Skate Sharping & Profiling

Radius of Hollow, Even Edges & Quality of Finish Will Help Your Hockey Game

In hockey, skating is everything – and a poor sharpening will certainly hurt your game. 

Skate sharpening is an art that takes time to master. Our skilled skate sharpening specialists have the knowledge and training to create a precision edge on your blade, ensuring that you have the performance that you need from your skate, no matter what level you play. 

Here are explanations of some of the common terms that refer to how a skate is sharpened:

Hollow Explained

Skate blades are not flat. A hollow or ‘U’ shape is ground into the blade to create a right and left edge. The deeper the hollow or U shape, the sharper a skate feels. The following are common sharpening measurements in order of deepest to shallow: 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16.

A sharper skate will give you more bite but less glide.

Flat Bottom V

Rather than being a ‘U’ Shape hollow, the FBV has a flat bottom and ‘V’ shaped sides. This shape allows the skate more bite without sacrificing the ability to glide. Because the blade does not penetrate the ice as deeply, there is less chance of catching an edge, reducing the chances of falling during transitions for less experienced or less skilled skaters. There is also reduction of the twisting forces applied to knees, which means less wear and tear on the joints.

Contouring

Also referred to as ‘Rockering’, contouring is the actual shaping of the blade. This allows different lengths of the blade making contact with the ice. The more contact with the ice, the greater amount of glide. The lesser amount of contact creates the ability to turn sharper (smaller radius). The goal is to create a balance between glide and turning radius, custom designed for the individual skater. Examples of common radius measurements, from the most amount of glide (or contact) to the least (or sharpest turning radius), are 13’, 11’, 9’, 7’.

Cross Grinding

This is a process that brings the blade back to a flat reference. It is a technique that is used to remove damage done to the blade such as nicks or poor levels.

Profiling

Profiling is the process of shaping your skate blade steel from heel-to-toe. By changing the blade shape to fit your individual specifications and preferences, you create the proper ice contact to make the most of your body positioning, skating ability and stride.

The general rule of thumb is to profile your skates three times per year: At the start of your season, at mid-season and before the playoffs.