Why doesn't the grinding ring produce sparks?Updated a year ago

The most significant factor is the grinding ring used by Sparx. Our grinding ring is made with a completely different material than a traditional grinding wheel. We're using a synthetic diamond abrasive. This different abrasive material results in a cooler sharpening process and also a cooler swarf. What's a swarf you say (besides a fantastic scrabble word)? Swarf is the technical term for the fine metal dust that is thrown off the skate blade as it is sharpened. Since the swarf is not as hot in the Sparx process, it is not as visibly bright as it would be in a traditional sharpening. Skate blade material also plays a part in this equation. Some skate steel that contains a greater percentage of carbon (skates from 10+ years ago)and even newer nitinol blades (a nickel-titanium alloy) will show a hot/bright swarf (nitinol swarf is hot white - which is very cool).