Frustrations - being "picky"

[start_today 770]

Anyone ever get frustrated with themselves for being picky about equipment? I really like FBV sharpening. The Blademaster/Sparx equivalent is ok, and I can manage it. But, I feel like it's for some reason really easy to get a subpar job; usually my issue is that it feels like too much bite or that my profile feels off. I have a place about 40 minutes from me that I like, but I wussed out and went to Pure Hockey that's 10 minutes away and [Price is Right losing trombone noise].

I know I can take a little drive and get this set right. But, more just wishing I could be one of those people that just drops their skates on the counter and doesn't even know what sharpening they are getting. Or can pick up any stick and be content. Or is fine playing on skates from the early 00s with the steel so low it looks like players are skating on the holder. 

I'm a mid level player who started as an adult, so it's not like I have some specific history. It's just annoying to be physically/mentally thrown off by seemingly small things. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

30 minutes ago, start_today said:

Anyone ever get frustrated with themselves for being picky about equipment? I really like FBV sharpening. The Blademaster/Sparx equivalent is ok, and I can manage it. But, I feel like it's for some reason really easy to get a subpar job; usually my issue is that it feels like too much bite or that my profile feels off. I have a place about 40 minutes from me that I like, but I wussed out and went to Pure Hockey that's 10 minutes away and [Price is Right losing trombone noise].

I know I can take a little drive and get this set right. But, more just wishing I could be one of those people that just drops their skates on the counter and doesn't even know what sharpening they are getting. Or can pick up any stick and be content. Or is fine playing on skates from the early 00s with the steel so low it looks like players are skating on the holder. 

I'm a mid level player who started as an adult, so it's not like I have some specific history. It's just annoying to be physically/mentally thrown off by seemingly small things. 

You know the saying "too smart for your own good." Thats what comes to mind. Most times these things are only in your head and are only issues because you have made them issues consciously or subconsciously. 

I know this because I myself have OCD and tend to hang on "little things" instead of looking at the "big picture." 

[puckpilot 312]

I know what I want. I know why I wanted it. If I have to, I can make due with what's handed to me, specifically with skates and sticks.. BUT there's nothing wrong with being picky. IMHO, not enough people pay attention to what they're getting, and sometimes that can be detrimental in a lot of different ways. First, the customer isn't getting what they want, a competent sharpening, and second, there's no incentive to get it right if no one complains. 

Luckily, I live in a city where there's lots of options. I used to drive across the city to get my skates sharpened because the places I went to became a crap shoot of competent and incompetent workers. One of the things I did was get multiple sets of steel, so I could cut down on the number of trips I needed to make, saving time and gas. It also let me experiment with specs and compare.

[BenBreeg 493]

I think there is being picky about things that matter and then there is over the top. At this point I only get our skates sharpened by the sharpener all the figure skaters use and who the main skating coach in town recommended.  It isn’t that convenient but worth it.  People who are better shooters than me can notice more about a stick, so it makes sense for them to be more particular.

Over the top is the obsession with things that I am pretty sure people 1) can’t actually tell the difference between or 2) has no actual benefit.  Obsessing over how much stiffer one piece boots are and how Bauer is so behind despite the fact that they seem to work fine for a ton of pros and 99% of players probably benefit from something less stiff and that the boot is very likely not the weak link in their skating.  Or helmets, moving into complete asinine territory with those....

[caveman27 208]

On 5/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, start_today said:

Anyone ever get frustrated with themselves for being picky about equipment? I really like FBV sharpening. The Blademaster/Sparx equivalent is ok, and I can manage it. But, I feel like it's for some reason really easy to get a subpar job; usually my issue is that it feels like too much bite or that my profile feels off. I have a place about 40 minutes from me that I like, but I wussed out and went to Pure Hockey that's 10 minutes away and [Price is Right losing trombone noise].

I know I can take a little drive and get this set right. But, more just wishing I could be one of those people that just drops their skates on the counter and doesn't even know what sharpening they are getting. Or can pick up any stick and be content. Or is fine playing on skates from the early 00s with the steel so low it looks like players are skating on the holder. 

I'm a mid level player who started as an adult, so it's not like I have some specific history. It's just annoying to be physically/mentally thrown off by seemingly small things. 

I got sick and tired of the sub-par sharpening at the local rink. There's multiple guys: one guy does a great job, the rest are bozos, to put it lightly. There's no guarantee the good sharpener works on my skates. My solution: buy an extra set of blades. I got both sharpened at noicingsports.com and installed one set at the beginning of the season. When one set needs to get sharpened, I get it sharpened at a shop that has a Sparx sharpener. After two visits to them, they kind of need a good sharpening. I mail the worn set of blades to www.noicingsports.com and replace with my back-up blades. I just keep this cycle going. In your case, you would go to that shop 40 mins away and get two sets of blades sharpened. That way, you don't have to take as many trips and you have a backup set to replace with instead of going to Pure Hockey.

Edited May 16, 2021 by caveman27

[mickz 107]

On 5/13/2021 at 8:20 AM, start_today said:

Anyone ever get frustrated with themselves for being picky about equipment? I really like FBV sharpening. The Blademaster/Sparx equivalent is ok, and I can manage it. But, I feel like it's for some reason really easy to get a subpar job; usually my issue is that it feels like too much bite or that my profile feels off. I have a place about 40 minutes from me that I like, but I wussed out and went to Pure Hockey that's 10 minutes away and [Price is Right losing trombone noise].

I know I can take a little drive and get this set right. But, more just wishing I could be one of those people that just drops their skates on the counter and doesn't even know what sharpening they are getting. Or can pick up any stick and be content. Or is fine playing on skates from the early 00s with the steel so low it looks like players are skating on the holder. 

I'm a mid level player who started as an adult, so it's not like I have some specific history. It's just annoying to be physically/mentally thrown off by seemingly small things. 

Buy an extra set of steel like one of the posters above mentioned.  Getting both sets serviced together will save you a lot of time and hassle.  Once you find a skate tech you can trust, don't deviate away from them.

[Leif 161]

Anyone with any sense is picky about sharpening as there are so many poor sharpeners out there. That’s why I splurged out on a Sparx, worth every penny.

I have top end skates, helmet and pads, but only because they provide more comfort and protection, and at my age that’s worth paying for. I have mid range inline skates, and after an hour my feet are hurting and I have to take a break. I’ve worn my top end ice skates for four hours with no discomfort. 

[the_game 452]

Invest in multiple sets of steel, go to your spot once every few months and you’re golden.

Avoid chain stores like the plague, or the ‘rona, the norm is a shitty sharpening from a kid who doesn’t have a clue.

Outside of justifying this because I’m a gear whore, if part of my enjoyment of being on the ice is directly correlated to my comfort & confidence from a skate sharpening, then so be it I’m only taking my skates to my guy and getting them done right.

[BruinDust 42]

I find tinkering your set-up part of the fun of playing. Every time I think I'm "done" tinkering I find something else to change. I've probably taped the knob of my stick 20 different variations this season looking for the "perfect grip" for me using a combination of different materials (cloth tape, electric, Lizard Skins, stretch grip, athletic tape). 

Now I've started to finally look at my blade profile. Tried out a stock 10 ft. profile a couple weeks ago and once I adjusted to the increase in terms of pivots/turns/edgework/etc. I like the added power out of each stride but most of all loved the added stability and balance. The added stability and balance has improved my passing and shooting, and I also noticed I tend to keep my head up more than before. On the flip side, I have an extra set of 9 ft. profiled steel I might bring down to an 8 or 7 to see how going the opposite direction affects my skating. I like testing some things out during the summer months as most skates are just pick-up shinny games and a more relaxed pace than the league-games in the winter. 

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

On 5/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, start_today said:

Anyone ever get frustrated with themselves for being picky about equipment? I really like FBV sharpening. The Blademaster/Sparx equivalent is ok, and I can manage it. But, I feel like it's for some reason really easy to get a subpar job; usually my issue is that it feels like too much bite or that my profile feels off. I have a place about 40 minutes from me that I like, but I wussed out and went to Pure Hockey that's 10 minutes away and [Price is Right losing trombone noise].

I know I can take a little drive and get this set right. But, more just wishing I could be one of those people that just drops their skates on the counter and doesn't even know what sharpening they are getting. Or can pick up any stick and be content. Or is fine playing on skates from the early 00s with the steel so low it looks like players are skating on the holder. 

I'm a mid level player who started as an adult, so it's not like I have some specific history. It's just annoying to be physically/mentally thrown off by seemingly small things. 

I am exactly the same...   @JR Boucicaut got me to try FBV and profiling and now I'm hooked like a crack addict.

[flip12 714]

I wonder if there's a characteristic that makes some players more adaptable and others more particular in what works. Some people just don't care, so when they hear there are different options available, where a different setup might be more suitable for them, they get a little tired looking having to consider something other than what they already don't know. It's not even that all of the don't care group are good players.

For me, I started playing at 13, so it didn't seem realistic for me to go far with my abilities, but I was hooked on the equipment from day 1. Eventually I found things that worked, without understanding why they worked. It has taken a lot of trial and error, but I think I have narrowed down what the most influential elements of my equipment are, and some of them are really surprising. What's also surprising is the difference it can make. When I narrow in on a good setup, things just happen and it's almost like I'm a spectator enjoying the feeling of being able to skate and move the puck without focusing on it. It's one of the most enjoyable activities I can think of. That it has the personal history of the equipment search and development process involved is only a bonus, as it makes it intellectually stimulating as well.