LS4 blades keep breaking ... best alternative?

[CigarScott 132]

Yeah, there seems to be some wide variances in the LS Edge holders. It was impossible for me to get my Step Steel (or my old Bauer steel) in my new holders that I had put on my new skates. I had to heat the holders with a heat gun to expand the plastic and use a dead blow hammer to get the runners in to place the first time. Now I swap my Step steel regularly without issue.

[VegasHockey 1283]

3 hours ago, CigarScott said:

Yeah, there seems to be some wide variances in the LS Edge holders. It was impossible for me to get my Step Steel (or my old Bauer steel) in my new holders that I had put on my new skates. I had to heat the holders with a heat gun to expand the plastic and use a dead blow hammer to get the runners in to place the first time. Now I swap my Step steel regularly without issue.

Thats actually pretty common, to have to use a heat gun to get aftermarket steel to fit. I see it more with the Tuuk LS Edge holder than other brands but overall it's pretty common. 

[stick9 896]

When using Step with the edge holder. After pulling the trigger, pull the steel straight towards the heel before rotating outward. I found this makes the removal process much easier.

And yes, it can be a pain to get in, but so can LS4. 

[JONES199 6]

Thanks for all the information, in the end, we decided to get one more set of the LS4s and hope they get the boy through to the next pair of skates.  He rotates 3 sets so it was cheaper to just get an additional set of the LS4s and hope we have better luck.  We won't get LS4s again.  Still not 100% sure what offers the additional height coupled with easy blade removal.

[ViperRy 8]

Step is a great runner - both the V steel and Blacksteel. Precise width down the runner on my calipers, doesn't bur much, and from my understanding as about as straight as they come for a runner. I run the blacksteels personally and never had a problem getting them in and out of multiple Tuuk Edge holders. I take them out of the runners to sharpen on the sparx all the time. 

[JONES199 6]

Had Steps in the past and they were just too difficult to get in and out.  Ease of installation is important as the kid is off on his own.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Still think it’s misaligned. The difficulty of putting them in as well as random breakage are definite signs. 

A telltale sign of a straight mount is the snap sound you get when putting them in. 

[JONES199 6]

The holder's alignment has been checked.  The difficulty with the Steps was on an earlier pair of skates.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Got it. 

So perhaps Step would work fine in these.

However, perhaps you should get one of these from @customskateworks.  I have one and it does help a ton when removing steel.

 

[VegasHockey 1283]

31 minutes ago, JR Boucicaut said:

Got it. 

So perhaps Step would work fine in these.

However, perhaps you should get one of these from @customskateworks.  I have one and it does help a ton when removing steel.

 

Yeah, I have one of those and we sell them at the shop too. People love them. The little Bauer tool included with skates sucks. 

[CigarScott 132]

3 hours ago, Nicholas G said:

Yeah, I have one of those and we sell them at the shop too. People love them. The little Bauer tool included with skates sucks. 

How much are they?

[VegasHockey 1283]

3 hours ago, CigarScott said:

How much are they?

We sell them for 15.99

[Monty22 833]

The CSW tool is great. Works as advertised and blows the Bauer tool out of the water. 

[cjpritch 62]

Where does one go to purchase a CSW 3 in 1 skate tool?

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Send him a PM. @customskateworks

I’m hoping to carry them as well as offer Ultrastop services soon. 

[JONES199 6]

Update - the kid broke his 5th LS4 since August yesterday.  I have pictures of 4/5 and they all broke in different spots.  The Tydans are on the way.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

misaligned holder for sure. 

[IPv6Freely 2096]

1 hour ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

misaligned holder for sure. 

Broken Tydan thread coming soon.

[218hockey 50]

23 hours ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

misaligned holder for sure. 

Yep. I rotated three sets of LS4's over the life of two pairs of skates and they were great. None broke, they were easy to install and remove, and held a great edge.

 

 

[JONES199 6]

We've had the holders and triggers checked on two separate occasions.  Once at the Bauer store.  3 blades broke in the left skate and two in the right.

[Sniper9 535]

On 12/30/2018 at 12:22 PM, oldtrainerguy28 said:

misaligned holder for sure. 

What's the easiest way to check to see if the holder is misaligned.  And if a holder it mounted misaligned and removed would it more or less be trash as it's been bent or can it be salvaged. 

I've had issues with edge holders as well where the steel would always click and or have up and down play towards the toe. Weird thing was this was only with non Bauer steel (step and tydan). The ls3 steel I had fit perfect and didn't have any movement.... This happened on two different brand new edge holders. I ended up switching to ls2 holders and don't have any issues at all. But still wondering if possibly the holders may be slightly misaligned 

Edited December 31, 2018 by Sniper9

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Question to the OP:

What size skate and what size shoe is your son wearing?

[JONES199 6]

8 shoe. 6 skate. 

[JONES199 6]

Update .... replaced the holders - even though they tested out fine ... replaced the steel with Tydan ... just broke another one.  That's 6 on the season.

[VegasHockey 1283]

1 hour ago, JONES199 said:

Update .... replaced the holders - even though they tested out fine ... replaced the steel with Tydan ... just broke another one.  That's 6 on the season.

Where are they breaking?