MK Professionals to Jackson Matrix?

[tstop4me]

If you did call - I would love to know if there is a good reason MK/JW uses non-stainless steels, as opposed to hardenable stainless alloys like 440. 

Well, the new Wilson Phoenix blades are advertised as having 420 stainless steel runners (https://www.johnwilsonskates.com/phoenix).  So they're slowly coming around.

But remember, many manufacturing steps are fine tuned for the specific composition of steel.  Wilson & MK have had their manufacturing lines setup for plain carbon steel for many, many decades.  Unless they see a whole lot of skaters abandoning them for stainless steel blades made by competitors, there's little financial incentive for them to change over.   As I've written before, I wish Japanese manufacturers would enter this market (look at their upheavals in the cutlery, camera, and auto industries, e.g.); but skate blades so far appears to be too small a market to interest them.

[supersharp]

The first thing that comes to my mind is:  Imagine how beautiful the Damascus steel hand-forged blades would be! 

I have not taken a single thought toward the qualities of such a steel for a skating blade. I'm just imagining the difference between a basic kitchen knife and my gorgeous Japanese knife. Every time I use it, it makes me happy.

Quality of steel is a great discussion topic, though, but probably outside the topic of this thread.

[Query]

I just wonder if the "spring steel" that MK & JW advertise has mechanical properties that are theoretically better. E.g., maybe it is more flexible - perhaps not needed in the Revolution blades, because they use a more flexible chassis. Or perhaps they can survive more flexes - though most blades reach end of life when you run out of steel to keep the desired shape, not from breakage.

>Supersharp wrote
>my gorgeous Japanese knife. Every time I use it, it makes me happy.

New MK and JW blades are beautiful, partly because of the chrome plate and engraving. They may not be Damascas steel, but perhaps they are "Sheffield steel", because that's where they're made.

Sharp skate blades make me happy.

I hope what the o.p. buys makes her happy too.

A supersharp ceramic knife made me happy too - until I cut through a Corningwear plate. Now it is only used on a cutting board.

Did a quick web search for Japanese skate blades:

https://www.rolanddg.com/en/blog/190411-yamaichi-special-steel-develops-figure-skating-blades-with-olympic-skater

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/takahiko-kozuka.51187/page-10#post-2076871

https://www.iceskatesmuseum.com/e-byz-klmpn.htm

But that has nothing to do with this thread topic.

[tstop4me]

New MK and JW blades are beautiful, partly because of the chrome plate and engraving. They may not be Damascas steel, but perhaps they are "Sheffield steel", because that's where they're made.

There was a time when "Sheffield steel" meant "good stuff".  I grew up in Boston, and there was a specialty store that carried a wide variety of cutlery, including a selection of "Sheffield knives".  I still have a Sheffield pocket knife and a Sheffield carving set.  When I was in London in the early '80s, I dropped into a high-end kitchen supply store.  I asked the salesman if he carried Sheffield knives.  I thought I might see something unusual not imported into the US.  I still remember the funny look he gave me, as he replied ,"Sir, we carry only first quality merchandise in this shop."  He carried French and German cutlery, but considered Sheffield knives in production at the time to be junk.  Oh, well.