Sharpening Ice Skates

The blade of your ice skates are being worn and dull when used, and it is recommended you have them sharpened every so often.

Ice hockey skates

Modern ice hockey skates have a radie-grinding, so that the area of contact with the ice is constant at different angles when skating at the center half of the blade. That way, there is always 1.25-1.75" of the blade in contact with the ice.

The sharper you have your blade sharpened the better grip you have and this makes you able to stop and turn shorter. But the sharper the sharpening is, the more it takes of skill to control the stop or turn. A semi sharp sharpening allows you to slide when you brake or turn, which makes the stop less abrupt and thereby easier to control.

Figure skate

The blade of a figure skate is longer and more straight and an of a higher grade steel than ice hockey blades, and therefor they don't need sharpening as often. However, the sharpness and the precision of the hollow grinding is pivotal to the speed and maneuverability.

Grinding

Most skate arenas, where they offer skate rentals, and skate shops will be able to sharpen your skates for 4 -8,- $. The price of having them do it and the risk of ruining the blade makes it not worth doing it yourself. But we offer a grinding service at SkatePro.