Black Stone Sports

What Black Stone Sports does

Blackstone Sports is a privately held Canadian manufacturer specializing in ice skate sharpening equipment, headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario and founded in 1999. The company designs and produces professional and consumer-grade skate sharpening machines — including the X-Series (X01, X02), Fireball, Turbo, Liberty, and Classic models — alongside a comprehensive ecosystem of consumables, accessories, and maintenance equipment for ice hockey and figure skating applications. The product catalog spans over 100 distinct SKUs, ranging from sub-$5 hand hones to $6,200+ pneumatic riveters.

The company's competitive position rests on two patented core technologies: the Flat Bottom V (FBV) sharpening system, which provides a flat-bottom edge geometry as an alternative to traditional Radius of Hollow (ROH) sharpening, and the Spinner System for dressing and maintaining sharpening wheels in both ROH and FBV configurations. A patent-pending three-point axis skate holding system (Tri-Lie) extends the IP estate into blade-positioning technology. Product offerings span diamond discs in multiple configurations (ROH, FBV, A-TRAP), grinding wheels, blade holders, precision gauges, riveters, boot ovens, stretchers, glove dryers, filters, belts, and safety equipment.

The business operates on a hardware sales model with recurring consumables economics, distributed through three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via shop.blackstonesport.com (global), an authorized FBV dealer network (located via the FBV Dealer Locator), and direct telephone sales for complex professional equipment. Customer segments include professional ice hockey rinks and figure skating facilities, sports retailers and pro shops (primary segments), and individual hockey players and figure skaters (secondary). Pricing is unit-based and publicly disclosed; recurring revenue is generated through machine-specific consumables (spinners, wheels, filters, belts) that create ongoing replacement demand once equipment is installed.

Name

Black Stone Sports

Legal name

Blackstone Sports

Website

https://blackstonesport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackstone Sports is a Canadian manufacturer of ice skate sharpening equipment for hockey and figure skating, selling patented FBV and Spinner technology-based machines, consumables, and accessories via e-commerce, dealer networks, and direct sales to rinks, pro shops, and consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skate Sharpening Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMAEAE

Ice Hockey & Field Hockey Equipment Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Team Sports Equipment Retail

Keywords

• Skate sharpening machines
• Ice hockey equipment
• Figure skate maintenance
• Flat bottom V sharpening
• Skate blade holders

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment and Machine Sales: Sale of skate sharpening machines (X01, X02, Fireball, Turbo, Liberty, Classic models) and major equipment including riveters, shapers, boot ovens, and stretchers
2. Consumables and Replacement Parts: Recurring sales of sharpening wheels, spinners, dressing tools, filters, belts, and replacement parts for machines
3. Precision Components: Specialized components including gauges, holders, and accessories for skate maintenance

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Stone Sports manufactures and distributes skate sharpening machines and accessories for ice hockey and figure skates. Its core product line spans professional-grade sharpening machines (Fireball, Turbo, Liberty, Classic), consumer X-Series models (X01, X02), diamond dressing discs (ROH, FBV, A-TRAP), grinding wheels, holders, riveters, shapers, and skate boot care equipment. The portfolio is anchored by two patented technologies, Flat Bottom V (FBV) edge geometry and the Spinner System, which together support both equipment sales and recurring consumable revenue.

Product overview

Black Stone Sports is a specialized manufacturer of ice skate sharpening equipment and accessories. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered around two core patented technologies: Flat Bottom V (FBV) and the Spinner System. Their product line includes professional-grade skate sharpening machines (Fireball, Turbo, Liberty, X-Series), a full range of consumable diamond discs (ROH, FBV, and A-TRAP configurations), grinding wheels in various sizes and compositions, blade holders and profiling tools (Tri-Lie series, Shaper System), maintenance equipment (riveters, filters, belts, felt pads), and boot care products (dryers, stretchers, ovens). The X-Series Consumer Machines (X01, X02) target individual consumers, while their professional equipment serves rinks and pro shops. The company maintains an e-commerce store at shop.blackstonesport.com with over 100 distinct product SKUs spanning equipment, consumables, replacement parts, and accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flat Bottom V (FBV): Flat Bottom V is a proprietary sharpening technology developed by Blackstone Sports for skate blades.
• Spinner System

Products and services

• Skate Sharpening Machines Professional and consumer skate sharpening machines for ice hockey and figure skates, available in Fireball, Turbo, Liberty, Classic, and X-Series Consumer (X01, X02) models, used by rinks, pro shops, and individual players.
• Spinner System Patented spinner technology for dressing and maintaining sharpening wheels, compatible with both ROH and FBV configurations across Blackstone machines.
• ROH Diamond Discs Diamond discs for traditional Radius of Hollow sharpening, available in hollow sizes from 3/8" to 1-3/4" for skate technicians.
• FBV Diamond Discs Diamond discs for Flat Bottom V sharpening technology, available in configurations such as 100/1, 100/50, 90/1, 85/1, 80/1 and various angle/width combinations.
• A-TRAP Diamond Disc Sets Specialized diamond disc sets for advanced sharpening configurations in angle/depth combinations such as 52/17/100, 70/50/100, and 70/50/125.
• Fireball Sharpening Wheels Replacement wheels for Fireball sharpening machines, available in multiple sizes and types in ROH and FBV configurations.
• 8" Grinding Wheels 8-inch grinding wheels in multiple colors and materials (Yellow, Black Walnut, Blue Cobalt, Orange, Pink, Ruby, White) priced from $31 to $44 for sharpening machines.
• Dupliskate Wheels 5-3/4" factory-balanced 80-grit grinding wheels for Dupliskate machines, available in Pink (box of 5, $105) and Blue variants.
• Tri-Lie Skate Holders Skate blade holders including Tri-Lie U-12, Tall Tri-Lie U-12-U ($690 each), Elite Tri-Lie U-66 ($1,200), and X-Series Tri-Lie X-12 ($690), with patent-pending three-point axis positioning.
• Shaper System Shaper System T-201-W ($1,890) for precise blade profiling, available with radius bars of 7', 9', 9.5', 10', 11', 13', 15', and combination bars.
• Riveters and Riveter Dies Pneumatic Riveter B-15 ($6,200), Air Riveter Foot Pedal B-15-201 ($675), ROED Bench Riveter B-25 ($1,705), plus matching dies for ROED and Blackstone riveters used in skate assembly.
• Boot Oven Boot Oven C-01 ($1,650) for heating hockey skate boots during fitting and customization in pro shops.
• Boot Stretcher Boot Stretcher C-02 ($1,675) for stretching hockey skate boots to relieve pressure points and customize fit.
• Glove Dryer Glove Dryer D-01 ($3,300) used in hockey facilities to dry hockey gloves after use.
• Blackstone Blade Holder Blade Holder BL-01 ($350) capable of holding one or two blades simultaneously with a squeeze operation, for manual and automated sharpening and profiling.
• Convertible Spinner System MAG-75 Convertible Spinner System ($1,800) with magnetic attachment for machines with 4-1/2" center-height grinding wheels, compatible with ROH and FBV spinners.
• Gauges (BatGage, ButterflyGage) Precision measurement gauges for skate blade depth, including BatGage Z-01 ($135), ButterflyGage Z-02 ($145), ButterflyGage Tee ($38), and replacement gauge parts.
• Filters Machine filters and filter pads for Blackstone sharpening machines, including S-02 for machines 2004 and earlier ($185), S-01 generic ($180), S-03 for Turbo/Liberty/Classic exhaust ($195), and Filter Pad 12 ($15.75).
• Replacement Belts Replacement drive belts for sharpening machines, including Cross Grind Turbo R-01A ($115), Cross Grind Liberty R-01C ($115), and X02 Belt XS-003 ($25).
• Blade Straightener Blade Straightener V-01 ($275) for straightening skate blades, mounting on machine top or bench with two half-moon anvils included.
• Hand Hones Manual sharpening tools including Black Magic P-10 ($35), Tear Drop with Oil P-01 ($15), Fine Tear-Drop DS-A-09 ($15), 220 Grit Rectangle P-02 ($5.50), and Rubber Cube DS-A-08 ($12) for touch-ups.
• Boot Punch Press Boot Punch Press A-01 ($875) and replacement handle A-02 ($75) for skate boot modification and relief work.
• Felt Pads Replacement felt pads for skate holders including Scissor Holder R-03 ($16.25), Generic large/small ($12.50), Adjustable/Tri-Lie ($12.50), and Shaper System felt pad R-03S ($15.50).
• Safety Equipment Safety items for shop use including Cut Resistant Gloves R-20-3 ($40), Safety Glasses R-20-1 ($6), and Dust Mask R-20-2 ($16).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sparx Hockey: Sparx Hockey is the most direct competitor to Blackstone Sports, manufacturing automated consumer and pro-grade ice skate sharpening machines. Both companies target the same hockey and figure skating market with similar hardware-plus-consumables business models and compete head-to-head in pro shops and at-home setups.
• Elite Hockey (Elite Sharpener): Elite Hockey / Elite Sharpener offers precision ice skate sharpening equipment and accessories, including machine components and holders that overlap with Blackstone's Tri-Lie and Elite product lines. They are a direct competitor in the skate-sharpening category.
• Bladetec Skate Sharpeners: Bladetec manufactures automated skate sharpening equipment and supporting fixtures targeted at the same pro shop, rink, and high-end consumer segments as Blackstone. It is a direct peer offering competing machine platforms for ice skate blade profiling and sharpening.
• ProSharp Skate Systems: ProSharp produces skate sharpening equipment and accessories for the ice hockey market with comparable professional machines and consumable grinding wheels. It is a direct peer in the skate sharpening machine category, competing for the same rinks, pro shops and team customers as Blackstone.

Broad incumbents

• CCM Hockey: CCM is a top-tier ice hockey equipment manufacturer with skates, sticks, and protective gear sold through the same pro shop and rink channels that Blackstone serves. It is a broad incumbent that competes indirectly for skate-related budgets and shop real estate.
• Bauer Hockey: Bauer is the largest incumbent in ice hockey equipment, offering skates, sticks, and a full equipment ecosystem with broad retail and pro shop distribution. While not focused exclusively on sharpening, Bauer overlaps with Blackstone at the dealer/pro shop level and could potentially bundle or expand into skate maintenance equipment.
• True Hockey: True Hockey is a hockey equipment brand emphasizing custom skate fitting and performance, selling directly through specialty retailers. It is comparable as a performance-focused hockey brand that shares pro-shop distribution and end-consumer skate-related spending with Blackstone.

Emerging players

• Winnwell (Hockey Equipment): Winnwell produces a broad line of hockey equipment including accessories and skate-related maintenance tools at value/entry price points. It is an emerging peer selling through sporting goods and hockey specialty channels that overlap with Blackstone's DTC and dealer footprint.
• Howie's Hockey: Howie's Hockey makes skate accessories and hockey tape/maintenance products sold primarily online to hockey players. It is an emerging peer that overlaps with Blackstone's individual consumer segment around home skate maintenance and consumables.
• Tydan Performance Blades: Tydan Performance Blades manufactures premium aftermarket steel and composite skate blades for hockey and skating. It is comparable as a niche, performance-focused skate part maker that competes for the upgrade budget of the same skate-focused consumers served by Blackstone's sharpening equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackstonesport
• Facebookfacebook.com/flatbottomv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-stone-sports-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Stone Sports