Best Depth For Figure Skaters

How much should I sharpen my skates?

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.

What radius should I sharpen my skates?

A Guide to the Recommended Skate Sharpening Radius

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.

What angle should I sharpen my skates?

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. Slightly smaller radius may be used on colder/harder ice and vice versa.

What is the difference between 1 2 and 5/8 skate sharpening?

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.

Is 5/8 a good 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.

Do beginners need sharp skates?

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.

Do brand new skates need to be sharpened?

New skates are not sharpened, so you will need to get them sharpened by a trained sharpener, and then re-sharpened every 15-20 hours of ice time – to keep them in tip top condition by removing knicks and deformaties in the metal edge.

What skate sharpening does Connor McDavid use?

Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. Connor McDavid runs a 10' profile. We sell Tydan Performance Blades.

Is Flat Bottom V better?

In the FBV, the traditional half-moon concave shape is modified so the bottom is flat and the two edges extend more like fangs. In theory, the FBV provides more grip without sacrificing as much glide by affecting the relative friction coefficient.

How many times can you sharpen 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.

What happens if your skates are dull?

If you have dull blades, your ice skates will not be able to form a powerful grip with the ice. Therefore, you could keep falling over while skating at the rink. If you have nicks in your blades, this could require you to sharpen your ice skates as well.

How long does sharpening skates take?

How long does it take to sharpen a pair of skates? Average rental/retail sharpening is 3-5 cycles equaling 2-3 minutes per skate or 4-6 minutes per pair.

How often should skates be sharpened?

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.

Can I skate with rusty skates?

Is it OK to skate with rusty skates? Rusted ice skate blades prevent you from enjoying your time on the ice and may even make it impossible to skate. Left untreated, rust continues to damage the blades, forcing you to invest in a new pair.

Can you sharpen skates with a grinder?

Sharpen your skate.

Starting with the toe, lightly touch the edge of the blade to the spinning grinding wheel. Move the skate holder so that the entire length of the skate has been run through the grinder. Try to do this as smoothly and consistently as possible to prevent an uneven sharpening.

Can skates be too sharp?

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.

Are new ice skates already sharpened?

Unfortunately, only some new ice skates come sharpened from the factory. Most skates arrive dull and require sharpening before you try them. Even if you do buy them already sharpened, you still want to re-sharpen them as shipping can ding the blades.

Do skates go dull over time?

Blades do wear down by sharpening. And they have a limited lifetime. My daughters sharpener (yes we have a special guy) is pretty conservative with grinding and very consistent so newly sharpened blades don't take much time to get used to. My skaters like a freshly sharpened blade because of this.

How do you sharpen skates?

Tighten the blade brackets until the skates are securely in place and parallel to each other. Sit with the sharpening jig between your legs. Use a flat file to file the blade from toe to heel in a diagonal motion. Be sure the file is always perpendicular to the blade.

Why do my skates chatter when I stop?

If a player's skate chatters as the stop occurs, it means the player's weight is too much on the heel of the skate! Weight will be applied equally on both skates with the feet shoulder width apart or slightly wider in the hockey stance position.

What does 1/2 inch skate sharpening mean?

The 1/2” hollow offers a respectable mix of glide and control for most players but adjusting the depth of the hollow can offer several benefits when done correctly. 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.