Sharpening CCM Black Steel correctly

[markush 12]

I often see these kinds of steels sharpened the wrong way (using a stone after the sharpening, and thus removing the coating!). Is there an instruction / link where this is described what the sharpening process for black / coated steel should look like?

[markush 12]

Found it: 

 

[jimmy 194]

CCM coated steel is nothing like Blackedge or Step DLC coated steel. Both should not be honed after sharpening, but the CCM coating is more like a paint and comes off real easy. As for sharpening, it sharpens just like the other CCm stainless steel, nothing extra has to be done.  With Blackedge, the coating on the bottom has to be removed first, then the sharpening does take more passes to establish the edges the first time.  After that, it is sharpened like any other runner.

[kovalchuk71 212]

On 6/14/2016 at 5:45 PM, jimmy said:

CCM coated steel is nothing like Blackedge or Step DLC coated steel. Both should not be honed after sharpening, but the CCM coating is more like a paint and comes off real easy. As for sharpening, it sharpens just like the other CCm stainless steel, nothing extra has to be done.  With Blackedge, the coating on the bottom has to be removed first, then the sharpening does take more passes to establish the edges the first time.  After that, it is sharpened like any other runner.

This. If you want to keep it looking pretty, use a piece of leather to hone the edges after sharpening. Or just don't hone it at all. The "residue" left over from sharpening should come off of the steel as soon as you begin skating. 

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

The black oxide finish on the SB Black isn't anything that alters performance in any way.  If you want to hone it off, you're not losing anything.   

[markush 12]

Oh! Thought this is a performance optimizing coating on not just only a paint job - actually sad to hear :-/

[Leif 161]

Is the black coating on Bauer LS5 worth preserving? I’ve had several people mention that my blades have burrs on, even after a scrimmage. I hone the sides with leather. As I sharpen my blades myself, I don’t care about a coating making a sharpen last longer. 

[z1ggy 81]

Haha this is the thread JR was referencing in the thread I just made regarding the kid who honed off my finish. No harm no foul I guess because no performance difference, but just cosmetic damage is a bit annoying. I can go key your car door and it'll still work, but that's pretty brutal to see each and every day. 

[Sniper9 529]

18 minutes ago, z1ggy said:

Haha this is the thread JR was referencing in the thread I just made regarding the kid who honed off my finish. No harm no foul I guess because no performance difference, but just cosmetic damage is a bit annoying. I can go key your car door and it'll still work, but that's pretty brutal to see each and every day. 

CCM steel is garbage anyways. Their black steel is literally just paint. 

[caveman27 208]

I don't see how an external coating on a blade can make you faster or slower without it. Most of the time, it's the area inside the hollow that is making contact with the ice. This is, I believe, why FBV and shallower ROH is beneficial for better glide.

[z1ggy 81]

1 hour ago, Sniper9 said:

CCM steel is garbage anyways. Their black steel is literally just paint. 

Yeah, which is why I'm switching to Step.. Already have my order out for some. 

[Sniper9 529]

3 hours ago, z1ggy said:

Yeah, which is why I'm switching to Step.. Already have my order out for some. 

No go with true?

[markush 12]

Step is really great

[Leif 161]

5 hours ago, caveman27 said:

I don't see how an external coating on a blade can make you faster or slower without it. Most of the time, it's the area inside the hollow that is making contact with the ice. This is, I believe, why FBV and shallower ROH is beneficial for better glide.

They claim that these finishes improve glide, but any improvement must be insignificant. I believe that the hardened edges reduce wear and increase the interval between sharpens, but that is my impression based on experience, and not scientific testing. I’m tempted to hone mine with a grit stone given that I sharpen them every few sessions. Any reason not to? In fact I’m also tempted to remove the coating. 

[z1ggy 81]

8 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

No go with true?

I mean... I think True uses Step now, but I wanted the black coated version. One, I like the look of black on black and two, I believe the steel itself is actually taller than what comes stock on True's now. I know they give you two sets (or so I hear) but I'd rather have the taller steel and my current holders that I'm used to.

[caveman27 208]

7 hours ago, Leif said:

They claim that these finishes improve glide, but any improvement must be insignificant. I believe that the hardened edges reduce wear and increase the interval between sharpens, but that is my impression based on experience, and not scientific testing. I’m tempted to hone mine with a grit stone given that I sharpen them every few sessions. Any reason not to? In fact I’m also tempted to remove the coating. 

I have the polished Speedblade 4.0 blades, mirror-like polish. I got them sharpened at the rink LHS that uses the Sparx machine. The person used a leather thing to debur them, which was nice, but I found that didn't debur all burrs. I could feel them. Anyway, I took a stone to them. That scratched the mirror polish, but I didn't see any difference in performance. If I polish them back to a mirror-like shine with my dremel tool, I think it will only help appearance-wise.

Edited October 8, 2019 by caveman27

[Sniper9 529]

3 hours ago, z1ggy said:

I mean... I think True uses Step now, but I wanted the black coated version. One, I like the look of black on black and two, I believe the steel itself is actually taller than what comes stock on True's now. I know they give you two sets (or so I hear) but I'd rather have the taller steel and my current holders that I'm used to.

Ic. I just thought bc u got trues you would get steel for those. 

[z1ggy 81]

4 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

Ic. I just thought bc u got trues you would get steel for those. 

Nope... wanted to keep the CCM holder because that's what I'd been skating on since March. I'm glad too because the pitch of the boot is just right for me and if I had an even more aggressive holder hooked up, I think it would have been too much.

 

 

[strosedefence34 175]

21 hours ago, Leif said:

Is the black coating on Bauer LS5 worth preserving? I’ve had several people mention that my blades have burrs on, even after a scrimmage. I hone the sides with leather. As I sharpen my blades myself, I don’t care about a coating making a sharpen last longer. 

I don't have an answer to your question.  When ever I sharpen any type of black/ carbon steel I always use a piece of leather we have hanging around the shop.  I personally don't ever think it really gets all the burrs off and I do think they need to be de-burred with a stone but I won't do that to someones skates (unless they ask me).  To be honest though I don't know or remember if I have ever sharpened Step Blacksteel.  I know I have done CCM and Bauer.  The fact that I feel like I can never get all the burrs off is one of the reasons I will never skate on black steel.  I have also had a friend who has skated on Step Blacksteel and regular Step steel and he said he really didn't notice much of a difference.  Paul Boyer the EQM for Detroit seems to think the same as I do.  
 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by strosedefence34

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

You can get rubberized stones, which really help de-burring coated steel.  Leather just gets the fine grit off, but has a tougher time with larger burrs.  I use Step Blacksteel, (which does burr a little on the Sparx, but not with the Blackstone X01). I used the rubber stone, then finish with a rough piece of leather, then a smooth piece of leather.

[Hills 712]

When I play on really bad soft ice (twice a week) I really notice a difference between the polished steel and the non-polished. Hyper-glide would legitimately glide better on the poor ice than the CCM Blacksteel would with the same sharpening.

[Leif 161]

FWIW I used a stone to hone my Bauer LS5 blades today, and I noticed on ice a marked improvement when compared to honing with leather. It feels smoother too when I run a finger along. Maybe I hone badly with leather, but I will use the stone now as I don’t care about the black finish, and I’d rather have a good sharpen. 

[thelaterskater 16]

Get the Nash black steel rubber honing stone. Best of both worlds.