Sharp or Dull Skates?

[Hockeyfan68]

There's no set chart for it though. The guy who does your skates is just guessing. It's probalby a very informed guess, but it's still a guess. And he's probably still giving you the same thing because he thinks it's perfect for you because you haven't ever said anything to him about it.

A shallower hollow gives you less grip. That's the point of the different hollows, to adjust the level of grip you get. If your edges seem to grippy, ask to try a shallower hollow.

Yeah the guy knows me and we used to play together and stuff years ago.

I think I have a 12' radius and technically I should have a 7/8" hollow. I am 6ft 4 inches and weigh 235lbs. Do they do a 1 inch hollow?

I don't know, I'm no expert. I do know I took the skates I had used for years and had him "copy" the radius when he profiled the newer skates. The hollow depth I left to him and they feel great for me where he has them.

I think I should take a backup pair and have something else done to try it out honestly just out of curiosity. I would like to try out a more shallow hollow for the heck of it but would fear my feet sliding out from under me in tighter turns.

Like I said this guy understands my skating style as he knows me. I used to have trouble with my feet coming out from under me in tight turns and tried another blade hollow / radius and would lose its grip after huge chunks of ice would fly up in the air making an abnormal sized rut in the ice which meant they grabbed too much for me.

Tough call really and I think I am using a happy compromise somewhere with a best of both worlds kind of thing. The guy who does my skates also does a good job of making sure the edges are even, he is a knowlegable fellow for sure and knows his stuff.

 

[stick9]

Well .... Marc Savard of the Bruins isn't very counterproductive and he dulls his skates.

This is something common among many hockey players. Some prefer it and some don't .... obviously you are one who doesn't do it.

I think you need to keep in mind that you aren't a pro. Just because some pro does it doesn't mean it will work or be the best thing for you to do.

Here's the thing. You should be telling the sharpener what you want, not the other way around. I'm sure he does a great job, which can be hard to find. However you obviously aren't satisfied with the results since you feel the need to modify it before using them.

You really should try a different hollow. Tell him they are too sharp and you need to dull them before skating on them. He'll probably recommend a different hollow.

 

[Hockeyfan68]

I think you need to keep in mind that you aren't a pro. Just because some pro does it doesn't mean it will work or be the best thing for you to do.

Here's the thing. You should be telling the sharpener what you want, not the other way around. I'm sure he does a great job, which can be hard to find. However you obviously aren't satisfied with the results since you feel the need to modify it before using them.

You really should try a different hollow. Tell him they are too sharp and you need to dull them before skating on them. He'll probably recommend a different hollow.

Ha I'm doing that tomorrow in fact. I have a game tonight and it is the first game of the summer season schedule so I cannot do it today and then hope that everything feels good tonight.

I'll talk with him and try out something different for shinny hockey friday where I can screw around more. When you "you obviously are not satisfied if you have to dull them" is off the mark. Once the edge is taken off they are perfect for my skating style. I don't make them dull also, I take some of the edge off ever so slighlty enough not to be so grabby as a fresh sharpening. They are not even close to being dull.

Hey everyone is different, a guy who played for the Bruins in the 80s had a skate so loose that it would almost come off upon impact with something from inertia. Most people cannot skate well with loose skates but he could.

The thing with this guy though is he knows me, that is the key. I've played with him before and he knows my style. He isn't guessing like some guy I don't even know would.

I sure don't want to lose too much tight cutting power when playing, I seriously don't want to start losing my edges and having my feet come out from under me in a tight turn in the corner or something.

I really dig in with a lot of power sometimes and I do not want to lose acceleration speed but would not mind more top end speed with a shallower hollow.

I'm a good player by the way so what a pro would use would suit me well enough. My main thing I've been used to the same thing for so long and I HATE CHANGE.

I can't be that far off as some NHL guys dull their skates so it may come down to style and preferences for said styles. The equipment guy in the article I read had a guy once who wanted his holders as far out to the edge of the skate as possiblke instead of the center of the skate as he said it helped him in turns. The guy was a pro who asked for it and to me it sounds insane and unworkable.

People need to acknowledge that others have different skating styles and need sometimes to break the mold and not have a set way of a "correct way" to do things.

In other news I just replaced almost all of my equipment too finally, my schtuff was fallin' apart. I hated the change but it needed to be done.

 

[BadHammy*]

Some skaters are really big guys but use a 3/8ths or 1/2, and some are slim guys but prefer a 3/4ths. It has just as much to do with skating style and ability as anything else.

 

[TheGooooch]

I use 1/2 because I don't know any better. I just started recently and I only weigh 170. Basically went on the rec of what I read here and talked to a couple friends. I do like it when it is slightly dull though since I am new so that it is easier for stopping purposes

 

[ClicheGuevara]

I use 1/2 because I don't know any better. I just started recently and I only weigh 170. Basically went on the rec of what I read here and talked to a couple friends. I do like it when it is slightly dull though since I am new so that it is easier for stopping purposes

if you feel that you're gripping the ice too much when you stop, you should try a shallower hollow.

 

[Stefan It Up]

Because I have a history of ankle problems and I've found a comfort level doing what I'm doing? It costs me not a cent to sharpen my skates, so what's the big deal?

Then it would be especially prudent to ask for a shallower hollow. You said yourself that you prefer a skate that's less "grabby". A shallow hollow will do the trick. Plus your sharpenings last longer compared to doing the penny thing.

 

[Saved*]

Then it would be especially prudent to ask for a shallower hollow. You said yourself that you prefer a skate that's less "grabby". A shallow hollow will do the trick. Plus your sharpenings last longer compared to doing the penny thing.

You stopped reading after the first few words. I have found comfort with doing what I do, and it doesn't cost me a cent anyways, so why change what I'm doing? I'm not some beginner hockey player there, tyke.

 

[Gunnar Stahl 30]

if you feel that you're gripping the ice too much when you stop, you should try a shallower hollow.

not necessarily. there is no rule of thumb, it is a preference. some people like it deeper some more shallow, some people like a "grippier" feel

 

[TradeforWendel]

I'm in the rub 'em on the bench group.

It'll take the absolute freshly sharpened edge off, but still leave the skates very very sharp.

I prefer my skates to be quite sharp anyways, even when I'm playing goal.

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Well I talked with my friend who does my skates and he suggested we experiment with different hollows. We'll start off a little more shallow the next sharpening and we'll go from there. If that still doesn't do it we'll go a little more until we hit my good spot.

He said he only does a specific hollow for 3 guys during the year and nobody else really asks for anything different than the "usual".

I'll test 'em out within the next two weeks. I have shinny this friday and a league game as well after that on "yet to be determined because of Memorial Day".

Thanks for all the info you guys have thrown forth, it gave me some ideas. Thankfully my radius is perfect already and now I just need the hollow fine tuned.

 

[RandV]

I'm more or less a sophomore at hockey, and while I always take my skates to the pro shops I've never experimented with different hollows or anything. In my experience though while they are a little too edgy fresh off a sharpen, as long as I test them out a little in warm up I'm fine. Put a little more emphasis on the edges for my warm up lap, do a few controlled stops to get the feel of the edges (not doing this and I'm likely to go flying on my first stop attempt), and I'm good to go. I usually go four games before getting them resharpened again.

 

[Stefan It Up]

You stopped reading after the first few words. I have found comfort with doing what I do, and it doesn't cost me a cent anyways, so why change what I'm doing? I'm not some beginner hockey player there, tyke.

Alright. I've worked in a proshop at multi-rink facility catering to a ton of skaters with different issues -- so I'm just trying to speak from that experience. But good to know you're open to advice, chief.

 

[icedr]

My opinion is that if your skates don't feel good after being sharpened, you're on the wrong hollow. Try going 1/8" bigger (shallower) next time. If you don't know what you're on now, ask for 5/8" since that's 1/8" up from 1/2". I used to hate getting my skates sharpened because they felt like they had too much bite for an hour or two of ice time after a sharpening. Once I got on the right hollow, I never had any problem after a sharpening. Adjust your skates to suit you, not vice versa.

 

[Ti-girl]

Depends on the ice conditions, but in the winter, I use really sharp skates. LOVE sharp skates.

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Depends on the ice conditions, but in the winter, I use really sharp skates. LOVE sharp skates.

I get a skate sharpening for every 3 outdoor ice sessions. Indoors I go about 6 sessions. I like my skates sharp just not too grabby which is why I take the fresh edge off with the penny trick I described that mr. Dumas the bruins equipment guy does for a couple of players who also request the same thing. You run the penny (the old real copper ones as they are a soft metal) flat on its face up and down the runner twice touching bioth edges at one time.

My hollow currently is between 1/2" and 5/8" according to "my skate guy" that does my skates. We are going to go a little shallower the next time and test it out then again if that doesn't do it etc until we hit my hollow I like.

Like I said above though i already like my hollow, just not the grabby edges until I take the edges off and then they are great. I hope to cut out the edge taking off thing by trying a different shallower hollow.

i'll report back when I try them out ... it won't be until next week though as I have enough good edge for a couple more sessions first.

 

[AHF]

My opinion is that if your skates don't feel good after being sharpened, you're on the wrong hollow.

Adjust your skates to suit you, not vice versa.

Well said. I completely agree. After skates have been sharpened, there shouldn't be a need to 'tweak' them. Experience with a few different hollows until you find the perfect one.

 

[CanadaBacon]

I know this old but this is a good thread for anyone who doesnt know much about hollows. It is a very important topic.

No matter the hollow, if your skates are sharpened properly the will have the same "sharpness" whether you use a 1" hollow or a 3/8". I think people are confusing "sharpness" with "grip".

If you have too much "grip", try a more shallow hollow, if you dont have enough "grip" get a deeper shallow. Anyone new to skating should not have a hollow deeper then 1/2", it will make learning to stop more difficult.

A deeper hollow will allow you to turn sharper, accelerate faster but you will also take more strides and use a lot more energy compared to more shallow hollow.

I use a 5/8" hollow, i have enough balance and can use my edges quite well to where a 5/8" gives me the almost the same "grip" as a 3/8". But your hollow is a personal choice and two people that are the same height/weight and ability might not find the same hollow works the both of them.


HockeyFan, you are using a 9/16" hollow. I personally wouldnt take my skates anywhere that cant do a hollow by the 1/16". Hell, some shops can do your hollow by the 64th if you are really picky. I will not take my skates anywhere that will give you options such as "regular", "bite, or "glide" and i wont take them anywhere that has their hollow options like A, B, C or D (im looking at you Pro Hockey Life)

Your hollow is important and once you can skate fairly well it is worth find a hollow that works for you and you should not have to tinker with it after a sharpening.

 

[adaminnj]

I know this old but this is a good thread for anyone who doesnt know much about hollows. It is a very important topic.

No matter the hollow, if your skates are sharpened properly the will have the same "sharpness" whether you use a 1" hollow or a 3/8". I think people are confusing "sharpness" with "grip".

If you have too much "grip", try a more shallow hollow, if you dont have enough "grip" get a deeper shallow. Anyone new to skating should not have a hollow deeper then 1/2", it will make learning to stop more difficult.

A deeper hollow will allow you to turn sharper, accelerate faster but you will also take more strides and use a lot more energy compared to more shallow hollow.

I use a 5/8" hollow, i have enough balance and can use my edges quite well to where a 5/8" gives me the almost the same "grip" as a 3/8". But your hollow is a personal choice and two people that are the same height/weight and ability might not find the same hollow works the both of them.


HockeyFan, you are using a 9/16" hollow. I personally wouldnt take my skates anywhere that cant do a hollow by the 1/16". Hell, some shops can do your hollow by the 64th if you are really picky. I will not take my skates anywhere that will give you options such as "regular", "bite, or "glide" and i wont take them anywhere that has their hollow options like A, B, C or D (im looking at you Pro Hockey Life)

Your hollow is important and once you can skate fairly well it is worth find a hollow that works for you and you should not have to tinker with it after a sharpening.

Hey Peameal, Uhh I mean CB (we all know there is no such thing as Canadian Bacon )

I agree with your post completely. when I started playing hockey a bit over 2 years ago I had some great people help me with everything from stance, stride, and shooting but no one mentioned anything about profile, hollow, the skate itself. Until I bought my vapor XXXs pro return and I could only go forward fast. I was talking to a friend in the pro-shop and he took the skates and since I am a decent but newly returning skater, but I like to play defense and need to be steady backward. He moved the rocker back to center then the hollow to (something I can't remember) and he told me to skate. So to make a long story short we spent a few hours working out where I felt most comftrable on the blade (25-50) and then he spent some time on the hollow we / he decided 1/2 in was a good place to start and I recently moved to 5/8 wanting to be able to get more speed but I keep blowing tires from having less edge to work with. I'm going to give it a few more skates before I give up on the 5/8ths hollow. I wanted to confirm your post and how important the hollow is to a skater and there ability to do things like stop, turn, maintain speed, and accelerate.

 

[Steelhead16]

I skate 1-3 times a week and I can't remember the last time I sharpened my skates. Has to be at least 5 years and probably more.

 

[predfan24]

I skate 1-3 times a week and I can't remember the last time I sharpened my skates. Has to be at least 5 years and probably more.[/QUOTE

I have a hard time believing that. How is that even possible?

Anyways I started on the default hollow at 1/2. Tried a deeper cut at 3/8. Enjoyed it at first but after a while just felt too edgy for me. So I moved back to 1/2 but I do my best off a fresh sharpening. I LOVE fresh sharpenings. It's really amazing how much better I skate on my 1st or 2nd session after a sharpening than my 6th or 7th session. If I had my way I would get my skates sharpened every other game. I'm too cheap though and don't have the time. (Nearest rink is 30 minutes away) So usually I get mine done every 6-8 sessions.

 

[Pog Form]

Anyways I started on the default hollow at 1/2. Tried a deeper cut at 3/8. Enjoyed it at first but after a while just felt too edgy for me. So I moved back to 1/2 but I do my best off a fresh sharpening. I LOVE fresh sharpenings. It's really amazing how much better I skate on my 1st or 2nd session after a sharpening than my 6th or 7th session. If I had my way I would get my skates sharpened every other game. I'm too cheap though and don't have the time. (Nearest rink is 30 minutes away) So usually I get mine done every 6-8 sessions.

Have you tried a 7/16 hollow? It's half way between 3/8 and 1/2 so it might help you hang on to that "fresh sharpening" feeling for a couple more skates than the 1/2 does. Just a thought!

 

[Stoneberg]

I preferred a 5/8 when I played defense, but I switched to 3/8 when I started playing forward.

As for people who get there skates sharpened less frequently than once every 10-15 ice times, I'm amazed you can even stop without gliding for a meter or two. I never liked going more than 9 or 10 ice times without a sharpening, or else it would take me a lot more effort to get up to speed, my turns would be dramatically less tight, and I wouldn't be able to stop without gliding 2-4 extra feet than usual while stopping.

 

[CanadaBacon]

I skate 1-3 times a week and I can't remember the last time I sharpened my skates. Has to be at least 5 years and probably more.

I find that hard to believe as well.

I know guys that might go 6 months but 5 years?

I usually sharpen no less then every 5 games.

 

[Pog Form]

I find that hard to believe as well.

I know guys that might go 6 months but 5 years?

I usually sharpen no less then every 5 games.

Yeah, five years is insane. I'm on the ice two or three times per week, and I get my skates sharpened about once a month right now. Ideally, I'd get them done about twice as often as that but I don't really like the job they do at my arena pro shop and I don't have the time to go to the LHS across town every couple of weeks.