How often should I sharpen my ice skates?

by Gregory Stabile October 28, 2020

The short answer is that there is no answer. There are so many variables in play that it's hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer. The size of the skater, the ice, the preferences of the skater, the type of skate and more all play into how long between sharpenings.

That probably isn't a very satisfying answer for you so we will try to help you out. You should get your skates sharpened when any of the following apply:

You skated on synthetic ice
There are nicks or rust on your blades
Your skates haven't been sharpened in over a year (regardless of how many hours you skated)
You skated outside and are going to be skating inside

Beyond that it really comes down to personal preference. We have customers who will sharpen after 6 hours of skating and some customers who will sharpen only 2-3 times per season. Pay attention to how the skates feel when they are freshly sharpened. If you love that feel, then you probably want to sharpen more often. If it doesn't really matter to you, then save yourself some money and sharpen less often.