Skate sharpening advice

[RonC]

My son is 11 and has been skating for a year now. He is working on ISI 4 and 5.

Any recommendation for sharpening of his skates? How deep should they be cut? I think my wife said they were being done at a 7/16 deep but not sure.

He loves to jump but I don't know if that matters.

Thanks for any help.

[luna_skater]

Sharpening has a lot to do with personal preference. I know skaters who liked razor sharp blades at all times, and some who rarely got their skaters sharpened. My suggestion is to ask your son what his preference is, and get recommendations from his coach and your sharpener for what's typical for his level.

[Doubletoe]

7/16" is a little deeper ("sharper") than 1/2", but if he skates on hard ice or his blades dull quickly, it may be a better choice. 7/16" and 1/2" are both very popular ROH for freestyle skaters.

[LLOS]

I know skaters who liked razor sharp blades at all times

Me too, it is such a great feel to skate when they are razor sharp!! I start to wobble and be insecure when they start to get a bit dull. BUT that is what the guy who is sharpen my blades does not understand, he thinks with such sharp blades I would be unable to skate so he always makes them dull first (what most adults prefer).

[leafygreens]

I avoid sharpening my skates because it takes me two weeks to get used to them again when done on a hockey sharpener. The only person I trust with my skates now is a man who uses an Incredible Edger machine, and I even pay the money to have them shipped because it's far from where I live. With the Incredible Edger they get sharp but you can skate right away, as opposed to having them done on a hockey sharpener, where you have to dull them down on the boards and on wood and you still can't skate right. I have gotten "stuck" on a too-deep edge one too many times to ever get them done on a hockey sharpener again. I can't stand it.

FWIW my coach says the general rule is if you skate once a week, get them sharpened once a year; if you skate four times a week, get them sharpened four times a year, etc etc.

[skatemomoftwo]

Have you asked his coach?The same for the dance class. How about asking the other skaters at his rink?That would be more helpful I would guess.

[TheGirlCanSkate]

For us skates are sharpened every 20 hours on the ice. We have a figure skating professional sharpener and he talks to my skater and knows what she likes - I don't have a number because he knows what he is doing and knows my skater. Sometimes the edges have to be stoned - even small nicks effect her skating.

Your coach can check and show you how to check when so you know about when they need to be sharpened. The 20 hours is a rule of thumb for me just so I have it on my calendar, but sometimes she wears down one edge more than the other and her coach will point out that her edge isn't right just by her performance or she will be frustrated and let me know something feels off. I help her find the words so she can tell the skate pro.

I try to stay out of it and let her, her coaches and skate pro figure it all out. This way she feels self confident about knowing her own equipment and one day if she competes far from home with just her coach present she is able to handle it on her own.