You will understand that the sharpness of your skates plays a part in how well you perform. A sharp blade can increase the control you have while turning or stopping, and sharpening your blades can lengthen your skates’ life properly. Hockey and sharpening of skates are simply a part of being a skater, and this guide will help you understand how to effectively sharpen your ice hockey skates.
The importance of reinforcement
Sharpen your skates once and quickly you will realize the difference between sharp and dull blades. There are a few reasons why you should regularly sharpen your skates:
Better handle: sharper blades hold the ice more than dull ones.
Better grip: a sharp blade can help you to stick figure skates and turn sharper.
Consistent performance: regular sharpening of your skates enables you to find the sharpness which is the best to achieve. Waiting too long and sharpening your skates can change your skateboards dramatically.
Safer stops: a sharp blade lets you stop more abruptly, protecting you from crashes and other obstacles on the ice.
Skates how to sharpen
Many skaters choose to sharpen their ice skates for them. However, these tips will help you understand the basics and stay safe if you want to know how ice skates can sharpen at home when doing so.
First, you have to put the skates in the jig. Whenever you sharpen, it is important to position both skates in the same position, so you do the same cuts each time. Pull the blade brackets tight until the skates are securely and parallel.
Sit between your legs with the sharpening jig.
Use a flat file to diagonally file the blade from the toe to the heel. Make sure that the file is perpendicular to the blade always.
Slide the flat file across a single blade approximately 20 times in the same direction and then move the same move in the opposite direction.
Repeat the other skate process.
Adapt your skate blade to suit your needs for skating. Grinding a radius into your blade can make the edges more or less prominent so that you can hold tighter turns, skate more quickly or stop more abruptly. New skaters typically start with a larger radius, whereas professionals prefer a smaller radius for stronger rounds and landscapes.
Using your burr stone to clear any sheet metal filings and towel the blades.
It can be hard to learn how to sharpen skates and it is often recommended that you get assistance from a shop during your first attempts.
Stop these mistakes if you sharpen your skates
There are many mistakes when you learn how to sharpen hockey skates or figures. Although these mistakes may not ruin your whole skating experience, they can shorten your skating life and trigger safety problems:
Rare sharpening: daily sharpening of the blades. The higher your blades must be sharpened the more likely you skate. Mind how many hours you skate before sharpening, so you are not caught with dull blades on a competition or game day.
Sharpening too often: sharpening is as simple as sharpening when appropriate. Sharpening will make your blade wear and tear unnecessarily.
You would probably want to go to the ice too hard and harshly, but sharpening can lead to rough patches, burrs and talk, which can lead to poor results or injury.