Anyone know anything about ice skate sharpening?

[Bkas]

I haven't ice skates since the age of 6, so I'm virtually clueless on the matter (I inline skate and play a lot of inline hockey).

Anyway,

Yesterday Oshman's was having a huge sale (25% off). So on a whim, I purchased a pair of Bauer skates (I used to own CCM back in the day--again, this was at age 6). Now, I haven't ice skated for years, so I have a few questions regarding blade sharpening:

i) How often do they need to be sharpened?

ii) Do skates you purchase at these stores come presharpened? Or do I have to go sharpen them (I haven't opened the box yet, so I don't know) before I use them for the first time?

iii) How can you tell when they need sharpening and when they are adequately sharp?

I appreciate any help.

Regards.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

yuk, Bower. take them back and go get some Missions, much more comfortable.

However, most skates aren't sharpened when you get them. when i played ice hockey, i would sharpen them once every two weeks.

What position do you play? If your defence it's best to cut them shorter in the back, to give you more stability while skating backwards.

 

[Bkas]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
yuk, Bower. take them back and go get some Missions, much more comfortable.

However, most skates aren't sharpened when you get them. when i played ice hockey, i would sharpen them once every two weeks.

What position do you play? If your defence it's best to cut them shorter in the back, to give you more stability while skating backwards.

I'm not a big fan of Bauer either (I have Mission inlines and Mission gear left and right), but these were the best ones they had for the price at Oshmans. I don't play in a league yet, but I'll probably play pick-up games this summer (which is why I bought the skates on a whim).

I alternate between left defensemen and left winger...they place me at the latter because I've got speed, although my shot is pretty crappy, which is why I always offer to play defensemen.

So when getting them sharpened, I tell them to cut shorter in the back?

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

I don't think they are pre-sharpened. When you take them to the rink (or to a sports store) to have them sharpened, they should be able to tell you how often.. I would think it would depend on amt of use vs. time elapsed. After you spend some time on them I think you'll get the feel of when they need a sharpening.

 

[yobarman]

it costs maybe 2-3 bucks to get skates sharpened (at most or all skating rings). you can pretty much tell when you're skating, or by running your finger on the blade... if it's smooth and looks sharp, then you should be Ok, if you feel a bunch of bumps then you're probably due for a sharpening.

 

[Evadman]

when I skated I did it monthly.

 

[Bkas]

Originally posted by: yobarman
it costs maybe 2-3 bucks to get skates sharpened (at most or all skating rings). you can pretty much tell when you're skating, or by running your finger on the blade... if it's smooth and looks sharp, then you should be Ok, if you feel a bunch of bumps then you're probably due for a sharpening.

I take it it shouldnt' be flat (1 or 2 mm) on the blade bottom (that's how I got them, brand-new). Doesn't seem sharp at all.

Thanks for the info guys!

P.S. Unfortunately, it costs $8 at the local rink to get them sharpened...if it was $2-$3, I'd be a happier camper.

 

[XZeroII]

If you slice through the ice and fall in, they are too sharp

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Bkas

Originally posted by: yobarman
it costs maybe 2-3 bucks to get skates sharpened (at most or all skating rings). you can pretty much tell when you're skating, or by running your finger on the blade... if it's smooth and looks sharp, then you should be Ok, if you feel a bunch of bumps then you're probably due for a sharpening.

I take it it shouldnt' be flat (1 or 2 mm) on the blade bottom (that's how I got them, brand-new). Doesn't seem sharp at all.

Thanks for the info guys!

P.S. Unfortunately, it costs $8 at the local rink to get them sharpened...if it was $2-$3, I'd be a happier camper.

no actually it should make an |_| on the bottom of the skate... the bottom two corners should be sharp.. it is not supposed to make a V shape. I assume most likely skates out of the box are shaperend already, i mean how much does it cost a company to throw in sharpening.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: yobarman

Originally posted by: Bkas

Originally posted by: yobarman
it costs maybe 2-3 bucks to get skates sharpened (at most or all skating rings). you can pretty much tell when you're skating, or by running your finger on the blade... if it's smooth and looks sharp, then you should be Ok, if you feel a bunch of bumps then you're probably due for a sharpening.

I take it it shouldnt' be flat (1 or 2 mm) on the blade bottom (that's how I got them, brand-new). Doesn't seem sharp at all.

Thanks for the info guys!

P.S. Unfortunately, it costs $8 at the local rink to get them sharpened...if it was $2-$3, I'd be a happier camper.

no actually it should make an |_| on the bottom of the skate... the bottom two corners should be sharp.. it is not supposed to make a V shape. I assume most likely skates out of the box are shaperend already, i mean how much does it cost a company to throw in sharpening.

he
Well it takes the shop around here about 5 minutes total, but compound that by 100's of pairs a day and having to pay and train someone to do that, would cost them more money. My Missions weren't sharp when i got them.

 

[Farmall]

They don't come presharpened, and if you play both forward and defense I would suggest a neutral position and depending on how heavy you are either a 3/8" or 1/2" radius - smaller the radius the harder the blade will dig in.

After you get them set up initially you could buy a pro-filer, a handheld sharpening stone, just make sure to buy the one with the same radius that they grind on your skates. I paid about $25 when I bought mine a few years back. They work pretty decent, just keep it with your skates and do a little maintenance to the blades prior to using them and the sharpening that you got initially will last quite a bit longer.

 

[Bkas]

Originally posted by: yobarman

Originally posted by: Bkas

Originally posted by: yobarman
it costs maybe 2-3 bucks to get skates sharpened (at most or all skating rings). you can pretty much tell when you're skating, or by running your finger on the blade... if it's smooth and looks sharp, then you should be Ok, if you feel a bunch of bumps then you're probably due for a sharpening.

I take it it shouldnt' be flat (1 or 2 mm) on the blade bottom (that's how I got them, brand-new). Doesn't seem sharp at all.

Thanks for the info guys!

P.S. Unfortunately, it costs $8 at the local rink to get them sharpened...if it was $2-$3, I'd be a happier camper.

no actually it should make an |_| on the bottom of the skate... the bottom two corners should be sharp.. it is not supposed to make a V shape. I assume most likely skates out of the box are shaperend already, i mean how much does it cost a company to throw in sharpening.

Oh, ok. I thought it should be sharp (much like a thin knife)...but I guess it should be flat at the bottom (which may mean my skates are presharpened, although i find that hard to believe that the manufacturer would do that).

 

[Bkas]

Another quick question (along with my comment in my post above):

What's a sharpening "radius"? Is that the thickness of the blade?

 

[Aquaman]

Get the new Easton skates or some Graf's

Cheers,
Aquaman