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Hints and Tips
Which Blade do I need?
Many parents when changing blades will ask the most successful skater in their club
"What blades do you use?". They assume that they must be wearing the best blades and buy the
same for their child. Unfortunately this is not the most informed way of buying blades.
Different blades suit different standards and styles. A Gold Seal blade is not suitable for
a beginner!
- Ask your professional for their advice. All professionals have their own favourite
blades and ideas.
- Consider does the skater do both free and dance in one pair of boots. If you do both
you need an all purpose blade i.e. Coronation Ace, Four Ace, Coronation Comet.
- Does the skater only dance?If you are predominately an ice dancer, you should be looking
at a dance blade with a shorter heel and not so pronounced toe picks. i.e MK Dance or Super Dance 99.
- What jumps is the skater working at? An advanced skater doing double lutz and above may like
to look at the new K-Picks, Gold Seal or Phantoms. A skater doing Axel and
early double jumps will probably be happy with Coronation Ace, Four Ace or MK Professional.
- Remember each skater is an individual. There are no hard and fast rules about which
blade is best for what level - all we can do is make recommendations.
Phrases people use when talking about blades - It's a foreign language!
- Counter-sunk hole - Tapered holes that are wider at the top than at the bottom,
used with counter-sunk screws
- Depth of hollow - The depth of the curve ground into the length of the blade by the
grinding stone during sharpening. Measured in terms of radius of circle.
- Hollow - The curve that runs lengthwise down the centre of the skating surface of
the blade.
- Parallel - Two sides of the blade remain parallel to each other throughout the
height of the blade; not side-honed.
- Rocker - The lengthwise curvature of the blade.
- Rocker Radius - The dimension that determines the extent of the curvature of the circular
portion of a blade; Radius is the length from the centre of the circle to its boundary; the larger
the radius, the bigger the circle, the flatter the rocker.
- Side Honed - The blade has a curved channel ground out lengthwise below the chrome relief
line on both sides. This should make edges sharper. The sides of the blade are no longer parallel
making it difficult to sharpen precisely.
- Sharpening - Restoring the hollow and sharpening the edges by grinding the blade against
a grinding stone. Only let an expert grind your blades. If it goes wrong, it can be an expensive
mistake.
- Tapered - The width of the blade is tapered (becomes narrower) from front to back.
I hope this has not confused you totally.
Where should you mount your blades?
The general consensus is that the blade should be placed between your big toe and the toe next to it
and in the centre of the heel. You may then have to make adjustments to one side or another
depending on your preferences. You should be able to skate on a flat in a straight line without
the blades pulling in you in one direction or the other. You may have a professional who will
line your blades up for you, if you are not sure where to put them.
Looking after blades?
These are guidelines for new skaters, parents etc. Experienced
skaters will already do these things or have their own tricks.
- Do not walk off ice without guards on. You will blunt your blades.
- Do dry your blades properly when you have finished skating.
- Put cloth covers on your blades to protect them.
- Do not leave plastic guards on your blades until the next time you skate. The damp will
remain in the guards and make your blades rusty.
- Have your blades sharpened regularly by an expert grinder. If you are skating most days you
may need to have them sharpened every 4-6 weeks.
- Keep a screwdriver in your skating kit to tighten the screws.
- Sometimes a screw falls out because the hole has become damp and swollen. A trick is to
plug the hole with a match and then put the screw back into it.
- When originally mounting the blade do not use all the holes, use enough to make sure the
blades are firm but save a couple so that if the original holes become swollen you still have the
opportunity to use the unused holes.
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