Brass edges?

[skidesmond]

Meant to post this last season when I heard it.... Has anyone else heard of a ski/board manufacture using brass edges? A fellow skier was telling me that a ski manufacture was going to use brass for park skis. He thought it was too soft. I think for a park ski it would be good since it is softer than steel edges and less prone to cracking from impact on rails, etc.

I'm not a park skier but from what I've seen of park skiers edges aren't super critical as the are for the carver. No doubt they'll get dinged but a file will take care of it.

What do you think?

[backyardskier]

I know it has been done for skis but cant think what brand, I know for a fact Rome did it a few years ago for their park boards. It works great for sliding on rails, on edge on firm snow not so much.

[NinetyFour]

From personal experience in the park, I just cannot see it happening and being that successful. Even with a detuned edge underfoot, I think steel handrails, especially with kinks would deform the brass too much for there to be a suitable benefit, whereas steel edges hold their shape, but crack over time. I would much rather have some edges with a few cracks as opposed to an absolutely mangled edge. I think edge maintenance is another downfall for park skis. So many people I know won't even pick up a file to take out small burrs and knicks which helps preserve edges in the long run, but that's an entirely different conversation...

But if noone ever tries it and tests it thoroughly, then we will never know Experimenting and failing many times to yield one success is the key to innovation, right?

[twizzstyle]

I'm with you NinetyFour. Seems like this would be really awesome for like, a day, but they'd get so beat up and worn down you'd have nothing left in no time!

I stopped trying to keep my park skis tuned many many years ago - but that's why I have skis dedicated to the park that I can beat up and not care!