Fred Bartick, a Minnesota-based (Bloomington, MN) skate technician with over 35 years of experience, continues his discussion of boots and blades with tips for proper blade care. (See Part 1 of the series here and Part 2 of the series here and Part 3 of the series here and Part 4 of the series here and Part 5 of the series here and Part 6 of the series here and Part 7 here.)
There are currently 3 different types of blades in common use. The traditional blade is all-steel, with welded face plates. The metal is heat treated (tempered) to increase harness so the blade maintains an edge longer. The blade is also covered with chrome except the part that glides on the ice. These blades can rust if stored incorrectly or not properly maintained.
A very popular newer blade is also high carbon steel, but uses carbon fiber mounts to save weight. These lightweight blades tend to be more expensive than traditional blades. The shape of the blade and toe picks remains unchanged, so the only significant difference is weight.
The third type of blade that is also popular today has an aluminum chassis that holds a stainless steel blade or runner. This kind of blade is extremely light and strong. The stainless steel runner will not rust (easy to care for), and because stainless steel is so hard, it holds an edge very well. This kind of blade is very stiff and does not flex like traditional or carbon fiber mounted blades. The downside of these blades is they are difficult to sharpen thanks to the size and shape of the aluminum chassis (increased setup time, and some sharpeners don’t have the proper tools/jigs) and because the blade is so hard (takes longer to grind the metal away). Thus it usually costs more to sharpen.
Fred notes that all 3 types of blades will work for almost all skaters. The choice often comes down to cost and what the skater’s coach prefers. Coaches often prefer traditional blades mainly because they have “had success” with them over the years and because they are less expensive in general. Fred explains that he would probably recommend the stainless blades with the aluminum chassis because they are so light and strong, they hold an edge longer, and they won’t rust.
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