BJØRN & FJØRD Blades for Figure Skating

[Kaitsu]

A new figure skate brand has come to the market. This is very welcome, I would say. They are very close to Ultima´s Matrix series blades. There are pros and cons in these blades. I wish they would use CNC machine to profile grinding. At the moment there are variations in the blade profiles, but so is in the Wilson blades too. I also would hope that profiles would be more closer to the most popular blade models. Its hard to say if higher toe plate (angle) compensates somehow longer touch point length.

https://www.bjornsports.com/products/
https://www.bjornsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/fjord-light-eng.pdf
https://youtu.be/JQMDdFmG10w

[AlbaNY]

Interesting.  Thanks for sharing, Kaitsu.   

[tstop4me]

Thanks for the info, Kaitsu.  More competition in figure skating equipment is always welcome.

* The manufacturer's website lists 4 different models of blades.  The Fjord Light is similar to Ultima Matrix in that it has a separate chassis plus runner construction.  The other 3 models appear to have traditional construction.

* It'll be interesting to see what their marketing strategy is.  For a new product to compete with existing products, the new product either (a) has to be comparable to existing products, but much less expensive or (b) has to be superior to existing products.  No pricing is given on the website; so we'll need to await pricing to see whether (a) holds.  From the specs and your video so far, (b) doesn't appear to hold.

* The website lists 3 grades of steel used for their blades:  3Cr13, 5Cr18pro, and PB Iron 98.  I found info only on the 3Cr13:  https://bladeprotection.com/3cr13-steel/.  It's a relatively low-end stainless steel with 0.3% carbon and 13% chromium.  That's straightfoward.  My guess is that 5Cr18pro has 0.5% carbon and 18% chromium.  The PB Iron 98 (used in the Light) is more perplexing.  My guess is that PB does not refer to lead, but perhaps phosphorous and boron?  And this is not stainless?  Do you have any info on these steels?

* It's interesting that the blades are listed as Made in Hong Kong/Finland.  Not sure what that means.  Partially manufactured in Hong Kong and partially manufactured in Finland? Or manufactured in Hong Kong for some market countries and manufactured in Finland for other market countries?  Either way, Hong Kong appears an odd choice.

[Query]

Based on a very quick web search, Bjorn prices seem quite competitive:

https://skateshop.fi/en/b184/bj%C3%B8rn

https://skateshop.fi/en/c7853/blades

https://urheiluperhe.com/en/taitoluistelu/blades-skates

https://shop.hockeybase.fi/player-gear/skate-blades-&-holders/bjorn-pro-runner-for-bauer-edge.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqH30R2bCrJArR_y-bHwOEWwL04eQB4R15kKzAm23BO3CN-loNY (hockey)

But if the steel isn't great...

[AlbaNY]

Based on a very quick web search, Bjorn prices seem quite competitive:

https://skateshop.fi/en/b184/bj%C3%B8rn

But if the steel isn't great...

Definitely competitive.  I'd easily have chosen them for my kid's first/second blades if they'd have been an option just based on the price and her beginner level.  It would be hard to go back to unknown steel and the rest of the changes now though unless she basically just messes around on public (which may very well be the case.)  In a situation where a growing kid is dipping their toes into the sport these seem like a potentially decent option to compete with the Edea blades or Aspires and such. 

I find the higher front compared to 99 interesting.  I'm having some joint issues that recently made it feel harder to get onto the back of my blade as much as I was easily used to doing.  I can't imagine most skaters would be as keen on it if the higher heel boots common now mean anything.  Basically it would be interesting to try them and compare to Pattern 99, not that I feel competent anymore in my skill to judge much accurately. 

[tstop4me]

Based on a very quick web search, Bjorn prices seem quite competitive:

https://skateshop.fi/en/b184/bj%C3%B8rn

https://skateshop.fi/en/c7853/blades

https://urheiluperhe.com/en/taitoluistelu/blades-skates

https://shop.hockeybase.fi/player-gear/skate-blades-&-holders/bjorn-pro-runner-for-bauer-edge.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqH30R2bCrJArR_y-bHwOEWwL04eQB4R15kKzAm23BO3CN-loNY (hockey)

But if the steel isn't great...

Those are Finnish websites.  So it's not surprising that the prices of domestic Finnish products would be lower than comparable imported products.

[Query]

Those are Finnish websites.  So it's not surprising that the prices of domestic Finnish products would be lower than comparable imported products.

True. I failed to do adequate research before posting.

I have sent the following to their contact point for sales in Canada and USA:

Your website implies you have Canada and U.S.A. sales agents for these blades.

Can you provide contact information for parties that sell your figure skating blades in Canada and the USA?

Or if you sell direct, can you provide prices, shipping costs, and ordering info, to Canada and the USA?

If you answer, I will post your response on a forum used by many figure skaters who might consider buying your equipment. We have a thread about your blades, at

https://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=8919.msg107477#msg107477

but lack this information.

I am personally most interested in your ice dance blades. Can you tell me the width of the blade at the base that touches the ice?

I will indeed post their response, if they make one.

You know much more about engineering than I do, so maybe I should leave it to you to research the steel alloys, and compare it to the steels used in roughly comparable MK, Wilson, Ultima and Paramount blades. Of course, alloy alone is not sufficient to determine main body or edge hardness.

[Kaitsu]

I will post longer reply later when I have more time.
I do have very limited experience of these blades and second hand information about the steel gliding proterties. Steel was easy to cut and leaves nice surface finish. It leaves a bit bigger grinding burrs, like most of the stainless steels, but this was not any issue to me. Second hand information says that blades does have excellent gliding properties. If the steel is custom made mixture, it explains "non-standard" material marking.

This direct translation from one web page. I am not sure if this all is valid also to their figure skate blades. They do also blades for hockeys.

Our blade material is a unique stainless steel. With our technology, we do not burn the blade during the cutting process. We are the only one that does not use laser cutting because it changes the properties of the steel. We get a better glide and it keeps its properties longer.

The development process has lasted more than 2 years, the quality of the steel has been developed together with LUT (Lapeenranta University of Technology). We wanted to make sure that the material was tested and approved.

[Query]

They were a bit difficult to get a response from. Perhaps they are more interested in finding dealers than in responding to individual customers. But I got a text reply from the North American contact an hour ago:

Hi there. I own Bjorn Sports NA. Just getting into the figure skating products. Been focused on the hockey stuff. I've reached out to Finland to get the info you asked for. I'm out of Halifax NS.

I have thanked him/her for the courtesy of his/her reply, and await further info.

Bjorn Sports North America has a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bjornsports. The page mostly focuses on available hockey skills sessions.

Bjorn Sports (Finland) has a facebook page too: https://www.facebook.com/bjornofscandinavia

AFAICT, neither lists prices or a dealer network. Obviously a bit new to this.

[Kaitsu]

After making few calls, it seems they are so new player in the figure skate blades that there is still lots of development work in their plans. This is probably the reason why there is still difficulties to find dealers / information. SkateShop is the official dealer in Europe, so all orders inside the Europe goes trough them.

If you could order "customized blades", what are the features you would like have in "option list"? For example...
1. Can you name some blade profiles which should absolutely be in the "option list", like Paramount skates does?
2. Would you like to choose certain spinning rocker (referred to previous), but have opportunity to choose 7, 8 or 9 foots main rocker or would you like to have even flatter main rocker?
3. Is there some specific heel lift you would like your blades to have?
4. Do you like Ultima´s flatter spinning rocker (longer touch point length) or more rounder spinning rocker (shorter touch point length) like in example Gold Seals?
5. What else should be in your dream blades?

Customizing traditional steel blades might be way too complex / expensive process in mass production. So I think above mentioned example options could realistic only in Aluminum chassis blades and their stell runners. If it is so, do you think this would be absolute deal breaker, means you buy only traditional steel blades?

[AlbaNY]

For me a main point would be how easily custom blades could be sharpened.  Parallel sides and nothing fancy to get in the way.  I loved parabolic Coronation Aces but can't choose them or use Gold Seals that I have thanks to sharpening hassles.

It would be super interesting if we could choose such details about the rockers.  It's a pretty expensive thing to experiment with though. 
I didn't mind the flatness of Ultimas for spinning and haven't found a massive difference in the various blades I briefly tried, like Phantoms.  The only really noticeable trials were rental blades. 
Weren't there some sort of interchangeable figure blades made at some point?  Like the runner part could be switched out?  That would be amazing to bring back with options for variables although the chassis would probably go against my first want regarding sharpening.
Was it Coronation Comet that had a 9.5" rocker?  I've been curious about that but whatever blade it was is discontinued. 

[Bill_S]

The Coronation Comet had an 8.5' rocker.

I compiled a document of all blades available back in 2014 and cited manufacturer's specifications. Here's a link to a PDF although it is now a little dated...

https://www.afterness.com/skating/skate_blade_comparison.pdf

As you can see in the PDF, the 8.5' Comet was unusual in a sea of 7' and 8' rockers.

[AlbaNY]

The Coronation Comet had an 8.5' rocker.

I compiled a document of all blades available back in 2014 and cited manufacturer's specifications. Here's a link to a PDF although it is now a little dated...

https://www.afterness.com/skating/skate_blade_comparison.pdf

As you can see in the PDF, the 8.5' Comet was unusual in a sea of 7' and 8' rockers.

Oof.  I clearly remembered a bit wrong!  9 1/2 would be closer to speed skates or skis, I guess.   
It's still longer and something I wish I could have tried though.  I wonder if anyone did any research or polling about it since 7 and 8' are the norm?  Some people must have really liked them, and I wonder how that would merge with the type of skating skills done or sought after.  I'm kind of thinking about how different blades were long ago when figures were the main thing and how they changed as multi-rotational jumps became more of a feature.  I loved watching the YouTube video of a woman who tried out skates that as I recall are now a hundred years old.

[Nate]

For me a main point would be how easily custom blades could be sharpened.  Parallel sides and nothing fancy to get in the way.  I loved parabolic Coronation Aces but can't choose them or use Gold Seals that I have thanks to sharpening hassles.

It would be super interesting if we could choose such details about the rockers.  It's a pretty expensive thing to experiment with though. 
I didn't mind the flatness of Ultimas for spinning and haven't found a massive difference in the various blades I briefly tried, like Phantoms.  The only really noticeable trials were rental blades. 
Weren't there some sort of interchangeable figure blades made at some point?  Like the runner part could be switched out?  That would be amazing to bring back with options for variables although the chassis would probably go against my first want regarding sharpening.
Was it Coronation Comet that had a 9.5" rocker?  I've been curious about that but whatever blade it was is discontinued.

I think the MK Phantom is a GOAT blade, and I'm astonished it isn't more popular.


I think some blades suffer due to how much blade choice is based on word of mouth recommendation from coaches and other skaters.


Spinning on the Pinnacle was hard, and that has a similar profile to the Ultima Supreme.  high Stanchion.  Flat blade.  Low Lift Angle.  I felt like I was teetering on an edge on the entrance, and then it was hard to center and maintain speed.

[AlbaNY]

Nate, my coach in NY loved Phantoms for herself.  I'm not really sure why I ended up in Pattern 99s with her approval given how much she loves Phantoms. 
The fitter I saw mentioned them, and she agreed I'd like them.

I think you are quite correct about the word of mouth and popularity aspect.  Same for boots too.
In NY blades and boots were a much bigger topic, but in Germany Ultimas are really popular and MK Proffesionals from what I can tell from people I met.  I never found another skater with Pattern 99, Phantoms, or even Coronation Ace yet at any of the rinks I've frequented in the past year+.  I do think someone had Gold Seals?  Maybe.

[tstop4me]

I think some blades suffer due to how much blade choice is based on word of mouth recommendation from coaches and other skaters.

Yes, this has its limitations, but what would you suggest as a realistic alternative?  As we've discussed before, it would be great if some business rented out blades for skaters to try out, but there doesn't appear to be any.  With few exceptions, blades are non-returnable once they're mounted and sharpened.  So for most skaters, it's not feasible to try out several.  Bill's comparative study was an exception, spurred on mainly by intellectual curiosity (plus he had the money).  Also, it makes a big difference whether you are still in the process of learning particular moves, rather than already proficient at them.  With any blade, there is a period of adaptation.  If you are already proficient, you can readily decide whether one blade works better than another (for you).  But if you are still in the process of learning, it's hard to judge whether it's your skill or the blade.

[AlbaNY]

Tstop, I am no amazing skater and have only a few years under my belt.  However, I truly believe that basically any skater can use any blade well with a bit of time on it.  Rentals are a problem since they get switched up, but basically we can adapt to and get comfortable with any of them out there. 

I do wish there was a rental service or some other way for people to try various options, but overall I think skaters adjust.  That's my own experience anyway with... whatever comes on Jackson Softecs, Aspire XPs, Pattern 99, Phantom, figure rentals, hockey rentals at two rinks, Coronation Ace, and I forget if I am missing anything else in under 4 years on the ice.  I could do everything on the blades aside from the rentals, even before I was what I'd consider a "good" skater with a solid foundation.

[Query]

I think a large part of the problem with rentals, at the rinks I've tried them, is that they are rarely sharpened well. It isn't a priority to do a good job, even at shops where someone has some idea of what they are doing, because apparently it doesn't make good economic sense to spend the time to do a good job. Plus the steel isn't all that high quality to begin with, so they wear out fast.

It doesn't help any that some rental users don't take very good care of rental equipment. (Same problem applies to boots.)

Kaitsu, when you said BJØRN blades were easy to sharpen, do you mean that the metal is soft, and is therefore easily removed - and would presumably not last very long either? Which blades did you sharpen?

[AlbaNY]

You're right about the rentals for sure.  Even when I sharpened them myself for the trial the feel was so crummy with the blade changes from all the previous damage and poorly done sharpenings altering the rockers.  Nasty things!     (I'd take having my own pair of recreational skates over rentals any day, like the Softecs.)

[Query]

OTOH, maybe a business could exist that rented high quality well maintained blades, under supervision (so people didn't misuse them, e.g., by stepping off ice without a guard. And there would be the problem with re-mounting blades, which is non-trivial, and sometimes requires repairing mounting holes.

But, AFAIK, no such business exists. And there probably couldn't viably exist more than a few such businesses in the world.

[Kaitsu]

Kaitsu, when you said BJØRN blades were easy to sharpen, do you mean that the metal is soft, and is therefore easily removed - and would presumably not last very long either? Which blades did you sharpen?

With easy to sharpen I mean they were not like some cheap junky stainless steel blades where you feel that your grinding wheel is the only thing which is loosing some material.

Often its hard to say if what you can feel during grinding passes are coming from harness or just your wheel cutting properties. Also amount of sparks fools easily brains. No sparks, no material removal, even you would remove same amount of metal than from the carbon steel. Or if the carbon steel has lots of carbon, you can see heavy sprak spray pattern.

Most likely hardness is close to example Matrix blades.

[Query]

Perhaps after more experience sharpening the skater's blades, and asking them roughly how many hours they have skated between sharpenings, you can tell whether the steel is any good, for this purpose. If it lasts reasonably long, and doesn't rust, maybe they are good blades.