How do you know when your figure skates need to be sharpened?

An experienced skater can feel on the ice when “the blades don’t hold” or “the blades are slipping” and then they know that it is time to take their skates to be sharpened. If a skater has not yet learned to recognize when they should sharpen their skates, they can do a small test on the blade to tell them whether they should sharpen their skates.

Gently pull the edge of both edges of the blades from top to bottom with your fingernail. If a small amount of nail comes off the nail onto the blade, the blade is still sharp. If the nail does not file, it is a good idea to take the skates to be sharpened. If you feel any scuffing or dents on the blade edges, it is a good idea to take the skates to be sharpened anyway.

How often should you sharpen your figure skates?

How often you should sharpen your figure skates is very individual. This is influenced by, among other things, the amount of practice, blade use, ice, cleanliness of blade guards, and blade maintenance. It is worth trying the tips mentioned above and sharpening your skates accordingly.

What is the correct way to sharpen figure skates?

Sharpening figure skates requires special expertise in figure skate blades and their various properties. For this reason, figure skates should always be sharpened at a figure skate service that specializes in figure skate sharpening.

In a good sharpening, the blade is sharp after sharpening, and its edges are on the same level. The sharpener measures this during sharpening with a device designed for this purpose. The back of the blade must also not be rounded, but must have a 90-degree angle.

What is the correct groove depth?

The most common groove depths for figure skates range from 10 to 15. The groove depth that's right for you depends on what you want from the blade - better glide, better grip, or ease of turns and twirls.

In collaboration with a sharpener, it is possible to find a groove depth that supports your specific needs and takes you forward as a skater!

The correct groove depth can be found by experimenting. Groove depth is most often expressed in millimeters and the groove depth number is determined by the radius of the circle.

• The larger the radius of the circle, the larger the number, which means a flatter groove.


• The smaller the radius of the circle, the smaller the number, which in turn means a deeper groove.

In Finland, people have gradually started using shallower groove depths. Previously, the most common groove depths were between 8-10, but today, top skaters have started using shallower groove depths, which are between 11-15, or even shallower.

A shallower groove depth allows for better glide and turns and twisles are easier to do because there is less friction in the blade. It is also possible to get a good grip with a shallower groove depth, but it takes practice, and at first it may feel like “the blade doesn’t hold properly”.

A deeper groove depth bites the ice better than a shallower one, but because there is more friction, gliding may suffer slightly and during twists and turns it may feel like the blades are "knocking" into place.

However, groove depth is always a matter of taste, and the sharpener sharpens with the groove depth that the customer feels is best.