Beyond Sharpening, do your blades need to be replaced?

As mentioned in my previous article, it is absolutely necessary to get your blades sharpened often, but this also makes it more and more likely you will get a bad sharpening. And one bad sharpening can ruin a pair of blades no matter how expensive they were. Worse yet, even a slightly bad sharpening will only get worse with time and repeated sharpenings. Once the cat is out of the bag, you cannot stuff it back in.
So, what can go wrong you ask?
Look at any figure skate blades and you will see they are not flat, they have a "rocker" curve when looking at them from the side, kind of like the bottom of a rocking chair. Only the curve is not a smooth even curve, it is what's called a compound curve (i.e the radius of the curve changes as you get closer to the toe picks). This is where the trouble starts. Inexperienced or improperly trained sharpeners will eventually flatten out the curve leading to the toe picks, which is unfortunately the most important part of the blade...this is the part of the blade that is different in different model blades and gives each blade model its distinct advantage, etc. Once the curve is damaged just once, it cannot be fixed and subsequent sharpenings will only make the damage more and more evident. There comes a time when the blade becomes a hindrance to skating and attempting to master elements.
    There are lots and lots of skaters out there attempting to skate on worn out "defective" blades. Perhaps they were used, perhaps they were cheap (soft metal gets ruined easily) or perhaps they were destroyed in sharpening. Whatever the reason, have a coach or pro shop check them and SHOW you what they see if they recommend replacement.
    And once you have new blades, find a reputable sharpener and stick with them. And because anyone can have a bad day, it is a good idea to trace the curve of you blades on a piece of paper and save it, so they can be compared after each sharpening to be sure nothing drastic has happened. And if you should notice a problem, bring it to their attention right away...and if it is bad enough, do not be afraid to ask they pay to replace them...they are a business, and charge for their service. You have the right to be reimbursed if their service ruins your blades.
   More than once over the years, I had blades ruined and "didn't feel right" demanding they pay for them...never again! Business is business.

Skate Sharpening- Check them NOW

Over the years, it has never failed to amaze me how many people buy skates (cheap and expensive), pay for lessons, pay for ice time and pay for private coaches, but never want spend the money on the single most important part of skating! Regardless if you are just starting out or working on doubles and triples, you cannot properly learn or perform on dull, nicked or never sharpened blades. Go get your skates and take them to be checked and sharpened TODAY ! (For some reason, coaches seldom check equipment as part of the lesson process.) Seek out an experienced sharpener in your area and ask if your skates need sharpening and ask them to SHOW you and your skater what to look for. There is some basic sharpening info on my website here: http://www.tidewaterice.com/figure_skate_sharpening.htm
but I cannot thoroughly explain it, it is better to SEE it in person.

If they refuse to show you, either they don't know what they are doing or they want to keep you in the dark so they can keep you guessing and paying..either way, find someone else.

Sharpening takes time and practice, but it isn't rocket science (those who make it out be are just trying to gouge you).

Eventually the skater will "feel" when the blades get dull, but it takes time and experience. Obvious symptoms are: 1. having trouble pushing off to stroke, or 2. falling when leaning into a turn because the edgle loses its grip. A more subtle sign is difficulty centering spins.
 There is no magic number for how often skates need to be sharpened, that all depends on how they are taken care of...you know the routine..use guards, don't step on the threshold getting on the ice..don't walk on anything but the rubber mats, etc. etc.  The answer to how often? is WHEN THEY NEED IT. Learn what to look for, find someone you trust and has a reputation of sharpening figure skates without ruining the blades (more on that next time), and happily pay for their service. It is the single most important part of skating and the single best use of your skating budget!
 

Who I am

My name is Gene Seitz. I am the owner of MDS Icesports and MDS Skate Sales at www.tidewaterice.com. For the past 15 years, I have been a business owner and parent of a competitive figure skater. As a figure skating Pro Shop owner, I have been involved in the figure skating industry from the equipment side and have learned and sold all of the big brand names (Riedell, Risport, Jackson, Mk, John Wilson, Paramount, Gam, Edea, etc.) in the industry. As the parent of a skater, I have been involved from the beginning learn to skate classes, thru her qualifying for two consecutive Junior Nationals, to her injuries, training, trials and tribulations that end with her testing out senior moves and freestyle. I have been a registered Category A USFS coach, skate sharpener, club officer, competition volunteer and spectator. I have been to more rinks, more competitions and met more coaches, parents, skaters and judges than I can remember. I have seen equipment, companies, skaters, coaches, rinks and ideas come and go. I have learned from it all, and hopefully sharing that knowledge with todays skaters and parents will help them make the right decisions as well as keep them from making some of the same mistakes we made along the way. I will post on the topics I see as most misunderstood and will try to answer all questions posted.