Perforated Steel Blade vs. Non-Perforated

[Riggo 0]

Are there any real advantages to Perforated steel blades? I know there is a small weight savings, but this is mitigated by the snow that builds up inside the holes. Plus, the perf. blade breaks more often and you don't get as many sharpenings before you have to change blades.

Thus, are there any real advantages? Why are all the companies heading in this direction? My sharpener friend swears the perforated steel on the Bauer is of a higher quality (laser cut and denser) than their other blades, but I'm not sure.

[ambro 0]

I have the peforated ones, but I didn't want them. I heard about people breaking them left and right, and I didn't want them, but that is what came with the holders. Haven't broken yet, so I'm happy.

[Chadd 916]

The only perf steel that I ever thought was superior was the original Vapor perf steel. It had breakage issues as well but it seemed to hold an edge better than the other steel offerings from Bauer at the time. Now I see no advantage.

[LkptTiger 1]

The only perf steel that I ever thought was superior was the original Vapor perf steel. It had breakage issues as well but it seemed to hold an edge better than the other steel offerings from Bauer at the time.

You're talking about the old black runners with the triangles cut out, right? I have to say, I really did like those blades, and never really did have any breakage issues. But, I was also about 10 years old when I first tried the old Vapor 8s - then about 11 or 12 when the 10s came onto the market, and I was pretty small for my age, so it wasn't like the steel was under a tremendous amount of pressure.

[Chadd 916]

Those are the ones

[jimmy 194]

Chadd is right on about the old Vapor blades. They are VERY hard and very durable. When you sharpen them, hardly any steel is removed, they last forever (OK, well, years).

Back to the orig question. Generally, the lightened blades are about 15% lighter than solid steel. We are talking perhaps 2 oz per blade. It's primarily a gimmick ...for the average player, but a pro may benefit. If you think 4oz of weight reduction will help your stamina, then by all means go for it. The drawback may be a slighter greater risk of breakage as the blade wears down. They don't break left and right, only when well shortened by sharpenings. It's a trade off.

A better option would be to go with HOTBLADES, they weight 33-40% lighter than regular blades and are unbreakable. They also hold an edge longer than regular SS Steel. They look cool to with custom colors. My customers love them. You get a much lighter blade that won't break, and exteneded time between sharpeneings.

COme to think of it, I shouldn't sell them cause I loose money on sharpening. :-)

[joshy207 15]

A better option would be to go with HOTBLADES, they weight 33-40% lighter than regular blades and are unbreakable.  They also hold an edge longer than regular SS Steel.  They look cool to with custom colors. My customers love them.  You get a much lighter blade that won't break, and exteneded time between sharpeneings.

COme to think of it, I shouldn't sell them cause I loose money on sharpening. :-)

I tried Hotblades... absolutely HATED them. My pair came with about a 5' radius... I almost fell over just walking around the store in them after I installed them. So after I flattened them to 11' and sharpened them, I played drop-in... every time I stopped or cut hard, it sounded like squealing brakes. I can't really comment on the feel or durability, because that was the first time I had skated in over a year (recovering from ACL surgery) and I only used them the one time, but I wasn't very impressed. Also, with the plastic insert, you get much less steel to work with--shorter lifespan.

As for everything else, I agree... the old Vapor perf steel was a treat to sharpen, and all of the new perf steel (every brand) is weaker than standard steel.

[Riggo 0]

Can you still buy the old Bauer Vapor blades (black, with the perforated triangles)? Will they fit in the Lightspeeds?

My understanding is that Bauer got rid of the old Vapor blades because the sharpeners were complaining. The blade was so hard it was tearing up the wheels. The metal was of a much denser aloy (not stainless steel). However, they hled the edge much better.

I agree with the comment that the new perforated blades are more of a gimmick than anything. Yes, you save some on weight, but the snow gets stuck in the perfs, so you really aren't getting a 2 oz. savings in weight. Plus, they break much more frequently. Not a grade trade-off in my opinion.

[jimmy 194]

The only way to find old Vapor steel is if someone has some in stock. Since it was a durable blade, they weren't replaced that often, so there was no need to stockpile large quantities. The didn't make them for lightspeeds, lightspeeds were not invented yet. They only fit Tuuks. If someone really wanted a pair they could find donor skates on ebay, or elsewhere I'm sure.

As for Hotblades, they do feel a bit different but you will get use to it as you skate more. Hotblade company is coming out with a new steel blade, lighter, stronger, without the plastic, very soon. I'm anxious to see them.