Time to sharpen skates??

Question

i haven't sharpened my ice skates yet. i have skated once a week for a year. my blades still grip the ice and they don't feel like they need a sharpening, but should i get them sharpened? i know that is more than 20-30 hours, but i don't feel a difference in my skating yet

also how long does it take to get used to your skates after they are sharpened? and what does it feel like?

Answer 1

You definately need to get hem sharpened. That is waaay too long to go without sharpening them. You don't feel the difference because you haven't had them sharpened so you don't really know the difference. Once you get them sharpened you will be able to tell for sure. They way it will feel when you get them shapened is like your skates are kind of stuck in mud. I know, weird right? But you can just practice stopping ( to kind of dull it down) and you will get used to it pretty quickly.

Hope That Helps.

Answer 2

If I were you, I would probably ask a person that works in the pro shop.

It doesn't really take me more than 1 or 2 practices to get used to mine, but everybody's different. It feels really good. You feel like you're gliding much smoother.

I hope I helped, if I didn't then I'm sorry. Anyways, good luck with your skates. :)

Answer 3

I would get them sharpened if it's been that long.  It may be time and you just haven't noticed yet.  Sometimes for those of us who don't really like sharp blades, it takes a good wipe out or painful slide off an edge for us to get the point.  Especially if the blades are new, they should be sharpened prior to useage.  A year is pretty long to go without a sharpening.  I typically don't care for sharp blades, but I pay more attention now as I advance through MIF and dance.  I notice the difference now, whereas before I would go for a long time without a sharpening too.   It shouldn't take too long to get used to a sharpening.  When you first get on the ice, take it slow to get the feel for the blades.  Just be a little more cautious with stopping and edge things, but other than that you'll get used to them all over again fairly quickly. :)

Answer 4

i think you should get them sharpend and it normally takes 1 day to get used to them take your thumb and gently and carefully slide it down the edge of the blade if you feel a lot of nicks(bumps or dentures) it means you should get them sharpened

hope i could help

Answer 5

It's not that big of a deal if you only skate once every week for an entire year. I skated 3-4 times a week for six months without sharpening my skates, and like you I didn't feel any change.

At my rink, and I am guessing most others also, you can get your skates sharpened on the spot or wait overnight, and pick up your skates the next day. But they charge a little more for on the spot sharpening.

A well sharpened skate should feel, well, sharp! Carefully run two fingers down the skate blade. If it is sharp you should feel two parallel ridges. If your skates are dull the ridges won't be all that noticeable.

You can also look up websites on google on how to see if your blades are sharp.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

you must take care of them well!

if your blades still grip the ice, then there is no need to get them sharpened, its really just a waste of money until you find them slipping.

after you get your skates sharpened then it feels hard to stop and your blades grip the ice more. its just plain wierd, but easy to get over. it depends how long you skate and how many edges you do in that time.

Answer 7

To check & see if they need sharpening, take your thumb nail and gently scratch it against the blade at the bottom, where it's sharpest. If you see little white things (just a part of your nail that was scratched on it), then they shouldn't need sharpening. If nothing happens, though, then I'd recommend getting them sharpened. You should get them sharpened anyway, since it's been so long, if you want your best results when on the ice.

To get used to the sharpening, when you enter the rink, drag your blade across the ice a few times and do some snowplow stops, t-stops, and hockey stops; that should help.

Good luck with your skating!

Answer 8

it depends how much you skate, what ice you are on and what blades you have

Answer 9

yeah you should get them sharpened, where I am it dosen't cost much at all, but I donno if it's the same everywhere. after their sharpened I don't think you have to get used to them. but I haven't sharpened mine at a store since I bought them so I wouldn't know. but I know it will feel really sharp and you'll be able to grip into the ice

Answer 10

*Gasp!* A whole year without sharpening?! Wow! Personally, I can't go more than 6 weeks without sharpening mine, I notice immediately when they are blunt. They make 3turns and crossovers with a proper edge extreeeemely difficult, as the blade slips sideways rather than having proper bite into the ice.

I reccommend you get them sharpened, you'll notice straight away that they were in fact blunt. For me personally, it takes as long as 1 hour to get used to my skates that have just been sharpened. A trick to get them at a comfortable level is to get on the ice with freshly sharpened blades and do a few snowplow stops just to break them in.

When they have just been sharpened it feels like [kinda hard to explain but] there's more of a barrier on the side of the blade, like it feels more comfortable getting deeper edges - although it is a bit harder to stop when they are sharp.

I say definitely get them sharpened!! Good luck with your skating =]