David Hibbert EdgeTune Interview - CRATEX Abrasives

Welcome, David! Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your company?

- EdgeTune, Inc was founded by myself in 2003 specializing in manufacturing ski/snowboard edge sharpening (“tuning”) kits. We have grown steadily through the past 15 years, with several redesigns and improvements, as we will soon ship our 3,000^th kit! I am a retired design engineer (BSME Cornell ’74) and lifetime skier.

Please describe your latest product. How long have you been working to develop EdgeTune Sharpening Tool and how did you come up with such an idea? Is it intended for professional ski service only?

- I was motivated to design a simple kit utilizing a Dremel rotary tool (they aren’t just for making bird feeders anymore) to help fellow skiers, and to make my Friday night sharpening chores easier. We mostly cater to ski racing teams, as recreational skiers don’t seem to care about super sharp edges, and snowboard riders have told me they don’t want a sharp edge…as they have said to me, ”Dude, it’ll throw me on the metal pipe!”. Obviously, there are some that appreciate a sharp edge, but I am always amazed, when I ride up the gondola, and see how dull most edges are.

In one of your videos you say that you use CRATEX Brightboy abrasive block for ski/board edge polishing. You call it Gummi/Gummy Stone. Why did you choose CRATEX Brightboy in the first place (why not rubber abrasive stick)? What grit texture of gummy stone do you use for polishing and why?

- I chose the CRATEX Brightboy stone because it is by far the most durable stone. The problem with most “gummi” stones is that they are soft (duh) so they tend to “groove” which is not good, as the groove actually envelopes over the edge, and will slightly dull it. The Brightboy medium grit stone is really not a “gummi” stone, but we carry the term for industry “old school” boys (and believe me, there are a tone of them!)

What’s the difference if we compare CREATX Brightboy with other gummi stone alternatives in the market, like Swix instead. Price? Quality? Durability, etc.?

- As stated above, it is all about durability. Price is not a factor, as using the right tool for the job is far more important. My favorite quote, “The bitterness of poor quality long outlasts the sweetness of low price.”

Sharp, smooth edges are very important for the fast and precision turning. Is there any difference when sharpening, polishing and de-burring ski edges for real snow and artificial snow for dry slopes? Do skiers need extra sharp edges for dry slopes surfaces like Dendix and Snoflex? 

- Yes, the artificial surfaces are much tougher to hold an edge. Our largest customer base is in the UK, where they only ski on the artificial Dendix, which is like skiing on a Brillo Pad. The serious racing clubs there sharpen after almost every run, so they look for less aggressive edge sharpening tools (ie, save their edge material…a new pair of racing skis costs $1,000+, so they want them to last at least a season or 2).

Are there other types of abrasives you use in your shop: wheels, points, cones, etc.? If yes, please let us know their application.

- EdgeTune Pro II kits have refined over the years…we now use a fine 600 grit ceramic bound grinding stone, as well as a medium grit Dremel 8193 Aluminum Oxide stone which works great for initial grinds. Deburring is with a fine grit DMT stone, and polishing is best with CRATEX Brightboy (good name for this…in fact, if you want the edges to be super bright, we found that a dab of Permatex valve grinding compound works best). Engineering teaches us that it is all a matter of choosing the proper hardness for the job…a very hard diamond is best for deburring to prevent rounding, while a softer polishing stone that is “sacrificial” works best.

How did you learn about CRATEX products? The official website, forum/blog, word of mount?

- 15 years ago, I was at a ski show, and Burton Snowboards was all the rave then…I believe I saw they had a nice edge sharpening “tune-up” kit that included your CRATEX stones, so I tested them and liked them much better for our kits that the Swix or Wintersteiger stones, which are significantly softer.

When did you start using CRATEX abrasives in your shop?

- 2003

Why did you choose our products instead of some other manufacturer?

- Hardness/durability.

What do you like the most? Quality & Material? Price? Customer service? Other?

- Hardness/durability

Would you recommend CRATEX products to others, and if yes, how would the recommendation sound?

- Yes, we have chosen your Brightboy stone for all our kits, along with DMT diamond stones, Norton Industries ceramic stones, Dremel AlOx stones…in other words, the very best we can find, as our served market lives with these tools. All our business is word of mouth, with no advertising. If we sold an inferior tool, word would get out very quickly.