How long should ice skate blades be?
The rule of thumb is that you want to get a blade that is 1/4 " or smaller then the length of the sole. It should not be any shorter than that, but typically anywhere from 1/4" to 1/14" shorter than the sole length.
Blades. Blades are made of high-tempered carbon steel and range in length from 40 to 48 centimeters (about 16 to 19 inches) and are about 1.1 millimeters thick (about 0.04 inches).
When measuring blades to fit boots, for ADULTS, the blade will typically be 1/8”-1/4" shorter than the boot sole length. If the sole length of your boot measures 9.5" long, then you would TYPICALLY purchase a blade that will be 9.25" long.
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.
Minimum ice thickness should be:
15 cm for walking or skating alone. 20 cm for skating parties or games. 25 cm for snowmobiles.
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 shortest, #0 has a length of 30 inches, the standard youth #2 blade has a length of 32 inch and the regular standard #5 is 35 inch long.
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.
Jochen Hecht of the Buffalo Sabres, Dennis Seidenberg of the New York Islanders, Marcel Goc of the Nashville Predators, and Christian Ehrhoff of the Buffalo Sabres are NHL players who use T-Blade skates.
Sidney Crosby uses a CCM P29 curve. This Hockey Stick Blade is one of the most popular in the game today and features a deep mid-curve allowing for great stickhandling and puck control.
What is the difference between 5/8 and 1/2 skate sharpening?
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.
So why use taller blades? They provide a more aggressive “attack” or “push” angle to the ice before the cowling makes contact and there is risk of slipping out. Taller steel allows goalies to get their knees lower to the ice before the cowling makes contact.
Ice skating blades are sharp, but they're unlikely to cut you. The blades must be sharp enough to dig into the ice, as it's very hard to skate efficiently on dull blades. While they are sharp, it requires a lot of speed and pressure for the blades to cause serious lacerations.
Without thin socks, you can get painful corns and blisters. Lace your skates tight enough so that they fit is snug, but not painfully tight. Lacing boots too tightly can cause lace bite, a condition that causes sharp foot pain due to compressed tendons.
There should be about 1 inch beyond the big toe but no more. If you cannot remove the insole, put the foot inside the skate and move the foot forward until the toes touch the end of the skate. If you can put your forefinger between the heel and the back of the skate, they fit.
But if we tell someone to expect one or two-tenths of an inch of ice, it seems like a small number and doesn't really mean much. Anything under a tenth of an inch is usually considered a glazing, and a quarter-inch or more is usually where you see significant damage.
Ice is not considered safe to walk on until it is at least 4 inches thick. At 4” the ice is suitable for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and walking and can support about 200 pounds. At 5 inches of new clear ice should be enough to hold a single snowmobile or ATV or about 800 pounds.
The best way to break in a new pair of roller-skates is to settle in for the long haul. The more you wear them, the more the leather will conform to the individual shape of your foot.
The short summary is this: it hurts to break in new ice skates because of the uniqueness of each person's foot and the importance of the tightness of skates.
Sources such as the Canadian Red Cross say that for ice to be considered safe to go out on, it should be of a particular thickness — at least 15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on it, or 20 cm thick for a group of people, and at least 25 cm thick for snowmobiling.
Are blades shorter 7 or 10?
Blade Lengths
In grooming equipment, blade numbers go backwards from what you would expect. That is, the smaller the number, the longer the hair will be, and the bigger the number, the shorter the hair will be. So short haircuts will be a #5, #7, #9, #10 (named longest to shortest).
In inches, determine the radius of each wheel, by measuring from the center to the outside of the wheel. Apply the following formula: (R1 x 3.1416) + (R2 x 3.1416) + (2 x C) = Saw blade length.
Roller skates might be easier for young children, because they feel more stable initially. Yet, blades can be easier to learn how to skate well. Tricks are typically done with inline skates, but can be done on blades.
So, what's easier out of rollerblading and roller skating? Rollerskates may be easier for very young children whose muscles are less developed as standing upright and moving slowly is a bit easier. Teenagers and adults often progress faster on inlines which are agile, and pick up speed outdoors easily.
Many intermediate, advanced, and elite figure skaters skate on the Pattern 99 blade manufactured by John Wilson. Other popular blades are John Wilson's Gold Seal and MK's Phantom. Many pre-intermediate figure skaters skate on MK's Professional model.
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. It's very similar to track and field athletes wearing spikes on their shoes to have more grip while they run.
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”.
Heated skate blades that are supposed to enhance performance are being used by four anonymous NHL players.
Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. Connor McDavid runs a 10' profile. We sell Tydan Performance Blades.
And unlike a typical blade, T Blades cannot be fixed or touched up by a routine sharpening, so damaged blades will have to be replaced. This may lead to an unexpected cost of replacing before a blade dulls, and could potentially leave you without skates until you find a replacement.
Why do hockey players not shave?
The Stanley Cup playoff beard has been an NHL tradition since the early 1980s, when the shaggy New York Islanders won four straight championships. It represents the players' singular focus, as if even personal hygiene is sacrificed in pursuit of hockey's holy grail.
Alexander Ovechkin is 230 pounds and uses a 79 flex stick, which is probably a big reason for his one-timer. Sidney Crosby uses a 100 flex stick, higher than you may imagine for a skilled player.
So, the CCM P29 (Crosby) is essentially the same as the Bauer P92 -- they're crazy similar and, all told, it's a good curve for kids.
Over the past few years you've no doubt taken notice of NHL players using what appears to be a massive hook! Most noticeably stars like Ovechkin, Doughty or Getzlaf are using what has become known as the Open Toe (P28 in most brands) pattern.
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.
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 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.
The Dance Blade has smaller toe picks and the tail of the blade is much shorter to prevent the partners from stepping on the back of the blade. You can do most edge jumps (Loops, Axles) with dance blades. For Toe Jumps (Lutz, Flip) you like a little more two pick than on a dance blade.
Long track blades are longer to help athletes glide straight faster. Short track blades are shorter and easier to control since there are more dynamic turns. Short track blades range from 30-45 centimeters, and long track skaters use 40-55-centimeter blades, according to Olympics.com.
When measuring figure skating blades to fit figure skating boots, the blade will typically be 1/4" shorter than the boot sole length. So, for instance if the sole length of your boot measures 10.5" long, then you would want to purchase a figure skating blade that will be 10.25" long.
How long are speed skating skate blades?
Short track blades are 12 to 18 inches while long track blades are usually 16 to 22 inches. The longer blade allows for more straightaway speed, while the smaller blade assists with control on turns.
Ice skating blades are sharp, but they're unlikely to cut you. The blades must be sharp enough to dig into the ice, as it's very hard to skate efficiently on dull blades. While they are sharp, it requires a lot of speed and pressure for the blades to cause serious lacerations.
If you sit back down and kick your heel back as far as it can go, your toe should be separated from the toe cap and be able to wiggle freely without touching the boot of the skate.
BEIJING, China — The fastest speedskaters at the Olympics don't wear any socks. Speedskaters have custom boots that fit so tight to their feet, there's no room to put on a sock when they're out on the ice.
In the 1986–1987 season a small number of marathon skaters intended to use the clap skate competitively, but its use was prohibited by match officials due to increased risk of physical harm to the skaters in case of a fall.
The rule of thumb is to sharpen ice skates after every 15-20 hours of use. This is typical for athletes who play hockey or figure skate multiple times on a weekly basis. This consensus is based on a few factors: First is how the skates are being used.
You size the boot for the foot, and the blade for the boot. There are subtle differences within a sport: in figure skating, for example, ice dance blades have a shorter tail than freestyle blades. But that's a function of the discipline, not the rink.
If you are very lightweight, a 3/8” radius is probably what you need. Light to average weight skaters typically have a radius of 1/2″ to 5/8” while heavier skaters usually opt for about 3/4″ to avoid chattering when they try to stop.
