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Review: Toko Edge Tuner World Cup


To quote the great 20th-century philosopher Ferris Bueller, “If you have the means, I high recommend picking one up.” The Toko Edge Tuner World Cup is a toy -- err, tool -- that should be in every serious skier’s chest of tuning supplies. (At least those who are serious about keeping their edges smooth and, more specifically, sharp.) Few tools are foolproof, but from one fool to another, this one is pretty darn close.

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I was really hoping to use the edger more over the summer than I did because, well, our test skis from last season just didn’t get skied enough to know what needed what. But this season, new skis started to arrive and our test skis started to find early-season rocks, so we started to spend more time with the Toko.

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On many skis, to access the edges properly, the raised portion of the UHMW needs to be pulled back. There are different schools of thought on how to do this; I used a Swix sidewall puller. Many people will also sand these to smooth them back. (Pulling sidewalls is a process worthy of its own article.)

Once I was able to get to the edges, I ran a magic marker down the edge to see how much material I was taking off. Diamond discs are available in levels from coarse to extra fine, so I set the edger at 88° and did three passes with medium, then one pass each with fine and ultra fine. Swapping from one disc to another is simple and tool-less. As I mentioned earlier, the Edge Tuner World Cup is pretty foolproof -- you just need to pay attention. An arrow on the device shows you which direction to do the edges. Slow, steady, and consistent pressure is all you need. After the passes, I was able to achieve the measured results I was looking for. I did make a light pass with a gummy before putting the ski back on snow.

Toko's Edge Tuner World Cup won't exactly replace a Wintersteiger Trimjet (hell, even a used one of those is $15K), but it gives you another reason to “work from home” and keep your ski edges smooth and sharp, all while drinking a beverage of your choice.
About author
Philpug
I started skiing in the mid-70s in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania; from then on, I found myself entrenched in the industry. I have worked in various ski shops from suburban to ski town to resort, giving me a well-rounded perspective on what skiers want from their gear. That experience was parlayed into my time as a Gear Review Editor and also consulting with manufacturers as a product tester. Along with being a Masterfit-trained bootfitter I am a fully certified self proclaimed Gear Guru. Not only do I keep up with the cutting edge of ski gear technology, but I am an avid gear collector and have an extensive array of bindings as well as many vintage skis.

Replies

I have the Swix EVO version of that and I like it. It puts a nice edge on the ski faster than any other DIY method I know.They cost about $500 but I got mine for a lot less at a liquidation sale.
IT takes a little skill to keep it engaged on the edge. It can flop off if you are not careful. It's not very powerful so you can't do much damage, but any sharkbite on the edge or high sidewall will stop it dead in its tracks. You also need to be careful to hold the brake out of the way on some skis.
I use mine outside on a simple bench I leave up all winter. It's easy to hold the ski edge up in a simple slot.
The consensus around here is that the Razor Tune is a better machine. It takes less skill to use because you hold the ski base up so it can't flop off. I still prefer the Swix/Toko because I don't need to clamp the ski base up in a vise.YMMV.

dm
 
We have been using this all season and I will say it has become a real time saver, on only in doing the actual work but the time to and from the tuning shop..along with the down time that ski is out of rotation. These are things to take into consideration with an investment like this, what is your time worth?
 
I've used this tool several times now. There is a short learning curve to get the best hand position to keep the plate on the base, but after that it's super easy. Slow, steady movement gives the best results. Fortunately we've had no really banged up edges so just medium and fine or just fine discs have been used for great results. Coupled with a regular base bevel tool with the correct grade of stone, edges are easy. I've had no issues with hanging burrs but be aware the edges, even at 1:2, are very sharp. Some may wish to gummy them just a hair.

Changing discs is a snap and we seem to be getting good life out of them. We should have counted passes on the different discs but... You really can't push too hard as the spring loaded mechanism prevents that. That said, there's no reason to bear down; just let the tool do the work. That's the point, right?

My review is essentially the same as @Philpug's because, well, it's HIS tool and HIS skis!:ogbiggrin:
 
I have used the Swix version of this tool for a couple of years. My daughter is a racer so I have multiple sets of skis to tune most weeks. This is a huge timesaver, and does a better job than I was doing by hand. A few things to note: wear an N95 mask (not a COVID message!) while using the tool. The tool creates a fine metallic dust that you won’t want to inhale. The tool should be cleaned regularly to stop the dust from building up. I use a small paint brush and clean it over the shop vac. It takes a couple of uses to get the knack of holding the tool on the edge with the right amount of pressure. Best to practice a few times on your rock skis to get the hang of it.
 
I used the Edge Tuner on my personal AM77s to reset the edges from 88 to 87. After pulling the sidewalls back, two passes with the coarse wheel and a single pass with the medium, fine, and extra fine did the trick. A light pass with the gummy to make sure there were no burrs (I couldn't feel any) and little more pressure right at the tips and tails and it was done. The skis and tune were money on the firm groomers we've been experiencing in the Tahoe areas for the last few weeks. There was no weirdness, no inconsistency, or other negative attributes to the tune.

If I didn't have access to the tool I don't know that I'd run out and buy one unless I found a deal but if I was doing a lot of skis for the family or if I had racer kids I definitely be more inclined to get it. Even just polishing up tired edges is super fast and easy.
 

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