How often should skates be sharpened?

[Jarick 5]

Hmm...a lot of people are using shallower hollows, I use a 3/8" and get mine sharpened ever 2 to 3 weeks.

I play twice a week at games with a short bench and some guys taking pretty short shifts, so I figure about 45 minutes to an hour per game. That'd be about 3 to 5 hours of ice time I suppose.

I have LS2 steel which seems to get nicked up pretty easy though.

[selke71 0]

When I played ice hockey in high school, I used to get my skates sharpened pretty often (once every 3 games or so) because I was -- and to some extent still am -- such a new and very bad skater. I have a couple questions about skate sharpening that I'm sure many of you will have varying opinions on, which I'd love to hear:

1. About how often should one get his skates sharpened?

2. On a similar note, what are some tell-tale signs that your skates are getting to the point where they need to be sharpened again?

Thanks as always!

[Chadd 916]

The first answer is that everyone differs in their preferences. As for the second, you should get them sharpened before you start feeling problems. I have always wanted my skates to feel exactly the same every time I'm on the ice. When I was on the ice five or six times a week, I was doing them once a week or more. Now it's every month or so unless I feel a problem. Now that I have tried the FBV from blackstone, I will be doing it more often.

[brettlynch11 0]

I once heard if you can scrape a little of your fingernail off with your blade then they should be sharp enough. I wouldn't really know if that works, I just get them done every few times I skate.

Also if you skate on a pond instead of a normal arena, you should get them done right after.

[-knowlzey- 0]

I've always had mine done once a week (going about 4 times a week). I always notice when they're bad that when ever I'm crossing over and I can't push off the ice as well as I'd like. Also wiping out while your turning is also a pretty good sign if you don't usually wipe out.

[lb33knight 0]

Being in the south I get asked this a lot. This analogy usually explains it pretty well: If the tires on you car are bald they don't grip and you can slide much easier. Same concept with dull blades. When they start to feel like this then you know you've gone too far.

[selke71 0]

Being in the south I get asked this a lot. This analogy usually explains it pretty well: If the tires on you car are bald they don't grip and you can slide much easier. Same concept with dull blades. When they start to feel like this then you know you've gone too far.

This is what I was feeling on the ice yesterday. I totally wiped out while stickhandling at one point and my skates slipped several times before that. I wasn't sure if I had done something wrong or if it'd been too long since my last sharpening. I'd say I've been to the rink maybe 6 times since the last time I had them done, each time for an hour and fifteen minutes.

[HkY_GuY 2]

there you have your answer. i usely sharp them every 3-5 ice time or when i feel they are loosing bite, are also go by the finger nails test it a good way of checking if they need a sharp.

[Krev 86]

You have your answer, like Hky_Guy said, and it is personal preference. I skate roughly 4 to 5 times a week, and I sharpen mine once a month, sometimes twice. For whatever reason that I can't explain, I love going from sharp, to a glide over the course of a month.

[noodle3872 40]

Personal preference is king. So people won't even think about playing without getting their skates sharpened every 2nd ice time. Others will go until there's no edges left and hardly any hollow. If you're getting back into the game I think sharp edges will help you more than they will harm you.

Mike

[KryptOng 9]

I usually get it sharpened every other week, also depends where you play, indoors or outdoors, and how often you're on the skates.

If it's outdoor play I usually sharpen them after every 3rd use. I always keep a sweet stick maintenance tool in my bag so if i feel i've lost an edge, i'll grab it and give it a couple of run down the blade and it'll do until I get them sharpened. The tool is worth it then having to play all game with a dull edge

and also try and go the same person who sharpens your skates, they'll know what you want and can give better recommendations. IMO small lhs are better then the big box shops who just has some part time kid just learning sharpening your skate

[CTK30 0]

I get mine done probably once a month

I use a sweet stick when they get a little dull and it lets me go longer in between sharpenings

I skate anywhere from 3-6 times a week

[forbs02 20]

A dull skate can still shave a fingernail.

Feel and look are the best ways to know if you need a sharpening. If the skates feel like they are slipping, get them sharpened. Run your finger lightly down the length of the blade. You will be able to feel if there are any imperfections (nicks, missing edges). You can also take a look. You can see if you have a rolled edge or a chunk missing.

[Aussie Joe 0]

The fingernail test is best left for scalpels and stanley knives where a razor cut is needed.

I notice I need a sharpen when my speed decreses and my turns aren't as sharp. I will sharpen once every 4-6 sessions. I also stone my steel before every session just to keep them sharp; for as long as possible.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Exactly right.

And to expand on your last point - if you can't recognize bad edges by feel, take your blade and tilt it up so that light reflects onto the blade. A rolled edge will show up as a duller shade of silver than the rest of the blade.

A dull skate can still shave a fingernail.

Feel and look are the best ways to know if you need a sharpening. If the skates feel like they are slipping, get them sharpened. Run your finger lightly down the length of the blade. You will be able to feel if there are any imperfections (nicks, missing edges). You can also take a look. You can see if you have a rolled edge or a chunk missing.

For me, it's more of a mental thing, but I sharpen every time I skate. However, I've been learning to adapt to several times between sharpenings as I'm no longer blessed with having my own machine to my disposal.

[interpathway 9]

Great points made by everyone, but remember...If you see a nick in your edges, it is time to get them done (unless you can personally hone them out with a stone).

[noodle3872 40]

I agree, the mental aspect of hockey is huge. Many years ago I worked a couple games as an equipment guy for our old Junior A team and we had one guy that wanted/demanded that his skates get sharpened between periods so he could cut hard without slipping. He also spend hours fiddling with his sticks.

[bigsnake76 2]

I once read in the newspaper that Pavol Demetria sharpens his skates 2 times in an entire season. Hard to believe but thats what the Post Dispatch reported.

[krwwc6 0]

That is actually the truth. I was told he'd get them sharpened at the beginning of the season, the only reason he had them sharpened again is because the equipment man finally said "pavol, we have got to sharpen these things for you"

[selke71 0]

That is actually the truth. I was told he'd get them sharpened at the beginning of the season, the only reason he had them sharpened again is because the equipment man finally said "pavol, we have got to sharpen these things for you"

Amazing.

[roller to ice 0]

wow sick story to think im new to the ice version of hockey yet i end up looking like a moron if i dont get my skates sharpened after 3 or 4 ice times

[interpathway 9]

Wow...how soft was the Blues' ice??

[krwwc6 0]

Wow...how soft was the Blues' ice??

Well its pretty bad ice now, but back then they had much better ice. You've got to remember they don't hold their practices at their main rink, the practice rink has really great ice. . . . and they still have 41 away games + away game morning skates.

I think demitra, as a young kid growing up in a small town in slovakia, was probably just used to very few skate sharpenings, therefore he didn't think anything of it when he made it to the big leagues and never got them sharpened.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Mike Grier's another twice-a-season guy. Well, he used to be.

[epstud74 24]

I rarely sharpen mine, I probably should more frequently now that it is colder in the rinks than it was last summer. I sharpened them ONCE last summer after buying the skate..That was only to get my 7/8ths hollow as well..I do prefer a duller/flatter blade..just a preference..