Skate Sharpening Methods

Skate sharpening has been performed by the same types of grinding machines since the early twentieth-century. However, the type of cut made into the blade differs drastically depending on the type of skate. Hockey players use deeper cuts to allow them speed, sharp turns and considerable stability for pushing opponents. Figure skaters alter the width of their blades depending on the type of skating they perform. Speed skaters use flat blades for maximum speed.

  1. Hockey Blades: Classic Sharpening Method

    • Hockey skate blades are concave.

      The classic method of sharpening hockey skate blades creates a concave blade surface with sharp edges on both sides. The arch created in the metal of the blade varies in depth from 3/8-inches being the deepest cut to 3/4-inches as the shallowest cut. Shallow cuts offer greater speeds but less grip when turning; deeper cuts create more pronounced edges and offer additional stability and tighter turns.

    Hockey Blades: Flat-Bottom V Method

    • In November 2008 a new method of cutting hockey skate blades arrived in NHL locker rooms. The flat-bottom V method cuts a flat blade surface with two fangs or teeth on either side for the blade's edges. The units of measure used for this method convey first the width of the flat portion of the blade in thousands of an inch, and second the height of the edges in ten-millionths of an inch. A higher first number indicates greater speed offered by the cut; a higher second number indicates additional grip from the edges.

    Figure Skates Sharpening

    • Figure skates are shaped differently than hockey and speed skates.

      While figure skaters perform many tight turns and spins, the part of the skate blade being used differs from a hockey player's blade. Figure skates have toe picks at the front of their blades, which allow figure skaters to spin without catching an edge and falling. Because of the toe picks, figure skate blades can be cut with a lower arch and shallower edges. The width of the blade, however, varies for the type of skating being done. Dance blades are thinner, .11-inches, while freestyle blades are a thicker .15-inches.

    Speed Skates Sharpening

    • Speed skate blades are flat and long.

      Speed skates are cut differently than hockey and figure skates to ensure the least amount of friction between blade and ice, thus resulting in the highest possible skating speeds. Speed skate blades are flat, and because of this they cannot be cut on the same machines as the arched hockey and figure skate blades. Instead, speed skates must be cut simultaneously in order to achieve a mirrored image cut. This means that a speed skate's blades are mirror images of one another.