Skate Sharpening | Clark Power Skating (2024)

FAQs

How do I know if my skates are sharp enough? ›

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.

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.

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”.

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.

If the skates are too sharp, your skater will have a difficult time pushing forward because the grooves of the sharp blades get stuck into the ice. Remember, the sharper the skates does not make your child skate better!

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.

As a general rule, you should sharpen your figure or hockey skates every 10-15 hours of use or every 2-3 months. However, if you are skating more frequently or feel like your skates are not gliding smoothly, you'll probably to consider and additional sharpening.

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).

A deeper radius of hollow, player weight, ice conditions and damage can necessitate more frequent sharpening. Some hockey players go 15 or more hours of ice time between sharpening. SIdney Crosby gets his skates sharpened before every game period.

Shallow Hollow

An interesting fact worth noting is that NHL players tend to, on average, skate on much flatter RoHs than your typical recreational player. One NHL team that we are close to claims that greater than 50% of the players are at ⁵/₈” RoH and larger with many in the ³/₄”, ⁷/₈”, and 1” RoH range.

What blade profile do NHL players use? ›

Major manufacturers ship skates with profiles between 9' and 13' for player steel and 27' to 50' for goalie steel. Goalies have a large profile to provide a flatter surface, whereas youth skates for players require a much smaller radius. Many new goalie skates come with a 30' profile.

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.

USED skates purchased here will be sharpened for the first time at a cost of $3. Otherwise, $6 per sharpening is an inexpensive way to ensure your skates are sharp all season long.

You will need a sharpening jig, a large 2-sided sharpening stone, a small burr stone, and a rag to wipe everything down. Look for a jig and stones specifically meant for sharpening skates.

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. If you see this, we recommend re-sharpening your skates.

Heavier skaters trying to skate on a smaller radius will bite into the ice and have trouble stopping without going over the top of the skates or chattering. On the other hand, they can hold tight turns. If you are a beginner, you should remember that most skills are easier to learn with a larger hollow radius.

An interesting fact worth noting is that NHL players tend to, on average, skate on much flatter RoHs than your typical recreational player. One NHL team that we are close to claims that greater than 50% of the players are at ⁵/₈” RoH and larger with many in the ³/₄”, ⁷/₈”, and 1” RoH range.

As a general rule, you should sharpen your figure or hockey skates every 10-15 hours of use or every 2-3 months. However, if you are skating more frequently or feel like your skates are not gliding smoothly, you'll probably to consider and additional sharpening.