Ice skates ...a buyers guide
There is a bewildering array of ice skates on sale these days, ranging from as low as £20 up to a dizzy £500. To the untrained eye they all look pretty much the same, so what makes one pair of ice skates worth so much more than the other, and which one is right for you???Click here to find out... and remember to check the sizing guide
How Ice Skates Work
Ice skating in one form or other has been around for many centuries, even before the discovery of metal when animal bones and wood were used as runners.The ice skate of today however is a masterpiece of technical achievement, belittled only by the fact that it looks so simple.
It is certainly rather more than just a stiff boot with a metal blade screwed to the bottom.
Which Style?...
The first thing you will discover is that there are 2 main skating styles popular today, Ice Hockey and Figure Skating.Each of these styles uses a slightly different blade.
Figure Skates
have a longer blade with a toe pick at the front and a short tail at the back.
Hockey Skates
dispense with the toe pick and the tail, and have a curved front and rear.The name Figure Skates comes from the purpose for which they were designed, i.e. The skater carves ‘figures’ on the ice, a figure of 8 for instance. The true art of figure skating is slowly passing into the history books now, and is seldom taught these days. Most skaters follow either Freestyle skating (individual skating with jumps) or Dance. The toe pick assists in jumps, spins and stops for the skilled skater, but is of little use to the beginner other than as a crude brake, and something to trip over! More expensive blades tend to have more aggressive picks designed to suit the skilled skater. This is a risk to the beginner as catching the toe pick unexpectedly will cause a fall!
Hockey Skates were designed for speed and manoeuvrability, with the sudden stops and quick changes of direction needed in a game of ice hockey. The blade is usually narrower than a figure skate blade, being close to 3mm wide instead of 4mm for figure skates, and it will be less curved on the main section of the blades
As a beginner, you will not notice much difference in the feel between the two different styles of ice skates, the advantaged of each only coming into effect as your skills improve.
The Ice Skate Blade...
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Rocker
The base of the blade, hockey skate or figure skate, will have a slight curve to it. This curvature is know as the rocker, and if you continued the curve around to make a full circle, the radius of the circle would be about 2m, or 7ft. The front part of the blade normally has a different rocker, which would form part of a tighter arc called the Spin Rocker. As it’s name implies it is this area the skater will use to spin on the ice.The rocker must be smooth, with no high or low spots, as it is this feature which allows the skates to turn so freely on the ice, and as usual there is a trade off. The more curved the rocker is, the easier it will be for the skater to turn, but the skate will be less stable front to back.
Hockey skaters do thing a little differently again. These blades are usually flatter than figure skates, with a main rocker of between 9ft and 11ft, and they are often specifically profiled to suit the position on the team where the player plays. Profiling may even include a completely flat section on the main skating surface to give the skater extra speed in the glide.
Radius Of Hollow (ROH)
If you were to cut through a properly honed ice skate blade vertically (not recommended), you would find that the base of the blade has a curved groove ground into it. This groove is formed by a spinning abrasive wheel which has been ‘dressed’ so it forms part of a circle, the radius of which is known as the Radius of Hollow (ROH)
Skates can be ground to anywhere between 1/4” ROH and 1” ROH, and even 2” in some extreme cases.
The ROH has a major impact on the feel of the ice skate on the ice. A small ROH (1/4” to 1/2” will give good sideways grip, at the expense of glide performance because the blade cuts deeper into the ice.
A larger ROH, 3/4” to 2” will give better glide performance at the expense of sideways grip because the blade does not cut into the ice so deep. This is more suited to experienced skaters who want the speed in the glide and are better able to cope with the reduced sideways grip. The blades will also need sharpening more often as the blade will dull quicker.
In the days of true figure skating, ROHs of 1” to 2” were favoured as the skaters were given marks for the pattern they cut on the ice. If both edges cut in on a curve they would lose points, hence the desire for a virtually flat blade. Nowadays it is very rare for anyone to skate with a hollow greater than 3/4”
The best ROH for you depends on a whole range of factors.
- Your weight. The heavier you are the wider the ROH you will need. Light people will need a smaller ROH as the blade isn’t being pressed so hard into the ice
- Ice Temperature. The colder the ice the harder it gets. Harder ice needs a deeper ROH for the skate to get a hold. The temperature tends to vary from rink to rink and season to season.
- Skill Level. Experienced skaters usually prefer a large ROH as they are more in command of the blade and they prefer the speed increase this offers
- Discipline. Freestyle, dance and pairs skating all incorporate different techniques and consequently, the all have different blade requirements
Ice Skate Sharpening
Ice skate Blades should be sharpened using a machine built specifically for the purpose, it really is not practical to do it by hand. Good quality skate blades are made from very hard metal which only the sharpener’s abrasive wheel will come near.
It is very easy to tell when your skates need sharpening, first and foremost because you will not have enough side grip on the ice. The skates will tend to slide out from under you when a sideways force is applied to them. Some other simple tests are
The machine will grind the hollow precisely in the centre of the blade ensuring that both edges are at exactly the same height.
Skate blade sharpening requires a significant degree of skill from the operator. Computer controlled units like the one above are a much safer option. Most of the commercial machines available are manual units and need to be very carefully set up and operated.
Some common problems:
Detempering: If the blade is left against the abrasive wheel for too long it will overheat and when it cools, the metal will detemper (soften). If your blades come back with areas which look to have a blue sheen, then you can be pretty sure that they have been overheated
Off centred hollow. The hollow in the base of the blade must be absolutely centred on the blade. Since blades come in a variety of widths, this is not as easy as it may first seem. A simple way to check if your blades have been sharpened accurately is to turn the skate upside down and balance a large coin on the bottom of the blade. The coin should sit flat on the blade. If it rests at an angle, the edges are not level!
Uneven Rocker. Good sharpening of the blade will follow the existing rocker shape precisely, and preserve the spin rocker profile at the front of the blade.
Removed drag pick. Good ice skate sharpening will avoid the drag pick altogether. No metal at all should have been removed from the drag pick during regular sharpening. It is possible to re-align a worn drag pick, or raise it slightly to compensate for over sharpening of the base of the blades, but this is a highly skilled operation and must be carried out by a competent technician.
The Ice Blade Edges
The ROH now ground into the base of the ice skate blade means that you have two distinct edges on which you will skate, the inside and the outside edge. As a beginner you will spend most of your time on the inside edge, and as a consequence, this edge will wear quicker than the outside one.
Since the middle of the blade gets more wear than the front or back, this section will also wear down quicker
Unfortunately this uneven wear means that however careful you are with your blades you WILL need to get them reground occasionally to reset the correct rocker and ROH for your style. Most ice rinks will be able to perform this service for a small fee.
You can prolong the time intervals between regrinds by using one of the small, hand held sharpening devices such as Skatemate, Skedge or MaestROH to keep the edges sharp. Used regularly they will all do the job very well.
We were particularly impressed by the Swedish made Skatemate, and you can now buy this device from our shop.
When should blades be reground?
Professional Blades
Recent developments in ice skating technology have introduced some new features to the blade design.
- Side-honed: The sides of the blade have a concave groove machined into them. A vertical cross section of the blade would reveal it’s hourglass shape. This creates a more acute angle at the edges, so the skater gets more bite for the same Radius of Hollow
- Tapered: The width of the blade is tapered, or becomes narrower, from front to back; designed to increase manoeuvrability and control in figures.
- Parabolic: The blade is a little thinner in the middle than it is at the front and rear, which introduces a slight curve in the edges of the blade and improves their turning ability.
These features make it more of a challenge for the skate shop to sharpen properly. Without parallel edges for the clamps to clamp to, there is a very real risk of misalignment of the blade during sharpening. Always check at the shop that they can handle this type of blade
Blade Construction
Most modern skate blades are manufactured from carbon steel and should have been heat hardened. Cheaper blades tend to be soft, and some we have found have not been heat hardened at all! It will either have been polished to a bright silver finish, or it will be electroplated with either Chrome or Nickel to make it more resistant to rust
Suprisingly few blades are made from Stainless Steel, as this metal is actually softer than carbon steel so would require sharpening more often.
Simple Test
Try placing a magnet on the side of your blade, if it sticks fast, it is made from carbon steel. Some stainless steels may still attract a magnet, but to a much lesser degree than carbon steel.
Carbon Steel and Water
As carbon Steel will rust if exposed to water it is important to dry the blades as soon as possible after skating, and to store them in a dry location.
In our ice skate shop you will find blade soakers which fit over the blade to absorb any moisture and keep the blade from rusting.
The Rest is up to You
Choosing ice skates to buy is very much a matter of personal preference and the depth of your pocket. If you are new to the sport, it makes no sense to spend a fortune on a professional quality ice skate, because some of the features included with them will only benefit a skilled skater. It may even make it more difficult to learn. The best advice is to learn to skate with a qualified instructor and ask him/her what is best for your level of skill. Then take a look at what is on offer and what you can afford, and choose one you like.Above all
Have Fun!!!
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