When should i sharpen my hockey skates?

when do i know to sharpen them. is there a way to feel the blade to know that it needs to be shapened. also what would an unsharpened skate feel like when im skating.

When should i sharpen my hockey skates?
It's all a matter of preference and comfort. Some NHL players get them sharpened every game. Some even have the resharpened between the second and third periods. Rumour has it Alex Delvecchio would go weeks or even months without getting his sharpened. At least that was what my father told me probably to save him the cost of the odd sharpening.
Reply:I sharpened my skates only four times in 12 years, but I'm a goalie and I HATE sharp skates. It's superstition thing. That, and people wearing face paint sitting behind the net.
Reply:sharpened skates cut the ice a lot better and will increase your speed if you feel your skates not giving the right performance then you should get them sharpened unsharpened skates decrease your ability to make fast turns and pretty much skate fast at all. i get mine sharpened pretty often so that the cut is just right my brother loses his balances when his skates are too sharp though i don't know why he can barely skate at all but he has a killer fast slapshot but anyway just get them sharpened when they don't feel as if they are giving you the best performance on the ice if you feel something wrong with them and you dont' know what it is then you should probably take them to a professional that can help you decide what's best to fix them


hope i helped :)
Reply:Every 10 games.
Reply:A typical rule of thumb I follow, is every 10-15 hours of use.
Reply:i used to get them sharpened only 4 or 5 times every season but i ended up getting them every 2 or 3 weeks this year. if you scuff the edge of the skate on your fingernail and some white fingernail stuff comes off, its still sharp. if there isn't anything coming off, get to the skate sharpeners!!





it also depends on how sharp you get your skates sharpened. goalies are usually at 1/2" (not very sharp) and then youth skaters are usually at 3/8". teen players are usually at 3/8" as well, but many more are at 5/16". thats the measurement of the little dip in the skate blade if you look at it face on, not from the side. talk to your skate sharpener guy and he'll tell you whats up.





dull skates mean you have to push harder, and its harder to dig in and it will be harder to skate faster. if your skates get really dull, you'll start falling over. good times.





it really is all personal preference though, i know people who get their skates sharpened allll the time and people who wait months
Reply:It depends on what level you skate at. I used to get mine done every couple of practices or games, when I was skating all the time. Now I get them sharpened every 2-3 weeks or before tournaments.





If you do a lot of turns and transitions when you skate you'll be able to feel your edges going as Iceman above mentioned. If you get a big nic in your blade you might have one skate that seems to slip, that means it's time to get them sharpened.





If they get rusty, you'll be able to see this on the blades, and you really need to get them sharpened. If you only go to drop-in or open skate occasionally and take good care of your skates, you can probably get aways with sharpening them as in frequently as once a month or a couple of times during the season.
Reply:CAREFULLY run the top of your fingernail across the edge, if it slides (no friction) your edge is dull. How often you get them sharpened is personal preference, I tend to do it every 2-3 games. A dull skate will feel like you cannot get an edge on a turn, its hard to dig in and get going, you may lose an edge and fall. A sharp skate will grip and cut the ice better, you will hold your turns better, and really be able to get a strong push.



sweating