Best Steel?

[Riggo 0]

What company has the best steel on their high end skates?

Best in terms of:

Highest quality metal (density, consistency)

Holds edge the longest

Resists breakage

On ice performance (glide)

Quality Control

P.S. Not interested in a discussion on holders (that's been covered), just the steel itself.

Ususally the skate sharpeners have good insight on this topic as the best steel is also hard to sharpen because it is so dense.

[mm705 0]

mission steel is prob tops...then tuuk after that

[Accord 0]

Bauer is at the bottom of the list in my book: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/index.php?showtopic=7303

[Chadd 916]

What company has the best steel on their high end skates?

Best in terms of:

Highest quality metal (density, consistency)

Holds edge the longest

Resists breakage

On ice performance (glide)

Quality Control

P.S. Not interested in a discussion on holders (that's been covered), just the steel itself.

Ususally the skate sharpeners have good insight on this topic as the best steel is also hard to sharpen because it is so dense.

1. Highest Quality: I don't have the ability to analyze the metal so any preference is anecdotal.

2. Holds edge the longest: Mission

3. Resists breakage: Mission or Tuuk+

4. on ice performance(glid): That's sharpening, not steel.

5. Quality control: Mission so far for me.

[tanguay40 0]

I've never had a problem with steel breakage, but the only problem I had was with the original Vapor 10s with triangle holes in the steel. I don't know the exact problem, but the steel just kept bending, and I had to take it to shop literally after every skate to straighten it back. Heard it was just perforated steel problem which made it very weak, but I dumped them since it was annoying to take trips to the shop and just replaced them with Vapor XX with regular Tuuks.

[Chadd 916]

I've never had a problem with steel breakage, but the only problem I had was with the original Vapor 10s with triangle holes in the steel. I don't know the exact problem, but the steel just kept bending, and I had to take it to shop literally after every skate to straighten it back. Heard it was just perforated steel problem which made it very weak, but I dumped them since it was annoying to take trips to the shop and just replaced them with Vapor XX with regular Tuuks.

Sounds like the holder wasn't mounted properly.

[tanguay40 0]

I thought that was a possibility. The thing was, I skated with those for a bit over a year, and it happened all of the sudden a month before replacing them. I never had a problem with it before. I talked to the Blues Equipment manager who comes to my LHS Total Hockey often and he suggested replacing the steel only, but I just decided to ditch it altogether.

[jimmy 194]

Graf has very hard steel, Mission too. They use a stronger alloy mixture than CCM or Bauer, or Easton. A sharpener can easily tell the hardness by how many passes it takes, and by the flame trail. Hardness generally holds edges well, but has nothing to do with tensile strength. All stainless has a weak side impact strength. I haven't seen any one significantly better than another. There are SO many variables, type of skate, type of holder, hardware used in holder, rivet tightness, hardware tighness, holes in skate drilled properly, holder mounted properly, weight of skater, skating style of skater, quality of the skate sharpener, type grinding stones used, etc, etc. So, any results are anecdotal. For example, the old Vapor 6/10 steel with the preferated diamond holes was a great steel. However, if the holder is mounted improperly or the nuts/rivets loose, or if overheated by a bad sharpener, it wil fail or not hold an edge just like all others.

[stickler012 0]

I've had many grafs and they seem to be pretty durable, but pretty easy to rust and does not hold edges very well. It could just be me though (I WOULD STILL TAKE GRAF'S OVER ANY SKATE).

[Chadd 916]

Graf has very hard steel, Mission too. They use a stronger alloy mixture than CCM or Bauer, or Easton. A sharpener can easily tell the hardness by how many passes it takes, and by the flame trail. Hardness generally holds edges well, but has nothing to do with tensile strength. All stainless has a weak side impact strength. I haven't seen any one significantly better than another. There are SO many variables, type of skate, type of holder, hardware used in holder, rivet tightness, hardware tighness, holes in skate drilled properly, holder mounted properly, weight of skater, skating style of skater, quality of the skate sharpener, type grinding stones used, etc, etc. So, any results are anecdotal. For example, the old Vapor 6/10 steel with the preferated diamond holes was a great steel. However, if the holder is mounted improperly or the nuts/rivets loose, or if overheated by a bad sharpener, it wil fail or not hold an edge just like all others.

Graf steel is not impressive. I end up getting Grafs back far faster than other brands. Obviously the greater the amount of sparks the softer the steel. However, that is strictly anecdotal and not a quantatative analysis.

[jimmy 194]

Chadd,

Only anecdotal if you sharpen or discussing just one pair. I've done thousands of grafs and can easily tell the steel is harder as compared to others. Having said that, harder doesn't mean stronger. Graf's break just like all the others, perhaps even more because of the lousy holder and attachment system. I will say again, that if steel is overheated during the sharpeneing process whether first sharpening or subsequent, that it will not hold an edge as long as a properly sharpened blade. There are so many variables it is hard to compare steels unless all test parameters are equal. I base my observations on my customers who bought and sharpen their skates only at my shop. Not scientific but at least a somewhat controlled base.