Have you just bought a new pair ofice hockey skates? If you’re curious about whether or not thenew skatescome sharpened, it’s a smart question to ask.
Hockey playersdon’t want to hit the ice with dullskate blades, but you also wouldn’t want to spend money to re-sharpen freshly sharpened blades. We’ll look into the details onnew skatesand skate sharpening in general here.
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Do you need to sharpen newly bought skates?
Yes, you do.New hockey skatesdo not come sharpened. Not only are the skates not pre-sharpened, but the first sharpening is an important one.
When you purchasenew skates, they will come equipped with plastic holders andskate blades. Some newskate bladesalso come with a thin layer of plastic coating that needs to be ground off during the sharpening.
The bottoms of blades onnew skatesare flatter and rounded, so they need ahollow groovecut into them before they should be used to create edges on theskate blades.
A trained sharpener with proper equipment will give the blades onnew skatesthe edges needed to perform effectively on the ice.
Some hockey shops will ask if you want your skates sharpened and will offer this as an additional add-on service – but be aware that this will likely void the returns policy.
How hockey blades work
Skate bladesneed edges to be able to dig into the ice. You dig into the ice every time you take a stride or stop on the ice. You also use your edge to turn and maintain balance. Theshallow hollowsput into the skate allows this to haopen.
Without an edge, your skate blades will slide on the ice. This would make it difficult to skate or even stand on the ice at all.
Can you use newice skateswithout sharpening?
Yes, you can. However, it will not be effective at all. Anew pair of hockey skateshave very little, if any, edge to them. This means the blades will not dig into the ice, and you’ll likely find yourself struggling to gain speed and maintain balance.
When you buy a brandnew pair of skates, get them sharpened for optimal performance.
How do you sharpen brandnew skates?
The first time you sharpen newskate blades, a “hollow” will be cut into thebottom of the blade. The hollow is asmall groovethatleavesedges on both sides of thebottom of the blade.
The hollow cut into the blade will be shapedlike an arc, giving asharp edgeto theinsideand outside of your blade. Withdull blades, this hollow has gotten too shallow and skates are said to be “losing their edge.”
The first skate sharpening with brandnew skatesis critical. Because the blades are flat from the manufacture, sharpening skates for the first time is much different than maintenance sharpenings.
How do you break in brandnew skates?
One of the best ways to break innew skatesis heat. When you buy anew pair of skates, you can either bake them at home or, if the store offers it, there. However, it is very important to understand that not all skates can be heat molded or baked.
Generally, more expensive skates will have the ability to be heat molded while cheaper skates cannot. Make sure to check each individual pair prior to doing it, and check out our review of thebest hockey skates.
Heat moulding skates softens the boot of the skate and allows it to form around your feet to create a more comfortable fit.
If your skates cannot be heat moulded, breaking them in will require you to skate in them and use them often, and they will get more comfortable as time goes on.
How long does it take to break inice skates?
If you use heat to mould the skate to your feet, the time required to break in skates goes down significantly. If you don’t want to heat mould them or you have apair of skatesthat cannot be moulded, expect it to take around 10-12 hours worth of skating to initially break them in.
It is important to take shorter initial skates and allow the sessions to get longer as you go. If you go too long, you could end up with blisters on your feet which could prolong the timeline to break them in.
Unless it isnt possible, try to utilize your old skates during games until yournew skatesare broken in during smaller practice skates.
Why should you sharpen your skates?
The sharpening itself grinds down the steel skate blade. This provides a fresh, sharp blade each time you get your skates sharpened. This can allow you to skate faster, make quick turns, and generally be more mobile on the ice.
After many skate sharpenings, you may eventually need to replace theskate bladesif they become ground down too low. But this usually only occurs after a period of years.
In order to extend the life of your blades, make sure to useskate guardswhen not on the ice, and do not walk onconcreteor any hard surface that could causenicksin the blade.
How often should I get my skates sharpened?
You should be getting your skates sharpened every 15-20hours of ice time. However, there are several factors that could make this timeline shorter or longer. For example, your blades will dull quicker oncolder ice, especiallyoutdoor ice.
New skatesare not sharpened, so you will need to get them sharpened by atrainedprofessional sharpener, and then re-sharpenedevery 15-20hours of ice time– to keep them in tip top condition by removingnicksand deformaties in themetal edge.
Keep in mind, if your blades have anickin the edge or any other sort or damage on theoutside edges, disregard the timeline above and get them sharpened right away.
Where can I get my skates sharpened?
You can get your skates sharpened at most sporting goods stores that sell hockey equipment. Most stores sharpennew skatesfor free when you’ve bought them at the store.
Wrapping it up
In sum,new pairs of skatesdo not come sharpened (unless request). The first skate sharpening after you buy them is also critical to their effectiveness on the ice. So, don’t rush out onto the ice with yournew pair of skates.
Take the time to sharpen them first so your skates have edges. You’ll of course need those edges to be a fastskaterand effective contributor to your team.
P.S Use skate holders to protect the blade and the rest of your bag duringtravel.
