How would you like your skates sharpened? (2024)

FAQs

How should you get your skates sharpened? ›

Sharpening your skates involves passing them over a spinning stone with a rounded outer surface. This surface can be modified to have a very curved surface resembling a segment of a small circle, or it can be flatter, resembling part of a larger one.

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.

If you feel a little bite to your nail as you drag it across the edge – the edge is sharp. If your fingernail ever feels like it slides across the edge smoothly (i.e. as if the edge were rounded and not sharp) – this is an indication that the edge might not be sharp enough to skate on with confidence.

Dull blades will chatter, pull to one side, wobble out of control, or prevent you from turning as tightly as you normally do. If you find yourself struggling with quick turns or your blades don't bite into the ice as they should, you might need to get your skates sharpened.

gently tap the edge of the blade against your fingernail. Your knife is sharp if the blade bites in, and dull if it deflects or slides. Start from the heel (closest to the handle) and tap to the tip, looking for any areas that are not sharp.

Bring the skate blade to eye-level and look down the blade towards the coin. If there is a significant height difference between the inside and outside edge, it will be visible; you'll see one side of the coin will be higher than the other.

Extra sharp skates can slow a player down or make transitions difficult. Sharp skates result in a slower glide because the blades sink into the ice more. Skate blades are too sharp when the hollow (the curve between the inside and outside edges) is too deep.

Generally skates should be sharpened every 20-40 skating hours. This depends on a few different factors such as how many times a week a skater is on the ice, which elements the skater is working on, and the build of the skater.

Better grip: Sharper blades grip the ice better than dull ones. This means a sharp blade can help you stick figure skate landings and make sharper turns. Consistent performance: Regularly sharpening your skates allows you to find the sharpness that helps you perform best.

Generally speaking, the golden rule for proper skate fit no matter the brand or kind of skate is as snug as possible without being painful or uncomfortable, with the ability to still wiggle the toes up and down.

What kind of sharpening should I get on my skates? ›

You can get your skates sharpened anywhere from 1/8th of an inch to one inch. 1/8th would be the sharpest, and one inch would be the least sharp. The majority of pros use something with a shallower hollow, but preference does widely vary.

Sharpening for Hockey Skates

Skate PROS use a diamond-tipped dresser to grind an edge on your figure or hockey skates. Concave semi-circles, called the skate hollow, are cut into the blade edge. The deeper the hollow, the sharper your blade will be.

Skates need to be sharp even if the skater is young. Most often children's skates require sharpening every 2 months depending on how much they skate. All skates should be sharpened to a grind radius of 5⁄8 inch (15 mm) or less. Some people think that a child needs a flatter grind often 1 inch (25 mm).

Push the point you want to sharpen with your fingers. While keeping the angle and pushing the point with your fingers, stroke the blade until it reaches the other edge of the whetstone, then pull the blade back until it reaches the edge of the whetstone.

Almost all skaters worry about their toes touching the end when they first put on skates. This is perfectly normal. The first three things you do when you go skating all help to make a skate feel better: Tap your heel into the back of the skate - be firm!

As a general rule, the heavier the skater, the larger the radius needed. An extremely light skater can tolerate a very small radius (producing a deep hollow with lots of edge) because they do not have much weight to bear on the ice.

One way to protect your ice skate blades is to always dry them off after skating as this will help prevent rust and corrosion from setting in. Simply take a dry rag or microfiber cloth and carefully wipe down the blade until it's completely dry.

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.

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. However the more you sharpen them, the quicker they'll wear down over time—and blades typically last 5-8 years.

Should I sharpen new skates? ›

In sum, new pairs of skates do not come sharpened (unless request). The first skate sharpening after you buy them is also critical to their effectiveness on the ice. So, don't rush out onto the ice with your new pair of skates. Take the time to sharpen them first so your skates have edges.

You really want to avoid these kinds of falls or any slipping, feeling uncomfortable or insecure while ice skating. That's why it's important to sharpen your skates on-time and not wait until a disaster happens.

Roller skating is one of the most fun sports you can do, but like any physical activity, you can end up with some aches and pains if you're not careful. One of the most common complaints from roller skaters is that they are experiencing foot pain.

The truth is BOTH types of skates - inlines and quad roller skates - are hard at first as they require balance, core strength and leg strength. Over time and with practice you will build up these muscles and that will make any skating a lot easier.

Best Depth For Beginner Skaters

For figure skate style boot or a skate with a wider blade, we would recommend a 5/8 sharpen.

Most ice hockey skates do not come pre-sharpened and are not game-ready. Unlike a standard re-sharpening, new hockey skates are first cross-grinded which removes any imbalances or unevenness in the blades prior to the standard sharpening.

Generally skates should be sharpened every 20-40 skating hours. This depends on a few different factors such as how many times a week a skater is on the ice, which elements the skater is working on, and the build of the skater.

They sharpen every skate in the afternoon before every game, a process that takes them about an hour, each manager with their own sharpening machine.

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.

How can I sharpen my skates by myself? ›

Tighten the blade brackets until the skates are securely in place and parallel to each other. Sit with the sharpening jig between your legs. 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.

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.

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. However the more you sharpen them, the quicker they'll wear down over time—and blades typically last 5-8 years.

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.

Skate Sharpening

We sharpen skates while you wait for just $6 per pair.

Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. Connor McDavid runs a 10' profile. We sell Tydan Performance Blades.

These are the most common radius, or “hollow” that goalie skates are sharpened at. For goalies who have never used goalie skates before, we recommend starting at 1/2″. If you can skate easily and feel like you're not getting enough grip, try a radius closer to zero, like 7/16″, for more grip.