Skate Sharpening Radius Advice

[TieClark]

I've always sharpened my skates at a 1/2 inch radius but I feel like if I went to a 5/8 radius I would gain glide and therefore speed... but I'm worried it will feel like I have no edge at all. I don't weigh much either so I don't really dig my blades into the ice.

I'll experiment eventually but it's playoffs and I'm wondering what anyone else thinks... more glide = better or will I feel like I don't have enough edge?

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[Droid6]

I skate on 3/4 because if I go any deeper my inside foot chatters like crazy when I hockey stop. I weigh 215lbs and I never feel like I'm going to lose an edge when taking fast tight turns. If you're skates are properly sharpened you should still have a nice sharp edge.

 

[TieClark]

I sharpen them myself so I am not worried about the edge itself being nice... I was thinking of going 5/8 and making a few more passes than usual for try and get them as sharp as possible at that radius. I tried 7/16 and it felt like too much edge but I weight like half of what you do

 

[nullterm]

I'm 3/4, sometimes 5/8. I like not having as much bite for playing D and having to transition between forward and backward.

 

[ArrogantOwl]

Just out of curiosity, will a shallower ROH have a more less pronounced edge, or am I just over thinking this in my head?

 

[nullterm]

Shallower, meaning 3/4" or 1", will have less bite. So easier to glide, better for transitions.

Deeper, say 3/8", will have more edge/bite. Better for quicker push/stop, sharper turns.

But you can still turn sharp with a shallow hollow, transition with a deep hollow. It's a matter of the right number for your experience, weight, skating style, and personal preference.

Also, depends on weight. A 100lb kid might prefer a 3/8, while a 220lb adult might go 3/4 shallower.

Deeper cuts tend to need more frequent sharpens as the narrower edge looses its sharpness quicker.

 

[beth]

My 10-year-old daughter is on 5/8". My sharpener recommends shallow hollows for new or young skaters as it's easier to learn to transition and stop, and forces you to learn your edges more.

Try 9/16" first and see how it goes!

 

[TieClark]

My 10-year-old daughter is on 5/8". My sharpener recommends shallow hollows for new or young skaters as it's easier to learn to transition and stop, and forces you to learn your edges more.

Try 9/16" first and see how it goes!

I'm an experienced skater and a sharpener myself... I understand what the different radius' are and how the differ.. I've just always used 1/2 inch myself and was wondering what others opinions were on switching over and how drastic the difference would feel. I sharpened them at 5/8 but did a few more passes on the stone to get a really good edge. I'll find out through experience I guess which is the best way

 

[LarryO]

I weigh 155lbs and recently went from 1/2" to 5/8", and the difference was less than I expected. I still get as much grip as I need.

 

[Stickmata]

The difference between 1/2 and 5/8 is barely noticeable, IMO.

 

[AIREAYE]

Ever try FBV TieClark?

 

[TieClark]

Ever try FBV TieClark?

No, I sharpen my own skates so it's obviously free and convenient. Get asked all the time from people coming in but we don't have it. From what I understand it's essentially the equilibrium of glide vs edge

 

[AIREAYE]

Yeah, it's a great setup. I personally wouldn't switch back to regular ROH cuts.

 

[hyster110]

ghe FBV is just a hoac an a load, i tried it once and went back to the regular radius after one skate

 

[1dude]

ghe FBV is just a hoac an a load, i tried it once and went back to the regular radius after one skate

Don't agree...it may not be for you, but to me FBV is superior to a regular sharpening.

 

[Wilch]

It's a shame FBV isn't offered everywhere. Have to bring it over to Sportschek everytime I want to do a sharpening.

 

[Jarick]

FBV is outstanding. Used to go 11/16" every 3-4 skates and now I do 90/50 maybe 2-3 times a year.

 

[ponder]

I've tried 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4". For me 3/4" is a touch too little bite, I don't really feel like I'm getting the grip I need, and I don't notice much extra glide. Maybe a little extra glide, but I prefer feeling really confident in my edges even on super tight/low/aggressive turns. Not that I actually lose an edge on 3/4", but I just feel a bit less confident when digging in super hard. I was enjoying playing around with 5/8" and 3/4" for a bit, but am now happier having switched back to 1/2".

1/2" and 5/8" both feel good to me, but since most sharpeners are already set up for 1/2", I just go with that, instead of being a bother for a cut that is basically just equally good for me (1/2" vs 5/8").

Would love to try FBV, but no shop close to me offers it, would have to spend over an hour on public transit to get to a shop with FBV, so I'll stick with getting my skates sharpened at the arena.

 

[TieClark]

Can anyone explain exactly what the difference is with FBV? How do they sharpen it differently and what is the difference between ROH and FBV?

I played a game on 5/8 and definitely noticed a difference but I kind of liked it. Felt like I was skating much smoother but at the same time I would have liked a bit more edge... maybe I'll go 9/16 next game.

 

[Jarick]

I don't sharpen so I can't tell you exactly how it works, but this might help.

Basically instead of a section of circle ground out from the blade, the bottom is flat except for a tiny ridge on either side, like this:

|\__________/|

There are a few options for the length of the flat area vs the height of the ridges, but essentially it's like the glide of a 1.5" radius plus whatever amount of "bite" you want depending on the height of the ridges. I find them to be far more predictable than radius. They only grab the ice when I want. Tight heel turns are much easier for me and I never lose edges. Plus I only sharpen them every few months.

 

[Stickmata]

I tried the FBV (95/50 IIRC) and didn't care for it. But some of my teammates swear by it. I couldn't feel my edges as well and didn't feel like I had enough bite when I pushed off. I did prefer the stops on FBV though. I'm guessing that I could get used to the different feel over time, but to me it just felt like I was skating on duller skates.

 

[Jarick]

I'd try out the 100/50 or 100/75. I'm on 90/50 as I don't like a lot of bite.

 

[dwreckm]

I went from a 3/4 to a 7/16 and noticed a big difference. I'm not a spectacular skater, but I was always fairly good at getting speed, and I lost a lot of that. I can stop easier now, but I miss my speed a bit. I also seem to make a lot more noise when I'm turning. I think I'm going to keep them this way though and get my hockey stop down and then gradually move back to a 3/4.

 

[ponder]

I went from a 3/4 to a 7/16 and noticed a big difference. I'm not a spectacular skater, but I was always fairly good at getting speed, and I lost a lot of that. I can stop easier now, but I miss my speed a bit. I also seem to make a lot more noise when I'm turning. I think I'm going to keep them this way though and get my hockey stop down and then gradually move back to a 3/4.

That's a massive, massive difference. To put it into perspective, a 3/4" radius is about as big as it gets, and a 3/8" radius about as small as it gets (very, very, very few players will go outside of this range). In sixteenths, that translates to the range of possible ROHs being from 12/16" to 6/16", and you went from 12/16" to 7/16", which is almost the biggest change you could possible make. It sounds like you're learning, I would just stick to 1/2" for now, it's the most popular ROH by far and is a fairly "do it all" depth for most people.

 

[salty justice]

I've found 7/16ths to be the best for all around play. The sharper edge makes you a lot faster than 1/2 but it's still wide enough to slide sideways to get off slappers. Anything wider than 7/16ths and it's way too difficult to make sharp turns without losing an edge.