How often should I sharpen my skates? - The Beer League Tribune (2024)

FAQs

How often should I sharpen my skates? - The Beer League Tribune? ›

If you just play outside, perhaps then once or twice a season would be fine. If you're going back and forth, perhaps once a week or after every outdoor skate just to make sure the elements didn't mess up your blades for a game. Maintaining your steel is very important! Skate sharpening helps maintain sharpness.

A rule of thumb is for every 15 to 20 hours of ice time, but let's go beyond the basics. The biggest factor is how often you skate, hence the rule of thumb based on ice time. It's not unheard of for some players to sharpen their blades before every game, and others once or twice a year.

Some hockey players go 15 or more hours of ice time between sharpening. SIdney Crosby gets his skates sharpened before every game period. If you skate on an outdoor rink, you will need to have your skates sharpened more frequently. You should check your edges after you skate.

In my experience, when blades are properly maintained and sharpened properly by a skilled tech after every 20-30 hours of skating, most skaters can get around 30 sharpenings out of a blade.

Usually I feel like the edges are the best after the 2nd or 3rd skate. Then I'll usually just sharpen them every 4+ months in spring/summer (skating once per week on indoor ice) or 2ish months in the winter (skating 3-4 times a week on indoor and outdoor ice) or if they're feeling exceptionally dull.

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.

The closer you are to your skates the closer you feel the ice." Mr. Crosby's skates (size 8 ¾) are so snug the tips of his big toenails are often black after games. He confessed he loves his skates "soft and broken in," which makes him more vulnerable to the puck injury he suffered.

A good example of a player using a neutral Profile is Sidney Crosby. He utilizes a 30/60 Cag Profile.

Dirty ice, dirty mats, screws in the door sills and boards, contact with bolts in the benches and other skate blades, rust, walking on concrete, etc. Outdoor ice can be very dirty or the dirt frozen into the surface makes the ice a strong abrasive.

Can I sharpen my skates at home? ›

Manual sharpening with a flat-file takes more skill and patience than other methods. However, it's one of the best ways to truly understand and master the art of sharpening. For this method, you'll need a jig to hold the skate in place, a flat sharpening stone, a needle file, and lubricant.

Spending too much time sharpening the ends of the blade will cause it to gradually become more and more rockered over time, which limits the amount of blade on the ice and overall speed. This is hard to notice with a single sharpening but is something to watch over time or when purchasing used skates.

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.

In general, sharpen twice per season or after 25 hours of use to keep your blades in good shape. Also, sharpen the blades after hitting rocks. Stone can easily dent or nick the blades. The lawn itself can also hint when you need to sharpen your mower blades.

No, your hockey skates don't come sharpened when you buy them. Your new skates don't have an edge so the first sharpening is a little more difficult than subsequent ones, and it is definitely the most important.