BUYERS GUIDE - WAXING IRONS

This is the Edge & Wax guide to buying a waxing iron. It is provided as a handy reference, not as a definitive answer! But we hope this helps...



Why use a specific iron and not a domestic iron?

Why use a specific iron and not a domestic iron?

We play around on Goggle too, and we see all the comments about using a domestic iron or a travel iron, but for us (and this is the fellow snow-head talking and not the salesman!) it doesn't make sense to risk damaging several hundreds of pounds of equipment for the sake of buying a dedicated iron. And of course wax streaks on your nice shirt don't look great!

The reason a dedicated waxing iron like the Holmenkol range we carry is better, is the thermostat and heating plate. These are optimised to stay within just a few degrees at all times. They are temperamental things; You will hear the iron clicking on and off as you wave it around, as it fights to keep a constant temperature for you.

Why is this control so important? Well, the average wax goes onto a ski at around 125°C, and the harder ones for cold conditions around 135°C. Skis and snowboards are generally made of layers of material, whether its wood, carbon fibre, titanium of foam, but a constant is that there is a glue resin (epoxy) that bonds everything together. Go much beyond 140°C and you are going to risk the epoxy softening up which then leads to possible delamination - separating of the layers. This wrecks your equipment either instantly, or over time as it allows water into the layers which wreaks havoc.

A domestic iron is not designed to run this tightly, at these high temperatures (Unless you have a very posh one!) so the variance in temperature can be as much as 15-20°C before the thermostat kicks in. Add 15-20 to 125 and it doesn't take much to work out you are running a risk!

So why don't we just run at lower temperatures? Well, yes, you can wax your bases doing this, but the wax won't be penetrating that small layer of base at all well, so all that happens when you go to scrape the wax off is that you are left with no wax again!



OK I am sold, which one do I buy?

We offer three levels of iron currently. There is also the option of 110 Volts to consider for the USA if you are based out there. Always use the correct voltage iron, as A) It won't work correctly with the wrong voltage and B) You could hurt yourself!



Holmenkol SMARTWAXER

Holmenkol SMARTWAXER

Cracking little home iron. Very light and compact (950 grams), so you can travel with it.

Has easy to use dial with the temperature printed on it, and a warning light when the thermostat is warming up. It also comes with a drip tray. The grooved hot plate spreads wax around making it easy to use and it means your wax spreads across the base nicely.

Wired with a Euro plug, we then supply a FUSED and EARTHED UK adaptor at no additional charge.

We offer this iron in 3 flavours, the SMARTWAXER which is 220 Volt UK/Europe friendly, and has a grooved base for easy spreading of wax. Then there is the SMARTWAXER CLASSIC which has a traditional smooth plate for faster application of wax, and finally a SMARTWAXER 110 Volt version for USA/Canada, complete with a US plug.

We recommend this iron if you are waxing infrequently, say after a holiday, a few times a year.

Click here to view in our online store...



Holmenkol RACING WAXER ELECTRONIC

Holmenkol RACING WAXER ELECTRONIC

This is the same iron we use in the workshop. Why? Because the heavier weight (Not that much heavier mind at 1200 grams) means that it glides across the base even more smoothly, and with a pendulum-like motion making it easier to work with on larger numbers of skis.
So if you are looking to service your skis regularly, or have a family of skiers, this is a worthy consideration.

This iron has a slightly wider temperature range too, which means it can apply all waxes including dry-slope specific waxes with ease, and can be used carefully to apply repair strips too.

For the extra money, you get a more solid feel, a cork handle for increased comfort, a slightly larger smooth hot plate, and an electronically controlled thermostat that works to within 3 degrees of the temperature you need! This iron still comes with the UK earthed adapter.

Click here to view in our online store...



RACING WAXER DIGITAL

RACING WAXER DIGITAL

This has all the features of the RACING WAXER ELECTRONIC but a digitally monitored thermostat with a read out which is easily visible while you are waxing. Warm up speeds are very fast on this iron.

The ultimate iron? We think so! And from January 09 this became our latest addition in our workshop, so if you pop in we will be happy to show you how great this iron is!

As always this includes an earthed and fused UK adapter, and comes with a euro plug fitted.

Click here to view in our online store...


IRON CARE

We recommend finding a nice cloth bag to keep your iron safe if you are travelling. Also, for cleaning, the Holmenkol Holmenkol WAX AB Cleaner is great at giving your iron a spring clean!