Handheld Sharpeners (again)?

[Rusty Blades]

Has anybody seen a handheld sharpener that offers a 7/16" ROH ?

There are a bunch that don't use a rigid stone and will "sharpen" any radius hollow but I want to stay away from those as they don't maintain a fixed ROH! The "Pro-Filer" is the only one I have seen that uses a rigid stone but it isn't available in 7/16" and I don't particularly want to change my ROH!

I got a fine herringbone pattern in the hollow after sharpening last week (harmonic vibration on the grinder) and it makes all ice feel SLOW! If I had a 7/16r (7/8" diameter) stone, I could polish out the herringbone. If I take it back to the shop, he'll do another normal "sharpening" (which isn't required).

Ideas?

[Casey]

My advice would be to skip the stone and find a better sharpener unless you're especially daring.

If you are especially daring, my preference is for a free stone rather than a contraption with some stone(s) nestled somewhere within. The one I have is rounded at one edge to a much smaller radius than the blade surface. So I hold it centered and go up and down the center a few times, then tilt it sideways to hone each edge. It's saved me a number of times when I couldn't afford sharpenings and my blades were really needing one.

Note that it would take rather a fierce amount of hand sharpening to change your ROH (not nearly so powerful as a machine sharpening) - the worst that would probably happen with a 1/2" sharpener is that you'd end up sharpening down only the very edges and leaving the herringbone pattern in the middle so it wouldn't help much. Your skates would still feel dull then too if you're used to 7/16", so it's definitely not something you want to do :P

The sharpener should fix the problem for free, but if it's a standard sort of sharpener that usually only does hockey skates, I wouldn't bother. Ask around and find out who the figure skaters go to. :)

[EastonSkater]

Maybe some best quality ski wax might help if you dab some inside the hollow.

[Rusty Blades]

The sharperner I use is supposed to be the best in the area for figure skates. I guess I'll take them back and have him aake a look at them

[SkatingOnClouds]

Dianne I have the same problem. I don't have access to a pro shop with an expert sharpener, so will have to risk sending my skates away, and miss a session:cry:

My phantoms are also 7/16" ROH, so although I've looked at the pro-filer, I haven't bought one. I don't understand why they don't make the 7/16", several of the MK models use this ROH.

Faced with the choice of getting a re-grind to either 1/2" or 3/8", I have done what I do best, procrastinate.

[EastonSkater]

I don't trust those ones with the flexible cylinder that bend and flex when you press down on the cylinder. I only like rigid cylinders like the pro-filer. I don't think the pro-filer will wreck blades, but you do have to develop a knack of using them, or else you'll get one side sharper than the other and things like that. And if you aren't used to using it, it can make one side of the blade sharp and the other side dull. It won't ruin the blade though....it just means that you have to keep working on it to develop a feel on how to use the thing.