The blades in hockey skates are their own separate thing and I'm not ready to dive into that world yet.
Only Canadian Metallurgists are qualified to deal with hockey skates.
I wonder if the skate blades really need all the wear resistance provided by K390. If we are sticking with Bohler, something like K490 or K890 could give a big boost in toughness and ease of shapening. And edge stability depending on how thin they take those edges. And those steels are not slouches when it comes to wear resistance.
Those two steels are in the same general category: they both have 1.4C and 3.7V, with differences in the Mo, W, and Cr contents. The K490 also has a niobium addition. Despite Bohler and Uddeholm being owned by the same parent company they operate relatively independently; they generally don't compare their steels to one another. Despite some dubious language about testing direction in the datasheets, I believe both are transverse unnotched izod tests. In the datasheets K490 is listed as having 80J at 62 Rc (https://www.bohler-edelstahl.com/media/K490DE.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra shows about 58J (https://www.uddeholm.com/files/PB_Uddeholm_vanadis_4_extra_english.pdf). However, in the patents K490 shows about 78J for 64 Rc and 87J for 58.5 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US20100233500.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra got 102J for 60 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US7297177.pdf) So again I think the best we can say is that they are in the same general category. I'm not sure why the patent shows better toughness than the datasheet does for Vanadis 4 Extra. The datasheet for Vanadis 4 Extra clearly indicates they are transverse tests, but the patent just says "LT2" direction which I can't find a reference to anywhere else. Maybe the patent used a longitudinal direction test? I'm getting too far in the weeds now.How would K490 compare to Va4E ?
The scientific mind at work....Those two steels are in the same general category: they both have 1.4C and 3.7V, with differences in the Mo, W, and Cr contents. The K490 also has a niobium addition. Despite Bohler and Uddeholm being owned by the same parent company they operate relatively independently; they generally don't compare their steels to one another. Despite some dubious language about testing direction in the datasheets, I believe both are transverse unnotched izod tests. In the datasheets K490 is listed as having 80J at 62 Rc (https://www.bohler-edelstahl.com/media/K490DE.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra shows about 58J (https://www.uddeholm.com/files/PB_Uddeholm_vanadis_4_extra_english.pdf). However, in the patents K490 shows about 78J for 64 Rc and 87J for 58.5 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US20100233500.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra got 102J for 60 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US7297177.pdf) So again I think the best we can say is that they are in the same general category. I'm not sure why the patent shows better toughness than the datasheet does for Vanadis 4 Extra. The datasheet for Vanadis 4 Extra clearly indicates they are transverse tests, but the patent just says "LT2" direction which I can't find a reference to anywhere else. Maybe the patent used a longitudinal direction test? I'm getting too far in the weeds now.
And they for sure get sharpened differently. Way back decades ago I used to be in a store that did hockey gear in the winter and you'd spend your Saturday in the booth sharpening skates. It was very easy to do, the skate clamps in a guide that you hold against the grinder and make as many passes as needed using the right touch. These were mostly kid's hockey skates so they didn't need sharpening because of skating; they were dull because the kids would wear them on hard floors. You'd see maybe one set of figure skates a month and they were a nightmare since those parents were much worse than the hockey parents for complaining about how little Jennifer didn't get a trophy because her skates were badly sharpened. They were followed by the parents of goalies, then the regular players. We never once saw a set of speed skates despite having a fairly established program in the city to the point of locals medaling at the Olympics.Speedskates have a square edge. Hockey and figureskates are hllowground and thicker.
Those two steels are in the same general category: they both have 1.4C and 3.7V, with differences in the Mo, W, and Cr contents. The K490 also has a niobium addition. Despite Bohler and Uddeholm being owned by the same parent company they operate relatively independently; they generally don't compare their steels to one another. Despite some dubious language about testing direction in the datasheets, I believe both are transverse unnotched izod tests. In the datasheets K490 is listed as having 80J at 62 Rc (https://www.bohler-edelstahl.com/media/K490DE.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra shows about 58J (https://www.uddeholm.com/files/PB_Uddeholm_vanadis_4_extra_english.pdf). However, in the patents K490 shows about 78J for 64 Rc and 87J for 58.5 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US20100233500.pdf) while Vanadis 4 Extra got 102J for 60 Rc (https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US7297177.pdf) So again I think the best we can say is that they are in the same general category. I'm not sure why the patent shows better toughness than the datasheet does for Vanadis 4 Extra. The datasheet for Vanadis 4 Extra clearly indicates they are transverse tests, but the patent just says "LT2" direction which I can't find a reference to anywhere else. Maybe the patent used a longitudinal direction test? I'm getting too far in the weeds now.
It highlights the problems with trying to get good data from datasheets (sales) and patents (lawyers).The scientific mind at work....
I'm not sure if the Cr will make a difference, it may or may not. The niobium addition to the K490 was made for the purpose of refining the overall carbide structure to improve toughness rather than to add wear resistance but it is possible there is a small increase.Thank you very much.
The slightly higher amount of Cr in K490 might result in slightly less toughness.
Nb and W in K490 should increase the amount of carbides in comparison with Va4E and increase the wear resistance?
Higher carbides amount also decreases toughness?
I would love to try this steel.
It highlights the problems with trying to get good data from datasheets (sales) and patents (lawyers).
Skates are only sharpened by a machine when new to give them a slight curve. Maintenence sharpening is done by hand with (diamond)stones.
Doubt they effect the heat treat at all. Do you effect the heat treat when you grind a heat treated blade? If it sat in one spot for a long time maybe, but most sharpeners just skim the edge til it's sharp. Less heavy work then doing a blade.