edges

How often do you guys 'sharpen' your edges? Last week in ADH towards the end of the week I really felt that I was not getting as much grip as usual on hard packed ice. I had my skis waxed and edged just before the holiday, would they really need doing within 5 days of skiing?

Is it easy to do it yourself?

Do the edges wear out if you keep sharpening them? (Is 'sharpening' the correct term?)

:D

snowb4ndit wrote:How often do you guys 'sharpen' your edges? Last week in ADH towards the end of the week I really felt that I was not getting as much grip as usual on hard packed ice. I had my skis waxed and edged just before the holiday, would they really need doing within 5 days of skiing?

Is it easy to do it yourself?

Do the edges wear out if you keep sharpening them? (Is 'sharpening' the correct term?)

:D

A reasonable edge maintenance regime would be a couple of passes with a fine file about once a week, and finish with a diamond file to polish the edge. Then ideally, everyday day or so, you would maintain the edge with the diamond file. You really don't remove much material with a diamond file. The base bevel really only needs a couple of passes with the diamond file for maintenance once the bevel has been set. The average recreational skier, even with regular sharpening, won't wear out their edges. Look at how old Dave Mac's skis are, and they still have edges (or are they pre steel edge Dave) :lol:

Tuning is the other word used for sharpening edges.

Edges should not wear out for the average skier. Racers tend to burn through edges faster, but even a couple of seasons racing should still leave some edge. Racers do tend to get base grinds often, and it's actually the depth of the edge, not the width that is the problem on used race skis. You can only base grind so many times before the flange on the edge(the bit that is buried in the ski above the P-tex) starts to show through.

Trencher

I'd love to do my own, but I am about as handy as a man with no arms and wouldn't want to damage my skis or do them wrong.

Snowbandit, I always take mine in for a tune after a week away, usually just an edge and wax to get them back to perfection again. I hope I dont have to have a base grind, but sometimes the bases get nicks in them that need filling too.

My last trip to ADH hardly touched them. The worst thing was the rust that built up after transporting them back home.
Just off to pick them up now as it happens from my local pro shop after some TLC.
£15 well spent IMO.

Tony_H wrote:I'd love to do my own, but I am about as handy as a man with no arms and wouldn't want to damage my skis or do them wrong.

Snowbandit, I always take mine in for a tune after a week away, usually just an edge and wax to get them back to perfection again. I hope I dont have to have a base grind, but sometimes the bases get nicks in them that need filling too.

My last trip to ADH hardly touched them. The worst thing was the rust that built up after transporting them back home.
Just off to pick them up now as it happens from my local pro shop after some TLC.
£15 well spent IMO.

Yes Tony I always take mine in after a week away, they've been in a couple of times already and I'm going to be taking them in today to get them ready for the next trip. I'm afraid 'rock alley' (on the Sarenne) did my skis no favours.

I'm just a little concerned that if I keep getting the edges sharpened they might wear out!

I have seen a guy wreck his skis in within 6 shop grinds. He'd routinely handed in his skis after each week away. Each time the shop put his skis on the belt. He got nice smooth, (but thinner) bases back each time. Arrives in resort and his skis need servicing, and the shop refused to do it, they said there was insufficient base left. 6 1 week ski trips to kill his skis.

The 2 pairs of skis I just put on ebay had not seen a shop belt. I pair had done 4 weeks skiing. I wax them weekly, do light edging by using a deburring block on the nasties then lightly file, and treat the bases with Zardoz most mornings. I'm also lousy at putting P-Tex in, why does it always pull out :roll:

Trencher wrote:

A reasonable edge maintenance regime would be a couple of passes with a fine file about once a week, and finish with a diamond file to polish the edge. Then ideally, everyday day or so, you would maintain the edge with the diamond file. You really don't remove much material with a diamond file. The base bevel really only needs a couple of passes with the diamond file for maintenance once the bevel has been set. The average recreational skier, even with regular sharpening, won't wear out their edges. Look at how old Dave Mac's skis are, and they still have edges (or are they pre steel edge Dave) :lol:

Tuning is the other word used for sharpening edges.

Edges should not wear out for the average skier. Racers tend to burn through edges faster, but even a couple of seasons racing should still leave some edge. Racers do tend to get base grinds often, and it's actually the depth of the edge, not the width that is the problem on used race skis. You can only base grind so many times before the flange on the edge(the bit that is buried in the ski above the P-tex) starts to show through.

Trencher

Thanks Trencher, I missed this post at first. You have put my mind at rest somewhat, although now I am concerned about what the shop actually does.

Can you recommend a good edging tool that would be available in the UK?

Trencher referred to the amount of skiing that a recreational skier would be doing. I agree there is that co-relation. Then there is the type of conditions.

I carry out a mixture of planned and re-active maintenance. This avoids too many base grinds, thus lengthening the life of the ski.

Sometimes, up to 26 years. -)

Tony_H wrote:I'd love to do my own, but I am about as handy as a man with no arms and wouldn't want to damage my skis or do them wrong.

Snowbandit, I always take mine in for a tune after a week away, usually just an edge and wax to get them back to perfection again. I hope I dont have to have a base grind, but sometimes the bases get nicks in them that need filling too.

My last trip to ADH hardly touched them. The worst thing was the rust that built up after transporting them back home.
Just off to pick them up now as it happens from my local pro shop after some TLC.
£15 well spent IMO.

To keep the rust off the edges make sure the skis are dry and then run some wax up the edges before transporting 8)