How important is blade sharpening for a beginning skater?

[songsparrow]

Hi everyone,

My 7 year old daughter has been taking Learn To Skate classes for about a year and a half, and has recently gotten her first pair of skates and is moving up to the second level of classes where she'll begin to learn jumps and spins.

We've discovered through trial-and-error that we've been doing lots of things wrong. For example, we didn't know how to properly care for her skates and as a result the blades have begun to rust (I'm going to go try the baking soda tip to clean the blades). So these boards are a wonderful source of tips and advice - thank you!

We've gotten her skates sharpened a couple of times at the pro shop at our rink. I don't know how to recognize a good or bad sharpening job, but I'm thinking the pro shop is not our best bet because they seem to mostly cater to the hockey players at the rink, not the figure skaters. I also have been warned by at least one person not to take figure skates there for sharpening.

I've learned that there is a small sports shop in the area with a person who does high-quality blade sharpening (top-caliber athletes in the area are supposed to take their skates to him). But the shop is out of the way and would require a special trip. I am willing to make the trip, but am just curious - at her level of skating, how important is the blade sharpening? If it matters, her skates were not expensive and are just basic introductory-level skates (they were recommended by the same pro shop, bought before I knew better), but her instructor said it's not necessary to buy her other skates yet.

Also, how often do you get your blades sharpened? The local pro shop said after every 5 hours on the ice, but I've read other recommendations that say it's not necessary more often than every 25, 40, or 48 hours.

Thanks for your help!

[CoachPA]

Also, how often do you get your blades sharpened? The local pro shop said after every 5 hours on the ice, but I've read other recommendations that say it's not necessary more often than every 25, 40, or 48 hours.

Definitely don't skimp on a proper sharpening, even if your daughter is just skating recreationally or once a week.

In regards as to how often to sharpen, I generally recommend every 30-40 hours of skating.

[peanutskates]

20-25 hours is what I do (I suspect the pro shop recommends 5 hours to get more money!). As your daughter progresses, she will start to recognise whether the blades are blunt or not, but as a general rule, if she finds it harder to balance, feels more unstable on turns/jumps/spins, and if you can easily run your finger along the blade without feeling a sharp edge, it's time to sharpen them. Ask the group coach if you're unsure.

I definitely recommend going to the sports shop, because properly sharpened blades make a big difference to skating, at any level. As she is starting jumps and spins, she needs to learn them on correctly aligned and sharpened blades, so they do not hinder her progress. A correct sharpening will form part of correct technique of jumps and spins, which is obviously important for her current level, and for the future.

After all, she will progress to become "top-caliber" and go to that shop eventually, so it does no harm to get used to that shop's sharpening from the very beginning.

A note - when the blades are sharp, they may feel a little strange, and she might find it hard to stop at first. When that happened to me a few times, I walked around on the rink mats a bit (though you're not supposed to, without guards), and scraped the sides of the blades against the ice, to dull them a little, because extremely sharp edges are not good. Although, if the sharpening is perfect, this should not happen (my coach now sharpens my skates, and I have no problems).

[CoachPA]

We've discovered through trial-and-error that we've been doing lots of things wrong. For example, we didn't know how to properly care for her skates and as a result the blades have begun to rust (I'm going to go try the baking soda tip to clean the blades).

Depending on how severe the build up of rust is, a good sharpening may be able to remove it.

[Rob Dean]

I can tell when my blades are getting dull, and I could tell even early in my skating time the couple of times I had bad sharpenings. It's harder to assess how a child is doing with theirs. At the beginning I would just get my son's skates sharpened at the same time I got mine done; nowadays he just tells me when they are needing it done. Overall, I think we both are getting them done every 20-30 hours on the ice.

[Skittl1321]

I get mine sharpened every 8 weeks. I did that when I was skating 30 minutes a week, and I do it now that I skate 4-6 hours per week. For some reason, it still just seems to need the same. I suspect that mine dull more from walking on the mats then they do from me actually skating, but everytime I think "hmm, I need a sharpening" sure enough when I check the calendar it's been 8 weeks.

There are girls on my synchro team who get theirs done once or twice a year. I don't know how they skate. I like my edges sharp and lose everything once they aren't. Another girl in my freestyle group lesson didn't know you were supposed to sharpen them, and her skates were 3 years old!

When I was in Learn to Skate I let the counter guys do my sharpening. My blades cost less than $50 and if they really did ruin them, I could get new ones. Now that I have nice blades, I wouldn't dream of leaving them with the counter guys. I learned to jump, passed my first MITF test- all that on "counter guys" sharpenings. My guess is they wouldn't know what a radius of hollow is if you asked them. My current sharpener changes mine based on the season (due to the soft/hardness of the ice changing drastically). But for the most part, I can't really tell the difference. I did have a very bad sharpening once- where I had to have them redone after only 2 hours on the ice, but that was by a coach who worked at the rink, and not one of the hockey guys!

So if the sharpener who you have to make a trip for isn't too expensive- I agree with CoachPA, get the good sharpening from the beginning. But if it's a huge difference in price, or a lot of time, I personally think (and I'm not even close to the qualified coach that CoachPA is- I just teach LTS) that until it becomes an issue or your skater is higher level, that the rink sharpening is fine - money can be spent elsewhere. Once your coach says it is necessary, or you find your skater complaining about their edges, or your blades cost more than you'd be willing to have wrecked, that's when it's time to move on.

[katz in boots]

I do think that time between sharpenings varies according to a few factors, including: the weight of the skater, how aggressively they skate, what they are working on, and how well-maintained the ice is.

A small skater isn't putting a lot of weight on the edges and probably isn't going to skate as aggressively. Sometimes working on a new element over & over can dull one edge more than another. And ice maintenance, well, if there's a Zamboni and using distilled water, frequently cleaned, then it isn't an issue.

Personally I would get the best sharpening I could get, even if it meant more time, money & effort involved. It's worth it, in my opinion.

[fsk8r]

As a beginner I favoured a once a term approach to sharpenings, as I was only skating a group lesson and a bit of a session afterwards. I'm now at about every half term, so about 6-8 weeks and my skating hours are significantly higher.
As I know a lot of people struggle to stop on sharp blades, my current theory is that this can be avoided if they don't skate on blunt blades so the change is not so noticable (it's working for me). My mother has just returned to skating after a really long break and is like a complete beginner. As she never learnt about blades when she last did learn to skate, my sister and I have take it on to look after her blades and so when we're worrying about sharpenings we get them sharpened (and she shouldn't notice the difference that way).
If you're only sharpening the blades a few times a year, it's then worth the effort of going to the specialist shop and not the local pro shop. As for the boots, she'll probably grow out of them (if she's real little) before too much damage can be done to the blades.

[Sessy]

My sharpening depended on the blades. Cheaper blades needed it every 20 hours or so with me, more Coronation Ace every 40 hours or so. Depended what I was doing, too. If I kept practicing the same spin over and over and over again, I'd need sharpening much faster than if I were practicing a bit of everything.
The only way you're really gonna need a sharpening every 5 hours is if you're skating on a (plastic) artificial ice covering, or if you're skating on public sessions that don't sweep after a hockey session previous to the public session (in other words, if you're skating on cheesegrater ice).

As for going out of your way... If you've been warned not to take figure skates there, that's a tell-tale sign to take your skates elsewhere!

Over here in the Netherlands, everybody is hyping up Oomssport about their sharpenings. Some people will travel for 2 hours single way to get theirs done there and refuse to take their skates to closer by sharpeners such as Henry's Sport in Tilburg.
Well, I've seen and tried the sharpening they did on my mom's skates - we have identical boot and blade sizes - and I wasn't all that impressed. It was good but honestly, I didn't find there was a noticeable difference in performance to the sharpening Henry in Tilburg does - the Oomssport sharpening was a little crisper, Henry's was a little smoother, but it made no difference on my skating.
Which probably explains why all the girls from Tilburg, even those medalling at nationals, have their skates done at Henry's. So basically, a not so hyped up shop might be just as good at sharpening skates.

However. There's these shops that people say, "don't take your skates there". That would be the one in Eindhoven, for example, or the municipal sharpener in Tilburg. Both have taken off toepicks in the past and that's not rumor, I know the victims. There's GOOD REASON why people say not to take your skates there! Before a skating shop gets this sort of reputation, it needs to mess up some blades in a REALLY unforgivable way, in a way that would make it impossible to use the blades at all. Cuz the shop in Turnhout made a slight error on one girl's blades that I know of, tried to cover it up and didn't replace the blades, but they didn't get a bad reputation from it. Cuz it was a sort of freak accident, and it didn't render the blades useless.

So if you're warned not to take your skates there - don't take them there.

[Mrs Redboots]

If neither you nor your daughter are quite sure whether her skates need sharpening, ask her teacher! They will know, and most won't advise you to get them sharpened until they really need it. It might also be worth asking him or her where to get them done.

[CoachPA]

However. There's these shops that people say, "don't take your skates there". That would be the one in Eindhoven, for example, or the municipal sharpener in Tilburg. Both have taken off toepicks in the past and that's not rumor, I know the victims. There's GOOD REASON why people say not to take your skates there!

Even though I strongly warned against getting a sharpening done at one of the local rink's pro shops, a student of mine learned the hard way by having the exact same thing happen to her skates. Thankfully, her toe pick wasn't taken off completely; I believe the sharpener just knicked it, but still. It's not worth saving a few bucks and a bit of time for sheer convenience.

[Isk8NYC]

ITA about the "counter guys" - they can actually damage figure skates if they're not careful. The bottom toepick usually gets the brunt of their assault, but they also shave off too much at the heel and BEHIND the toepick. I had one guy tell me that skaters "don't use" the blade right behind the toepick so he cross-grinds it to keep it level with the rest of the sharpened blade. All I could think about was teaching waltz jumps and salchows with the instructions to "roll up to the toepick." I just didn't trust that statement and the width of his grinding wheel.

Sometimes, there's one guy/gal at each pro shop who is decent and you can make an appointment to get blades sharpened by HIM (or HER) while you wait. I don't like to wait (NYC native here!) but I also don't trust dropoffs at a busy pro shop - you have to be assertive to make sure that the right person sharpens them. The guy who sharpens skates here is good, but it's his off-site side business and he's really, really busy. Did I mention that I HATE TO WAIT? lol

20-25 hours is my rule of thumb for students on indoor ice, if they skate outside, it drops to 10-15 hours of skating per sharpening. Outdoor ice contains debris that dulls blades faster than the controlled indoor rinks. Lower-grade blades need sharpening more often than the more expensive blades because of the hard steel content.

If the skater uses rubber guards to walk around off-ice, the sharpening lasts longer and the blades are less likely to get damaged.

If she feels her edges are slipping sideways, or can't hold an edge, it might be time for a sharpening. I notice it on spin entries - I start scraping the entry edges and I can't hold the camel position. I can "feel" how sharp my blades are by touching the edges, but that's beyond most LTS moms. (No offense, it's just experience.)


Hold the boot in one hand, and scrape your fingernail (the nail, not the edge) across the edges of each blade. If some of your nail scrapes off, the blades aren't terribly dull. If nothing comes off with a gentle scrape, it's time to sharpen.

[Query]

If she has a coach, the coach is usually one of the best information resources. The LTS coach may not have time to answer everyone's questions. If not, ask other experienced figure skaters.

Ask which shop and sharpener (person) to take the skates to, and stick with that shop, and with the best sharpener in that shop. Using multiple shops reduces blade lifetime, as each sharpening wheel actually has a slightly different size and shape, even if they are made by the same company and are nominally the same. Also, some sharpeners know enough to retain the sweet spot (or adjust it to skater's preferences), and adjust sharpness to skater's preferences, some don't. It's important enought that some serious skaters drive long distances to use the best available shop.

You can get a much sharper blade, and 5-10 times longer blade lifetime, if you hand sharpen, but most 7 year olds might cut themselves. You can do it for her - but it takes time and practice to get it right. You don't want uneven edges that put put her off balance or nicks or irregularities that interfere with skating. You probably want to keep or enhance the sweet spot. BUT: I don't think it's worth it for a new beginner. Good sharpening equipment costs about $90 (USD), and won't be worth the effort to learn.

Different skaters like very different degrees of sharpness.

Different rinks have different ice roughnesses, and that will also vary by session. Like ISk8NY said, outdoor ice has junk that wears blades faster. Synthetic ice wears down blades 1 or 2 orders of magnitudes faster - avoid if at all possible.

Sometimes it's possible to take the blade guards off at the entrance to the ice, sometimes you have to walk a little on a soft rubber surface (I walk on my toe picks to avoid edge wear). A single step on a hard surface (like concrete) will destroy the edge, so watch where she walks.

So there are no hard and fast rules about sharpening frequency. Like others said, ask her coach if the blade needs sharpening; if he/she can't help, ask someone else who seems experienced.

The edge will last much longer if you prevent rust, rather than using chemicals to remove it. Don't leave wet blades inside a bag or trunk or non-breathable blade guard (terri-cloth guards are better). Dry the blades out before putting in a bag or trunk. If the blades will not be used a couple days, apply a light coat of oil.

Blades differ. I've had virtually no rust on stainless steel (e.g., Ultima) blades even if I'm careless - but they still lose the edge with time if I don't skate a while and didn't oil. Even expensive high carbon steel (e.g., MK) blades rust if not cared for right.

Sharp blades feel completely different than dull blades, and skate completely different. On the other hand, she's only 7, so don't go overboard. If a coach or other experienced skaters (good kids know a lot too) think they look OK, don't worry about it.

[Sessy]

If the skater uses rubber guards to walk around off-ice, the sharpening lasts longer and the blades are less likely to get damaged.

If she feels her edges are slipping sideways, or can't hold an edge, it might be time for a sharpening. I notice it on spin entries - I start scraping the entry edges and I can't hold the camel position. I can "feel" how sharp my blades are by touching the edges, but that's beyond most LTS moms. (No offense, it's just experience.)

I Totally Agree!!!
I also used the blade guards all the time - except when I just got my skates sharpened. Then I walked from the dressing room to the ice (over a supposedly blade-safe floor surface) without the guards just to take that awkward initial sharpness off the blades - that special covering still dullened blades quickly. And I also tell by the camel spins whether my skates need sharpening or not. Before I could do a camel, I also used the fingernail trick or ran the blades along the thick skin on my fingers - if they left tiny cut marks they were sharp, else not. Once, they were really sharp, ow :twisted:

[sk8lady]

Hi everyone,

Also, how often do you get your blades sharpened? The local pro shop said after every 5 hours on the ice, but I've read other recommendations that say it's not necessary more often than every 25, 40, or 48 hours.

Thanks for your help!

Every five hours of actual SKATING time IF YOU ARE PLAYING HOCKEY. Hockey players spend virtually all their ice time beating the heck out of their inside edges, thumping up and down on them, etc. (but they're only out during games 30-45 seconds at a time, so even the five hours refers to practice time plus actual ice time during games--6 games might be an hour.) If your pro shop is telling someone with figure skates to get them sharpened every five hours, take them somewhere else. Your daughter may not need a super professional sharpening but she DOES need someone who knows the difference between a hockey and a figure skate sharpening and will not shave off her toepicks!

[Isk8NYC]

Every five hours of actual SKATING time IF YOU ARE PLAYING HOCKEY. Hockey players spend virtually all their ice time beating the heck out of their inside edges, thumping up and down on them, etc. That makes perfect sense. See - I learn something new on this board every.single.day! Thanks!

[songsparrow]

Every five hours of actual SKATING time IF YOU ARE PLAYING HOCKEY. . . . If your pro shop is telling someone with figure skates to get them sharpened every five hours, take them somewhere else.

That makes sense - and verifies my instinct that the pro shop guys know hockey but not figure skating.

Thanks, everyone, for your help! We took her skates today and had them sharpened by the experienced person who was recommended to us. They said that the sharpening that was done was "freestyle" instead of "regular figure skate." Just curious - what's the difference? I'll be taking my daughter to public skate this weekend so she can try out the skates and see how much of a difference she can feel.

[Skittl1321]

They said that the sharpening that was done was "freestyle" instead of "regular figure skate." Just curious - what's the difference?

It is probably the depth of the radius of hollow. A "freestyle" sharpening would probably be deeper and have more grip on the ice.