Not a fan of step steel black

[bthompson1286 5]

I’m not a fan of step steel black.  I did like ls2 and CCM hyper glide steel.  I feel that with the step steel black, I’m skating much slower and feel more friction.  Can anyone recommend a replacement?  Something more along the lines of the hyper glide steel.  I have xs holders 

[JV23 12]

Have you tried reducing the hollow with them?  I find that when on coated blades they do bite more than normal, so you can go shallower without a worry.  For me, it was 5/8 to 3.4 and a temptation to go 7/8…

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

Step does stainless XS, I'm also a fan of TyDan

[bthompson1286 5]

3 hours ago, JV23 said:

Have you tried reducing the hollow with them?  I find that when on coated blades they do bite more than normal, so you can go shallower without a worry.  For me, it was 5/8 to 3.4 and a temptation to go 7/8…

Would v steel be better?

[JV23 12]

I’m not sure it works on a continuum of better/worse.  In my opinion, Blacksteel is better than V-Steel.  It really sounds as though one of a couple of things may not be right in your setup.

 

1.  When you got the blacksteel, was the profile the same as on your old blades?  If no, adjust, unless you like how you feel on the stock step profile (10’?  Not sure).   Could be you have more blade on the ice, which is increasing bite at a constant hollow.

2.  As per above, these blades bite, so if profile is the same, try going more shallow on a sharpen.  If you’re normally 1/2 or 5/8, take it up an eighth or two, see if you feel more glide that way.  You should see improvement.

3.  Sharpening - I’m making an assumption that they are new so maybe the shop you bought them at sharpened them at a house cut different than what you’re used to?  This is really 2(b) not 3, but eliminate those variables first.

I’m only pushing experimentation because they are really good steel.  

[Beflar 53]

10 hours ago, JV23 said:

I’m not sure it works on a continuum of better/worse.  In my opinion, Blacksteel is better than V-Steel.  It really sounds as though one of a couple of things may not be right in your setup.

 

1.  When you got the blacksteel, was the profile the same as on your old blades?  If no, adjust, unless you like how you feel on the stock step profile (10’?  Not sure).   Could be you have more blade on the ice, which is increasing bite at a constant hollow.

2.  As per above, these blades bite, so if profile is the same, try going more shallow on a sharpen.  If you’re normally 1/2 or 5/8, take it up an eighth or two, see if you feel more glide that way.  You should see improvement.

3.  Sharpening - I’m making an assumption that they are new so maybe the shop you bought them at sharpened them at a house cut different than what you’re used to?  This is really 2(b) not 3, but eliminate those variables first.

I’m only pushing experimentation because they are really good 

Re: Point two

Do the blacked blades have less glide vs a normal blade with the same sharpen?  Or is it the same glide but they dig in more when you use the edges?

[clarkiestooth 235]

22 hours ago, bthompson1286 said:

I’m not a fan of step steel black.  I did like ls2 and CCM hyper glide steel.  I feel that with the step steel black, I’m skating much slower and feel more friction.  Can anyone recommend a replacement?  Something more along the lines of the hyper glide steel.  I have xs holders 

I think you have to change your mindset. In reality,  Step Steel makes a high quality product and I don't think there is anything to gain by spending  more $$ on a replacement. You have to look at it from the perspective " Steel is good. Check. The issue lies with the profile or ROH".

[JV23 12]

7 hours ago, Beflar said:

Re: Point two

Do the blacked blades have less glide vs a normal blade with the same sharpen?  Or is it the same glide but they dig in more when you use the edges?

I feel like it’s the latter.  Better edges.

[SolarWind 23]

16 hours ago, Beflar said:

Re: Point two

Do the blacked blades have less glide vs a normal blade with the same sharpen?  Or is it the same glide but they dig in more when you use the edges?

I’ve been on Step Blacksteel for several years now and feel strongly that it provides better glide than black edge steel, which in turn provided better glide than LS4 steel. 
something else must be off, probably longer profile on the old blades or something (step blacksteel is 10’ neutral profile as far as I know)?

[Jason 65]

I really don't think it's the steel. Probably profile and/or sharpening. I've used many types of steel and Step Black is my go to. They are as good as pretty much anything.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

I had to have mine profiled, but absolutely love them for years at this point.

[VegasHockey 1280]

I honestly dont feel or notice a difference between STEP black and STEP stainless as long as the sharpening is perfect like a mirror finish. 

[epstud74 24]

I went 3/4 w/the StepSteel black when I purchased them last spring.  I've skated in them about 15 games w/o sharpening since.  

[218hockey 50]

9 hours ago, epstud74 said:

 I've skated in them about 15 games w/o sharpening since.  

Must be a no-contact league.

[Beflar 53]

2 hours ago, 218hockey said:

Must be a no-contact league.

Off topic:  I wonder what percentage of the people here play in no-contact leagues.  I would guess 90 plus percent..  Total guess thou.

[218hockey 50]

27 minutes ago, Beflar said:

Off topic:  I wonder what percentage of the people here play in no-contact leagues.  I would guess 90 plus percent..  Total guess thou.

Sure. If they're adults maybe more than 90%. My son was in a checking tournament this weekend, we didn't make it through all four games without switching blades. But I think a good quality blade like Step would be more resistant to game damage as well as just keeping a good edge over time.

[caveman27 208]

On 6/12/2021 at 8:27 AM, bthompson1286 said:

I’m not a fan of step steel black.  I did like ls2 and CCM hyper glide steel.  I feel that with the step steel black, I’m skating much slower and feel more friction.  Can anyone recommend a replacement?  Something more along the lines of the hyper glide steel.  I have xs holders 

Like some have said, I think it's either your ROH and/or profile that are making your blades feel like there is more friction.

If you can remove your Step Steel Black blades and stack it next to one of your LS2 or CCM hyper glide blades (if you still have them around), you may be able to see the Step Steel have a smaller profile radius, which would give you more resistance. A smaller ROH would also give you more resistance, especially on softer ice. 

The cheaper thing to start with is get a larger ROH. If you feel like you aren't getting enough grip with a larger ROH, you can alter the profile with a larger radius and then go back to your usual ROH.   

[caveman27 208]

On 6/13/2021 at 7:28 AM, clarkiestooth said:

I think you have to change your mindset. In reality,  Step Steel makes a high quality product and I don't think there is anything to gain by spending  more $$ on a replacement. You have to look at it from the perspective " Steel is good. Check. The issue lies with the profile or ROH".

I agree. The steel used with Step Steel is nice. It allowed me to sharpen less often than Bauer or CCM blades. 

[Larry54 243]

The idea of having the longer wear of black steel is nice in theory. But even with regular Step steel, I very rarely reach a point where I need a sharpening because of regular wear. Before reaching that point, there always occurs some edge damage from playing which requires sharpening. And while black steel wears longer, I don't think it's much less susceptible to damage. So, to me the longer wear of black steel isn't worth the extra expense.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Larry54

[Hills 712]

1 hour ago, Larry54 said:

The idea of having the longer wear of black steel is nice in theory. But even with regular Step steel, I very rarely reach a point where I need a sharpening because of regular wear. Before reaching that point, there always occurs some edge damage from playing which requires sharpening. And while black steel wears longer, I don't think it's much less susceptible to damage. So, to me the longer wear of black steel isn't worth the extra expense.

I found the Black and mirror are much better on soft ice for gliding than non-coated steel. For me that is always worth the added cost.

[SolarWind 23]

4 hours ago, Larry54 said:

The idea of having the longer wear of black steel is nice in theory. But even with regular Step steel, I very rarely reach a point where I need a sharpening because of regular wear. Before reaching that point, there always occurs some edge damage from playing which requires sharpening. And while black steel wears longer, I don't think it's much less susceptible to damage. So, to me the longer wear of black steel isn't worth the extra expense.

Even in non-contact leagues there is always accidental skate to skate contact, as well as bumping into the net or just stepping on something hard on the way to the ice. And diamond coated runners (personally I’ve been using blackedge and blacksteel for well over a decade) resist this damage much better.