Hi everyone. I have an important question. How long do your blades really last and how often do you sharpen them? My rocker seems to always lose its extra metal and it flattens out. The rest of the blade is usually fine.

I think it depends on how often you skate, and at what level. My blades are still fine, 5 years in, but I only skate 1-2 times per week at a fairly low level.

What kind of blades do you have? That makes a difference.

__________________
Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

I just got new skates last year when I skated in Ontario for the summer and the girls at the club there sometimes get new skates every year which i think is a little crazy but i guess it all depends on the level your at and how much you skate like many other people have said. It could also be how your coach prefers your skates.. some coaches are really fussy about how much skates are broken in. But i hope to get at least 2 years out of mine because skates these days are not sheap at all!

__________________
~*Sammi-Sasha*~

I agree with CanAm that it depends on what kind of blades you have. I used to have MK Precision and felt like I was getting them sharpened constantly. I do like my blades sharp, but these felt like they tended to get dull very fast. I skated three or four days a week, synchro, in them. The Ultimas I got after that pair (the MKs lasted me 3 years) lasted me 4 years, doing much more skating.

I got a new pair of Ultima synchro blades in June, and have skated on them every day for almost a month (dance and skills) and they don't need to be sharpened yet.

__________________
~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Generally, the rule is to get them sharpened after every 30 hours of skating. But if you like them duller, maybe every 40 hours, and if you like them sharper, maybe evey 20-25 hours. The best way to tell is if you feel uncomfortable with spinning or deep edges. If what you meant by your question was how long to blades last (as in until you need new blades completely) that's easy.. The guy who sharpens my skates said that if you look at blades, there's the silver and then about 3 millimeters on the bottom of the side of the blade is dark, less shinny silver. That's the part that gets sharpened. Once that parts gone, your blades have been sharpened til their death, to put it LIGHTLY lol. I hope I helped!

Katie