A Parent's Guide to Skate Sharpening (2024)

FAQs

A Parent's Guide to Skate Sharpening? ›

Your skate is clamped into a jig (most commonly one that holds the blade horizontally) which is aligned with the finishing wheel. The blade is then gently passed along the finishing wheel about 10 times, until the edges are sharp and the bottom is fully hollowed out.

Your skate is clamped into a jig (most commonly one that holds the blade horizontally) which is aligned with the finishing wheel. The blade is then gently passed along the finishing wheel about 10 times, until the edges are sharp and the bottom is fully hollowed out.

Typically, most skate sharpeners will use a hollow of 7/16, 1/2 or 5/8 as a default if they aren't given any specific instructions. Generally, younger and more inexperience players utilize a deeper hollow of 3/8 to ½.

Use a flat file to file the blade from toe to heel in a diagonal motion. Be sure the file is always perpendicular to the blade. Slide the flat file across a single blade in the same direction roughly 20 times, then perform the same motion in the opposite direction. Repeat the process for the other skate.

Beginner skaters may not need to sharpen their blades as often as those making a lot of stops and cuts. Of course, no matter the ice surface, always use skate guards to protect yourself and the blades. The skate guards should also be cleaned with regularity as they can gather dirt just like the blades.

1/2 and 5/8 inch hollows are the common radiuses that you can get when having your skates sharpened. The latter has a duller profile and less prominent tips, while the former has a sharper feel and more pronounced tips. The 5/8″ hollow has a larger radius than the 1/2″ hollow, resulting in a duller edge.

Step #3: Select Your Sharpening Radius

The deeper the cut, the more grip the blade will have. The shallower the cut, the more glide the blade will have. For the youth or junior player, we recommend starting with a 1/2" standard sharpening. For the adult player, we recommend starting with a 5/8" standard sharpening.

How many passes should I choose when sharpening? If you are freshening up your blades after every skate, 1-2 cycles will usually be enough. If you're sharpening your skates after every 5-6 hours of ice time, you'll typically want to run 4 cycles.

5/8″ (shallow) grind gives you more speed less grip. Good for kids and lighter skaters that aren't heavy on their feet. 1/2″ (standard) grind gives you a decent edge and is a good average to give to most players. 3/8″ (deep) grind gives a sharp deep edge for stopping quickly and good grip on the ice.

For a good starting point, 25 - 1.0 - 30 - 10 is a good basic level for sharpening.

What does 1 2 inch skate sharpening mean? ›

Basically, your skate “hollow” is how deep the groove is between the edges of your blade. If you hand your skates to someone for sharpening, and they don't ask what hollow you get them done to, they're probably doing them at “a half inch” (which refers to the wheel they use to sharpen your blades).

Sharpen them too often and your blades will wear out prematurely. Not frequently enough, and you'll find yourself losing an edge when trying to turn, or being unable to control your skates.

No one should ever skate on dull or unsharpened blades. Your skating edge will help you turn and maneuver, as well as keep your balance.

Rusty skates are caused by moisture that corrodes the metal coating and base metal of your blades. If you let it go untreated for too long the rust will make the blades unusable and will force you to buy new skates. If the rust is minimal on your skates, no need to worry, you easily remove it with a few tools.

Chattering occurs when the edge being stopped on (inside or outside) has too much bite. Sometimes the radius of hollow is too small for the player, or "too sharp." More often it is because the skate was not centered on the sharpening stone resulting in one edge being "higher" than the other.

There's no real limit to how many times you can sharpen your skates. It's very normal to sharpen them every 3-10 hours of skating. Elite players sharpen them after every 2nd or 3rd game.

The general consensus is that ice skates aren't sharp enough to cut your fingers off, and you can gently run your fingers along the blade without any worry. But when moving at high speeds, they can certainly cause pretty big cuts, so it's still important to be careful.

The quick answer is no, hockey skates do not come pre-sharpened when you buy them new. Even the best pair of hockey skates will need to be sharpened before you can let them rip out on the ice. However, most hockey skate manufacturers will put a hollow or contour on the blade before they sell the skate.

Skating with unsharpened blades can cause damage to the blade and may lead to issues during skating. Sharpening your skates can help preserve their condition, as well as increase their lifespan. If you notice any signs of blade wear or damage, it is important to have them sharpened before continuing use.

5/8 - 1/8 = 12 = 0.5

Spelled result in words is one half.

Which is thicker 5 32 or 1 8? ›

If those were converted to inches, they would be (in order) approximately 1/8 inch, 5/32 inch, 1/4 inch, 5/16 inch, and 3/8 inch.

Because of the way these blades are built they are very difficult to sharpen. This is because the cutter blade is made of very thin metal and is not designed to be re-sharpened.

PRO-LEVEL ACCURACY

Used by more than 25 NHL teams, the Sparx Sharpener produces professional results with ease.

Goalies generally prefer very large radius so that they can "kick out" without catching an edge. Figure: Most beginner and instructional skaters can skate on a 1/2" radius. A 5/8" radius will take care of most recreational skaters.

A 1/2” hollow is pretty standard for most players in the League – not too deep, not too shallow and gives a little bit of ability ... The amount of hollow is based on personal preference and style of play, among other things.

In the FBV, the traditional half-moon concave shape is modified so the bottom is flat and the two edges extend more like fangs. In theory, the FBV provides more grip without sacrificing as much glide by affecting the relative friction coefficient.

In the NHL, players will have freshly sharpened skates for every game, but not in between periods.

This means that if you hold the skate sideways (blade parallel to the floor), the grinding wheel rotates down. This is how the ordinary bench grinders from the hardware store are set up. A bench grinder. It's better not to sharpen your skates on one of these.

Most blades manufactured in North America are approximately 20 degrees, providing a good balance between durability and sharpness. This range contains the best angle for knife sharpening when you're looking for a general-use blade.

If you enjoy skating but find that your blades are too sharp, you can dull them down with a few simple steps. First, use a sharpening stone to smooth out any nicks or burrs on the blade. Next, use a honing rod to create a dull edge. Finally, use a steel wool pad to remove any residual sharpness.

Do new skates need to be profiled? ›

When you buy a new pair of skates they come with a factory grind on the steel. It is recommended that you get them profiled before skating in them. The most common profiles are 7 foot 9 foot 11 foot and 13 foot. Most players go with a 9 foot radius, but there are many options to consider.

Because 1095 is very easy to sharpen, it is an ideal blade steel to learn sharpening skills. You can take a knife with a 1095 blade and sharpen it while out in the field or in hunting camp.

If you are using a given knife for heavier cutting or chopping if probably is best sharpened at 20 degrees. If you use a small or medium size knife only for light work such as paring, peeling, or light slicing you may prefer to sharpen it at 15 degrees in order to take advantage of its increased sharpness.

However, we prefer an edge sharpening technique for most output. Edge sharpening avoids emphasizing noise or other artifacts. In addition, edge sharpening holds up better if an image is resized slightly — which is often an unavoidable occurrence when image files are put into page layouts.

While your skates can never be too sharp, they can certainly be too dull and that can take a whole lot of fun out of the game. For those skaters who do feel their skates are too sharp at times, we recommend reviewing our post on selecting an ROH. You should experiment with a slightly shallower radius.

Different Types of Skate Sharpening Hollows

For example, a lighter player can benefit from a deeper hollow (7/16" or 3/8") by providing them with the ability to cut deeper into the ice. This type of sharpening provides more bite for the user, allowing for more responsive turns/stops and quicker overall acceleration.

The angle at which you sharpen a knife is the angle between the blade and the sharpening stone. A steeper angle will result in a sharper edge, but it will also be more delicate and prone to chipping. A shallower angle will result in a more durable edge, but it will also be less sharp.

You hear of many professional hockey players sharpening their skates before every practice and game. Generally, this is done to remove nicks in the blades sustained during hard and heavy action, not because they are dull. This is not necessary for youth hockey players.

Done frequently enough, a blade should last 5 to 8 years for the average recreational skater. Generally, the frequency should be every 20-30 hours of skating. FACTORS: Hardness of the steel used in the blade, and how much and how aggressively you skate.

Whether you're buying your first board or you're getting into tricks for the first time, you're going to need a skate wax that protects your board and keeps it sliding as smoothly as possible.

Do you skate on thin ice? ›

Meaning. If you're skating on thin ice, you're doing something risky, or you're in a situation that could quickly become dangerous.

No. Some female skaters wear white and some wear tan colored skates.

Equipment. Skating in the rain or even just on damp ground can affect your bearings and reduce their efficiency. After a wet skate it's important to clean your bearings to ensure no permanent damage is done.

Some skaters find that sweatpants are more comfortable to skate in than jeans or other types of pants, while others find that they do not provide enough support and protection. Ultimately, it is up to the individual skater to decide what type of pants works best for them.

Make sure you break your skates in slowly, and practice movements that require you to bend your knees and ankles. You can also break in a new pair of skates by wearing them around the house or having the skate shop punch out the leather in areas that rub your feet or ankles.

The Chemistry of Water: Ice Skating | NSF - National Science Foundation. Speed skater glides on ice. Ice skating works because metal skate blades glide with very little friction over a thin layer of water on the ice surface.

A quick test for a sharp edge is to hold the skate upside down, place one thumbnail on the edge of the blade and gently pull down and away from the blade on three or four parts of the blade. A good, sharp blade will easily scrape a layer of your thumbnail, leaving the remnants on the blade.

The higher the number, the flatter the cut. Players used to regularly ask for a 3/8ths or half-inch cut (pointy, high); now it's commonplace for them to use a much shallower hollow. Montreal's Jesperi Kotkaniemi skates on 11/16ths. NHL refs, for whom glide is paramount, typically sharpen at around an inch.

Skates should typically be sharpened after 8-10 hours of use on an indoor rink. This timeframe shrinks when skating outdoors. If you find yourself struggling to skate smoothly or falling down doing a typical skill you'd be comfortable with it is a sign that you may need to get your blades checked.

Use a flat file to file the blade from toe to heel in a diagonal motion. Be sure the file is always perpendicular to the blade. Slide the flat file across a single blade in the same direction roughly 20 times, then perform the same motion in the opposite direction. Repeat the process for the other skate.

Do brand new skates need to be sharpened? ›

The quick answer is no, hockey skates do not come pre-sharpened when you buy them new. Even the best pair of hockey skates will need to be sharpened before you can let them rip out on the ice. However, most hockey skate manufacturers will put a hollow or contour on the blade before they sell the skate.

3/8 is expressed as 0.375 as a decimal and 1/4 is expressed as 0.25 in its decimal form. It is clear that the value of 3/8 is more than 1/4. Hence, it is bigger.

For example, 1/4 and 2/8 are equivalent fractions because they both represent the same amount (one-fourth of a whole). There are many ways to create equivalent fractions, but one of the simplest is to multiply or divide both the top and bottom number (the numerator and denominator) by the same number.

Fourths are larger than eighths, so one fourth is larger than one eighth.

From a design standpoint, 3/32" and 1/8" chains are basically the same except for the width between the plates. Some people believe 1/8" chains are inherently stronger or more durable due to their width. However, there is no strength or durability advantage to being wider.

Oversharpening a knife will also ruin the blade

There comes a point at which a knife blade can't be sharpened anymore, and if you continue to pound it on a steel or whetstone, you'll only be shaving off the blade itself and shortening the knife's life span.

1/2 and 5/8 inch hollows are the common radiuses that you can get when having your skates sharpened. The latter has a duller profile and less prominent tips, while the former has a sharper feel and more pronounced tips. The 5/8″ hollow has a larger radius than the 1/2″ hollow, resulting in a duller edge.

Start skating with your arms straight out to your sides, like you're making a “T” shape. Rotate your arms to the same side while lowering them alongside your body. The movement of your arms provides rotational momentum to get you into the spin.

Dull Skate Blades Are Harder To Control And Struggle More In Ice Conditions. Dull skate blades make it more difficult to control and struggle more in ice conditions. Sharpened skates provide a smoother glide, making them easier to maneuver and stay on your feet longer.

While your skates can never be too sharp, they can certainly be too dull and that can take a whole lot of fun out of the game. For those skaters who do feel their skates are too sharp at times, we recommend reviewing our post on selecting an ROH. You should experiment with a slightly shallower radius.