Skate Sharpening ---Myths and Realities...

 

Are My Skates Sharp?

Skating; such a critical part of the game of hockey and yet, very few hockey players can answer the question, "Are my skates sharp?". Not until it is, perhaps, too late.

He suits up in the dressing room or at home, laces up while the coach puts him through a chalk talk or motivational speech, kibitzes around with his team mates in the dressing room, pumps up his mind in preparation for "the game", hits the ice amidst thoughts of victory and shouts of "We're number one", a couple of turns around his half of the ice as a warm-up, and then it smacks him right in the forefront of his mind like a brick wall...I SHOULD HAVE GOT MY SKATES SHARPENED! It is at precisely that point that a hockey player realizes that whatever he expects from his skates, the most expensive piece of equipment, will not be forthcoming. Hours upon hours of games, practices, hockey and power skating schools have conditioned him to know intuitively, what, exactly his skates will do for him on the ice and how they will perform for him throughout the game. And just what does he expect from his skates? Well, to be able to stop exactly when and where he wants to; to be able to shift his weight while going full tilt and change direction; to be able to lean into a turn at an angle that defies the laws of gravity and physics, and propel himself out the other side; to be able to dig his skates in and accelerate. And it is not going to happen! With a little knowledge and practice of some new skills, this kind of situation can be avoided, by knowing what sharp skates are supposed to feel like before stepping onto the ice. Here's how:

1. make sure skate blades and your hands are dry and warm. This is important because cold hands will limit the sense of touch, and any moisture will "lubricate" the edges to the extent where a true reading will not be possible.

2. turn one skate upside down and turn it facing away from you so you are looking down the length of the blade. You can rest it on a table or your knees.

3. place the inside of your thumbs on the edges (one inside edge, one outside edge) and lightly drag your thumbs over and off the side of the blade. Repeat this at several (8 to 10) places along the length of the blade.

4. if the blade is sharp, you will notice a definite "drag" on the skin of your thumbs. This "drag" will be consistent on both the inside and outside edges as well as down the length of the blade.

5. if the blade has lost its edge at any point, the "drag" will be less, or not there at all.

6. repeat this for the other skate.

This little exercise must be practiced, though. The best time to practice it is right after a sharpening, so you can develop a "feel" for just how the edges should be. If you develop that "feel", try using your finger tips. Hold one skate in your hand, upside down, and draw the four finger tips of the other hand off the blade, very lightly. Do both edges and both skates. If you can't warm up your hands or the edges are wet, try the back of the thumbnail method. Very light pressure is all that is needed. If there is any edge at all, small shavings of nail will deposit on the blade. Anything other than an even amount of nail shavings on the blade (down the length and on both sides) will mean the edges are not evenly sharp and may require a tune-up.

As a guideline, inside edges tend to wear more quickly than the outside edges. Also, the front half, or so, of the blade more so than the back half. Keep this in mind as you inspect your skates between sharpenings. Most of the high-end, more costly and sturdier skates have blades made of stainless steel. As the edges wear on these temper-hardened blades, the edges "chip" away because the steel is brittle. This can't be seen with the naked eye, but can be felt with "trained" finger tips. On the softer, carbon-based blades (this type is still quite common) the edges bend with wear creating "burrs" at wear points along the blade. Used properly, a honing or sharpening stone will shave off the burrs and, in effect, "prop up" the edge for continued use. Used regularly, these stones can lengthen the time between sharpening by 20 to 40 percent. On the stainless blades, honing doesn't do much except to smooth out larger nicks that might be picked up by skates colliding or running into a goal post. And there you have it. It is not a difficult thing to do. It just requires a little practice and discipline (something familiar to most hockey players) to be able to determine if your skates are sharp.

And just how should the skates be sharpened? That's the subject of the next piece in the series;  it's titled "The Wonder of Radius".