January 27, 2012
Posted in BC Edition, Alberta Edition, Ontario Edition, Product Reviews
BY WAYNE KARL /
Skates are about more than just performance – they’re also about safety. They are, after all, players’ contact with the ice surface, so dull blades, a bad edge – and worst of all – a poor skate sharpening, can lead to injury.
“It is just as important to find the type of sharpening that will enhance your game as it is the pattern of your stick,” says Steve Wilson, president of Blackstone Sports, a Kingsville, Ont. skate sharpening technology company. “Try playing the game with the wrong or a poor sharpening. You will be at an extreme disadvantage.”
That’s why it’s important to:
a) find a skate sharpening that works for you.
b) find a skate sharpening location and technician you can trust.
If you were to buy an expensive suit or set of golf clubs, you wouldn’t dream of not being fitted so you could look or play your best. Apply this exact same logic when it comes to purchasing new skates.
It makes no sense to pay $300, $500 or even $700 for a brand new pair of skates, and not take the time to have the blades properly contoured (also known as profiling) to suit your level and style of play.
Contouring involves shaping the steel runners to the individual specifications of each player, according to their height, weight, position, style of play and skating ability. This provides players with optimum stability and maneuverability.
It’s also a must because it is common for the steel runners to be different on two new skates out of the same box.
After that comes the sharpening itself. Generally speaking, deeper, sharper hollows provide more “bite” into the ice, but at the cost of some speed. More shallow hollows afford more speed, but less bite when it comes to cornering and stopping.
There are, of course, many options for where and how to get your skates sharpened. Whether it’s the pro shop at a local community rink, your neighbourhood Canadian Tire or one of the Source for Sports, Pro Hockey Life or Hockey Experts hockey specialty stores across Canada, finding a skate sharpener you can trust is essential.
Not all “sharps” are created equal. It depends on the machine, care and maintenance of the unit and the skill of the technician operating it. There is something of an art to sharpening skates, and it requires patience and care that not all operators possess.
Some different technologies and systems to consider:
Blackstone: often, the large black machines you see at hockey specialty shops.
A couple years ago the company introduced Flat Bottom V, which creates angular edges, or tiny “fangs” on each edge of the blade, as opposed to the traditional round hollow, to allow for a freer glide while still providing the necessary bite for proper turns and stops.
Blademaster:usually the large red machines you see at hockey specialty shops, and another large player in the industry.
Blademaster also recently developed a new “flat bottom” technology, called BFD, designed to provide players with more options for combinations of speed and agility.
Pro Sharp: a portable, automated system which takes the control of sharpening out of human hands and puts it into a calibrated machine for accuracy and repeatability.
Pro Sharp recently unveiled Channel-Z, which puts an actual channel into the bottom of the blade to provide increased grip, edge control and speed.
Maximum Edge: a skate sharpening system which includes the use of a special squaring gauge to check that blades edges are square, so one edge is not higher or lower than the other.
Edges that aren’t square, in fact, are one of the biggest – and easiest to detect – problems of poor skate sharpening jobs. If your skate technician doesn’t use a tool to confirm the edges are square, it’s quite likely they’re not. Don’t be shy about asking your technician to vcheck the edges, or do it yourself, even if you have to use the old manual method by putting a dime on the edges and looking to see that it sits flat. Edges that aren’t square are not just a performance issue—they’re dangerous.
Bottom line? Experiment to find what works for you.
“It is such an individual feeling when you skate, that in most cases you have to try different types of sharpening to fine-tune your game,” says Wilson.
And when you do find a store or shop location and a technician you trust, stick with them. Build that relationship, let them know you value their work and don’t let anyone else touch your skates. They will appreciate your repeat business, and you will appreciate the care and attention – and repeatable sharpening – they provide your blades.
Wayne Karl is a journalist in Toronto. He can be reached at wkarl@rogers.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/HockeyBusiness.
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