Sharpening Must Knows
Sharpening Basics
*Sharpening is done by appointment.
Book your time here:
*Skate Blades have two edges, an inside and an outside edge
*The portion of the blade in between the two edges is concave, this is
the "HOLLOW"
*The hollow is measured by the radius of the hollow's circle
(as shown above)
*What we perceive as "sharpness" is actually how deep the hollow is
-The deeper the hollow, the smaller the radius, the "sharper" it feels
*When you get your blades sharpened, the technician uses a wheel that they "dress" or shave to the desired hollow measurement
They then run the blade against this wheel to either deepen or maintain the hollow of your blade
What Hollow is Right For Me?
What Hollow is Right For Me?
*Hollow preference is a personal choice and is not related to skating level or type
(hockey vs. figure)
*Most technicians consider the industry "standard" to be 1/2 (one half) inch radius
How Often Should I Sharpen?
Figure Skates:
Generally figure skate blades should be sharpened every 20-30 hours of ice time, but as with many aspects of skate maintenance, it varies from skater to skater.
*Some blades such as Ultima Matrix are made with stainless steel and can hold an edge longer than most carbon steel blades.
Hockey Skates:
Hockey blades are thinner than figure blades and due to the nature of the sport, they can dull out and lose their bite faster.
Hockey blades (for an active player) need to be sharpened about every 10 hours of ice time, -sometimes even more often for more advanced players-
Other Contributing Factors:
*Body weight
*Quality of Ice surface
*Nature of skating
*RUST
-If your blades are rusted YOU MUST SHARPEN THEM ASAP!
Please read about how to prevent rust at