What skate radius is for me?
The 1/2″ radius would be our typical recommendation because it is the perfect blend of “glide” and “bite.” Some players opt for the 3/8″ cut, but you are definitely sacrificing some “glide,” which can in turn affect your overall speed on the ice.
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.
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”.
Glide and bite are determined by the amount of blade cutting into the ice. 1/2 inch is our standard hollow, a 3/8 would provide more bite, a 5/8 would provide less bite.
what profile is best? A smaller profile (7′) will make less contact with the ice than a larger profile (13′). Less ice contact (7′) allows for greater maneuverability and acceleration, but also digs into the ice more than a larger profile (13′), which means slower top speeds and increased fatigue.
More than two-thirds of NHL players wear Bauer skates. Some of those players may use aftermarket blades (more on those in a bit), but when Bauer introduces a new runner, it's usually a big deal. The LIGHTSPEED 5 Carbon EDGE, new for 2018, is no exception.
| Wayne Gretzky - 1/2" | Sidney Crosby - 9/16" |
|---|---|
| Joe Sakic - 5/8" | Evgeni Malkin - 11/16" |
| Chris Pronger - 7/8" | Jordan Staal - 5/8" |
| Mark Messier - 1" | Sergei Gonchar - 1-1/4" |
| Paul Coffey - 1" to 2" | Alex Ovechkin - 1/2" |
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.
Best Depth For Hockey Skaters
5/8″ (shallow) grind gives you more speed less grip. Good for kids and lighter skaters that aren't heavy on their feet. 3/8″ (deep) grind gives a sharp deep edge for stopping quickly and good grip on the ice. Good for heavier skaters who like a controlled edge.
A 5/8" radius will take care of most recreational skaters. Most rink managers shoot for an ice temperature of approximately 25 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature of 17 to 23 degrees is considered "hard hockey ice", 25 to 26 degrees is considered good figure skate ice.
What skate hollow does Crosby use?
Around 3:44, he mentions that Crosby used to prefer a deeper hollow, but now uses a 1/2" hollow.
Prosharp recommends a quad profile for players who need to cover a lot of ice. It is the ideal profile for centers and defense. You will feel balanced on your skates when transitioning from gliding to striding. This profile maximizes full stride length.
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.
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.
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.
A hockey skate profile is measured as the radius of an imaginary circle typically in feet. If you were to draw a large circle with a 9-foot radius and then match the side profile of the steel to that circle, you would create a 9-foot radius profile on that steel.
Not too rockered, so it keeps some cruising speed and stability. Most standard, out-of-the-box blades come with a generic profile that is something close to a 10-foot radius curve along the effective skating surface.
Summary: Typically ice hockey skates have been inherited as the skate stock for permanent and seasonal rinks, where the edge of the blade is commonly 65 or 70mm from the sole of the boot. This patented invention reduces this height, lowering the centre of gravity and making it easier to skate.
Some players will sharpen very frequently, such as every 2-3 hours of ice time, while others go for an entire season without sharpening. If you're unsure of where to start, try getting them sharpened after 10 hours of ice time, and then adjust as you feel is necessary.
The longer blades help speed skaters go faster because they provide more pressure into the ice. These blades also help speed skaters have more grip on the ice while they skate.
Do NHL players sharpen their skates between periods?
In the NHL, players will have freshly sharpened skates for every game, but not in between periods.
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!
Sidney Crosby uses a 100 flex stick, higher than you may imagine for a skilled player. In his case this may have some advantages as a stiffer stick can be better in face-offs, and flex really doesn't factor heavily into backhand shooting.
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.
Skates Proboably Won't Cut You
To recap – skates are sharp but not nearly as sharp as a knife or a blade, you can run your finger over them gently – but when moving at speed skate blades can be dangerous and have been known to cause freak accidents.
The first sharpening on a new pair of skates is so important because the sharpener needs to apply a cross grind to the blade with a grinding wheel. A cross grind will ensure the steel is totally flat before applying the specified hollow.
You'll be able to save a bit on the wheel by doing less passes, it's when skates come in with a bad edge that you have to do more passes (and thus, burn out your wheel faster). Honestly, the Sparx sharpener has been a game changer for my goalie skate sharpening. This sharpener is worth every penny.
Skate Sharpening & Skate Care
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.
The edges are what cuts into the ice to give your skates a grip so you can push and move. Besides pushing, the other purpose of the edge is to help you glide on a curve. When your skates dig into the ice with your edge, you can make curves and/or turns. The deeper the edge, the sharper your curves and turns are.
Yes. Huge difference. Invest in good blades. Not only will they hold a sharpening better, better blades are made with higher quality steel which gives you better speed/flow across the ice and also makes it easier to hold an edge.
Does Weight Affect skate sharpening?
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.
So, how often do players in the NHL get new skates? It varies from player to player. Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning says he uses a new pair of skates every ten games. Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks said he used to get a new pair of skates four to five times a season.
- CCM38.6% JetSpeed FT4 Pro13.2% Ribcor Trigger 6 Pro7.8% Super Tacks AS3 Pro3.9% ...
- Bauer37.8% Vapor HyperLite17.5% Nexus Geo12.8% Supreme Ultra Sonic5.6% ...
- Warrior17.6% Alpha LX Pro14.9% Covert QRE101.2% Covert QR5 Pro0.4% ...
- TRUE5.2% Catalyst 9X4.7% HZRDUS PX0.1% PX0.1% ...
- Sherwood0.8% Rekker RE10.4% Code V0.3% Code TMP Pro0.1%
Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. Connor McDavid runs a 10' profile. We sell Tydan Performance Blades.
What is hockey skate profiling ft. ProSharp - YouTube
Bauer's Power Profile is a 4 Zoned Radii, known as a Quad profile. The blade shape is designed with 4 zones uniquely placed and designed for specific performance improvements during all types of edge work. • The first zone, located near the toe of the runner, is shaped to maximize acceleration.
Premium steel, custom colors and logo etching, and a proprietary speed boosting technology for what the other guys are charging for their skate blades. If you are in the market for some new steel, we think Bladetech is definitely worth your money.
Ice Skate Care and How To Know When They Need Sharpened
Anywhere from 1 – 20 years. It totally depends on quality of components, upkeep and maintenance, the type of skating you do, and how often you skate. The wheels may be the first to go, but they can be changed. The key is to clean and maintain your bearings, wheels and other parts to help them last.
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.
What are the types for skate sharpening?
- HOLLOW – Skate blades are not flat. ...
- FLAT BOTTOM V – Rather than being a 'U' Shape hollow, the FBV has a flat bottom and 'V' shaped sides. ...
- CONTOURING – Also referred to as 'rockering', contouring is the actual shaping of the blade.
How, Why and When to sharpen your figure skates - YouTube
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.
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.
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. The second is that people with weak ankles cannot skate. This actually has more to do with the skate, than the skater.
Blades which have been poorly sharpened often leave a weak or rolled edge that quickly breaks down leaving the skates dull. To protect your blades in your bag and while carrying them use SKATE GUARDS. They protect the blades, equipment and the skater when reaching into the hockey bag.
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.
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.
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 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.
How many times can ice skates be sharpened?
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.
Skates Proboably Won't Cut You
To recap – skates are sharp but not nearly as sharp as a knife or a blade, you can run your finger over them gently – but when moving at speed skate blades can be dangerous and have been known to cause freak accidents.
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!
Skate Sharpening & Skate Care
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.
The first sharpening on a new pair of skates is so important because the sharpener needs to apply a cross grind to the blade with a grinding wheel. A cross grind will ensure the steel is totally flat before applying the specified hollow.
The optimal hollow varies for each individual skater. It depends on your skating style, your weight, the ice hardness and your preference. Most skaters prefer hollows from seven 16th to five eights. A deeper hollow may make you feel like the blade is in control.
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.
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.
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. The second is that people with weak ankles cannot skate. This actually has more to do with the skate, than the skater.
Prosharp recommends a quad profile for players who need to cover a lot of ice. It is the ideal profile for centers and defense. You will feel balanced on your skates when transitioning from gliding to striding. This profile maximizes full stride length.
How sharp do ice skates need to be?
Your hockey skates should be sharp enough to ensure the blades have bite and allow you to turn and stop with confidence. Sharp edges mean that the inside and outside edges of your skate blade are razor-thin, clean and without burrs or nicks.
