Help, rusty blades...

[skatetiludrop]

Hey all,
My blades are a little rusty especially in the areas between the edges. I've always dried them by not putting them in skate guards. I usually dry them by placing them on the soakers, I don't know what I did wrong. Anyway, what are the proper ways to care for the blades? Any tips will be greatly appreciated :bow:

[icedancer2]

You should always dry your blades and the blade plates with a soft cloth before placing them in the soakers.

[Debbie S]

As a member of the Left-Her-Skate Guards-On-Too-Long-At-A-Competition-And-Ended-Up-With-Rust Club, I can assure you that a sharpening will definitely remove the rust, but if you don't need a sharpening any time soon, you can have someone at your pro shop fix them by rubbing some kind of oil on them (I've needed both remedies).

And yes, you should definitely dry the blades before putting on the soakers. And when you get home, let the skates sit out of your bag/closet overnight so that the insides of the skates, as well as the blades, dry completely.

[skatetiludrop]

Thanks for your suggestions. One more question though, is it natural for blades to get rusty for most skaters? I haven't checked my freinds' yet so I have no idea if it's the common syndrome. Thanks!

[CanAmSk8ter]

It's extremely rare for blades to get rusty if they're properly taken care of. If they're not taken care of, then yes, they're pretty much guaranteed to rust. Like someone else said, you've got to dry them off well before putting them in your soakers- and don't use your soakers to dry them! The soakers will get damp, and putting on wet soakers is totally counterproductive. You need to have a dish towel or some kind of small towel in your bag to dry them with. Then put the soakers on, and if possible, dry them off naturally when you get home by just letting them sit in fresh air for awhile. I am almost never able to do this, but because I get them really dry before putting the soakers on, I've never had them rust.

[Mrs Redboots]

One of my friends uses loo paper to dry her blades with, before wiping them with an old flannel and then putting the soakers on. She says its far and away the best thing to get the worst off with - and she has been a professional skater, years ago, so she should know. Although I admit to only using an old face-flannel.... and I have had rust! But skating took the worst of that away, and the rest vanished at the next sharpening, and I've been more careful since.

I don't leave my skates out to dry, as they spend 90% of their time at the rink, so have to be left in their bag. But each individual skate is in its own cloth bag, as well as the soakers (the bags, soakers, and matching flannel were made by the above-referenced friend, who sold several sets to various skaters), and they seem to do okay.

[RoaringSkates]

I always wipe my skates after I wear them. I just use a face cloth, although my coach swears by a "shammy" - chamois cloth, like used to dry cars. After I dry my skates, I put them in the terrycloth soakers. I then put them in my bag, which I know I shouldn't do, but I try to leave the bag open so the blades get lots of air.

None of the skaters I know have rust on their blades - at least not that I've seen! Most skaters seem to be very careful to dry off their skates. I've seen rust a lot on skates owned by non-skaters - people who only skate a few times a year, and don't really know to wipe the blades.

I got rust once (shame :oops:). I hadn't dried the skates off well enough, had put the soakers on, had put the skates in my closed bag and left them there for a few days. Bad. But a sharpening took it right off.

[Vicki]

Maybe I go overboard, but I first dry them with a terry towel, second, I go over them with a chamois, then put the soakers on last. The chamois has a tiny amount of oil that's good for the blades (from what I've heard). Since my skates sit in my car trunk the rest of the day, I open my skate bag so the air can ciculate and dry the insides and outsides of the skates. Result: not a lick of rust, ever.

[Kelli]

I apparently have 'special' blades. I dry them thoroughly (once when I take them off and once more after I change to get rid of the condensation), put soakers on, and take the soakers off as soon as I get home and leave the skates standing up with the blade in the air. They still occasionally rust. :roll: 'Course, when I left my skates in a locker full time, the blades never rusted... :frus: Anyway, a skate takes off light rust, and I never noticed a difference.

[Isk8NYC]

If you have to store your skates for a month or more, put some vaseline or sewing machine oil on the business parts of the blade. It helps seal out air and stops the rust. Instead of soakers, use some wax paper to cover the blades.

[NCSkater02]

Maybe I go overboard, but I first dry them with a terry towel, second, I go over them with a chamois, then put the soakers on last. The chamois has a tiny amount of oil that's good for the blades (from what I've heard). Since my skates sit in my car trunk the rest of the day, I open my skate bag so the air can ciculate and dry the insides and outsides of the skates. Result: not a lick of rust, ever.

This is exactly what I do too, and haven't had any rust problems since I've had this pair of skates. I had some minor problems with my first pair, but I asked skate coaches about it, and they told me how to care for my blade properly.

I also keep Stinkeez in them--must do something--they don't stink.

[pilgrimsoul]

I wipe mine off really thoroughly with a shammy, then put the soakers on them and keep them in the open bag until I get home. Then I remove the soakers and use a soft paper towel (Viva is the best!) to rub mineral oil on them before putting the guards on. The mineral oil prevents rust from forming, plus it makes the blades look pretty and helps keep my edges sharp longer! I always rub the mineral oil on the entire blade, base included, so the screws don't rust either.

[Perry]

A terry cloth towel really suffices. A lot of people I know use shammies instead, and they work well, too. A common area to get rust, however, is on the base of the blade, where its connected to the boot, since most skaters don't think to dry there. And, even if you do use a towel/shammy, it is always a good idea to take your skates out of the soakers whenever you can.

Another problem -- when you leave your skates in a bag, or some other enclosed space, for even a day at a time, it really wears down the boot. I was training in Cape Cod when I was eleven or so, and I started having severe boot issues. The skate guy there said it was from leaving them in the bag for too long (and when I was there, I was skating pretty much from 7 AM - 3 or 4 PM, so it wasn't exactly like I didn't ever take them out of the bag). I ended up having to get completely new boots.

[icedancer2]

Another problem -- when you leave your skates in a bag, or some other enclosed space, for even a day at a time, it really wears down the boot. I was training in Cape Cod when I was eleven or so, and I started having severe boot issues. The skate guy there said it was from leaving them in the bag for too long (and when I was there, I was skating pretty much from 7 AM - 3 or 4 PM, so it wasn't exactly like I didn't ever take them out of the bag). I ended up having to get completely new boots.

Wow -- I have never heard of this problem -- I wonder if it matters what kind of bag they are in? I've had my boots for 14 or more years and I can't say they've broken down because they've been in the bag. They've broken down because I wear them a LOT however.

Interesting.

[Perry]

A lot of times having them in the bag speeds up the rate that they wear down. If you take them out of the bag more frequently, they last longer, even if you wear them a lot.

Part of the problem was also the type of leather from which the skates were made. That was right after Reidell switched the grade of leather they were using for customs, and it broke down a lot faster. Combined with having them in the bag, I needed new skates after only three months. I've since switched to Klingbeil's and started taking my boots out of my bag, and haven't had a problem since.

[spinningtiger]

I completly agree with the shammy it does work great on getting blades dry and to those who are not properly drying out thise skates and they have cork or wooden soles you may one day notice some screws missing I can talk from experience!

[skatetiludrop]

Can I use mineral oil used for skin? It has some perfume in it too I think, is that a problem to the blades?

[Mrs Redboots]

Would baby oil work? That is unperfumed and is, I believe, mineral oil (which is why it is not recommended for use with essential oils, and does not work in soap-making, either). I don't really fancy carting a can of WD40 or 3-in-1 to the rink, but a small bottle of baby oil in my skate bag would have other uses, too....

[skatetiludrop]

So perfumed baby oil isn't good then? What about Vaseline Petroleum jelly? Can I use it instead?

[luna_skater]

A lot of times having them in the bag speeds up the rate that they wear down. If you take them out of the bag more frequently, they last longer, even if you wear them a lot.



This sounds strange to me also. I have had my skates for 7 years and they are still going strong. The last couple of year, I have skated a couple of times a week year round, but when I was only doing synchro, they would sit in the skate bag for months at a time over the summer. Never had any problems.

[icedancer2]

I also wonder what the "New Materials" are that boot companies are using. My 14-year-old boots are obviously "old materials", breaking down at a normal rate (or perhaps sub-normal -- I've had them a LOT longer than most people, but then again, I don't jump [anymore] and like a softer, broken-in boot for dance, figures, etc.

Anyway, it makes me wonder about these new materials if they only last 3 months and break down in a skate bag... :?: