Excellent sharpening and mounting information

[Bill_S]

Thanks to member Casey for linking to a video in another thread. I chased the video source back to a Canadian company, Precision Blade Honing Enterprises, who does high-end blade mounting, and sharpening for elite skaters. The web site is very well done, and the videos are wonderfully produced and informative.

Blade Mounting - http://precisionblade.com/index.php/precision-blade-mounting Watch the video!

Blade Comparisons - http://precisionblade.com/index.php/blade-comparison Lots of data that we are always looking for. Be sure to click the right arrows beneath the chart for more pages of data. I wish that they would included some other blades, but the usual biggies are here.

Profiling Blades - http://precisionblade.com/index.php/profiling-blades They are capable of putting a custom profile on a blade. The video cites Patrick Chan's preference for a Phantom toe pick with a Gold Seal profile. This is really high-end stuff.

There's more, and I'm going to return to the web site to continue reading for more nuggets.

[Bill_S]

I've included a partial screen capture of one blade comparison page. It shows the detail that is available. Just be sure to click the right and left arrows, if they are available at the bottom, in each of their tab sections to see more. The blade information is about 5 pages long in total.



There are some naming differences (Radius of Hollow = Root Radius, etc.), but it's easy enough to figure out when that happens.

I'd love to be able to have them fit and maintain my skates!

[Casey]

I'd love to be able to have them fit and maintain my skates!

I think you can, it just requires mailing your skates off and waiting, which isn't a very appealing idea unless you have multiple pairs!

[Bill_S]

They make a point that Patrick Chan had multiple pairs in rotation with them, and how they use a master sharpening template to make sure that they both match.

Methinks that the cost for their services would better fit elite skaters.

[Casey]

I hadn’t looked up costs yet, have you?

[Bill_S]

Somewhere I saw $35 per hour for their services, and an hour is the estimate to sharpen skates once your data has been established.

For a fitting, that wouldn't be bad. However I suspect that their blade mounting would take almost a day if they use the techniques that they show.

[Query]

Looks like a great site.

They seem to have made up their own names for blade characteristics (e.g., "Bulge Curve" = Spin Rocker Radius). It would be cool if they provided measurements of those characteristics  for each blade. But of course they want us to use their services, not use their descriptions to train ourselves.

[Casey]

Looks like a great site.

They seem to have made up their own names for blade characteristics (e.g., "Bulge Curve" = Spin Rocker Radius). It would be cool if they provided measurements of those characteristics  for each blade. But of course they want us to use their services, not use their descriptions to train ourselves.

I think their terms are all standard for Canada, which is where they’re based.

[rd350]

Is this chart accurate though?  Isn't Coronation Ace 7'?

I've included a partial screen capture of one blade comparison page. It shows the detail that is available. Just be sure to click the right and left arrows, if they are available at the bottom, in each of their tab sections to see more. The blade information is about 5 pages long in total.



There are some naming differences (Radius of Hollow = Root Radius, etc.), but it's easy enough to figure out when that happens.

I'd love to be able to have them fit and maintain my skates!

[Casey]

Is this chart accurate though?  Isn't Coronation Ace 7'?

Good catch, that looks like an error!

[Bill_S]

Yeah, that's incorrect. Good eye.

Funny how an error casts a suspicious light on the remaining information in the chart.

Still, that site is chock full of good tidbits, and I really like their blade mounting video.

I like the boot vices and holders that they sell too. I might pick one up if I stay with hand-sharpening. I've intended to make something like that using wood for the "last" and off-the-shelf hardware items, but I'm sure that it would cost as much to make as to buy.

[tstop4me]

I like the boot vices and holders that they sell too. I might pick one up if I stay with hand-sharpening. I've intended to make something like that using wood for the "last" and off-the-shelf hardware items, but I'm sure that it would cost as much to make as to buy.

If you want a jig to hold a skate specifically for use with the Pro-Filer, you don't want the last shown above:  there's no clamp to secure the boot to the last, so you still need to hold the boot down with one hand.  The other unit you showed in a different post (http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=8357.0   Reply #14) has a suitable clamp.  But I made an effective el-cheapo unit from scrap wood and fasteners (which you probably have plenty of in your shop); it works with a standard bench vise, which you probably also have.  I'll try to post some photos this weekend.

[Bill_S]

I knew that it wouldn't hold it that firmly, but I keep thinking that it would still ease sharpening tasks. I wouldn't have to lay the skate down between passes, or risk it falling if I keep it standing on the open end.

I'd still love to see your method for holding the skates. I've been lazy about making or buying something to do that.

If you need to have your photo hosted for all to see here, just let me know and I'll do it on my web service.