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Platinum X K390 Ice Short Track Blade
*This product will take around 14 days to ship.
Bont Platinum X – Elite Short Track Blade
The Bont Platinum X builds on the proven success of the original Platinum blade. It uses the same top-tier materials and production techniques but is 15% stiffer. This added stiffness is ideal for elite-level skaters who want maximum responsiveness and performance.
Specifications:
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Cup material: Aluminum 7075 T6
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Radius: 9m
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Length options: 16", 16.5", 17", 17.5", 18", 18.5", 19"
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Blade thickness: 1.1mm
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Hardness: 64 Rockwell
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Bend: Machine bent
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Cup height: 25mm (standard)
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Not pre-sharpened
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Includes: 1 pair of blades
Bont Platinum K390 – The Benchmark for Short Track Performance
The Bont Platinum K390 is widely regarded as the best short-track blade ever made. In the past, national team skaters would sort through large batches of blades to find the few that were perfectly straight, leaving the rest to be sold to shops. We didn’t think that was fair. Our goal was simple: make every blade as good as the best one in the batch.
Here’s what we did to get there:
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Flat steel from the start: Blade steel is usually supplied on a roll, which makes it wavy and pre-curved. We pay extra to source flat sheets of steel so the blade stays straight, even after grinding.
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Precision grinding: We use 1.3mm thick steel and grind off 0.1mm from each side, slowly and carefully, using high-end grinding stones imported from Germany. Only two blades are ground at a time to prevent heat distortion.
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Tighter blade slot: We tested multiple adhesives and found one strong enough to reduce the blade slot by 0.1mm. A smaller gap means less chance of warping.
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Secure setting process: While the glue dries over 14 hours, each blade is held at a minimum of nine points using custom jigs to preserve its bend.
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Brilliance polish: The sides of the blade are polished to reduce friction when the blade touches the ice at steep lean angles.
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Optimized stiffness: Working with top national teams, we found the right balance of tube stiffness. Too stiff and it can cause crashes. Too soft and it absorbs power.
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Strong aluminum tube: The tube is made from 7075 T6 aluminum, which is why it has a natural silver finish. This grade of aluminum is extremely strong but difficult to anodize.
The result of all this work is a short track blade that’s consistent, reliable, and ready for world-class racing. Every blade in the batch is race-ready, no sorting required.
Buy with confidence
You can always buy Bont Skates with confidence. Skaters have been buying Bont Skates since 1975 and we are the world’s largest manufacturer of inline speed skates and short track speed skates and custom skates as well as one of the largest manufacturers of roller derby skates.
We have a reputation for looking after our customers. We do everything possible to ensure that our products are made to the highest standards. As an example, all of our boots go through 16 individual stages of quality control before they are shipped out.
Our inline wheels, roller skate wheels and frames are all tested for strength and fatigue on the computer using the most advances computer-aided stress testing available. Bont bearings are produced in partnership with some of the best speciality bearing manufacturers in the world.
All Bont products go through a rigorous team testing phase before being brought to market. Team Bont skaters are the very best in the world.
When you buy Bont Skates, you get the best skates on the market.
Technology - Consistency
Consistency has been the focus when creating our ice speed skating blades. Machining time is expensive and blade manufacturers grind the steel in batches at high speeds to reduce costs. This results in the steel warping due to the high temperature of the grinding stone grinding the steel. Our aim for the GT3 and the Platinum was to make every blade the same so we purchased the best grinding stones from Germany and we slowly grind one set of steel blades at a time. This is an extremely slow process with higher costs but the result is steel that has no warping. All skaters, not just Olympians, should enjoy perfect blades. However, we didn't stop with the grinding. We looked at the other aspects of making the blade even more perfect. We developed a new stronger glue that allowed us to reduce the tube slot width by 0.1mm. The tube slot needs a certain amount of room for the glue on either side of the blade. The greater the gap, the more chance the steel has to warp while the glue sets. By reducing this gap, we improved the consistency of the straightness of the blade after gluing. Lastly, we invested heavily in jigs. Each blade is clamped in 9 locations while it sets and we let the blades set for 14 hours until the glue has fully cured. This means that we can only make a few sets of blades per day, but each set is perfect.
Technology - Pre-Bent
Aluminum tubes do not like to be bent. They always spring back to the straight position. To solve this problem, we have two solutions:
- We make the tube out of an aluminum that is more likely to stay bent than other brands of blades.
- We cut the slot for the steel blade in the aluminum tube on a slight bend. The tube is straight but the steel blade is already on a slight curve. This curve is slight and you will still need to bend the blade more to get the optimum bend to suit your radius. However, you now only need to bend the aluminum tube a very small amount to get your optimum bend. This small amount of tube bending is not enough to stress the tube and the result is a blade that holds it's bend for a much longer period. Some skaters may never need to re-bend their blades.
Technology - Team Testing Ice
Our professional speed skating team are some of the best skaters in the World. They love to give us feedback! From the little things like the placement of the buckle to trialing the latest materials, they help Bont create products that not only look good but perform at the elite international level.
LIGHTER. STRONGER. FASTER.
We push the limits of technology to help you perform at your best.