Fred Bartick, a Minnesota-based (Bloomington, MN) skate technician with over 35 years of experience, continues his discussion of boots and blades with more details about sharpening. (See Part 1 of the series here.) The focus in this video is the importance in keeping the blade shape (rocker) the same during each sharpening. This highlights the need for a good and experienced skate technician (sharpener) and a good coach to observe any issues after sharpenings. A good sharpener should keep the rocker shape the same “with just a minimal amount of material taken off to achieve a sharp edge again.”
Fred takes a moment to define and show the “chrome relief” on a typical standard blade. He explains, “When the blade is made, it’s completely chromed and the manufacturer removes that chroming on the bottom part of the blade so only the heat-treated metal is engaging the ice.” The chrome relief also helps reduce chipping and pealing of the chrome. Fred explains that the chrome relief can be a reasonable gauge for the original shape of the blade, but because it is not a tightly controlled process during manufacture, it should not be trusted.”
For coaches, skaters, and skating parents who want to monitor blade shape themselves, Fred recommends tracing the blade on a piece of paper when the blade is new. The blade can then be compared to the paper tracing after each sharpening. Fred says, “That’s probably the best way” to make sure the blades are being sharpened properly with respect to the rocker shape.
Fred continues by discussing the bottom toe pick and the challenges it presents during sharpening. He explains that it should not be hit by the grinding wheel while sharpening the edges as it will flatten the pick and change it’s shape. Fred acknowledges that after many sharpenings the toe pick, if left untouched, will be closer and closer to the ice. Some skate techs will purposefully grind the toe pick while trying to maintain its shape, but Fred advises against it because it’s difficult to make the toe pick smaller “without changing the angle of the pick.” He feels if the toe pick is protruding so much that it causes problems for the skater, the skater should get a new blade.
To wrap up this video, Fred discusses the overall life of a blade, in terms of sharpenings. He notes that it’s skater-dependent as some skaters will be more sensitive to blade changes than others. Some skaters really need new blades after just half the typical life of the blade (in terms of maximum number of sharpenings). Others will have no problem skating on blades that are dramatically worn down (but maintain their shape).
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