The pro-shop hottie -- I mean, uhm, the gentleman who sharpens my skates -- always asks if I want a regular or a "competition" sharpening. Other than price ($5 vs. $15), what's the distinction?

I'm guessing they actually pay attention to what they are doing during a competition sharpening? (It's probably a deeper hollow than a "regular" one)

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At the place where I get my skates sharpened, there is the combo sharpening or a freestyle. The combo is about $5 (I think... I haven't gotten it in years) and is for a lower-level freestyle skate. I had it done when I had the skates with the blade attached.

I get the freestyle ($15) and its better for more advancd moves (junps, spins, edges, turns, etc.) and feels more secure. However, I don't think the type of sharpening matters at lower leves, just that the blades are sharp and not dull.

I've heard it called a "competitive sharpening." It's a deeper ROH (1/2") than the recreational sharpening.

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None for me - I only trust the honing stone

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Why don't you just ask? And let us know! I'm curious, LOL!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Where I sharpen my blades, "regular" is when they do the job, and you don't have much say. They don't fiddle too much with the blades, either.

"Freestyle" ("competitive" at yours) means that they will pay more attention to their work, give you a deeper ROH (I actually request a specific one), polish the blades, and stone them if you like it (take off the bite that is - I do not like the feel of "super sharp" blades, personally). My guy knows exactly how I like my blades, and meets all my demands.

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--renatele

I consider myself a craftsman and I simply can not comprehend doing less than a "good" job on any skates! I even withdrew my business from the local "best man around" because I didn't like the way he treated my blades. I now sharpen my own.

Anybody who knows anything about figure skates should tell you what the RoH is instead of giving them names! That's silly. Maybe they don't even know.

(I recently moved from 3/8" RoH to 5/16" and there is a heck of a difference. I LOVE the smaller RoH because I am an edge person )

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Our rink had a seminar with a vendor where he asked the coaches "What ROH do you use and/or recommend for your skaters?" Many of the coaches couldn't give the (correct) number.

Part of that is the naming of the sharpenings since you don't need to know the setting. However, keeping numbers straight can be confusing. For example, I use 3/8", but some sharpeners assume that adults want a 5/8" (recreational) sharpening. Asking for the type by name and ROH helps prevent confusion. If you want a 1/2" (competitive) sharpening, use both terms.

I use a permanent marker to write the setting on the blade sole plate. The marker comes off with rubbing alcohol.

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I bought my most recent boots and blades from Brian's Custom Proshop in Windsor, ON (they have done many of the CSOI, SOI and COI skaters' and the US Ladies Olympic Hockey hockey teams skates), where they keep your name and sharpening on file. At the moment, I forget what my sharpening is but it's not 3/8's. It's deeper.

I haven't had to sharpen my skates since getting back from Adult Canadians the first week of April and I skate for the most part for spring skating 5 days a week. Spring skating is over after next Friday. That will be 48 hours of skating without a sharpening and they still bite the ice great.

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I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

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That's interesting! I would guess the difference is the ROH. You'll have to find out and let us know!
My skate sharpener keeps an index card on all his customers, which includes basic info such as name, phone number, weight, level, and ROH preferred. So he already knows that I like 7/16". But if I ever took my skates elsewhere, I would definitely tell the sharpener that I wanted 7/16". Otherwise, you don't know what you'll get.