FAQ: How Often Should You Sharpen Ice Skates?

How do I know if my ice skates need sharpening?

Basically, get them sharpened when they feel too dull for you, or you lose an edge on one side of the skate or you have nicks in the blade. As a rule of thumb, an average hockeyplayer will lose somewhere between 5 and 10 % of the skates edge per hour of skating.

What happens if you don’t sharpen your ice skates?

When Skates are Not Sharp The edges on the blade will ’round’ away from the hollow due to the weight your body places on them, and due to the friction that is generate with the ice. This ’rounded’ results int he skates not being able to bite into the ice as well as they could when they were first sharpened.

How often should you sharpen your skates?

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.

Can you sharpen skates too much?

Get a sense of how often your hockey skates need to be sharpened, and try to adhere to a schedule. Sharpen them too often and your blades will wear out prematurely. Not frequently enough, and you’ll find yourself losing an edge when trying to turn, or being unable to control your skates.

Are brand new skates sharpened?

New hockey skates do not come sharpened. The bottoms of blades on new skates are flatter and rounded, so they need a hollow groove cut into them before they should be used. A trained sharpener with proper equipment will give the blades on new skates the edges needed to perform effectively on the ice.

How much does it cost to get ice skates sharpened?

Here’s how it adds up: Skates alone can cost up to $2,000 per pair. Blades need to be sharpened every few weeks, which costs $30 to $40 at a time.

Is it bad to skate with unsharpened skates?

Some people believe that a beginner skater should skate with dull blades. While on the other hand, others believe it is dangerous for the novice to do skating drills with an unsharpened blade. The suggestion is for you to have a skate that will grab the snow; unsharpened skate will not do that.

Can you ice skate on Unsharpened skates?

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. Keep them sharp — but not too sharp: A sharp blade grabs the ice better than a dull one. Sharpen your blades when they start to slide uncomfortably when you land.

How can I sharpen my skates without a sharpener?

Use your flat file and begin at the toe or heel and move it across the blade in a diagonal motion. The file should always remain perpendicular to the blade when sharpening. Run the flat file across a blade in one direction 15 to 20 times and then repeat in the opposite direction. Do the same for the other skate.

Do NHL players sharpen their skates between periods?

Most players do not get their skates sharpened every period. In the NHL, players will have freshly sharpened skates for every game, but not in between periods. That is a ton of weight to wear for an entire game.

How often sharpen kids ice skates?

Young players can get their hockey skates sharpened every 2-4 weeks or 20-30 hours of ice time. If you push hard on your edges, you’ll want it done more often. But this time frame is only to give you an idea; it would be best to sharpen your skates whenever you feel like it’s affecting your game.

Is it hard to sharpen skates?

Not fully sharpened: Skates will have very little bite in every direction, making it tough to push, turn, stop, or do much of anything. This is because the blade was flattened from the cross-grind wheel, but the sharpener didn’t pass it over the finishing wheel enough times for it to regain its edge.

How do I keep my skates sharp?

An easy and inexpensive way to maintain sharp skates is with a small honing stone. Hold the stone flat on the side of the blade. Rub up and down the length of the blade five or six times on each side. This will remove any small nicks on the blade and bring back a sharp edge.

What should I sharpen my skates at?

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.