 We started our own sharpening service in the early 1990s after experiencing a number of poor re-grinds on our daughters' blades. The Director of a blade manufacturing company said in a recent conversation that manufacturers rely on quality sharpeners such as ourselves to get the best performance out of their blades. Don't be fooled. Real skate sharpening is a craft which involves knowledge, feel and experience acquired from working with skaters of all skill levels from beginners to International Champions both amateur and professional.
The cut of the blade can be tuned to individual requirements if required. Some skaters like their blades really sharp and others prefer them with less radius. This is done by varying the depth of the cut. Go too deep and the blade will feel sticky, too shallow and the edges will not grip the ice. We prefer to sharpen in a rink so that we can tune the sharpen for the individual. If the blades are sharpened lightly and regularly, only a little metal needs to be removed to get a good edge and the blades are always in tip-top  condition to be able to cope with any tests or competitions coming up. If blades are left a long time between sharpens, quite a lot of metal often has to be removed to get a fine edge, thus reducing the blade life. In our experience, the quality of sharpening varies enormously. A good sharpen re-instates the two edges of the blade removing only enough metal to get good even edges. These should feel even and sharp to the touch. A good sharpener should be able to get a few years of good skating out of a pair of blades. A poor sharpen can not only make it very difficult to skate with any proficiency, but can drastically reduce the life of the blade. If you are happy with the way your sharpener maintains your blades, stick with him! A good sharpen should rarely be noticed. The skater should be able to perform just as before the sharpen but with better edges. The days of working in blunting off blades for several sessions should be over. If you are not happy with the way your blades are performing ask your coach or a senior skater to check them for you. I am sure they will be only too happy to advise. 
- Major sharpening flaws: Uneven edges. This is where one edge is more prominent than the other. It is very difficult to hold an edge, especially on the side with the less prominent edge. Spinning is difficult. Sometimes the blade can be uneven – inside edge prominent at the front and outside edge prominent towards the back of the blade, for example. This can make skating extremely difficult.
- Heavily patterned grind. Have you ever had your blades done and there is very heavy patterning on the base of the blade? You will rarely get a good edge on this type of grind.
- Too deep or too shallow. Either the blades will feel sticky or it is difficult to hold an edge.
If you experience any of these major flaws, consult your coach or other skaters in the rink. It is most likely they will know where there is good sharpening available. There is an excellent site covering many questions regarding sharpening at Warren Security website.
We also offer blade fitting services. For customers purchasing boots and blades from us this service is usually free of charge. There is also a reduced charge if either boots or blades are purchased from us. We can offer partial boot stretching round the ankle and /or ball areas for greater comfort. Please contact us for details. We look after the blades of quite a number of ice hockey skaters as well. They, like figure skaters, require and deserve an accurate sharpen to the depth of their choice. Please check our calendar before telephoning for an appointment. We are available to sharpen most days when we are not away.
If you can gather a minimum of twenty pairs of blades for us to sharpen, we may be able to travel to you. All we require is shelter, light and power in a reasonable working environment. Please contact us for details. |
