Never get your skates sharpened by a HS kid at the rink

[DarkStar50 679]

When I see them done that badly I like to first ask where they were sharpened last(knowing 99% it can't be our shop. I'll leave the 1% out there) to find out who is doing work like this

I'm the same way with butcher jobs like that. While there's very small chance that the brutal was sharpening was done at our shop, I feel confident enough in our work to inquire about their previous sharpening. I'll usually ask them if they had any issues with the skates recently...with the usual answer being 'yeah, I don't know what it was, I couldn't skate out there!'. I'll then ask where they got 'em done, and it's always the same answers: Canadian Tire and SportChek.

Explaining to the customer exactly what the problem was, and telling him what you did to rectify the problem is a good idea. Showing that you know a thing or two about skate sharpening goes a long way.

+1 with that. And to the guys here that sharpen, we know this isn't rocket science. It is about practicing to learn the craft, understanding what you are doing to get a great sharpening, and finally caring enough to do it every time you turn on the wheel and put the skate in the holder.

[epstud74 24]

Yep..one of the first things the guy said was, "who the hell sharpened those?"

[raganblink 82]

Well the title of this thread isn't entirely fair.

Lots of HS kids are great at sharpening (i was one of them when in HS). Sharpening just takes months if not years of experience before becoming truly great. I was bad for a couple months, then got good, and by the time i graduated from HS i was and still am great at it. You just tend to get a lot of kids who's this is their first job, and don't know what they are doing with no training, with VERY little experience.

Anyways, as AHF said if you know what you are doing and can explain it, you 99% of the time just got a return customer. Being knowledgeable AND good is a tremendously helpful thing. Sucks to hear about your skates sucking, i've seen hundreds of messed up skates come to our shop to get fixed.

[Drewhunz 3]

FYI- Don't piss off the people who sharpen your skates or this can happen too. Would NEVER do it myself, but I know a few who do.

[furlanitalia 1]

Sharpening isn't easy and many people simply think they just run the steel across and stone, and boom new edge. Sportchek makes the mistake of not putting hockey players on their machines, and therefore without the passion to care enough if it is done correctly. While working there, I was one of maybe three people over a 2 and a half year span that people were actually comfortable coming back to for sharpenings. It just takes time and care, along with a little knowledge. Like Raganblink said, it will take a few months to get the hang out of it, but no one is good off the start.

Which leads me to my question: For those of you who have sharpened all the time, and do it for jobs, what is it like using the fbv? I'm hoping to get one at some point, and would like to know if it's a real challenge to learn, or something that with some practice anyone can accomplish?

[calixguy18 8]

...EVEN IF IT'S FREE! I swore off getting my skates sharpened at the rink since none of the skate sharpeners care about their work. Most of the time they are joking around with other pro shop guys or are looking around the room while they are sharpening skates. I thought I'd let them do it since they were give free sharpenings to league members. Big mistake. My skates are hardly sharper than when they went in and one skate is definitely off kilter somehow. They are boasting some new "revolutionary" sharpener and leveling tool but the end result is just as crappy as before.

Anyone know anything about the New Blademaster BRVSV Skate Sharpener?

Oh, and they aren't HS kids either.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Sharpening isn't easy and many people simply think they just run the steel across and stone, and boom new edge. Sportchek makes the mistake of not putting hockey players on their machines, and therefore without the passion to care enough if it is done correctly. While working there, I was one of maybe three people over a 2 and a half year span that people were actually comfortable coming back to for sharpenings. It just takes time and care, along with a little knowledge. Like Raganblink said, it will take a few months to get the hang out of it, but no one is good off the start.

Which leads me to my question: For those of you who have sharpened all the time, and do it for jobs, what is it like using the fbv? I'm hoping to get one at some point, and would like to know if it's a real challenge to learn, or something that with some practice anyone can accomplish?

Actually hockey players should not be a requirement to sharpen, I'll take a non-hockey player with an attention to detail and a soft touch any day of the week.

The most important thing that I have discovered about teaching someone to sharpen is that they understand what they are trying to accomplish. The physical part is easy. By knowing mentally what they have to do allows them to control the physical part better than others.

[furlanitalia 1]

That's a good point, I guess when you play hockey I assumed you have an understanding of what's going on down there. Reality is 90% probably don't.

As for transitioning to FBV from ROH, you have to crossgrind correct?

[raganblink 82]

That's a good point, I guess when you play hockey I assumed you have an understanding of what's going on down there. Reality is 90% probably don't.

this is too true.

didn't know what was happening when i started, and i'm training atm and hes better at hockey and been playing longer and he is completely lost, too. few hockey players underage 25 know what is going on when they get their skates sharpened. most people that want to nit pick on their skates are 30 year olds and dads of kids.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Nope. If that theory would be correct then NHLers would be experts in that field. Almost all of those guys can't even tell you what they skate on.

I never crossgrind.

[shotty 7]

jr, do you know of any pros that sharpen their own skates?

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Belfour. But I think that later on, he taught the EQM on how to do it.

[sebseb 0]

Back in the day, the 70's, when my dad used to play the game, told me that they were taught to sharpen their skates and everyone sharpened his. He promised he'll teach me this summer/autumn, when he has the time. I think the old way is better, you should know how to take care of yourself, tape a stick, sharpen a pair of skates, etc

[raganblink 82]

Back in the day, the 70's, when my dad used to play the game, told me that they were taught to sharpen their skates and everyone sharpened his. He promised he'll teach me this summer/autumn, when he has the time. I think the old way is better, you should know how to take care of yourself, tape a stick, sharpen a pair of skates, etc

And CARRY your own bag. These kids with wheels on them these days....

[sinkhole84 0]

Back in the day, the 70's, when my dad used to play the game, told me that they were taught to sharpen their skates and everyone sharpened his. He promised he'll teach me this summer/autumn, when he has the time. I think the old way is better, you should know how to take care of yourself, tape a stick, sharpen a pair of skates, etc

And CARRY your own bag. These kids with wheels on them these days....

Yeah! Fuck those kids, going to grow up with an aliened back and shit mother fuckers.

[epstud74 24]

?

[fieldofdreams 0]

Yeah! Fuck those kids, going to grow up with an aliened back and shit mother fuckers.

I think you either mean ALIGNED or ALIENATED. I would guess aligned makes more sense.

[dsjunior1388 81]

If it's not too heavy to wear it's not too heavy to carry. And when I have kids they'll be tying their own skates by 6.

[Cove 39]

I worked at a proshop for a few weeks when I was in high school and I would never let something leave looking like that. I took a while to get a pair of skates done right, but I wasn't going to let them leave all shit like that.

[VakarLajos 5]

That's a good point, I guess when you play hockey I assumed you have an understanding of what's going on down there. Reality is 90% probably don't.

As for transitioning to FBV from ROH, you have to crossgrind correct?

No, it's not a problem to center a skate that has a FBV without crossgrinding it.

I know some pros who knew what they wanted in terms of hollow, but most don't worry about it because their EQMs have been taking care of them for so long.

[cptjeff 0]

I'm not a pro, but that's the way I am. I know what I want and do it myself at home, but at school I know the EQM, and I just let him take care of me. I've never had cause to complain. When you have a guy who's an expert and his job is to know what kind of hollow to give you based on the ice, you're set.

[SinBinSaint 0]

If it's not too heavy to wear it's not too heavy to carry. And when I have kids they'll be tying their own skates by 6.

Good luck with that one :) , you'll be lucky to find them shoes that don't have velcro at that age.

[sinkhole84 0]

Yeah! Fuck those kids, going to grow up with an aliened back and shit mother fuckers.

I think you either mean ALIGNED or ALIENATED. I would guess aligned makes more sense.

Whatever.

[fieldofdreams 0]

Yeah! Fuck those kids, going to grow up with an aliened back and shit mother fuckers.

I think you either mean ALIGNED or ALIENATED. I would guess aligned makes more sense.

Whatever.

Yeah, whatever. I would suggest carrying your bag from now on. You will need to have a strong back for when you grow up to be a ditchdigger.

"The world needs ditchdiggers too, Danny."

[Gomer 1]

I knew I was in trouble when he was looking at his cheat sheet the whole time

Can anyone explain to a newb like me what it is I'm looking at in that picture and why it is awful? I understand that skates are to have two, parallel, level edges... but I don't understand how the flaw is being illustrated here.

The measurement should be level, not tilted to one side.

I thought that's what it was, but I wasn't sure how it was working. I looked at this and now I have a better understanding.

I'm just learning and have been skating seriously since April. I hand my skates over to the HS (JC aybe) kids at the rink and ask for them to be sharpened, they hand them back, I hand them $5. (I even saw them put the coin on them once).

I grabbed a square and a straightedge from my workbench and found that one of my skates isn't square. It's not off nearly as bad as the skate in that picture, but maybe half as much. I'm guessing that still isn't great. Lo and behold, it's the same skate that I am not able to skate straight forward on without great effort when skating on one foot. I'll try to take a picture later to show the setup and the skate.

Based on what I've read here, unless they check it for square when they sharpen them, this sort of problem isn't corrected simply by sharpening the skate. Right? Is cross-grinding first the only way to correct this?

How does one go about finding somewhere to get them sharpened properly? I'm in the Lansing, MI area for what it's worth. I've noticed while skating at MSU that you can drop skates off for sharpening there. I guess I should ask if it's some kid at the rental counter doing it or if it's the equipment manager doing it. I guess what I'm asking is how do you guys approach someone and ask, "do you know what you're doing?" without insulting them when you're not really sure you know what their supposed to be doing in the first place?