Pro's Corner: Radius of Hollow vs. Flat Bottom V — Binnie's Skate Sharpening (2024)

FAQs

What is the best radius for skate sharpening? ›

The most common radius of hollow cuts are ½” and 5/8” for skate sharpening shops because it provides the best balance between edge depth and glide speed.

One of the first NHL teams to be using the flat bottom v skate sharpening method was the St. Louis blues, now over 20 NHL teams are using this method, quite a bold statement for a technique that just took off at the beginning of the year!

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. I used a 5/8ths hollow, but as I got older and heavier, I switched to the less sharp 3/4ths.

Most skates are sharpened by cutting an arc in between the two edges, known as the radius of hollow (ROH). This is measured in inches. Hockey player and goalie skates are often sharpened with a ROH from 3/8” up to 1-1/2”. Figure skates are generally sharpened to 1”, and speed skates are COMPLETELY FLAT!

What skate sharpening does Connor McDavid use? Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. Connor McDavid runs a 10' profile. We sell Tydan Performance Blades.

The radius of a skate blade will typically range between 1/4″ to 1¼”. You won't see anything below 1/4″ for two reasons: anything lower is too sharp for any skater regardless of skill or discipline, and it can damage the grinding wheel used by the sharpener.

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.

There are several different types of hollows to choose from, but pro shops will commonly use 1/2” as their “standard” cut. The 1/2” hollow offers a respectable mix of glide and control for most players but adjusting the depth of the hollow can offer several benefits when done correctly.

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.

Which sharpening method is better and why? ›

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.

The normal range for this is ⅜” to ¾”, although higher or lower hollows are occasionally seen. Typically, skate shops will do 1/2”, 5/8”, or 7/16” hollow as a default if they aren't given any specific instructions.

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. In this video, Glen (who played for seven years in the NHL) tries to find the best balance point for my skates, based on their inside size.

McDavid Curve

Perhaps the fastest growing Hockey Blade right now is the P28 “McDavid” curve. This Hockey Blade curve is a great option for players who play the game with the puck on the toe of their stick, due to the toe curve with an open face.

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.

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

Forwards generally prefer smaller radius than defense men of the same weight. 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.

So when we say Radius of Hollow (RoH), we're referring to the depth of the cut ground into the bottom of our blade. We call the bottom surface of the hockey skate blade, the one that contacts the ice, the skating surface.

What hollow do speed skaters use? ›

Speedskate blades should be sharpened every 2-6 hours of use. They are “flat ground” with a 90 degree angle, whereas hockey and figure skates are “hollow ground”. The blades must be sharpened by hand, and will be ruined if sharpened like hockey skates.

5/8 (Shallow) grind is what most figure skaters skate on. This gives you a good flowing edge and has little friction on the ice. 1/2 (Standard) grind will be a lot more forgiving when landing a jump giving a sharper edge to land on.

The 5/8″ skate sharpening hollow provides skaters with less grip than the 1/2″ because it has a shallower depth and does not bite deep into the ice. In contrast, 1/2″ hollows penetrate the surface deeper due to the sharper edge. Therefore, those with 1/2″-hollowed skates have better grip and an easier time balancing.

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.