Jordon777 1 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 Hey all! First off, I know practically nothing about this stuff. I have always just laced my skates and skated. I've been skating on LS2 steel since I purchased my Bauer Supreme 70's back in 2007? Maybe earlier? It had the factory profile on it, 9? I just bought some custom VH skates that came with Step steel. I had a few questions for all the knowledgeable folks here. First, my skating-- 1. I ref 100+ high school games a year. (A lot of 4-man, so quite a bit of standing still) 2. I play around 25 recreational adult league games a year. 3. I have been skating on super dull, grounded down (Banana?) blades for the past 8ish years. I rarely sharpen my skates. There's probably 1/4 steel left, and it's been that way for years. 4. I am hoping to get another 10ish years on these skates/blades. Questions? 1. Should I profile my Step to match the 9 profile on the LS2? 2. Should I grind down, or leave the extra toe and heel that comes with Step? 3. Should I grind some steel off in order to somewhat match the height of old blades? Now, I'm sure I've been sacrificing some abilities by using my current set up. So, I am open to ideas on what would be best! TIA! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 Howdy, I don't know a heck of a lot, but I would think step one would be to lace them up and get out on the ice to see what they feel like before you make any changes. Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkhors 88 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 I just switched to Step Blacksteel from LS2 and I didn't change the stock setup on the Step. It was a little different for about 10 minutes, then I didn't really notice the difference. I would leave it and give it at least 2 skates to see what you think, then make a decision. You don't want to go grinding off steel for no good reason. That said, you're going to be pleasantly surprised with just how good the Step is compared to the junk LS2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kesamj 6 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 I agree with getting out on the ice before you start changing things. I just moved from my 20Ks with e-pro holder and worn down steel to 50Ks with SB +4.0 and, while going from banana blades to a taller setup with an appreciable heel/toe steel was an adjustment, after a few stick and pucks I've already adapted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MyBoxersSayJoe 133 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 I tried to get used to the Step 10 ft. radius for a few weeks and ended up having it profiled to 9. You don't have to make the steel shorter, you may actually like the increased angles you can achieve with higher steel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stick9 896 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 Quote 1. Should I profile my Step to match the 9 profile on the LS2? Quote 2. Should I grind down, or leave the extra toe and heel that comes with Step? Quote 3. Should I grind some steel off in order to somewhat match the height of old blades? Questions 1 & 2 can be addressed with a simple profiling. But you should really try them out to see what you do and/or don't like. For question 3, I'd say absolutely not but try it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goonsquad 209 Report post Posted April 17, 2017 1 hour ago, Jordon777 said: Hey all! First off, I know practically nothing about this stuff. I have always just laced my skates and skated. I've been skating on LS2 steel since I purchased my Bauer Supreme 70's back in 2007? Maybe earlier? It had the factory profile on it, 9? I just bought some custom VH skates that came with Step steel. I had a few questions for all the knowledgeable folks here. First, my skating-- 1. I ref 100+ high school games a year. (A lot of 4-man, so quite a bit of standing still) 2. I play around 25 recreational adult league games a year. 3. I have been skating on super dull, grounded down (Banana?) blades for the past 8ish years. I rarely sharpen my skates. There's probably 1/4 steel left, and it's been that way for years. 4. I am hoping to get another 10ish years on these skates/blades. Questions? 1. Should I profile my Step to match the 9 profile on the LS2? 2. Should I grind down, or leave the extra toe and heel that comes with Step? 3. Should I grind some steel off in order to somewhat match the height of old blades? Now, I'm sure I've been sacrificing some abilities by using my current set up. So, I am open to ideas on what would be best! TIA! 1. & 2. skate in the stock profile for a couple of skates. The Step runners will be taller than the LS2 runners before deciding on changing things. You may of may not like the feel of the different radius and how much taller you will feel. 3. the height increase gives you the ability to lean deeper into turns. Again skate in the them before grinding down. The Step Steel has a wear bar. recommend keeping the stock height since material will be removed after each sharpening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites