I just got my skates sharpened by a new guy, and he was gobsmacked after he measured my blades - apparently I had been skating on a dance hollow the past few years! Now I don't feel so bad for not being able to stop properly... He sharpened them a little bit flatter this time, and I'm going to see how I like it. Maybe I'll miss my uber-deep (and somewhat uncontrolled) edges, but I figure, I won't know what I'll like until I try it.

I actually never got around to asking him how deep my blades originally were. He speculated that the previous customer had had hockey blades done and didn't change the deep hollow. I know for sure that's not the case, maybe I had even asked them to be done that way (it's been over a year since I last had them sharpened) but I dunno. I know that usually freestyle hollows are 7/16", but what are usual dance hollows?

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

I don't know the answer to your question, but if I went a year without sharpening, I wouldn't be able to stand up! I have mine done every 30 hours.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

That's cause for the past few years, I've been skating at best every two or so weeks for 2 hours at a time. Last last semester I only went once in 3 months.

I'm amazed I havn't really regressed...

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

according to my sharpening guy, dancers tend to go for 3/8 or 5/16. I use 5/16.

I believe 5/16 is used for thin dance blades only (e.g. MK dance). My dance blades are the same width as my freestyle blades, and I have a 7/16 hollow on both.

Same thing happened to me last year!!!

I was taking my boots to a brand new skate guy to get it sharpened b/c I hear he's good and he could accomodate my schedule. (Also, I thought my old skate guy was getting WAAAAAY too old to be doing his work and was concerned about the quality of work b/c of his failing eyesight.) The new guy did my blade and I went skating the next day. Blade was sticky as hell!!! I came to him about the blade and he said "Well, I just assume you want me to leave your blades at the same 3/8" hollow." I said "WHAT!?!?! 3/8" hollow? I thought I was getting 7/16" hollow!?!?!" And he said "Yeah, I thought that was strange you had a 3/8" hollow too, b/c that's usually an ice dancer's blade hollow!" He then changed it to a 7/16" hollow and problem solved!!!

Too bad BOTH the old skate guy AND the new skate guy passed away within a month of each other this year, so now I have to go back to driving 20 miles to my very first skate guy to get my skates sharpened again! (And no, I most certainly hope this guy doesn't go and pass away too!!! The Bay Area needs more decent skate technicians!!! They could make $$$ if they move here!!!)

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Really? Who? I had my skates first done in Redwood City by Terry (after the fiasco at my rink's pro shop), then went to Ed Hedberg in Daly City a few times but my skating friend and I, who always get our skates sharpened together, forgot to call him winter break which is why I hadn't had my skates sharpened in SO long! Did you go to Ed before, since you skate in SF?

I definitely had my skates done by Ed before I went to Jerry this morning, which is why I was surprised that I had a dance hollow!

__________________
"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

Anita... I'll PM you on this one...

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I had my old used skates sharpened at 1/2". Got the new blades sharpened to 7/16" and kept them that way for a while when I got them. Recently had them reduced to 5/16" and then to 1/4". I really liked the change from 1/2" to 7/16". Usually, I'm happy about the even deeper grind now, but on hard ice (i.e. when I go to my old rink) the skates make quite a bit of noise on edges and such... 7/16" seems to be an excellent middle ground that most people like.

No idea what a dance grind is.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

If ANYBODY moves to the Bay Area they are going to need to make $$$!

Wish it was affordable...I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Ahhh, that explains that!!!

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown