We Have Two Types of Sharpening Machines:

• The Blademaster, which is a manual sharpener that produces a round hollow.
• The Sparx, which is an automated sharpener which produces a round & flat bottom-v hollows.

The Scale of Shallow to Sharp:

• 3/4 Inch – Shallow
• 5/8 Inch – Shallow
• 9/16 Inch – Shallow
• 1/2 Inch – Standard
• 7/16 Inch – Deep
• 3/8 Inch – Deep
• 1/4 Icnh – Deep

THE TRADEOFFS OF YOUR SKATE STEEL’S GLIDE VS BITE

Skate blades with shallower hollows have less friction with the ice surface, or more “glide.” Skates with better glide let you skate faster while using less energy. Deeper hollows give your blade more “bite,” which helps you dig deeper into the ice for sharper turning.

A deeper hollow will give you more bite and less glide, leading to a feeling of more “grip”. The shallower the hollow, the greater the glide, reducing muscle fatigue.

Skate sharpening radius hollows are made by a fraction of an inch. Common measurements from deep to shallow are 1/2″ (13mm), 5/8″ (16mm), 3/4″ (19mm), 7/8″ (22mm), 1″ (25mm), and 1-1/4″ (31mm). Unless you ask for a specific measurement, most skate shops sharpen blades at 1/2″ (13mm) or 5/8″ (16mm).

SHARP SKATE BLADES ARE KEY TO PERFORMANCE

WHEN TO SHARPEN YOUR HOCKEY SKATES

When your skates feel like they’re no longer performing well, gently run your finger along the edge of the blade. You’ll feel small nicks and defects, which affect your on-ice performance. A good sharpening will grind those flaws away. 

How often you sharpen them is up to you. For competitive players looking for the best possible performance from their skates, Bauer recommends sharpening your skates after every 2 to 3 hours on ice.