Skates do not require special care. The main rules are to dry them after use, sharpen them on time and make sure that the blades do not become rusty. To do this you need a special skate sharpener. To sharpen them, it is not enough to use grinder, a U-shaped groove is machined into the blade.

Several reasons to regularly sharpen your skates:

the athlete gains confidence and a sense of perseverance on the ice;
well-sharpened blades help control balance on ice;
sharp blades help perform rotations, accelerate and perform elements;
sliding becomes smoother;
A dull blade increases the risk of injury.

Devices and tools

Let's look at what tools there are for sharpening skates with your own hands:

Abrasive touchstone - slingshot for skates with plastic handle. On-line editing of blades. The tool removes burrs left after sharpening. The movements are carried out smoothly, without pressure, so as not to cut off the groove. To obtain best result, it is recommended to use lubricant, or moisten the blades with running water. They only trim the blades, but do not sharpen them.
A whetstone is an abrasive material for straightening a blade after sharpening.
Edge Again is a handheld, portable skate sharpener.

What is the best way to sharpen?

Each equipment owner decides independently which device to use for sharpening skates. An at-home procedure or a manual skate sharpener will not replace a professional one, especially for serious sports.

Sharpening machines

The most popular machines for sharpening skates are nordway and ProSharp, they have been tested in practice. Instructions on how to use the Nordway machine:

Turn on the machine.
When the circle's motion becomes stationary, apply the blade to the circle, pointing it to the left, against the disc, along the edge.
Repeat the procedure three times, adjusting the shape of the edge.
Adjust the movement of the support bar as necessary.

If you have no experience handling similar devices, first try to conduct the experiment on an old pair.

Consumables

Additional components expand the capabilities of the machine:

vices - they can be universal, for any pair, or they can be selected professionally for a specific sport;
diamond discs for sharpening equipment, they vary in color and diameter;
adapters from larger to smaller diameter;
diamond groove pencils;
whetstones, for removing burrs.

Specifics

Sharpening skates has its own characteristics. Before the process, it is clarified where exactly the athlete will play - on an artificial or natural ice, weight category, riding style. When playing hockey, an important parameter is the place on the team as an attacker, goalkeeper or defender.

The depth of the groove is adjusted depending on the use of the equipment:

in figure skating it reaches 5-6 mm;
for hockey - 20mm;
for speed skating - 45mm.

If burrs are found on the equipment, sharpening is not necessary.

Signs that equipment needs sharpening

How to understand that it’s time to sharpen your skates:

there is no groove on the blade or it is covered with rust;
when a turn is made, the blades move to the side;
the runners slide during repulsion.

How to carry out the procedure at home

You will need:

A vice for clamping the dies, otherwise the skate will slip out.
A needle file is a round file. With its help, the groove becomes even.
A block with a hole the width of the blade.

How to sharpen:

Place the equipment horizontally, clamping it with a vice. Place a block with a file inside on top.
Use a file to make a hole. Move it sideways until the groove becomes noticeable.
Continue the procedure until a sharp edge appears.

Now sanding is done: wrap the file sandpaper, move it along the blade without touching the edge.

Methods

There are two sharpening methods: straight and grooved. Skates go on sale straight sharpened. But in practice, this method does not justify itself. Although high speed is achieved and there is the possibility of sharp braking, maneuverability comes to naught.

Sharpening under the gutter develops the same speed as a straight line, makes movements maneuverable, but braking is difficult. It is preferred by hockey players and figure skating athletes.

FTB - sharpening. Used on European ice, is used infrequently in Russia. European matches take place on artificial ice, so the emphasis is not on speed, but on the grip of the blade with the coating.

How to distinguish sharpened equipment

Let's look at several visual signs of sharpened equipment. A sharpened pair of skates has a groove on the inside. The lateral ribs are sharp and of equal thickness. Sports palaces will help you get the job done professionally.

Sharpening skates at home

Ice skating is a popular and accessible view a sport that allows you to get great pleasure. As in any other sport, much in this case depends on the quality and condition of the equipment. The main “tool” of athletes who engage in hockey or figure skating is skates, which means it is necessary to monitor their condition especially carefully.

Preparing skates for sharpening
Types of skate sharpening
How to check the sharpening of skates

However, this applies not only to professionals, but also to amateurs who visit the skating rink in free time. The sharpness of skate blades must be checked periodically and sharpened in a timely manner. Let's look at how you can sharpen skates with your own hands.

Preparing skates for sharpening

It should be noted right away that new skates are very often sold unsharpened. As a rule, these are professional skates that the owner will sharpen to his specifications. Professional sharpening skates will cost approximately 200-300 rubles per pair and are produced on special equipment in a short time.

But what to do if your skate blades only require a little work, you don’t have a sharpening specialist nearby, or you just want to save money? In these cases, you can sharpen your skates at home, and the right approach it's not difficult at all.

Depending on the operating conditions, the type of skates and the frequency of their use, skates are sharpened more often or less often. Skates of professional athletes are sharpened before each training session; amateurs only need to sharpen them once a year.

Do not forget that sometimes skates do not need thorough sharpening: for example, you can remove burrs from the blade with fine sandpaper without using files. But we can note a number of “symptoms” that indicate that the skates really need sharpening:

Skates slipping during acceleration. May appear constantly, but may only happen a couple of times per evening
Blades move to the side when turning
Missing groove (common on new skates)

Many people think that skates are sharpened just like a knife: they remain sharp. cutting edge. In fact, the design of the skate blade is a little more complex: it has a groove (or groove). A gutter is made to reduce the area of contact with ice. According to the laws of physics, at such points of lesser contact the pressure on the surface increases, which means the temperature at the point of contact of the blade with the ice increases. As a result, a water film forms under the blade, which improves glide. It means that Skates should also be sharpened if the structure of the gutter is damaged or if the skates have lain idle for a long time and the gutter has become covered with rust.

To sharpen skates you will need the following tools:

Electric emery
Round file with a diameter of 10 millimeters
Fine-grained stone
Sandpaper

Before sharpening, skates must be washed and free of dirt.

Types of skate sharpening

Skates are sharpened both with and without a groove on the blades. In the second case, you can do without emery wheel and use a file, which will require a lot of effort. With this sharpening method, the sole of the blade is sharpened at an angle to its side walls. Typically, this method is currently used only for figure skating: this method of sharpening allows you to perform some sports elements.

Basically, skates are sharpened to fit the groove. For this, an emery disc with an electric motor is used, and obtaining such equipment can be problematic. As a rule, such old cheap discs can be sold at various flea markets; often such a disc can be found among garage owners. In any case, to sharpen skates you need not only an electric motor, but also a disk of a special shape: it must have sharp edges, with the help of which the groove will be sharpened or deepened.

The optimal gutter depth is approximately 0.5-0.6 millimeters, At the same time, while deepening the groove, sharpening of the edges of the blade occurs at the same time. After the groove is ready, the blade is finished with a block of outside, if necessary, you can give the ribs a certain sharpening angle.

Despite the fact that sharpening usually does not pose any difficulties, the task can be simplified even further. Nowadays, you can easily purchase portable express sharpening machines that are no larger in size than a manual stapler. In professional sports, more expensive equipment is used, but such professional machines costing tens of thousands of rubles, although effective, are not useful for amateurs on the farm.

How to check the sharpening of skates

Usually everyone sharpens their skates “to suit themselves.” Even hockey teams have a special technician who sharpens skates and does this individually for each athlete: it all depends on the player’s style, his weight, his function in the team, and even what kind of injuries the athlete suffered.

When sharpening skates at home, they usually do not use the old “old-fashioned” method of running a finger along the blade and assessing the sharpness of the blade, but it is simply impossible to check the degree of sharpening of skates based on some complex parameters.

The first thing after sharpening is to check the sharpness of the blade in different areas: you can run your fingernail along the blade or use thin plastic for this. If the blades, with the same force, leave scratches of the same depth in different areas, the skates are sharpened correctly.

Naturally, one should also visual inspection. A properly sharpened groove will look something like the picture above. The ribs should be identical, symmetrical, and there should be no chips or chips on them. Then you have to put on your skates and test them on the ice. The legs should not slip when pushing off. You can also put your skates on the ice and see if they tilt to one side. Properly sharpened skates will stand straight.

If possible, you can show the sharpened skates to a specialist, who will evaluate the correct sharpening. Usually even knife sharpeners can give their professional opinion. As a rule, they do not charge money for such a minute inspection.

Do not underestimate the importance of correct and timely sharpening. Not only comfort while skating, but also safety on the skating rink depends on this. In addition, for professional athletes, proper sharpening of skates is on par with proper physical training, and only perfectly sharpened skates contribute to achieving the best sports results.

Sharpening skates at home. 1 comment

Interesting topic, I was thinking about this question myself ^_^ How should skates, or rather their blades, generally look in a perfectly sharpened state? O_o

http://yaveter.com

What to do in winter? Of course, active recreation– for example, you can go ice skating. But how to properly sharpen skates at home? Let's figure it out together.

Those who don’t know how to sharpen skates at home will need the following tools:

Grinding wheel with sanding paper.
File.
Touchstone.
Sandpaper.
Fine-grained whetstones.
Vise for fixing the blade at an angle.
Grinder.

To make a groove on the blades, use grinding wheel. The groove will not go crooked if you place a flat surface perpendicularly. Use a round file to deepen an existing gutter. The radius of the recess should be fifteen millimeters. If burrs appear, remove them with sandpaper. The ribs should be the same height.
How to sharpen skates without a groove at home? Here is the easiest way - after sharpening them with a block, clean them with a piece of sandpaper (you can use it to deepen the groove). Another option is to use a file (ten centimeters in diameter), but you will have to tinker with this tool for a long time.

Important! The blades will not become dull too early if they are thoroughly wiped after riding and put in a case. Only dry skates can be placed in the case to prevent the blades from rusting. You can choose both soft and hard cases.

Do I need to sharpen new skates I just bought?

Do I need to sharpen new skates? Of course it is necessary, because many models have untreated blades. However, there are exceptions to this rule: Reebok manufacturers produce models with T-Blade blades.
Such models have a mount made of hard material, on the edges of which small blades are installed, for the manufacture of which hardened steel is used. The durability of this material helps these blades stay sharp for up to twice as long as their counterparts.

Advice: If you notice that the edge is dull, replace the old blade with a new one.

How often should you sharpen your skates?

Another important question is how often to sharpen your skates. If you train four times a week, you should sharpen your skates twice a week. Many beginners ask why they need to sharpen skates.
Below are four reasons:

Skating on ice, a person will feel confident and enjoy skating.
If the skates are sharpened, it will be easier for the athlete to control their balance.
Sharpened skates provide instant acceleration, which makes it easier for figure skaters to spin and helps hockey players catch the puck faster.
The sharpened blade improves gliding quality.

What properly sharpened skates look like

What do sharpened skates look like, and can you tell if they have been sharpened? Here's an easy way to check: Run your fingers along the blade - the edges should be sharp.
Next, run the tip of your nail on both sides of the blades: scratches remaining on the nails are a sign correct sharpening skates
Here's another way - if you look in profile, you can see that the surface of the blades on conventional models resembles a small groove with sharp edges. There should be uniform levels along the entire length of such ribs. Chipping on the edge is a sign of low-quality steel, so avoid purchasing such skates.
To perform another test, put on your skates, stand on the ice and perform a side shift - your feet should not slide while doing this. Also perform a skating move - while making sure that your legs do not move apart.

Important! Don’t rush to sharpen your skates right away—it’s often enough to simply remove burrs using a diamond wheel.

Sharpening figure skates

Here are some common mistakes made when sharpening by non-professionals:

When sharpening in an artisanal way, the sides of the blades turn out to be unequal. As a result, when skating, a person loses his balance.
Also, beginners who do not know how to sharpen figure skates incorrectly remove steel from various parts of the blades. For example, they remove a lot of steel in the toe area. The result is imbalance and lack of support for the blade on the ice.

Important! Also remember that the quality of the ride will deteriorate due to the incorrect radius of the groove. The unit of measurement for this value is inch. This value shows the recommended sharpening radius. The radius of the groove affects the correct sliding and comfort when exiting jumps. The radius of the gutter is selected individually for skaters.

Sharpening hockey skates

When it comes to how to sharpen hockey skates, the most important thing is choosing the right type of sharpening.
Here are some options:

With standard hockey sharpening, the grooves of the blade are sharpened in a semicircle. There are also rounded channels.
The peculiarity of channel z sharpening is the presence of a groove with square channels in the center.
The least common type of sharpening is FTB. It is sharpened only on Blackstone machines. This type of sharpening is not common in the CIS countries.

Also, when wondering how to sharpen hockey skates, users should remember that skates with a standard channel are sharpened not only on manual, but also on automatic machines. This method of sharpening is the most reliable.
Using Z sharpening, you can solve the problem with slippage. It also helps sharpen deeper grooves than conventional sharpening. This type of groove has been tested on European athletes for a long time, and it has been proven that it is superior to standard grooves in all respects.
Among the advantages of FTB sharpening, it is worth highlighting its high efficiency, which is defined as follows: a small loss of speed and excellent grinding. However, this sharpening has its drawbacks - it is inconvenient to use a machine made by Blackstone. The fact is that to sharpen different grooves it is necessary to change heads and adjust the machines. This takes a lot of time.

Advice: To get a higher rolling speed, use grooves of different radii. Don't forget that under different ways For skating, different sharpening points are used.

So, sharpening figure or hockey skates is very simple - the main thing is to follow the advice given in this article. Happy skating!

How to sharpen skates video

Any Sports Equipment requires proper care and periodic updating. If your skates have become dull and you no longer enjoy quality skating on ice... it's time to give your blades their former sharpness. But how to sharpen skates correctly?

There are two ways to sharpen skates: with a groove and without a groove. The gutter is also called a “groove”. It is necessary for more “correct” and comfortable skating. What is a groove? This is a method of sharpening directly on the skate blade. The area of contact of the skate blade with the ice becomes smaller than that of a skate with a flat blade, thus the pressure is greater, which means that with a stable volume the temperature at the point of contact increases. As a result, a water film is formed better and faster, in which the skate blade glides.

A skate with a flat sharpened blade resembles ordinary skis... If the legs are positioned strictly vertically, the skates really stop gripping the ice.

You have two options:

give it to the master and he will do all the painstaking work for money, using a machine for sharpening skates.
Try sharpening your skates yourself at home.

In the first case, if you decide to take your skates to a professional, you should not have any problems. But do not forget to check with a specialist what type of sharpening he will use - with or without a “groove”.

If you don’t want to spend money on the work of a professional and prefer to do everything yourself, you may encounter certain difficulties. If you have never sharpened skates, can you be sure that you will not damage the blades? Many believe that it is, in principle, impossible to ruin skates, while few people even remotely understand how to sharpen skates.

At home, the most commonly used method is sharpening with a groove. To do this, you need regular emery, as well as a guide plate and a grinding wheel, which is used to finish the groove on fairly dull blades. Using a round file, the correct shape of the groove is manually created (the depth is no more than 0.5 mm), and the edges of the blade are sharpened. The main thing is to make sure that the groove is not tilted on its side. Place a flat, level surface across the groove that is perpendicular to the blade. Then carefully remove the burrs with a block. The skates are sharpened. You can ride!

Sharpening of hockey and figure skates differs. For example: blades in figure skates are sharpened with a groove, their radius is from 10 mm to 15 mm (called a “deep groove”). And hockey skates have a so-called “small groove” with a radius of up to a maximum of 7 mm.

Evgeni Plushenko watches the process of sharpening skates

But you must admit that the “old-fashioned” methods of sharpening skates cause much more inconvenience. And there is no shortage of special sharpening machines. If you can’t imagine your life without hockey or figure skating, it makes sense to think about purchasing such a machine for your home. You will not depend on the work of a third-party master; you will be able to sharpen skate blades, while correctly maintaining the contour, and also restore the groove.

For homework Small-sized mobile machines with a stable design and manual control have been created. Due to their small dimensions and weight, they can be used at outdoor competitions.

The machine is usually supplied with a special vacuum cleaner designed to remove ceramic and metal dust. The delivery also includes a sharpening disc. Prices for such units vary - it all depends on the manufacturer.

However, many craftsmen prefer to use universal sharpening machines for hockey and figure skates. Such devices create flat surface, but a groove is machined along the axis of the blade.

The answer to the question “how to sharpen skates?” It will depend on what is more convenient for you personally. If you do not want to take on technical responsibilities, it is better to give your skates to professionals. However, do not rush to sharpen skates at home without experience. If you intend to achieve independence in everything, it is better to take a few lessons from a pro and only then purchase a sharpening machine and care for your skates yourself. Otherwise, you risk ruining the blades of at least one pair.

You may also be interested in articles on this topic:

3 thoughts on “Sharpening skates at home and with a professional”

Already in almost every NHL club and beyond, a portable skate sharpening device is increasingly used, which not only sharpens and straightens skate blades, but also significantly extends their “life”, because much less often sharpening is required on a machine, which removes an entire layer of the blade. Another advantage of EA is that you can sharpen your skates without taking them off within a few seconds, which is very important during a match. Moreover, it could be great solution problems of lack of a skate sharpening station nearby.

But where can other recreational enthusiasts buy such machines for quick sharpening?

The author of the article got something wrong with the radius of the groove. In general, the larger the radius of the groove, the shallower the groove will be. The 15mm radius gives a fairly deep groove, especially considering that figure skates have a thicker blade. Therefore, the same radius of the end of the grinding stone produces sharper edges. Don't believe me? Draw a drawing on a large scale on a piece of paper on the mating surfaces of the stone-blade and everything will become clear! And for hockey players of average weight and normal ice hardness, the optimal groove radius lies in the range from 17 to 24 mm. Here of course great value has a blade profile - a flatter profile requires a shallower groove and vice versa. Believe me, a person who has been sharpening skates for 5 years and is still trying to improve his knowledge, wandered onto your page in search of this knowledge, but apart from general phrases, he did not find anything new for himself. Sincerely, Alexander.

How to properly sharpen skates at home - two simple ways

Ice skating is one of the the most popular types sports However, over time, ride comfort can decrease significantly. This is due to the blade losing its original shape. The only way out is to sharpen it. If there is no desire (or opportunity) to contact a specialized service, you can do this work yourself.

The main mistake beginners make is trying to make the blade as sharp as possible. This will lead to loss of stability and, as a result, possible injury. If you look closely at the end of the blade, you can see a groove. It actually forms 2 planes of contact with the ice surface. Under the influence of friction, the ice melts, forming a layer of water. It is this that promotes better gliding.

Skate Blade Configuration

The basic rules for sharpening skates at home are as follows.

After its completion, the blade configuration should be as close as possible to the original factory one.
No burrs or uneven thickness on each plane of the blade.
Availability of appropriate tools.

For reference, the depth of a figure skating groove is about 5-6 mm. This promotes better maneuverability, but affects stability. The deeper the groove, the easier it is to stay on the skates. For hockey models this parameter is usually 20 mm. Speed skating has the deepest groove - up to 45 mm.

Sharpening the blade is reduced to restoring the original dimensions of the groove. To do this, you can use a hand or electric tool. In case of infrequent use of skates, you can limit yourself to a simple needle file installed on wooden block. But if skiing occurs frequently or there are several lovers of this winter sport in the house, it is recommended to use a power tool.

The main tools you will need are a vice, a file (round) of the appropriate diameter and a wooden block. The latter has a U-shape, into the groove of which a needle file is attached.

After securing the skate in a vice, you need to perform the following steps.

A block with a file is placed on the front of the blade and reverse movement outline the contours of the groove. If sharpening has not been carried out for a long time, then the groove may be completely absent.
Having outlined the depth line, compare the sizes of future ribs. They must be completely identical in thickness.
With great effort, the recess is deepened until the desired value is reached.

The final stage is removing the burrs. This can be done using a fine-grained file or a flat file.

A grinding wheel is attached to a fixed grinder or drill, the thickness of which should be 0.5-1 mm less than the width of the groove. The ridge should be secured with clamps to a steel angle. Attention - its height must be adjusted.

Sharpening with a power tool

The contours of the recess are then manually drawn. Sharpening is done from the front of the blade. Thus, even if there are undetected burrs, they will not greatly affect the quality of sliding.

How to sharpen skates at home

How to enjoy ice skating in winter? How to properly monitor the condition of the blades? How to sharpen skates at home? You will receive answers to these questions by studying the offer offered to you. step by step instructions with photo.

Content:
1 Flat sharpening skates
2 Sharpening grooved blades at home

The skate blade with a groove allows you to skate correctly and efficiently by reducing the contact area between the blade and the ice. Flat sharpening is suitable for beginner athletes.

Emery (coarse and fine)

File or abrasive stone

Construction corner 90%

Make sure the sandpaper or file is harder than the blade alloy.

Place your skates on a flat surface and if you sharpen them correctly, they will stand straight.

Round file set

Wooden block 100x50x50 mm

Secure the first skate tightly in the vise. Make sure that it will not move during processing.

Place a round file into the groove of the prepared block and forward movements start surface treatment as shown in the photo. The groove depth should not exceed 0.5-0.6 mm.

Continue sharpening the blade until you achieve the desired result. Once you have got the sharp edges, you need to remove the burrs, i.e. sand the edges. Take a file of a smaller diameter, wrap it in fine sandpaper and use a whetstone to sand the blade.

You can watch a video on how to sharpen blades at home here:

You can ensure calm and masterful skating only with perfectly sharpened blades. After all, sharpening skates affects gliding, braking, performing figure tricks and balance on the skating rink. This is why it is so important to constantly monitor the sharpening of your skates. Beginners may be wondering why they should sharpen their skates, because the blade seems even and smooth, so why sharpen it?

It's simple. Let's consider internal structure blades. It consists of two ribs and a notch between them. The notch is usually also called a groove or groove. If you look at the side of the blade on new skates before sharpening, it looks like this:

And this is what a blade sharpened to a groove looks like:

When you skate on a skating rink, only the inner or only the outer edge comes into contact with the ice, rarely both. Only properly sharpened blades retain adhesion to ice during turns and tilts; if the sharpening is poor, the blades slip and slide out.

The depth of the groove also plays a role. The deeper the groove, the more maneuverability it provides, the more stable the skater is when turning. But the shallow depth of the excavation contributes to the development of high speed. Frequent skating wears down the ribs, and the groove between them becomes smaller. Uneven ice causes burrs and roughness to gradually appear on the blades. It is sharpening that eliminates these shortcomings: it smooths out irregularities and deepens the groove. It is important that both edges along the entire line of the blade are the same, at the same level.

When should you sharpen your skates?

You will immediately know when your skates need sharpening. If you observe such symptoms, then it’s time to visit a sharpening specialist:

During acceleration, the skates began to slip;

When turning, the blades move to the side;

If you have new skates and/or the groove is missing.

Where can you sharpen your skates?

As a rule, more or less large skating rinks provide such a service. Don't sharpen your skates yourself because that's enough labor-intensive process. Sharpening is done special masters on special equipment. You should not sharpen the blades too often, only when necessary, otherwise the blades will quickly become unusable. To extend the life of the blades, do not walk in them on the floor, asphalt or steps without covers.

Proper sharpening of hockey skates. How to sharpen flat blades by hand