Caldwell Sport Pro Scrapers

What's a "pro" scraper? Let us tell you...

[farrier]

Finally some good quality scrapers, it's about time. 3mm is my fav. I use the smooth side of a farrier's rasp to sharpen the edge. Good sharp carbon steel + flat ! Also, laying down on its coarse side, it wont move when running the scraper back & forth.

[bobhauser]

Interesting, I have been making scrapes from offcuts of acrylic and polycarbonate material. I do have a few favorite but it is mainly based on what is easiest to sharpen vs edge holding. The acrylic seem a bit more brittle and harder to keep a good edge. Thicker materials seem harder to sharpen and are harder to manipulate during scraping. I end up using my 5 polycarbonate the most along with a shaped groove scraper.

[mathieuselwa]

Cool 👍

I’m not very happy with my manual swix sharpener, and electric ones are too expensive. A friend told me about rode with a blade. Can i have your recommandation ? Thanks

[positivity]

My thoughts on scrapers: I have an opaque scraper I like but I only use it on skate skis because I need a clear scraper for skin skis and scales, etc so I can see where to stop. Also, the real annoyance of scrapers and scraping is getting wax stuck to the scraper. I use an old credit card to clear that but it's a constant battle (yes, I get the wax off the credit card with the scraper, repeat forever). I'd love a better solution.

[TumblehomeBoatshop]

I have a method for sharpening ski scrapers that might be useful to someone.
As a woodworker I use a 'cabinet scraper' all the time (on wood, not skis (tried that, never again)). These are thin steel cards that we use in much the same way as we use plastic scrapers on skis. I hold them at the same attitude and flex them to follow shape in the same manner. We can remove finish or glue on wood in a controlled way, and even do some shaping with more control and better results than we'd get with sandpaper or a file. The way we sharpen cabinet scrapers is by using a file directly on the edge of the scraper--the scraper's in a vice and we run the file dead flat on the edge. I know it's sharp when I can see the edge of the scraper is a perfect long skinny rectangle of newly exposed steel. This filing creates a fine burr that laps over the face of the scraper, and that burr is actually the cutting edge, not the corner of the scraper. The final step to sharpening is to run a burnisher at about 10 degrees, bearing down firmly, and this anneals that burr. The burr is too small to see but you can feel it with a fingertip. 
For my plexiglass ski scrapers, I skip the step with the burnisher, but I otherwise sharpen the same way. I have a small bench top vise with rubber covers on the jaws. I clamp the scraper, then use a basic mill file to sharpen with plexiglass. Takes just a few passes, and then use a file brush to clean any plastic or wax out of the file. I like this method because you get a perfectly straight scraper, and a strong, cut edge. As far as the burr that is so key on the steel scrapers, I don't feel it forms on the plexi.
One note--do NOT slip with the file because that scraper edge will slice your hand. Also, on the steel scrapers, don't run a hand over the burr before it's annealed because that can get you, too.

[werdnativ]

I wonder about setting up a handheld router with a jig for sharpening scrapers. The purpose-made brand-name tools are so expensive but it can't be that complicated, can it?

[goldenretriever]

What about metal scrapers? I use one on my rock skis.

[randalbladel]

Is this significantly better than your previous favorite from Red Creek?

[keithholmquist]

Partial to 4 mm…also definitely need to keep my non-Nordic friends from finding out that I’m watching a video about sheets of plastic 😂