Skate Sharpening and Profiling
Properly sharpened skates are essential to the skating and hockey experience since the blades, also know as steel runners, provide the grip you need on the ice. If your skates have blades that are worn, nicked or uneven edges; skating can be incredibly difficult and frustrating.
| How to Select a Skate Sharpening | |
| Step 1: | |
| Select Your ProSharp Profile: Traditional, Basic, Triple, Quad or Ellipse | |
| Recreational or Beginner: Select - Traditional (No Profiling) | |
| Step 2: | |
| Select Your Sharpening: | |
| Recreational or Beginner: Select - 1/2" Hollow | |
Step 1: Select Your Prosharp Profile
The profile of your skate's blade is the actual shape of the bottom of the blade that makes contact with the ice. Traditional or Stock profiles come with a single radius, which is a singular curve that offers a one-dimensional performance. A longer flatter blade allows for greater gliding with less effort and more returned energy, but sacrifices grip needed for quicker, shorter movements. In contrast, a shorter blade provides a superior turning radius and generates greater immediate power because of increased friction but decreases gliding. Today, blades can now come with triple, quadruple and Ellipse shape profiles that unlock the full potential in a player's skating abilities by enhancing grip, glide and speed. With a Prosharp Profile, you can get the best of both worlds through variable profiles.
Agility Profile for an Aggressive Feel
Increased forward ptich that feels like you are more on your toes. Offers quicker agility and acceleration while maximizing balance.
Power Profile for a Balanced Feel
Neutral pitch that feels centrally balanced. Enhances powerful strides and is very efficient during transitions.
Hybrid Profile for a Seamless Feel
Neutral pitch with seamless feel from heel to toe. Dynamically enhances power and agility.
Select Your Sharpening
With your profile decided, it is finally time to choose the Sharpening Radius. Also known as the hollow radius, this is how deep of a groove is cut into your steel blade. The deeper the cut, the more grip the blade will have. The shallower the cut, the more glide the blade will have.
For the youth or junior player, we recommend starting with a 1/2" standard sharpening. For an adult player, we recommend starting with a 7/16" standard sharpening. As the player further develops their skating skills and/or if they continue to grow, we recommend reducing the radius (shallower) since their ability requires less edge and can capitalize on better speed and glide from the shallower hollow. This is also a key advantage of ProSharp Profiling, players can increase glide without sacrificing grip with custom blade profiles that maximize ice contact.
Hockey Skate Sharpening FAQ
How do I know when to sharpen my hockey skates?
If you find yourself falling down or sliding out on standard movements which can be described as "losing and edge" and can feel like the skate blade edges simply are not gripping the ice properly. You can perform the Touch Test by applying a gentle touch of the fingernail on the blade edges from top to bottom. If the skate blades do not feel sharp or if you can feel any nicks or gouges in them, it is time to have them re-sharpened.
How often should I sharpen my hockey skates?
There are plenty of factors which affect how frequently ice hockey skates should be sharpened but a general rule is about every 5 to 10 hours of ice time. Other factors to consider such as ice hardness in colder climates or skating on outdoor rinks can also require more frequent sharpening.
How can I keep my hockey skates sharp?
There are a few tips and accessories players can use to keep their skates sharp. The most important is to protect the blades when they are not on the ice. Players should use walkable skate guards when walking on hard surfaces like concrete and when they put their skates back in their bag. Once skates go back in the bag, it is important to make sure the blades have been dried with a skate towel and are properly protected with a skate guard.
Do new hockey skates need to be sharpened?
Most ice hockey skates do not come pre-sharpened and are not game-ready. Unlike a standard re-sharpening, new hockey skates are first cross-grinded which removes any imbalances or unevenness in the blades prior to a standard sharpening.
How can I tell if I need to replace my blades?
There are a few signs to look for when out on the ice. If you notice you are bottoming out, hitting your boot or holder on the ice during aggressive turns, it is likely time for a new pair of blades. You might also feel like your skating strides are not nearly as responsive as before. Higher-end steel maintains its edges better than lower-end steel, which requires less sharpening and thus extends the steels lifespan.