I've looked online and various companies offer various kits that seem to range between the £200-350 mark for edging and waxing skis. I'm spending the winter in Austria and will be skiing daily so I want to learn to look after my own skis, cut down on servicing costs and make sure my skies are treated properly with love and care. However, I did not envisage spending the price of a new pair of skis on ski maintenance gear. Is it really necessary? Also the less ski maintenance gear I take the easier it is to transport.
What do I really need to do a good job?
Thanks,
Pete
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 23-11-19 12:19; edited 1 time in total
dangly bits. I hate it when that happens. Yes i've seen that kit and £90 seems like a reasonable amount but then you really need an iron too. Any apparently you need clamps although i'm not sure how essential they are. And then it ends up at £300.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
What are you doing / where are you staying? Is there no chance of meeting up with someone who might have an iron, and to share some of your kit? It doesn't make a lot of sense for everyone out there for a season to take a full servicing kit.
As you are instructing there, surely some of the local instructors have a local person they use. Or if they do their own, they might be willing to do yours at the same time.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Powder Pete, when I was teaching in Saalbach we 1. had ski servicing facilities in the ski instructor house and 2. several shops offered us free/massively discounted services
After all it is free
After all it is free
I'll ask the ski school what they have. Discounted / free servcies would be awesome if I can find a reputable shop that takes care of your precious skis. Which shops do you recommend? Last time I took my skis to intersport they seem to have butchered the top sheet edges. I don't trust them and it cost me nearly £40 for the 'full service'.
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Powder Pete wrote:
What do I really need to do a good job?
Thanks,
Pete
You need skill, or you'll make a terrible mess. Get some training - there are people on here who can help, e.g. https://www.thepisteoffice.com/ You'll still need to use a shop if you need a base grind.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Powder Pete, was like 7 years ago now so I can't really remember shops, but going in your uniform should help
PS personally wouldn't worry about stuff like that, it just happens when you use skis... Tools not jewels!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
telford_mike wrote:
Powder Pete wrote:
What do I really need to do a good job?
Thanks,
Pete
You need skill, or you'll make a terrible mess. Get some training - there are people on here who can help, e.g. https://www.thepisteoffice.com/ You'll still need to use a shop if you need a base grind.
I checked with him about that already. He doesn't have any availability over the winter for courses. Too busy. Is it really that hard? Doesn't look it on the videos especially with a guide tool.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
It isn't hard to do a basic job. If it was, I wouldn't be able to do it. For tooling round the hills a basic is really all you need.
On the other hand, if you're a racer hunting 100th of a second it perhaps better to see a pro.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Mosha Marc wrote:
It isn't hard to do a basic job. If it was, I wouldn't be able to do it. For tooling round the hills a basic is really all you need.
On the other hand, if you're a racer hunting 100th of a second it perhaps better to see a pro.
I'm not entering any races but I do like to carve at a decent speed. What basic things do I need to buy then without spending silly money?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
regarding the lack of an iron -- Purists may scoff at this, but I just use a cheap travel iron (carefully...) - works well
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Starting setup.
Side edge guide 87*, file, medium stone, gummi, travel iron, wax, beer.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mosha Marc wrote:
Starting setup.
Side edge guide 87*, file, medium stone, gummi, travel iron, wax, beer.
+1 and plenty of beer
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I qualified from The University of YouTube. The guy below has some great videos, this is part 1 there are 9 hours in total!
what @Mosha Marc says plus brake retainers, the cheap ones from Piste Office, a scarper and a brush, or just buy the basic starter kit from the Pistoffice
Also some as @albob, for iron, travel iron that I bought from charity shop for £1 at same time. Both very reliable and able to change edge angle if needed.
Apologies to spyderjon as I bought them before joining this site
regarding the lack of an iron -- Purists may scoff at this, but I just use a cheap travel iron (carefully...) - works well
Well, "purists" may scoff, but if you read the text spyderjon has written with the basic tuning kit (http://pisteoffice.com/index.php/the-piste-office-store/tuning-equipment-kits/basic-tuning-kit-detail.html) he actually suggests this a way forward if you're looking to reduce up-front cost.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
No one here mentions different wax for varying temps?
A good block of wax is a damn site more than a cheap iron!
I have two blocks one circa zero --> -8 winter wax and then another for Spring which I find way more important!
I actually don't bother too much with edges and if I put a big hole in my skis it's @KenX, to the rescue
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks lots of good advice here. I think i'll give the clamps a miss for now and hopefully find some out there. Does anyone do their own without clamps and get good results? I might get the spyperjon £90 or just select a few of the essentials from it and perhaps add an iron to it like the the toko for £30 / mayplus for £50. If I can keep it to around £100-ish give or take £20 that seems sensible enough. That Toko edge tool looks good as it will do a variety of angles in case my skis are different.
What are the quality brands for ski tuning - Kunzmann / Toko / Swix - are they all good? Any other brands worth getting?
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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