Blade sharpening?

Hi guys!

How often do you sharpen your blades?
I just realised I haven't done it for half a year
One of my friends had a look at them and she said they're okay, but another friend said I should sharpen them every month. I am not sensitive to edges and I don't have a coach so I can't get professional opinion
I skate 2 sessions a week (1 hour each) and I am working on double jumps (except lutz and axel)

Also I've heard that if the blades have been sharpened too many times, it's time to get new blades. Is this true?

Thanks!

I sharpen mine as soon as I feel my edges start to slip a bit on one foot skating. A general rule is every 8-12 hrs on the ice but I often go far longer than that and know others who do too.

I think it’s important to sharpen frequently enough to feel comfortable on them after being sharpened. Some people wait so long that when they get a proper sharpening it feels strange to them.

It’s also important to find someone you trust and stay with that sharpener. A bad sharpening is far worse than a bad haircut IMO!!

heytherewhatsup said:

Also I've heard that if the blades have been sharpened too many times, it's time to get new blades. Is this true?

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Yes, when your blades are sharpened a small amount of steel is lost. So eventually the blades need to be replaced.

I try to get mine sharpened after about 60 hours of ice time. I would get them done more often but I have to travel a couple hours to get them done.

6 months between sharpenings for only skating 2 hours a week isn't too crazy. You should probably get them sharpened now, though. Your other friend might skate more hours than you. I get mine sharpened between 25-50 hours, depending on where I've been skating, which tends to be about once every month-6 weeks. I actually don't know anyone who sharpens every 8-12 hours of skating!

heytherewhatsup said:

Also I've heard that if the blades have been sharpened too many times, it's time to get new blades. Is this true?

Click to expand...

Yes. For most figure skate blades, a region near the edges is hardened and tempered. The depth of this region varies with the manufacturer and blade model; typical depths range from 4 - 6 mm. On chrome-plated carbon steel blades, the chrome plating near the edge is removed to form the chrome-relief region, and indicates approximately the maximum depth that can be sharpened. On some polished stainless-steel blades, such as Eclipse, there is a laser-scribed line that indicates the maximum depth that can be sharpened.

For intermediate and advanced blades, you will typically reach end-of-life before you reach the maximum depth. That's because most commercial sharpening machines cannot sharpen right up to the bottom toe pick (drag pick). So as metal is removed from most of the blade over successive sharpenings, the spin rocker becomes progressively flattened ... at some stage, your spins get messed up. Some expert skate techs can extend the life a bit by touching up the profile of the spin rocker with a cross-grinder and by grinding down the drag pick.

heytherewhatsup said:

Hi guys!
How often do you sharpen your blades?
I just realised I haven't done it for half a year
One of my friends had a look at them and she said they're okay, but another friend said I should sharpen them every month. I am not sensitive to edges and I don't have a coach so I can't get professional opinion
I skate 2 sessions a week (1 hour each) and I am working on double jumps (except lutz and axel)

Click to expand...

(a) What blades do you have? The composition of the steel and the mechanical and thermal treatment of the steel are major factors in edge retention.

(b) There are far too many variables for you to base your sharpening frequency on others' sharpening frequency [even assuming the same blade]. Examples of variables include the radius of hollow (ROH) you use, types of skating maneuvers you practice, quality and cleanliness of the ice, and how diligent you are wearing blade guards off-ice.

(c) Ask a friendly skate tech to setup three blades for you to compare: one freshly sharpened, one due for sharpening, and one well past due. By carefully stroking each with a fingernail and a fingertip, both along and across the edges, you can feel the differences. You want to get them sharpened before you notice a negative impact on maneuvers.

jf12 said:

6 months between sharpenings for only skating 2 hours a week isn't too crazy. You should probably get them sharpened now, though. Your other friend might skate more hours than you. I get mine sharpened between 25-50 hours, depending on where I've been skating, which tends to be about once every month-6 weeks. I actually don't know anyone who sharpens every 8-12 hours of skating!

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Yeah, assuming we're talking about normal indoor ice rinks, 8 - 12 hrs would be insanely short: for some skaters, that would be every 2 -3 days.

tstop4me said:

(a) What blades do you have? The composition of the steel and the mechanical and thermal treatment of the steel are major factors in edge retention.

(b) There are far too many variables for you to base your sharpening frequency on others' sharpening frequency [even assuming the same blade]. Examples of variables include the radius of hollow (ROH) you use, types of skating maneuvers you practice, quality and cleanliness of the ice, and how diligent you are wearing blade guards off-ice.

(c) Ask a friendly skate tech to setup three blades for you to compare: one freshly sharpened, one due for sharpening, and one well past due. By carefully stroking each with a fingernail and a fingertip, both along and across the edges, you can feel the differences. You want to get them sharpened before you notice a negative impact on maneuvers.

Click to expand...

I have MK professional blades I have sharpened them for roughly 5-6 times. How do I get an estimation of its lifetime? Thanks heaps for your explanation!

heytherewhatsup said:

I have MK professional blades I have sharpened them for roughly 5-6 times. How do I get an estimation of its lifetime? Thanks heaps for your explanation!

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MK Pros are fabricated from traditional chrome-plated carbon steel. Look at the side of the blade. The chrome relief will be apparent. There will be a region along the edges that has a dull, slightly rough, finish (chrome removed), whereas the chrome-plated side of the blade will be smooth and shiny.

The amount removed in each sharpening varies a lot with the guy doing the sharpening. Assuming you've been going to the same guy, here's how to estimate the number of remaining sharpenings. Get hold of a new MK Pro (either at a shop or from a skater who just bought one). Measure the depth of the chrome relief (at several spots along the blade). Now similarly measure the depth of the chrome relief on your current blade. The difference between the two depths (new blade minus current blade) is approximately the amount that was removed in 5 - 6 sharpenings. From this you can calculate approximately how many sharpenings remain before you reach the bottom of the chrome relief on your current blade. As I mentioned above, if you're finicky about your spin rocker, you will need to swap out your blade before you reach the bottom of the chrome relief.