How should hockey skates be sharpened?

How should hockey skates be sharpened?

You can get your skates sharpened anywhere from 1/8th of an inch to one inch. 1/8th would be the sharpest, and one inch would be the least sharp. The majority of pros use something with a shallower hollow, but preference does widely vary.

What do NHL players get their skates sharpened at?

The higher the number, the flatter the cut. Players used to regularly ask for a 3/8ths or half-inch cut (pointy, high); now it’s commonplace for them to use a much shallower hollow. Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi skates on 11/16ths. NHL refs, for whom glide is paramount, typically sharpen at around an inch.

How do NHL goalies sharpen skates?

How to sharpen goalie skates

• Get a skate sharpener (we use the Sparx, full review here)
• Determine your hollow (1″ equals more glide, 3/8″ equals less)
• Sharpen the skates to your desired edge.
• Use a honing stone to remove burrs / etc.

What is the difference between 1 2 and 5/8 skate sharpening?

The profile is changed by altering the amount of blade contact a specific blade will have. Glide and bite are determined by the amount of blade cutting into the ice. 1/2 inch is our standard hollow, a 3/8 would provide more bite, a 5/8 would provide less bite.

Is it good to sharpen ice hockey skates?

While sharp skates improve performance, dull blades chatter, cause you to wobble out of control, pull to one side or prevent you from executing a tight turn. In this ice hockey skate sharpening guide, we tell you when to fix your skates, how to pick the right edge radius and potential sharpening issues.

How big of a sharpening cut do you need for a hockey goalie?

Our recommendation: 1/2″ or 5/8″ inch radius. Goalie. We see the biggest variety of skate sharpening cuts when dealing with ice hockey goalies. Generally, we find that the more experienced goalies opt for a very deep cut, like 3/8″ inch.

How big of a sharpening radius do you need for skates?

There is generally no right or wrong skate sharpening radius, but below are some general guidelines to skate sharpening: The most common skate sharpening radius we see for ice hockey players is a 1/2″ inch or 5/8″ inch cut.

When to use sharper skate blade in winter?

In the warmer summer months, the ice gets softer, so many players elect for a duller cut to avoid digging too much blade into the ice. Likewise, in the winter months, when the ice is harder, players often opt for a sharper cut that is more capable of digging into the ice.