Rust! Should I be outraged?

[kiwiskater]

I picked up my brand new skates last night so I could take a piccy to show off to the family overseas.

I was thinking about waterproofing the boots and soles, so I tipped them over -  shock horror I could see rust on my brand new (unused) blades.

Now I know my house tends to be a little on the damp side but moisture from the air rusting 1 week old blades - I think not! I reckon it came from the sharpening.

I also have read around about how sharp blades should be - I can run my finger comfortably along it with moderate pressure with no ill effects.

I've been had haven't I? I'm forced to the mercy of the local rink as there is nothing else, skating is such a small sport here!

do you guys reckon I should ask a) for sharper blades & b) why the %$#* are my blades rusty?

[Isk8NYC]

We wanna see the piccy too!

Did you pick them up last night after having them sharpened?  There shouldn't be any rust.
I would ask them to resharpen them to remove the rust.

[kiwiskater]

I purchased the skates last week (exactly 1 wk ystdy) and they have been sitting out in the open (at home) waiting for the first opportunity to get back on the ice.

I'll send a piccy tomorrow (on your piccyy thread) - the rust sidetracked me, so I didn't actually take it!

[kiwiskater]

you would swear that the only ice sport was hockey. The head coach has been helping me choose my skates - good thing too as I nearly ended up with 1 size too big!

I have never met a figure skater in the shop, only hockey guys who are clueless about figure skates, though the guy who sharpened them told the head coach he knew how to sharpen figure blades....

[kiwiskater]

I reckon this problem isn't going to go away if they sharpen the blades? so any advice, should I tell them to take them back & either replace the skates full stop or replace the blades? or just go with the flow & accept their offer?

So some of you may have already seen my situation in another post but, my brand new Graf skates developed a funny look on the bottom of my brand new blades - it looks like rust.

I took them back to the shop - I haven't used these skates yet, I had them for a week sitting in my living room waiting for my wrist to heal so I could get back on the ice.

Here is what the store had to say:

We had a look at your skates today and a bit of moisture has got into the metal.

This is not really a big concern as it happens to most skates.
I will give them a sharpen for free and give you a pair of skate soakers at no cost which should solve the moisture problem.

[icefrog]

My blades are rusty around the screw holes on the plate. Its not a ton of rust and I think its normal for skates to rust. Where was the rust? Will the sharpening take the rust off?

[kiwiskater]

These were brand new blades, never been on the ice. They developed light patchy rust (kinda like speckles) on the bottom of the blades (that flat bit between the edges)

[icefrog]

Did the sharpening take the rust off? I'm guessing it will and free soakers is a good deal if thats all they need to be fixed but it is strange that an unused blade is rusted

[kiwiskater]

I haven't seen the blades yet, I got the email this morning, but I wonder if that now there is moisture in the blade will it worsen once I actually get out on the ice despite trying my best to dry them off? We all know how insidious rust is!

I think it was caused during storage - when I examine it closely the box has what looks like a dried up water mark in it, I thought nothing of it when I got the skates, so ignored it...

[MimiG]

If it's just a thin light-colored speckled layer, the sharpening will definitely take it off and the blades will be fine. It was mostly likely caused by a temperature change leaving condensation on the blade at some point. I'd take them up on the offer.

[Isk8NYC]

Screw hole rust is usually from the screws.  If there weren't any screws, it's a manufacturing issue - they may have drilled the soleplate holes after the chroming.  Put some silicone over them to keep it from getting worse.

OP: If the sharpening resolved the problem, it's a moisture issue.  See if you can find WD-40 in the stick form and use that after the blades have been dried and warmup up.  Just rub it on the business end then put the soakers on over it.  (The soakers will get dirty from it.)

Someone recommended that I use a car chamois cloth since it contains natural oils that also provide a little protection against rust.  Haven't had any problems, but it doesn't hurt anything.

[katz in boots]

I think all blades (except stainless steel, like mine  ) will rust unless coated in some oily substance, even though never used.  Any moisture will do it.  I've had top quality blades rust over time, even though kept perfectly dry & oiled.

Something I found to help avoid it is to make soakers lined with microfibre towels/tea towels.
Microfibre towels can absorb up to 10 times it's weight in moisture, and wicks it away from the blade.  I've stored my daugher's in them for over 3 years now (she doesn't skate any more) and no sign of rust.  If you aren't a sewing person, you can just wipe and wrap the blade in the towel when done, or put it inside the soakers you have.

[kiwiskater]

Resurrecting the old thread...

So I still have these blades, I've until now managed to keep the rust at bay by sharpening as its been on the hollow or thereabouts. Progressively I have noticed that more bubbling of the chrome in places, and its also been getting rough lately like a precursor to peeling. Now there is a small dot of rust starting on the side of the blade past the sharpening point.

In short I guess I got dealt a bad set of blades and the only solution now is to wait until it becomes a serious enough issue...my question - can you mount a new blade and how should I tell when is the right time? I want to make use of this old blade as much as possible before making the change to a new set.

The boots are Graf Prestige, and they have a rubber protector over the sole but its not the plastic soles like Risport so in theory I can mount a new blade?

[Query]

[Here is what the store had to say:

We had a look at your skates today and a bit of moisture has got into the metal.

Free soakers? Your shop is going the extra mile to make you happy.

Most things about rust are obvious:

If your soakers get wet, they will likely do more harm than good, because they will keep the blades wet. So dry and maybe oil before you put the blades in the soakers.

Also, store skates indoors, and not in a bag or other container, in a humidity controlled environment. Outdoors in a car or shed is not a good idea.

If you must carry the skates home in a bag, don't put the towel that you dried the blades with in the same bag, and get the skates out of the bag as soon as you can.

One person I know regularly cleans his soakers or other blade covers. Hand wash and let dry.

Skating is a water sport. Don't worry about very small amounts of rust. And don't worry about minor nicks and scratches that occur to almost all skaters.

This reminds me of how unhappy I was that someone nicked my vehicle in a parking lot a week or two after buying it new. I eventually accepted that minor nicks and scratches occur on all vehicles, and getting emotional about it is pointless.

[Loops]

In short I guess I got dealt a bad set of blades and the only solution now is to wait until it becomes a serious enough issue...my question - can you mount a new blade and how should I tell when is the right time? I want to make use of this old blade as much as possible before making the change to a new set.

The boots are Graf Prestige, and they have a rubber protector over the sole but its not the plastic soles like Risport so in theory I can mount a new blade?

So you've gone almost 3 years in those?  How often have you had them sharpened? How much of the unchromed bit at the bottom is still exposed?  As you sharpen blades, you also flatten them, in terms of the spin rocker, so there's a possibility it could be time.  What does your coach say? On another thread somewhere I posted pics of very (very very) worn out/used up blades and some that are almost new.  If I find it, I'll link it here.

I just googled the prestige- it has a leather sole, so you should be able to swap out the blades no problem.  Good news is blades are much less of a pain to order online!!!

Out of curiosity, is this just a problem you have in the off-season (i.e. after long term storage?) if so, it is normal to see some rust/black corrosion on the bottom of the  blade.  But I've never had that during the season.  If you're getting it on the chromed bit of the blade, then that TO ME is kind of weird.  I emphasise the "to me" because someone who is more knowledgable might say different.  I did also see on a discount blade website (carried discontinued models/ overstock of good blades) that they don't cover "peeling" and that it's "normal".  I've never seen peeling, I presume of the chrome.  Might this be what you're experiencing?

ETA: Here's the link- the whole thread might be useful, but.  http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=5554.msg63017#msg63017

[kiwiskater]

So you've gone almost 3 years in those?  How often have you had them sharpened? How much of the unchromed bit at the bottom is still exposed?  As you sharpen blades, you also flatten them, in terms of the spin rocker, so there's a possibility it could be time.  What does your coach say? On another thread somewhere I posted pics of very (very very) worn out/used up blades and some that are almost new.  If I find it, I'll link it here.

I just googled the prestige- it has a leather sole, so you should be able to swap out the blades no problem.  Good news is blades are much less of a pain to order online!!!

Out of curiosity, is this just a problem you have in the off-season (i.e. after long term storage?) if so, it is normal to see some rust/black corrosion on the bottom of the  blade.  But I've never had that during the season.  If you're getting it on the chromed bit of the blade, then that TO ME is kind of weird.  I emphasise the "to me" because someone who is more knowledgable might say different.  I did also see on a discount blade website (carried discontinued models/ overstock of good blades) that they don't cover "peeling" and that it's "normal".  I've never seen peeling, I presume of the chrome.  Might this be what you're experiencing?

ETA: Here's the link- the whole thread might be useful, but.  http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=5554.msg63017#msg63017

I don't have an off-season per se I skate usually ~10 weeks on/2 weeks off except over Christmas where there are about 4 weeks off. Usually sharpen 2x/year because I do only about an hour a week, with an extra hour maybe overall a month, although they were sharpened more often at the beginning. There is plenty of life left for sharpening.

The rust that appeared on the hollow is minor after a few sharpening's, the chrome however has become the worst thing in some ways. I have asked around and my coaches find it weird, no one has ever heard of this problem, the general opinion is the rusting around the screws is normal, although slightly odd because they are meticulously dried after each session and dry soakers applied. The chrome roughness and peeling has happened gradually.

We have a new skate guy in town who works from home & is the father of one of the coaches, I'm planning to see him about some stretching over the next break in a few weeks - might be good to talk to him then, but if I do need new blades down the line he'll be the one to talk to - he is quite reasonable in price and gives you a guarantee that buying online won't

[Loops]

What's the make on the blades?  Graf as well?  Why not contact the maker and see what they think?  If there's some sort of warrenty (and it's still valid) something good might happen.......MK/Wilson people are pretty nice, but I've never had a problem like this to deal with.

[kiwiskater]

Thats the thing we could never figure out whp made them - it says "Graf by MM", I could never get hold of Graf to find out if they knew who produced them, theories were that they were a cheap knock off or stock blade

[taka]

We have a new skate guy in town who works from home & is the father of one of the coaches, I'm planning to see him about some stretching over the next break in a few weeks - might be good to talk to him then, but if I do need new blades down the line he'll be the one to talk to - he is quite reasonable in price and gives you a guarantee that buying online won't

Is the new guy Ian Robertson by any chance? Just wondering because I know he and his wife moved out to NZ a year or so ago. He was one of the UK's better skate fitters / techs so if it is him he'd definitely be a good person to speak to about your blades.

[kiwiskater]

Yes he is Glad to hear that he is all he is reported to be!

[taka]

I think he is well respected - I get the impression that a number of Scottish skaters used to travel down to be fitted with him (including several of our coaches). If you have a look on the UK skating forum he and his former UK company (specialist skating services) seemed to be highly recommended there too. He has even occasionally posted there too (as ianrob99).

Fingers crossed your blade problems are just cosmetic rather than anything more worrying.

[Loops]

Fingers crossed your blade problems are just cosmetic rather than anything more worrying.

Mine, too!  And lucky, lucky you to have a proper skate fitter in town.

[kiwiskater]

Mine, too!  And lucky, lucky you to have a proper skate fitter in town.

I know,  probably the only one in the whole country too!

[Loops]

When you go to him, ask if he wants a vacation in the French countryside?   Free room and board is on offer for a proper fitting...