marka 526 Report post Posted March 15, 2018 Howdy, Anyone know more about this?https://wissota.com/product/speed-skate/ Seems to be some type of polisher / buffer / ?? Mark 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clarkiestooth 235 Report post Posted March 19, 2018 Interesting. I wonder what the material is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted March 19, 2018 (edited) Howdy, I sent them email the other day: Quote Howdy, I saw the new Speed Skate tool on your website. A couple questions: * Will this function as a deburring tool? * Does the polishing/buffing material wear out? If so, is it replaceable and what sort of life expectancy is there? Thanks! Here's their response: Quote Hi Mark, to answer your questions: - It will not de-burr since it is only buffing the bottom of the blade. A hand honing stone would still be used to de-burr. - As the diamond coated rubber abrasive wears, new abrasive material is exposed so it will last for a long time. We have had one unit buff over 1000 skates and still working well. Once the abrasive material completely wears out there is no easy way to replace it so a new unit would need to be purchased, but they will last a very long time. Thanks! I'm likely going to try it out with my Sparx. A final buffing / honing step like this seems to make sense to me. Mark Edited March 19, 2018 by marka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hollowicked 39 Report post Posted March 19, 2018 Interesting, wonder if it can be used with coated/polished steel like blacksteel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clarkiestooth 235 Report post Posted March 24, 2018 I own a Wissota 911 sharpener, and have found the folks at Wissota to be straight forward, honest, and helpful. If they say they have great results and experience with this new product, I'D tend to believe them. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kgbeast 195 Report post Posted March 24, 2018 Looks like a plastic piece with abrasive cord glued in the groove. This should be safe for any kind of steel. It definitely can increase the glide, but not sure by how much. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Playmakersedge 58 Report post Posted March 25, 2018 On 3/15/2018 at 1:21 PM, marka said: Howdy, Anyone know more about this?https://wissota.com/product/speed-skate/ Seems to be some type of polisher / buffer / ?? Mark Use a dime 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted March 25, 2018 Howdy, I ordered one. I'll post up what I think after I get a chance to play with it. I don't get the dime thing? Mark 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clarkiestooth 235 Report post Posted March 25, 2018 10 hours ago, marka said: Howdy, I ordered one. I'll post up what I think after I get a chance to play with it. Mark Use promo code EXPO18 and get a free edge checker and hat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted March 25, 2018 (edited) Howdy, 2 hours ago, clarkiestooth said: Use promo code EXPO18 and get a free edge checker and hat. I ordered through the FB Hockey Deals and Discounts group buy ($30 instead of $45), so that wasn't available, but that sounds like a great deal as well! If anyone else is interested in that group, its https://www.facebook.com/groups/183079712265223/ No affiliation, but they seem to have good deals at times. I like it mostly because I occasionally see new stuff like this I didn't know about. Mark Edited March 25, 2018 by marka 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RickDC 24 Report post Posted March 31, 2018 On 2018-03-25 at 4:32 AM, clarkiestooth said: Use promo code EXPO18 and get a free edge checker and hat. Got this message: Sorry, this coupon is not applicable to your cart contents. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ViperRy 8 Report post Posted May 14, 2018 Anyone with an update, I'm interested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted May 15, 2018 Howdy, I've had mine for a couple weeks now. I use it after a fresh sharpening on my Sparx. There's a definite visual difference before and after use. I do short back and forth strokes, moving up and down the blade, then finish with 20 to 40 strokes the full length of the skate. Afterwards, there's more shine / the hollow is more polished than what it is straight out of the sharpener. I've not done a back to back test of pre and post polished blades on the ice. I would say that I thought there was a touch more glide than I was expecting when I first started using the Speed Skate polisher as compared to "normal", but it wasn't a huge difference to me and it was 100% not blind, so maybe it was all in my head. I've only used it on one other person's stakes and she liked it, but she's 9 years old or something and impressionable, so also not scientific. I've continued to use it, solely based on the visual / more polished appearance. In general, I'm pretty happy with it and like it as a finishing step, but I'm unable to quantify if or how much improvement there is. Mark 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 434 Report post Posted May 15, 2018 @Marka Have you used the Speed Stick? Wonder if the Wissota Speed Skate is better/worse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted May 15, 2018 Howdy, 2 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said: @Marka Have you used the Speed Stick? Wonder if the Wissota Speed Skate is better/worse. I don't think I have... Certainly I'm not familiar with what the Speed Stick is. This is one of the google results... Is this what you're taking about?https://www.amazon.com/Smarthockey-Speed-Re-Edger-Sharpener-degree/dp/B079VHG3KR If it is... That's an entirely different product and is nothing at all like the Wissota Speed Skate. Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 434 Report post Posted May 16, 2018 Sorry: I meant Sweet Stick. https://sweet-stick.com/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marka 526 Report post Posted May 16, 2018 Howdy, 2 hours ago, 215BroadStBullies610 said: Sorry: I meant Sweet Stick. https://sweet-stick.com/ Ok. Yeah, that's similar to what I found via google. I haven't used a Sweet Stick, but they're completely different products. The sweet stick looks to basically be like a knife hone / sharpener, where the goal is to get back an edge that has dulled/rolled. It works only on the edge itself, not on the steel surface in the hollow. Wissota's Speed Skate is the opposite of that... It doesn't touch the outside of the blade at all. Instead, it has a (fine) abrasive that, with some elbow grease, polishes the steel surface inside the hollow on the skate. I would assume people use the Sweet Stick to keep their edges sharper longer. You'd use the Speed Skate to reduce friction between the blade and the ice, without affecting the sharpness of your edge one way or the other. How much it reduces friction will depend on how "un-polished" the hollow was in the first place. Hope that helps! Mark 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 434 Report post Posted May 17, 2018 19 hours ago, marka said: Howdy, Ok. Yeah, that's similar to what I found via google. I haven't used a Sweet Stick, but they're completely different products. The sweet stick looks to basically be like a knife hone / sharpener, where the goal is to get back an edge that has dulled/rolled. It works only on the edge itself, not on the steel surface in the hollow. Wissota's Speed Skate is the opposite of that... It doesn't touch the outside of the blade at all. Instead, it has a (fine) abrasive that, with some elbow grease, polishes the steel surface inside the hollow on the skate. I would assume people use the Sweet Stick to keep their edges sharper longer. You'd use the Speed Skate to reduce friction between the blade and the ice, without affecting the sharpness of your edge one way or the other. How much it reduces friction will depend on how "un-polished" the hollow was in the first place. Hope that helps! Mark Thanks for the explanation! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ViperRy 8 Report post Posted May 20, 2018 Thanks for the update Mark. I spoke to a gentlemen at Wissota and he said it should definitely help after a sparx sharpening, which I use, more so than a experienced pro at an LHS. Once mine arrives I’ll post an update as well. I have spare runners with the edge holders so I’ll try a back to back swap at the rink. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ViperRy 8 Report post Posted May 30, 2018 So I got a back to back skate in with runners that received passes with the wissota speed stake and runners that didn't. Both runners were step blacksteels with a 5/8" Fire cut on my sparx. Results: I did notice a fairly minimal increase in glide. I tried to replicate the same push on both sets of runners, tried one footed glides, ect. The bottom finish of the sparx cut did look slightly more polished after passes with the speed skate. Note that I'm utilizing multiple items that are supposed to increase glide such as the blacksteels and the flat bottom fire cut. The speed stick will most likely be more effective or a more significant difference may be felt on non dlc coated / polished steel and non flat bottom. Conclusion: For a guy that is always trying to find that extra edge, $45+shipping for the long term use of this device is worth it to me. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bunnyman666 445 Report post Posted May 30, 2018 I always learn new things on this site, and this is one of them. I think next payday will get one of these in my mail box! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ViperRy 8 Report post Posted June 26, 2018 Another update, I took a pic side by side of my left and right runner after sharpening with my sparx. Left is runner had 35 passes with intermittently running the speed skate under the faucet. Right side left alone after sharpening. In person, you can see that the runner which had passes with the speed skate has a shinier polished finish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddy 0 Report post Posted September 7, 2018 Ive had good luck with the speed skate as well.. Definitely puts a nice finishing polish on the blades Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites