeg 493]

6 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

What I personally wouldn’t do is try to do the math to figure out the break-even. Maybe if money was the #1 reason why I wanted a Sparx, but honestly that was so far down the list of reasons that it was kind of irrelevant. 

I also feel like my time is worth something, not to mention the time wasted skating on a bad sharpening. 

The convenience is worth far more than any kind of perceived or real monetary savings, to me at least. 

This is my motivation.  Between getting stuck the last two weeks not being able to get to the shop to get my skates done and getting there and finding out it is closed at 6 on a Saturday, I'm sold on the convenience aspect.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

1 minute ago, BenBreeg said:

This is my motivation.  Between getting stuck the last two weeks not being able to get to the shop to get my skates done and getting there and finding out it is closed at 6 on a Saturday, I'm sold on the convenience aspect.

Basically where I was at too. 40 mins each way to get a 50/50 chance at decent edges. Showed up during hours posted. “It was slow so he went home.” 

[stick9 892]

Yeah, don't do the math. You're playing the long game here, unless you are sharpening for friends who pay.

[Leif 161]

I used to sharpen one pair of skates every two weeks with a 50 mile round trip. It will pay back in 3-4 years. Throw in that I get sharp blades EVERY session, with perfect edges EVERY time, and no wasted mornings, and IMO it’s good value even at the sky high European price that we pay. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Leif

[bunnyman666 445]

For me, the Sparx is worth its weight in gold @bflohcky. You are a great candidate for the machine. You are actually the profile for whom they built this machine. 

I am obsessed with perfect edges and was spending a king’s ransom on that pursuit. This has already paid off for me. You will see literal cost savings.

Edited March 21, 2019 by bunnyman666

[Giltis 116]

The guy that I get my skates sharpened at is amazing, he's like a skate whisperer. He's the one of three guys in my town that will actively work with people to get the perfect profile/hollow, and unfortunately/fortunately word spread and he's gotten super popular with teams (2nd one is extremely popular with figure skaters and on the other side of town, the other is not well known yet but have really limited hours). During tourney week, it can get to a 3 hour wait, this is making me consider Sparx or other automatic home sharpener option. There'll be three of us skating in the winter, I usually play twice a week all year long, so savings might be there too.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Giltis

[218hockey 50]

So I finally have one of these at home and have a couple of questions.

 

Alignment is good, just off a hair. But I'm a button pusher and want it exact. I've turned the adjustment knob 6 clicks in the same direction now with absolutely no change on my Blademaster edge checker. To the point that the alignment ring is off quite a few millimeters. What's up with that?

 

If the edge checker is spot on and the alignment ring is not is that normal due to tolerances? The SPARX setup process and wheel is just a guide?

[IPv6Freely 2093]

It's normal to have to make minor adjustments, but 6 clicks seems excessive. I'd contact Sparx. Their customer service is pretty quick to answer usually. 

[218hockey 50]

Sure. When you're setting up with the optical tool 6 clicks moves the ring quite a bit.

 

I moved it 2 clicks ran 1 pass, checked the edges. Would 1 pass be enough? Possibly that is the issue. This is with the same skate and sharpening ring. 238mm LS4, 1/2" Fire ring.

[IPv6Freely 2093]

I'm not sure 1 pass would be enough to correct an alignment issue. 

[Leif 161]

6 clicks is quite a bit, I found the optical alignment tool got close (good enough to be honest) and 2 more clicks got it perfect according to my gauge. One pass is perhaps not enough as suggested. 

[stick9 892]

I reached inside and pushed the alignment wheel in closer to the centering guide. 

And yeah, one pass won't be enough. You could try the marker trick. Sharpie the hollow, do a pass and see if there is any marker left in the hollow. 

[Dante2004 0]

On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 3:26 PM, BenBreeg said:

This is my motivation.  Between getting stuck the last two weeks not being able to get to the shop to get my skates done and getting there and finding out it is closed at 6 on a Saturday, I'm sold on the convenience aspect.

This is my motivation too...the convenience and assurance I have access to sharp blades.  I've had more than one occasion where I lose an edge Saturday night at Men's league and then have to be on the ice for a sunday AM practice before the pro shop opens.

 

The other option is multiple sets of steel, but then I'm still relying on the random kid at the pro shop to give me a good edge.  Good luck...

[psulion22 402]

On 2/24/2019 at 8:06 PM, Nicholas G said:

I used a gummi stone. Cheaper and likely works the same, or even better. Its also cheaper. 

Which grit/density of Gumi stone do you use?  Both Nash Sports and Tydan are offering Gumi type stones for Black/coated steel, but neither list the specs on it. Both are a brick color, so I'm wondering if the color is specific and that's the one I need.  They're cheaper on Amazon.

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

3 hours ago, psulion22 said:

Which grit/density of Gumi stone do you use?  Both Nash Sports and Tydan are offering Gumi type stones for Black/coated steel, but neither list the specs on it. Both are a brick color, so I'm wondering if the color is specific and that's the one I need.  They're cheaper on Amazon.

This is the Nash one. Looks to be a Norton product. 

[colins 246]

On 4/11/2019 at 8:09 PM, 218hockey said:

So I finally have one of these at home and have a couple of questions.

 

Alignment is good, just off a hair. But I'm a button pusher and want it exact. I've turned the adjustment knob 6 clicks in the same direction now with absolutely no change on my Blademaster edge checker. To the point that the alignment ring is off quite a few millimeters. What's up with that?

 

If the edge checker is spot on and the alignment ring is not is that normal due to tolerances? The SPARX setup process and wheel is just a guide?

 

2-3 clicks on a 1/2" Ring will adjust the edge height by .001" which is about half a line on the Sparx edge checker. 6 clicks would be a full line difference.

You should make adjustments in 2-3 click increments, then do at least 4-6 passes to ensure a full new hollow is created before measuring and making further adjustment.

Or, use a sharpie, and mark the entire hollow and do enough cycles to completely remove the marker before measuring and readjusting.

 

colins

[VegasHockey 1280]

4 hours ago, psulion22 said:

Which grit/density of Gumi stone do you use?  Both Nash Sports and Tydan are offering Gumi type stones for Black/coated steel, but neither list the specs on it. Both are a brick color, so I'm wondering if the color is specific and that's the one I need.  They're cheaper on Amazon.

I use this one:

https://utahskigear.com/shop/wintersteiger-red-soft-gummy-stone-2-5x1-5x0-75in/