Innocent Bystander 5 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 My daughter went from Tacks to APX2 skates recently. She is having trouble with the APX2's always losing their edges after a couple of hours of skating. I changed the Fusion steel to LS2 (same steel from what I understand without the fused aluminum), same problem. Recently I changed her ROH from 1/2" to some between 7/16" and 1/2" and she seems to like the edge better, but she blew an edge yesterday after only 2 hours of skating on them. I swapped her steel on the bench, but it has become a concern at this point. Here is my question....Would going from 1/2" to 7/16" help retain the edge longer, she seems to favor a deeper ROH anyway.Is there a better steel I can get. I know the edge holders are Bauer specific and I really don't want to change the holders (would just get new skates and be done with Bauer at this point). Is the LS3 steel any better? Or just taller?The Tacks had the HyperGlide runners and those things were awesome, especially in comparison to the Bauer steel.Same skate tech for the last 3 years. Knows his stuff and uses a Blademaster with Howie's wheels.Any help or advice is appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3804 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Deeper hollow does not mean that the edge lasts longer. Actually, it lasts less - because the edges are longer, when damaged, the feeling of a lost edge is worse than a shallower hollow.I personally don't have a problem with Fusion - I don't overheat them, so less chance of tempering the steel. All being said, LS3 and now LS4 is a higher grade steel than Fusion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RickDC 24 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Have you tried changing the steel out to something like Step Steel? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DirtyDangle 7 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Have you tried changing the steel out to something like Step Steel?Only way to get Step on APX2 would be to change the holders, Bauer patent on the LS Edge holders. LS3 steel would be my choice.@ OP, when you say "recently" switched to APX2 how recently, could be that your daughter is simply adjusting to her new skates? Everyone loses an edge now and then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RickDC 24 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Only way to get Step on APX2 would be to change the holders, Bauer patent on the LS Edge holders. LS3 steel would be my choice.Thanks for the info DD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Innocent Bystander 5 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 She has had the APX2 skates since the beginning of the season in September and I have been chasing this the entire time. She is used to the skates, and when she complains of a bad edge, she is on the money. The edges look completely blown out upon inspection.I had the same thought that a deeper hollow would actually be MORE susceptible to a blown edge due to the the thinner material left to comprise the edge itself. Again, never had this problem with the HyperGlide steel or the Easton runners previous to that. Maybe I will bite the bullet and get some LS4 steel and keep the LS2 and Fusion as backup. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vet88 674 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Have you talked to your skate tech, especially with the blades that went after a couple of hours of skating? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Innocent Bystander 5 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 I have. He has been trying a few different things, none of which have made a difference. He is supposed call BladeMaster to get their take on the situation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmflynn 16 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Are the APX2's holders the same size as the Tacks? If so you could swap out the holders and she could keep using the hyperglide runners. One of the things I've enjoyed about my Tacks is how long the hyperglides hold their edge Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldtrainerguy28 478 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 I would go with the LS4 and or maybe even get it coated. I have had great luck with that. Had one kid come in the other day....I thought i messed up because he hadn't been in in so long but he said he got a month on one sharpening playing AAA. but even the plain LS4 is better IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MThockeydad 469 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 Deeper hollow does not mean that the edge lasts longer. Actually, it lasts less - because the edges are longer, when damaged, the feeling of a lost edge is worse than a shallower hollow. I have noticed this in my own experience. Going from 7/16" to 100/50 to 1/2" to 9/16", and with nearly-blown edges on 9/16" I hardly notice it. I personally don't have a problem with Fusion - I don't overheat them, so less chance of tempering the steel. All being said, LS3 and now LS4 is a higher grade steel than Fusion. What is the difference between LS3 and LS4, then? I had understood that LS3 is taller steel, but was the same as LS2 alloy. LS4 is taller and with a new better alloy/tempering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3804 Report post Posted January 4, 2016 No, LS3 was always different than LS2.LS4 is different from LS3 with an much more user-friendly profile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyers10 57 Report post Posted January 5, 2016 I've been using LS4 the past month and it has been holding an edge very well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Innocent Bystander 5 Report post Posted January 5, 2016 That was my understanding as well that LS3 was just taller LS2 steel. Are you saying that LS3 is a different material as well? I have my LHS looking for both, LS4 in Jr sizes hard to find, but I know it is out there somewhere. Ice Warehouse has them, but my LHS is going to try to get me a better deal since he feels bad that there is nothing he can seem to do to help us out as it relates to sharpening. He does a lot of skates and people come from a good distance for him to cut their skates, so I am hesitant to say he is doing anything unusual. He sharpens more LS2 steel than anything else. Maybe we just got a crappy pair of runners, not out of the question. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GunRunner 28 Report post Posted January 5, 2016 I don't know if you have read about it but in the early LS4 steel, Bauer's steel supplier messed up significantly and supplied Bauer with runners that were too hard. As a result of being too hard, the steel was brittle and was fracturing at certain spots on the blade. I skated in a pair of 1X's that had the bad runners and they fractured in the middle of the runner. The other thing that I noticed when I sharpened them, was that the steel was extremely hard and when I skated on them, the outiside edge did not have the same bite as the inside edge and I know for a fact that my edges were even and sharpened correctly. I wonder if it's possible that the same supplier for the LS4 steel also made LS2 steel and even though it may not be as hard as the LS4 steel to where it would fracture, it may be possible that it's just hard enough to effect the edges. It's just a thought. For me personally, I think it would be interesting to get my hands on a set of the old LS4 and anneal it, just to see if it would soften it up enough to be decent. I know you said you changed from the Fusion to the LS2 with the same results, so I'm not sure what happened there. If it was me and your daughter liked the APX2 boot, I would swap the holders out and go with the CCM holder and steel. Just my $.02 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3804 Report post Posted January 5, 2016 Yes. That was my understanding as well that LS3 was just taller LS2 steel. Are you saying that LS3 is a different material as well? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DirtyDangle 7 Report post Posted January 6, 2016 Thanks for the info DDYou bet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkStar50 679 Report post Posted January 7, 2016 ? How hard is the ice in the rink? Is this problem in the same rink or other rinks where she plays? Is this an indoor rink? "Blowing an edge after 2 hours" Is the skate sharpener seeing the edge stripped? Is she losing her edge consistently in the same place? Is she wearing skate covers from the locker room to the rink? We have elite Olympic figure skaters in our building that do not take off their skate blade guards until they are at the door of the rink to go on the ice to protect their $700 steel from losing an edge. What level of hockey is your daughter? How long has she been skating? Just curious with the questions for more information. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
