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My blades squeak when i stop, bad sharpening job?

TonyBabagan00sh

Registered User
Mar 12, 2009
29
0
Mississauga, ON
When i try to do a stop, my left skate makes an odd squeak coming from the blade. I got them sharpened at a Play it Again Sports near my place. Some kid did it. Is the noise because of a bad sharpening job?
 
I would say yes. When I first bought my skates, a teenager sharpened them and then when I first started breaking with them, it sounded like a dying eagle.
 
<thread hijack>

OK so I got a pretty bad sharpening job earlier today. When I went to skate on the ice I could barely stop because my blades just weren't digging into the ice. It also made it near impossible for me to make any tight turns, or anything in between.

I'm not sure if the blade was poorly sharpened, or if they just didn't give it a deep enough hollow. Should I go and complain, or just take my skates elsewhere to get them fixed?
 
The blade holder might be loose.

That'd be my first guess. Mine were loose and also was causing a clicking sound anytime I stepped.

<thread hijack>

OK so I got a pretty bad sharpening job earlier today. When I went to skate on the ice I could barely stop because my blades just weren't digging into the ice. It also made it near impossible for me to make any tight turns, or anything in between.

I'm not sure if the blade was poorly sharpened, or if they just didn't give it a deep enough hollow. Should I go and complain, or just take my skates elsewhere to get them fixed?

You should ask for a specific hollow that you like, every time. Before I did that it was hit & miss on whether I could skate or not. Different shops and people give different cuts. Or just leave the same bit in the grinder from the last sharpen.

I ended up with a cut appropriate for an 80lb kid. Couldn't do anything but stumble around because the skates kept biting the ice. Until I went and got a better cut suited for me (not as deep of a hollow). Now I stick with a 3/4 everytime.
 
if my skates are sharpened too deep, and i'm just digging into the ice, i just rub them side to side along the bench a couple times. it doesn't immediately solve the problem but it helps.
 
<thread hijack>

OK so I got a pretty bad sharpening job earlier today. When I went to skate on the ice I could barely stop because my blades just weren't digging into the ice. It also made it near impossible for me to make any tight turns, or anything in between.

I'm not sure if the blade was poorly sharpened, or if they just didn't give it a deep enough hollow. Should I go and complain, or just take my skates elsewhere to get them fixed?

Sounds like the hollow is too deep and they may be sharpened off center. Since you paid for a quality job, take them back and get what you paid for.
 
<thread hijack>

OK so I got a pretty bad sharpening job earlier today. When I went to skate on the ice I could barely stop because my blades just weren't digging into the ice. It also made it near impossible for me to make any tight turns, or anything in between.

I'm not sure if the blade was poorly sharpened, or if they just didn't give it a deep enough hollow. Should I go and complain, or just take my skates elsewhere to get them fixed?

You may have gotten a goalie skate sharpening or a figure skate. In any case some goon who shouldn';t touch your skates did so and i would suggest you do what I do .... go to someone who knows what they are doing and ALWAYS only have them do them no matter what.

The guy I use has my own personal hollow which he adjusts on his wheel when I go in there.

Also I am not sure how shiort or lightweight you are or how big and heavy you are. That determines how much you hollow grabs more than the hollow depth as it isn't universal. I weigh 240lbs and some guy weighing 140lbs will not feel the same grab I would with a deep hollow.

The sharpening you got may be fine for the previous customer in other words and since you did not specify what YOU wanted the guy gave you what the previous guy had.

ALWAYS know your hollow and tell whomever sharpens them what YOU want before he does them so he can do them right. This also lets you know if that guy should even be doing them because when you tell him your hollow you want and he gets a deer in headlights look in his face because he doesn't know what that is don't let him do them.

I would rather play on dull skates than get a wrong sharpening. Also you should not have to dull your skates before playing, if you do YOu HAVE THE WRONG HOLLOW to begin with.

I actually found that out through you guys here who eductaed me about what a hollow should do .... which is to match you weight and playing style. I use a 3/4inch depth which is pretty shallow but i weigh 240lbs so this hollow works for me and is not too grabby. I've also noticed the edge stays on there a lot longer for me in between sharpenings.
 
Sounds like the hollow is too deep and they may be sharpened off center. Since you paid for a quality job, take them back and get what you paid for.

I very much doubt they're too deep if he can't dig into the ice. Too shallow and off center would be my guess.

Either way, find somebody who's good and learn what hollow works for you, and make sure you specify every time. And if they refuse or don't know what you're talking about, make sure they stay away from your skates.
 
It's weird... the place I took them to is normally known for having high quality sharpenings. I guess I just got a newbie, or they did a rush job.

You'd think a place called Just Hockey would be good at this kind of stuff. I guess it's partially my fault for letting someone else take my skates in on my behalf. I would have picked up on a crappy sharpening job immediately.

I took them to my normal place today for a re-sharpening. The guy there said that they were a little uneven in spots (used some balance beam type device) and that they weren't very sharp to begin with. I have a "guy" that I like to go to... he works the weekday afternoon shifts @ the rink. The guy that did mine today (probably only a few years older than me) sounded like he knew what he was doing though.

They look fine, they feel sharp, and the pits in the blade are gone! I just wish my bad knee wasn't so sore because of how awkwardly I had to move on my skates!
 
well, i tightened the bolts that hold the blade in place, then i went for a skate and got the same squeak. I'm just gonna get them sharpened again somewhere else and see if they fare any better.
 

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