

New Skate-Sharpening Method Takes Hockey by Storm - ojbyrne
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/sports/hockey/02skate.html

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krallja
The submarine has surfaced.

<http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html>

This article was written by the publicist for "BlackStone Sports, the Ontario
manufacturer of skate maintenance equipment that developed the flat-bottom V
method..."

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RK
Why do you think that? Besides fitting in with pg's general thesis.

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krallja
[http://smilinlikeabutchersdog.blogspot.com/2009/11/flat-
bott...](http://smilinlikeabutchersdog.blogspot.com/2009/11/flat-bottom-v-
next-step.html) "A NEW METHOD, the Flat Bottom V, is beginning to TAKE HOCKEY
BY STORM."

<http://noicingsports.com/fbv.html> "Folks, this type of sharpening has hit
the market LIKE A STORM."

These are either the results of plagiarism or a publicist hiring some
bloggers.

To me, the original NYT article reads like it's straight out of a press
release and therefore has 0 credibility.

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teuobk
In case anybody is curious about how this is actually accomplished, do a web
search for "diamond roller dresser."

Also, there's a huuuuge thread about "flat-bottom V" skate sharpening over at
Mod Squad Hockey (a popular hockey-player forum):
[http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=423...](http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=42307)

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symesc
The pros won't be wrong about this, but I'm glad they've tried it out before I
do.

The graphic actually makes me fearful of not being able to control the rate of
stopping, as though I'd somehow lose the ability to modulate the depth of edge
applied to/into the ice.

I am also worried about how long a sharpening like this would last (something
the pros won't care about). I can go half a no-hit season with a traditional
sharpening and higher end blades, so long as there is no blade-to-blade
contact to flatten an edge.

With the new process, I bet any grit on the bench is going to nick up blades
quickly.

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zach
I bet. If it makes a significant difference but requires more waiting at the
pro shop, I won't complain too much. I've never decided on a hollow I like
(5/8 is just a little too slippery), so the ability to customize a little more
is very appealing.

I really like stories of competitive-edge entrepreneurs in professional
sports. Products that provide a demonstrable advantage, whether in technology
or salary analysis or ticket pricing, seem to become a hot commodity on their
own merits.

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dasil003
This sentence is strangely amusing:

 _It’s a little more efficient, so you glide better — you’re not working quite
as hard,” Martin said before he sustained a fractured arm that will sideline
him for up to six weeks._

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joeythibault
goes to show that even the simplest things (that usually make people yawn) are
the ones where innovation can be most disruptive.

Anyone else remember that Rbk just recently fought (and won) a battle simply
to provide a different, "more efficient" material and cut to the jerseys?

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ellyagg
If it's better everyone will do it, and they're right back where they started.

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daniel-cussen
That's sports for you.

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schemer
Pictures? Or it never happened ;-)

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slyn
[http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/11/02/sports/hockey/0...](http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/11/02/sports/hockey/02skategr.html)

