When do you know it's time to sharpen your ice skates?

When do you know its time to get your ice skates sharpened again? How often should you get them sharpened?








Thank you

When do you know it's time to sharpen your ice skates?
It depends on how much you skate, how hard you skate . . . and your preference (I prefer mine on the dull side)!





They generally say 20-30 hours of skating. If your blades start getting dull, your blades can't grip the ice properly . . .essentially you'll be slipping . . . and even if it's slight, it can affect your turns, spins, jumps, and stops! Look at your ice marks especially when you curve . . . if you see a skid/smear-ish mark instead of a nice clean line, your blades are getting dull. With more experience, you'll just know by "feel".





Checking your blades often is a good idea. Rough ice and walking around even on the rink mats without your guards can dull your blades quicker . . . but you should also look for nicks to have them taken care of asap (most likely by having a sharpening done).





I personally loved dull blades. But I left it for so long and didn't sharpen them til they were really bad. The longer you leave them, the bigger the adjustment you will probably have to make after you get them sharpened (and you WILL notice your "new" edges - you will feel like you're sticking to the ice!!). So I don't recommend extending your sharpening time too long!! On the flip side, if you sharpen them too often, you shorten the life of your blades.





Here is a website that has a bunch of Q%26amp;A's about skate sharpening.


http://www.warrensecurity.com/Skating/Sk...





Hope that helps!
Reply:The last time I got mine sharpened was when I couldn't do a 3 turn. The general saying is 20 hours, or for some, two months if you skate more intensely than recreationally but less instensely than well, the very intense kind!





It also depends if you're always deep in an edge. I find that when I just begun skating, I use less edges and travel more on my flat. I didn't feel that my blades are dull. Generally, the more you're on your edge, the faster they wear down due to friction with the ice.





My father will take up the skates to eye level and look at the blades. Squint, actually. If you can see a slight curve, it's still alright. If it's barely visible, it's time for a sharpening!





I find that this one works best for me [other than not holding my edges]. I would hold my blades against the light source, and see if there is a reflection of the EDGE of the blade. This is rather tricky though. My theory is that if skates are sharp, you shouldn't be able to see an edge. If they are duller, they will have a surface area to actually reflect light!





Regarding the nail method that my skate sharpener uses, i find it absolutely unreliable. Sure, sharp skates will scrap off the nails. However, if you try scraping you nails against the opp. side of the blade, which is nearer to the boot, you'll realise that your nails are scraped too.





Or maybe I have weird nails.





On the side note, blades are dulled unevenly since one edge is often used more than the other.





Sharpen before you cannot even stroke!
Reply:After you skate for a while you learn what it feels like when you need to sharpen your skates. Typically it's about 20 hours on the ice, or you can scratch your finger nail on the edges of the blades, and the blade should scratch your finger nail, if it does not you know that they need to be sharpened.
Reply:When you can't execute (do) your moves as well (though that could just be ur rusty), but you'll prolly be able to tell, but if you can't go to a local rink, or a skate store to ask them.
Reply:It is sort of a matter of personal preference and how much you skate. Some people like very sharp blades and others don't.





If you skate recreationally a few times a year, you may want to get your skates sharpened each year since many times they get rusty while not being used. If you skate more frequently, you will want to check them by doing the nail test listed previously. You know you need them sharpened when you can't really feel much of an edge left on them...they start to feel more flat, you can't hold your edges very well (you wipe out going into loops...eeek!) and it is very difficult to center spins.
Reply:It really depends on how often you skate. A good rule of thumb is to get them sharpened every 30 hours you skate. I find that really hard to keep track of, so I just get mine sharpened every other month. I skate about 5 times a week, and getting them sharpened every other month keeps them sharp and prevents me from having to get used to sharp blades after skating on dull ones. A lot of highly competitive skaters get their skates sharpened each month.





Also, there is usually some sign that tells you your skates need sharpening. If I wait too long on my sharpening, I start to feel my blade slipping on 3-turns (especially forward RI 3s), and my spins start getting hard to center.



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