Skate Sharpening
Every individual will tell you something slightly different as regards the METHOD of sharpening. There are a few links below to explore as well as the basic instructions included below. We hope you'll get the idea and just sharpen skates without worrying too much. Skates that have been poorly sharpened are still far better off than skates that haven't been sharpened at all, and you'll get more confident as you go! Good luck & don't hesitate to ask the equipment manager, a coach, or another club member for help!
Seriously helpful tutorials!
How to sharpen by Ellis Edge
Sharpening your skates by Ken Hart
Need to see it done? Here's another great link full of photos
CLUB JIGS (a jig is a vise for holding skates during the sharpening process) are available for club member's use in the change rooms during practice times, Mondays and Fridays. Skaters will get the most benefit from their practice sessions when skates are properly sharpened. Protect the blades! Put on plastic guards before stepping onto the black mats at the arena exit--blades dull easily on those. Keep a small towel in your bag so that after skating, you can dry the blades (wet blades will quickly rust); and replace the soft guards before packing the skates away in your bag. Remind your child that speed skates and blades are valuable pieces of equipment that can be easily damaged when care is not taken to protect them.
As your skaters advance, you may wish to purchase a sharpening jig for your personal use. The equipment manager can help you make a good choice. Ordering through the club, you can take advantage of club discounts.
Let's get started! You will need:
Place the skates in the jig - always the same way. Place skates as a pair, with insteps together. Be sure that the top of the blades are on the same plane (i.e., not one end higher than the other). Tighten clamps to hold skates securely in the jig. Lightly oil the coarse* side of the sharpening stone. Oil is included in the club jig sets.
1. Lightly slide the stone forward along the blades (DO NOT apply downward pressure to the stone) and bring back lightly toward yourself. Do not allow the stone to "rock" over the curved ends of the blade, or from side to side. In order to keep your touch gentle enough, try holding the stone with only the thumb and one finger. Repeat 5-10 times.
2. Turn the jig around, so that you are starting at the opposite ends of the blades, and repeat step 1.
The process of sharpening bends a very fine metal edge outward, called a burr. The burr must be removed.
De-burring:
Either remove the skates to de-burr (this is a bit more bother for you but gives much better control of the burr stone), or lay the jig, with the blades still attached, on its side. Smear a drop of oil on the burr stone and run it a few times back and forth, for the entire length of each side of the blades.
Turn the jig right side up, (or return skates to jig) and with the fine side of the large stone (lightly oiled), repeat steps 1 and 2 as described above.
Lay the jig on its side to de-burr for the last time! You may want to polish the blades with a polishing stone (economical version: wrap newspaper around the large stone and polish the blades with long strokes 5-10 times) and remove the skates from the jig. Remember to store in dry soft guards.
*If you are just "touching up" a pair of blades, you will likely not use the coarse side of the stone at all, only the fine.
If skate blades are very dull or nicked, you will need extra time with the coarse stone to work through the nicks. If the nicks seem extra large, or you have other concerns, ask a coach to check. Your blades may need to be rockered.
How often should you sharpen? For beginning skaters, a general rule is sharpen every 4 practices. As skaters progress they will become more sensitive to what they are feeling from their skates ("I lost my edge") and the process will become more personal. Keep in mind that maintaining sharp blades takes a lot less time than allowing them to become very dull and then working to create an edge again.
Am I doing it right? Moving a sharpening stone back and forth is easy. Learning to effectively remove the burr you create is trickier, and is the major "Aha!" moment for most of us when mastering skate sharpening. Skates aren't truly sharp unless the burr is removed. How to tell it's gone??? With the skate still upside down after using the burr stone, place your nails against the side of the blade, and draw them upward, toward the edge. If you feel a "catch" there at the edge, it's likely burr... or sometimes another flaw such as a nick or a stripped edge. Try again with the burr stone and ask someone to check if you're not sure!
Sharpening your skates by Ken Hart
Need to see it done? Here's another great link full of photos
CLUB JIGS (a jig is a vise for holding skates during the sharpening process) are available for club member's use in the change rooms during practice times, Mondays and Fridays. Skaters will get the most benefit from their practice sessions when skates are properly sharpened. Protect the blades! Put on plastic guards before stepping onto the black mats at the arena exit--blades dull easily on those. Keep a small towel in your bag so that after skating, you can dry the blades (wet blades will quickly rust); and replace the soft guards before packing the skates away in your bag. Remind your child that speed skates and blades are valuable pieces of equipment that can be easily damaged when care is not taken to protect them.
As your skaters advance, you may wish to purchase a sharpening jig for your personal use. The equipment manager can help you make a good choice. Ordering through the club, you can take advantage of club discounts.
Let's get started! You will need:
- Jig: Preferably one that allows a lot of blade above the jaws in order to work the burr stone.
- Stone: A long stone with both coarse and fine sides.
- Burr Stone: Small (approximately 1" x 2") with fine grit.
- Oil
Place the skates in the jig - always the same way. Place skates as a pair, with insteps together. Be sure that the top of the blades are on the same plane (i.e., not one end higher than the other). Tighten clamps to hold skates securely in the jig. Lightly oil the coarse* side of the sharpening stone. Oil is included in the club jig sets.
1. Lightly slide the stone forward along the blades (DO NOT apply downward pressure to the stone) and bring back lightly toward yourself. Do not allow the stone to "rock" over the curved ends of the blade, or from side to side. In order to keep your touch gentle enough, try holding the stone with only the thumb and one finger. Repeat 5-10 times.
2. Turn the jig around, so that you are starting at the opposite ends of the blades, and repeat step 1.
The process of sharpening bends a very fine metal edge outward, called a burr. The burr must be removed.
De-burring:
Either remove the skates to de-burr (this is a bit more bother for you but gives much better control of the burr stone), or lay the jig, with the blades still attached, on its side. Smear a drop of oil on the burr stone and run it a few times back and forth, for the entire length of each side of the blades.
Turn the jig right side up, (or return skates to jig) and with the fine side of the large stone (lightly oiled), repeat steps 1 and 2 as described above.
Lay the jig on its side to de-burr for the last time! You may want to polish the blades with a polishing stone (economical version: wrap newspaper around the large stone and polish the blades with long strokes 5-10 times) and remove the skates from the jig. Remember to store in dry soft guards.
*If you are just "touching up" a pair of blades, you will likely not use the coarse side of the stone at all, only the fine.
If skate blades are very dull or nicked, you will need extra time with the coarse stone to work through the nicks. If the nicks seem extra large, or you have other concerns, ask a coach to check. Your blades may need to be rockered.
How often should you sharpen? For beginning skaters, a general rule is sharpen every 4 practices. As skaters progress they will become more sensitive to what they are feeling from their skates ("I lost my edge") and the process will become more personal. Keep in mind that maintaining sharp blades takes a lot less time than allowing them to become very dull and then working to create an edge again.
Am I doing it right? Moving a sharpening stone back and forth is easy. Learning to effectively remove the burr you create is trickier, and is the major "Aha!" moment for most of us when mastering skate sharpening. Skates aren't truly sharp unless the burr is removed. How to tell it's gone??? With the skate still upside down after using the burr stone, place your nails against the side of the blade, and draw them upward, toward the edge. If you feel a "catch" there at the edge, it's likely burr... or sometimes another flaw such as a nick or a stripped edge. Try again with the burr stone and ask someone to check if you're not sure!
