On the ice like clockwork: we’ll tell you how to perfectly sharpen your skates at home

Sharpening your blade to the required sharpness every season, or even more often, is part of routine ice skate care. Some people prefer to simply give them to a workshop, without even imagining how they can sharpen skates at home, while others find it easier to monitor the condition of their sports equipment themselves.

It is quite possible to tidy up the blade yourself, but you will need some tools to do this.

When should you sharpen your skates?

Often brand new ice skating equipment is sold unsharpened - it may not even have the required groove. You will either have to take it to a workshop near the skating rink, or process it yourself before using it for the first time.

And, of course, sharpening also means regular maintenance of the blade, which is carried out as needed:

• before the new season;
• if rust appears on the blade;
• when there are deep scratches on the groove;
• when the groove is completely erased.

Not everyone knows this, but there are quite simple ways to sharpen skates yourself. Why might this be a better option than contacting a specialist?

Even amateurs already have their own preferences in skating, so it’s better for them to know what degree of sharpening is more comfortable to ride with. So, for beginners, a blade that is too sharp is not recommended.

The sharpening master usually focuses on his personal knowledge and standards for processing skates:

• for figure skating, a deep groove is used - 10–15 mm;
• for hockey - the gutter is only 0.5 mm.

And, of course, it is not so important for the workshop employee how carefully the process is carried out, whether the body itself is scratched, or how firmly and securely the blade is fastened. It is easier for the owner to take care of his equipment himself, just like ordinary shoes - critical wear can be noticed in time.

Not even all professional athletes rely on the sharpening specialists they work with year after year before training. Their trainers always check and correct the work of the grinders.

How to sharpen skates at home?

Athletes and amateurs seriously passionate about ice skating often buy sharpening machines for their home workshop. How convenient this is is a controversial issue. In addition to the high cost, it is important to consider that such a device takes up space and requires certain management skills. At the same time, properly sharpening skates at home using a grinding wheel is also not the easiest task.

You should not be overly zealous with sharpening when just starting to ride. For beginners, use a medium-sharp blade to make it easier to control.

The first option, more reliable, is a grinding wheel. In addition to it, you will need sandpaper and a guide plate. This method is suitable for sharpening very dull skates. The correct shape of the groove is corrected with a round file.

A grinding wheel will work well to sharpen the edges of the blade, but it is important to ensure that the groove does not “move” to one side and burrs do not appear. Careful grinding with a block will still help you deal with the latter, and you can use a file or sandpaper to bring the gutter back into an even arc.

You can do without a circle.You should try sharpening skates at home using a round needle file, a vice and a wooden block:

1. The skate should be clamped with the blade up in a vice (in order not to damage the body, it can be wrapped in film).
2. The file is inserted into a recess cut into a wooden block - it should correspond to the width of the sharp part of the blade.
3. Then, with this improvised machine, a groove is machined along, along which the skate is further sharpened to the very tip.
4. Sharpening is accomplished with a round needle file or a file wrapped in sandpaper; scratches are also removed with it.

Caring for sharpened skates

Sports equipment must be taken care of, despite the fact that it is designed for high loads. All tests to which it is subjected must not go beyond its intended purpose. Having spent the effort to sharpen your skates at home, you need to properly care for the blade in the future.

It is strictly forbidden to:

• leave equipment wet or dirty;
• walk in skates on stones, concrete, tiles;
• put plastic and other covers on wet blades;
• Clean skates with rough materials or detergents.

Skates should be stored in cases with special protection on the blades. They must be transported in the same form. This will keep the blades sharp longer, but you will still have to sharpen the sharpening before each new season.

Sharpening skates at home yourself is not as difficult as it might seem, but you will still need some skills in working with tools. But this is exactly how you’ll probably be able to sharpen the blade “to suit yourself” and ride with pleasure and comfort. By caring for your equipment yourself, you begin to treat it differently – more carefully and responsibly.Skates that are well cared for will last a very long time and possibly for generations.