A year later, are players still doing this?

by Quisp on Aug 8, 2010 2:26 PM PDT in Weird Science

On the old blog, I linked to this article about a new skate-sharpening technology. I posted it and proceeded to totally forget about it. Anyone know if this innovation is still "hot"?

New Skate-Sharpening Method Takes Hockey by Storm - NYTimes.com
The technological history of hockey is littered with elaborate ideas that did not pan out, like the Fox network’s glowing puck, the heated skate blade and Cooperalls. But since last November, a simple innovation that costs next to nothing has become popular among N.H.L. professionals and weekend warriors alike: a skate-sharpening method called the flat-bottom V. "It’s been great for me," said Jack Johnson, a defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings and a candidate for the United States Olympic team. "It’s sharper, but at the same time, you can get just as much glide as with the old sharpening, so you get the best of both worlds."

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I use it :)

by soccersucks on Aug 8, 2010 3:18 PM PDT reply actions

I don’t know any more about the “V”, but there was a really interesting article a few months back about the ‘Thermablade’. It focused on Cory Weber, its inventor, and how the NHL rejected it after secretly testing it for a few months. I think is was in the WSJ but I’ll have to search to find it…it was a pretty cool read.

by JZarris on Aug 8, 2010 4:49 PM PDT reply actions

Tory Weber…

by JZarris on Aug 8, 2010 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I had hopes for the heated blade, but it was a bust.

maybe people didn’t want to have to worry about changing batteries in their skates. (and the AC adapter was cumbersome, too)

Wait till this year.

by Quisp on Aug 8, 2010 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Indeed

Here’s the article I mentioned.

by JZarris on Aug 8, 2010 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions

I’ve used the FBV sharpening. I certainly felt different, and in a good way, but its hard to say how much of that is attributable to the FBV vs. just having a fresh edge.

I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.

by iwearstripes on Aug 9, 2010 8:35 AM PDT reply actions