All You Wanted To Know About Blades But ...
Mike Murray, November 20, 1999
From Ontario Speedskating Association site

Looking for the right blade for your skates? Why do some blades hold a sharp edge longer than other blades? Why and what benefit is a harder steel blade? How important is the thickness of the blade? This article will discuss these important points as well as provide a summary of the blades that are currently available, what they cost and where to get them. If you will be buying blades in the near future this article may be useful.

While there are several types of blades available worldwide, Canada does not produce any speed skate blades. Most short track boot manufacturers do not make blades, therefore, the search and choice of a correct blade for the boot is left up to the article will deal mainly with short track blades because these blades are replaced more often and are also more easily removed than their long track blade cousins.

If you are thinking of purchasing new blades (or skates), talk to your coach and also to the people who are using the type of blades/skates you are considering. Skate and blade requirements are personal so get as much advice from as many people as you can before you put the money on the table.

The hardness of blades generally runs from a Rockwell of 50-65, which is not a big difference for performance purposes. The harder the blade (the higher the Rockwell reading) the longer it holds an edge and the slightly better the glide. However, it also takes longer to sharpen. The harder the blade the more brittle it is and the greater the chance of its breaking.

Bi-metal blades are not made of two metals but they do have two different hardnesses. The bottom of the blade is harder for a better edge and finer grain than the top, which is fastened in the tube and is not as brittle. Most high performance long track skate blades are like this with some of the short track blades now using the same technology.

The thicker the blade is, the less chance of it bending or breaking. A thicker blade will glide slower than a thinner blade due to the increase of the surface area in contact with the ice increasing friction. However, the thicker blade does not cut as deep into the ice or ruts as it distributes the force to the ice over a greater area, thereby reducing the amount it cuts into the ice.

The differences in the thickness and hardness are minor and are normally not the main reason for selecting a blade.

A short track rocker generally ranges from 6-9 meters in radius. It is normally a constant radius with the high point at the mid point of the blade. The rocker should be checked regularly to ensure that sharpening has not modified it. A template of your proper rocker is a good idea to provide a precise check. A poor rocker is one of the most common problems skaters have with their blades. (For more information on your rocker, what it is, how to set it, how to measure it, how to correct it, refer to the article, “Are You Off Your Rocker?”, in the December 191 issue of SKATERS EDGE, written by Ian Hennigar, OSSA’s Executive Director.)

The author recommends that you should not use bent blades until you have at least reached the ability and speed to make finals at the Canadian Championships in the Junior-aged category and up. This also ensures that you have a reasonably good technique (elite skater). In fact, using bent blades prior to this will in most cases reduce your skating performance.

The bend in a blade is unique for each individual but generally is a smooth arc from the toe to the heel of the blade. The arc is in the same direction as the corner on the track, on the left side of each blade, as if you are bending the blade around the corner. The bend is a good news/bad news issue. It does assist you to be more stable in the corners and it enhances your ability to skate tight turns. However, you do sacrifice some performance in the straight-aways, as the bent blade is less efficient during the glide phase of the straights. The benefits of the enhanced stability and turning capacities of the bent blade outweigh the very slight decrease in performance on the straight-aways.

Some blades bend much better than others. You should have someone who knows what they are doing to bend your blades. A machine is better than a hammer to bend blades but it is less forgiving. It is critical that you only bend the tube; this will bend the blade. If you try to bend the blade you will loosen the bond between the blade and the tube. Having no bend is better than having a bad bend or too much bend. In fact, if the bend is too much, the blade will then touch the ice on the front and rear portions of the blade when skating at high speeds. This will definitely have a very adverse affect on your turning performance. In this case you would definitely be better off with no bend.

Blade lengths range from approximately 12-17 inches. There are many items to consider in determining the best blade length for you. Your body weight, foot size and technical ability are all important factors that must be considered. You should contact your coach to assist you in determining your proper blade length.

· Is there a good rocker on the blade? If not, find out where this can be done and how much it will cost ($10-$30 depending on the amount of work required).

· Put cups on the blades and place the back cup on a flat surface and slide something flat under the front cup to ensure they are not twisted.

· Ensure the brackets are spaced properly for the skates you are going to put them on (generally 6 ½” for skate sizes 36 and larger, slot to slot; and 5 ½” for skate sizes 35 and smaller). The brackets should be the same distance from their respective end and also the same distance from the center of the blade (both distances measured horizontally).

· If the blades are secondhand, you should consider the length, the amount of wear remaining, how often they have been straightened (bent) and how much they cost.

Selecting the right blade for yourself is a complicated task; be sure to request some assistance from your club coach. Many National Team members have spent years on experimenting with various blades to find the one that is best for them. To speed up the process, be sure to obtain the opinions of your coaches and top-level skaters. Use their experience.

In order to be successful at speed skating, what do you think the most important piece of equipment is? Your skates, of course! More specifically, your blades. However, one of the areas most overlooked by coaches and skaters would be just that. I realize that everyone is very concerned as to how sharp they are, but are you also checking the rocker? Or if there is a bend in it? (The wrong way, that is) Remember what it is you are trying to achieve when you sharpen -- a smooth, flat surface with two square edges.

One of the most common faults with blades would be flat spots or, even worse, hollows. Not only are they difficult and time consuming to fix, you greatly reduce the lifetime of your blade resulting in unwanted expenses. Here are a few reminders of what you can do to prevent any such occurrences.

If you are not sure what a good rocker is, ask your coach or, perhaps, a more experienced skater. Any club that has "club skates" should appoint a couple of people to continually watch over them and offer skate sharpening seminars to all new members.

There have been a lot of changes during the past couple of years with regards to blade length on short track skates. The trend recently has been towards longer blades. A few years ago it was very rare to see blades longer than 16 inches, but nowadays some of the top skaters in the world are on blades as long as 18 inches.

Skating on longer blades has some distinct advantages and disadvantages. Although the trend has been towards a longer blade, this does not necessarily mean that a longer blade is right for you. People must remember, when choosing the blade length that is right for them, that it may not be the same length as other top skaters. Every skater has a unique technique and different strengths and weaknesses. You must find a blade length that caters to your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. The most important consideration is how comfortable you, personally, feel on your blades.

I have outlined a few of the major points to consider when deciding what length of blade is best for you.

ADVANTAGES OF A LONGER BLADE

Power Transfer: The most important advantage of a longer blade is the more efficient transfer of power throughout the blade. Blade length is closely related to the size of your rocker and the amount of bend you put in your blade. A longer blade generally allows you a flatter rocker without sacrificing turning ability. With more blade on the ice during the push, a lot less of the power is lost in cutting through the ice. You will find, because the power is spread out over a greater area on the blade, that more of the power is transferred into actual speed rather than into cutting the ice. This results, in many cases, in a higher top end speed that can be sustained over a longer time. More efficiency in the push will ultimately lead to greater overall efficiency over all distances.

Stability: Another distinct advantage of changing to a longer blade is an increase in stability. A longer blade gives you an extra bit of blade at the toe and the heel. This will help skaters to keep their balance through the entire corner. An increase in stability can definitely be reached by having more blade in contact with the ice.

Pivots: When you have longer blades with flatter rockers, you will have more blade in contact with the ice. During the extension of your push, pivoting will become much smoother and less speed will be lost during the actual pivot. If you have less blade on the ice, pivots can become too sharp and speed will be lost. Similar to the advantage of power transfer, instead of cutting into the ice, the force is spread out over a longer blade, thus enabling you to lose less speed during pivots.

Straightaways: More efficient straightaways can be obtained with a longer blade. With many skaters bending their blades into the corner, a lot of power is lost through the left leg push on the straightaways. With more blade on the ice you can compensate for this loss of power, thus enabling you to achieve more speed and efficiency in the straightaways.

DISADVANTAGES OF A LONGER BLADE

Awkwardness: Awkwardness is one of the major disadvantages of a longer blade. This is due to the extra bit of blade to trip over or to dig into the ice. This is important when considering the stability advantages. You may actually become less stable on the ice if you cannot handle the additional length.

Leg Frequency: Many skaters who specialize in sprints prefer a shorter blade because they feel they can maintain a greater leg frequency. Some skaters, while changing to a longer blade, may feel that the additional blade may get in the way during crossovers or during accelerations, thereby making them a bit tentative and possibly slowing their leg frequency.

Starts: Sometimes starts may be slowed down with a longer blade length. With similar reasons to the leg frequency problems, a skater may become tentative "on the line" which will definitely hinder his start.

Weight: A minor point to consider is the additional weight of a longer blade. An extra 2 inches of blade could be adding unnecessary weight to your skate. Over longer distances this additional weight could cause an increase in fatigue and, thereby, diminish some of the advantages of a longer blade.

CONCLUSION

After considering the advantages and disadvantages of changing to a longer blade, and before actually purchasing longer blades, I would recommend trying different lengths. Most skaters would not mind lending their blades for a practice or two. This will enable you to get a better idea of what's best for you. The most important consideration when deciding on a blade length is what length you feel most comfortable skating with. It is easy to be fooled by the current trends. Most of the top skaters in Canada today are on blades that are from 17 inches to 17.5 inches long. However, current world record holders are on blades as long as 18 inches while others are on blades that are less than 16 inches.

So, when deciding what length of blade to skate on, be your own judge and don't be fooled by possibly misleading trends.

First of all, what is a “ROCKER”? This question must be answered to determine if you are in fact “Off Your Rocker”.

Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary lists the following definitions:

a) either of two curving pieces of wood or metal on which an object (as a cradle) rocks;

b) any of various objects that rock on rockers;

c) any of various objects in the form of a rocker or with parts resembling a rocker (as a skate with a curved blade);

d) one of the curved stripes at the lower part of a chevron worn by a noncommissioned officer above the rank of sergeant:

Off One’s Rocker: in a state of extreme confusion or insanity

For the purpose of this article and speed skating, definition “c” will be used; this is not to say that some of the other choices above may not be appropriate in some manner within the sport!

The rocker in speed skating is a technical term referring to the physical and extremely important attribute of the steel blade on the skate. The rocker of the blade is the amount that the blade deviates from being perfectly flat when measured from either the toe to the heel of the blade.

The rocker can be seen or checked by using a straight edge, as its name implies; a straight edge is a perfectly straight and solid piece of metal. When the straight edge is placed directly on top of the blade the rocker, or the amount of deviation of the blade from the straight edge, is clearly visible.

There are two critical issues in determining if the rocker is satisfactory. First, and most importantly, is the consistent arc of the rocker. The rocker must be a smooth arc over the entire length of the blade. In many cases, due to poor skate sharpening habits, the rocker becomes modified as more steel from the blade is removed in certain areas. This will eventually result in the creation of either flat sports or, if continued to an extreme, a hollow, better know as a double rocker. In either case, both will result in a definite decrease in the performance of the blade on the ice and ma make skating almost impossible. The blade will not turn easily and will be very difficult to control as too much of the blade will be in contact with the ice at one time.

The second critical issue concerning the rocker is the amount of rocker on the blade. If the rocker is too large (i.e., the blade deviates from the straight edge too much) the skater’s push or transfer of power onto the ice will not be efficient. However, the blade will be easy to turn. If the rocker is too flat, the skater will not be able to turn efficiently. The skater will also not be able to control the skate adequately in order to obtain efficient technique. So where is the happy medium?

The amount of rocker varies on short track skates and long track skates. It also varies at the elite level due to personal preferences. A general guideline is that a long track rocker will have an arc of about 25m and a short track rocker will have an arc of about 12m.

HOW CAN I CHECK MY ROCKER?

Seek the advise of an experienced coach or skater and have him/her explain this in detail. Be sure to have the use of a straight edge to ensure that it is checked properly. The straight edge should contact the blade for about one inch for a long track rocker and slightly less for a short track rocker. The contact point of the blade and straight edge should be rotated from end to end on the blade. If contact is more than an inch your rocker may have to be adjusted. If there are two contact points between the straight edge and the blade you have to a double rocker. In both cases the rocker must be corrected immediately.

Once you have found your ideal rocker you should trace the rocker of each blade on a piece of paper so that you can compare the rocker to it periodically during the year.

WHEN DO I CHECK MY ROCKER?

Your rocker should be checked following every sharpening to ensure that a problem is caught early. An experienced coach or skater should double-check your rocker every 4 to 6 sharpenings.

WHAT IS THE HIGH POINT?

The high point of the blade is the point where the blade has the most steel. In order to maximize the force applied to the ice the high point must be located under the skater’s center of gravity when in the skating position. On most skaters this translates to a point approximately one-third of the distance between the back and front cups where the pieces of tape identify the high point area. As with the amount of rocker, the location of the high point may vary slightly between athletes due to personal preferences.

Be sure to check your rocker regularly to determine if YOU’RE OFF YOUR ROCKER!

Let’s go back and start at the beginning. What exactly is an OFFSET SKATE? An offset skate is a specialized speed skate designed for short track racing. This skate is designed to allow the maximum amount of body lean by the skater in an effort to counter balance the extremely large centrifugal force acting on the skater in the tight turns. The blade is OFFSET on the boot; in other words, it is not centered under the foot of the boot. The blade is moved slightly to the left of the boot, which allows the skater to lean further without the left side of the boot contacting the ice. If the boot does contact the ice, the blade then loss contact with the ice resulting in a fall. These same principles can be witnessed when watching a cyclist ride through a corner at high speeds. The cyclist must lean the entire bike into the corner. If the cyclist leans too far and the peddle on the inside of the corner is at the bottom of the stroke, the pedal will hit the road lifting the wheels from the surface resulting in a crash and a painful loss of some valuable skin and paint!

The adjustable offset skate allows the skater to create a custom offset. Until the late 70s the blades were riveted onto the skate boot with a permanent offset that was not adjustable. The advent of the adjustable offset skate allows the skater to modify the amount of the offset as the skater’s speed, technique and body build change. The adjustable short track skate along with its increased boot stability, better blades and custom rockers, has made a significant impact on the speeds reached by short track skaters. Changes in Canadian records in short track clearly indicate this. Canadian short track records (100m tracks) have seen an improvement of almost 24% since the 1970-71 season while the long track records have only improved 14% over the same time period. Short track records have almost improved at twice the rate of long track records.

How a skater effectively uses the adjustable offset will directly impact on his/her performance. The general concept that too much offset is just as poor on performance as not enough offset still holds true. Not enough offset will cause the skater to fall at high speeds due to the contact of the boot with the ice. Too much of an offset will reduce the efficient transfer of power to the ice surface particularly on the straights and will have a negative affect on the balancing skills of the skater. A skater must find the OPTIMAL OFFSET where the amount of offset equals the best performance.

Every skater will have a different amount of offset depending on personal preference. Factors affecting the amount of offset include technical ability of the skater, the maximum speed the skater can attain, and the physical size and leg angles of the skater.

If the skater is not at an intermediate technical skill level he/she should not be using any offset on his/her skates. A beginner level skater must first learn the basics of techniques before using offset blades.

As a skater’s maximum speed increases, the amount of offset will increase. A skater racing the 400m in 50 seconds will require little, if any, offset while a skater racing the 400m in under 40 seconds will considerable offset of his/her blades.

Finally, the physical body build of the skater is an important factor. When comparing skaters of equal ability, the skater who is taller and heavier and skates in a lower body position (upper leg to lower leg angle less than or equal to 90 degrees) will require more offset as the angle between the skate and the ice decreases at full extension of the leg. As the length of the leg increases and, as the lowering of the center of gravity of the skater increases, the skater will require more of an offset than that of a skater who is shorter and skater out of a higher body position (upper leg to lower leg angle greater than 90 degrees).

HOW TO FIND YOUR OPTIMAL OFFSET

In order to find the optimal amount of offset in a minimal time, a very methodical approach must be followed. This process should be conducted early in the season so as to be completed before the major competitive events of the year. Once the optimal offset is confirmed, it should remain constant for the season unless major changes occur in your maximum speed or technique.

To begin the process of finding the optimal offset set both blades close to the center than you think is optimal. Place a piece of the black electrical tape (the edge of the tape on the edge of the bracket) on the bottom of the boot. Do this for both skates on the front and back brackets. During a high-speed training session see if you are rubbing or hitting your boot on the ice in the corners. If your boot is making contact with the ice, offset the blade to the left a fraction of an inch or more. Move the tape to reflect the change. If contact is not being made between the boot and the ice move the blade and tape closer to the centre of the boot. The tape acts as a reference point to mark where the blade was when you go to adjust the blade. The tape will also allow the skater to take his/her blades off for any reason and allow the blades to be put back on with the correct amount of offset. Some athletes have been known to place a scratch mark on the boot as a reference to line up the placement of the bracket of the blade. However, this proves may get very confusing once several scratches are on the bottom of the boot. Another method that can work well during the testing period is using a magic marker line. The line can be removed from the bottom of the skate with a light rubbing of nail polish remover when the line is changed. Whichever method is used, be sure it is consistent, can be modified with minimum confusion and is clearly recognizable. When offsetting the blade, be sure to move both the front and the back of the blade, in a 2-to 1 ratio (front and back). The back, in most cases, will remain more centered than the front.

To test if the offset is enough, the skater must skate a maximum speed. The real test comes in actual competition as the extra pressure and adrenalin will push the skater to faster speeds.

Best of luck in finding your optimal offset! As always, consult your coach for clarification and guidance in this important process.

...when sharpening (otherwise known as stoning), only the weight of the stone itself should do the sharpening. NEVER put any weight on the stone. This is the number one reason why blades are ruined.

Here are at least six things that will happen when you push down on the stone:

The blades will be prematurely and unnecessarily worn down.
Uneven blade wear causing the rocker to become unequal
A larger, more coarse burr which results in a poorer finished edge
A rougher finish on the bottom edge
Premature and uneven stone wear
A boiling mad skater after having to buy new skates and/or blades only after a few years instead of never.

Also as mentioned, 10 to 20 passes at the most is all that is required to get the burr along the entire edge - even using a diamond system that weighs only a few ounces. If you don't, you have waited too long before sharpening or there is a problem with the blade alignment in the jig. As far as setting the skate blades in a jig, I have witnessed some pretty horrible methods.

Incidentally, the number two reason for blades being ruined is poor alignment in the jig but that is another complete topic.

... an ideal edge... will never be achieved as long as you keep rubbing a so-called de-burring stone along the edge of the blades. ... the burr ends up in a "reverse position". This is because the de-burring stone does not cut or remove the burr but simply rolls it over to the bottom. (You have probably noticed that it also does wonders on the plating!) The same effect can also be accomplished by rubbing a piece of wood on the side of the blades although it would no doubt take longer. To continue, at least two things will occur next. The first is when you walk from the change room to the ice. With every step you take some burrs are being crushed and deformed and probably some are already breaking off due to fatiguing action. The next step is when you are skating. In a short period of time, all the "reverse" burrs will be rolled over back to their original position on the side as shown in the middle drawing. The next thing that happens is the old familiar cry "My blades are dull".

There are quite a few skaters who think they have solved the problem using one or both methods of the following: The first is to run a razor blade along the bottom of the blades thinking that the burr is being cut off. Sorry to disappoint you but what is happening is a good part of the burr is still being rolled over to the bottom and the remainder is being torn off leaving a very jagged edge that will dull quickly. A razor blade does not have the stiffness or the proper cutting edge to remove the burr properly. Aside from what has already been mentioned there is no doubt a safety hazard involved.

The second method involves using a carbide-cutting bit and again running it along the bottom edge. In this case, if you are lucky, a few of the burrs will be cut off but unfortunately at the wrong angle! To cut the burr off, you have to tilt the tool at an angle to the side of the blade and this is what you don't want. Because of the hardness of the tool, what is quickly going to happen is the very bottom of the blade is going to become chamfered, you wind up with a blade that is only half sharp and the next time you stone the bottoms it's going to take a lot more than 20 strokes. In addition, if you lay the tool flat on the side of the blades, any burrs will not be cut but torn off plus a good part of them will be rolled over to the bottom in the reverse-burr position.

At this point don't give up. You are almost there. The carbide tool is on the right track. Just the method is wrong. The burr can be completely removed, not by trying to cut it off but SHEARING it off just as a pair of scissors has a shearing action. There is nothing magical about shearing off the burr. It's just following a standard metal working procedure.

Actually, any hardened piece of steel with a smooth, 90° edge will do the job nicely however a carbide tool will last almost forever. The tool that I recommend to our club members is a large 1" X 1" X ¼" carbide bit (approximately $30 Canadian). It has plenty of edge length for shearing but most important is easy to hold. I caution you on using the small router bits that are available. Unless you are very skilled with your hands and know what you are doing, I guarantee that frustration will quickly set in and the next time the bit is used will be in a router. What is much more important to remember is the longer the individual shearing stroke, the better the result. Compare this to cutting paper. What gives a smoother edge? A few cuts with large scissors or many cuts with a small pair?

The shearing tool is gently pinched between the bottom of the thumb and the side of the index finger. The hand is then rested, thumb nail straight up, on the surface that the skate blade will be placed. As the steps are being followed hold the tool in a position that feels comfortable and allows good control while shearing. ...[H]ere are the steps to shear off the burr:

With a skate on its side, place the blade on the edge of a wooden table with the side to be sheared face up. The blade should be approximately 30° from the wood table, however, this will vary from person to person. This is necessary to accommodate the height of the shearing tool in the hand...
Where do we start from? Well, if you refer to Figure 4, notice, the bottom edge of the blade and the side of the shearing tool form an arrow. Place the tool at the end of the blade where the arrow points to and shear in the opposite direction. I find that shearing towards yourself is the easiest.
Place the tool on the blade edge so that the actual line of the shearing edge is 10‑20° to the line of the blade bottom. The corner of the tool that is over the blade is then tilted up from its flat position a few degrees (see Figure 4).
When shearing, approximately the middle half of the shearing tool edge is used. You can try using the entire edge but I can almost guarantee you after slipping off a few times, using only the middle section will look good. Anyhow, starting with ¼ of the shearing edge on the blade flat and approximately ¾ over the edge of the blade, the tool is pushed straight downward towards the tube in a light but smooth motion. After the down stroke the tool is drawn out at an angle such that the next down stroke will shear another section, however make sure the shearing action overlaps a bit. Try and keep just the weight of the tool on the blade as you draw it out as this will give you much better control of the action by continuously "feeling the action". The entire shearing action is easiest when the hand remains in the one location and the blade is slowly pushed along the edge of the table - in this example away from you. The pressure on the shearing edge should be light with the emphasis on the section of the shearing edge that is starting to shear. If you are not to sure that the burr is being completely sheared tilt the tool another degree.
When first learning this method, check the tool angles, especially the one corner A is tilted up, about every tenth shearing stroke. If corner A is too high, this will cause the shearing edge to bite in rather than shear and a nicked blade may result. Also keep checking that you are pushing the tool straight downwards rather than at an angle.

If done properly you should not have to repeat the action and the blade may now be turned over and steps (1) to (4) repeated.

Once all four sides are sheared, that's it. Once you get the knack of the shearing action, it should take you no more than two or three minutes to completely remove the burr. Many skaters in our club report that they can actually hear or feel when the proper shearing action is taking place. You now have the ideal sharp blade. No more burr to roll over to the side again resulting in the blades staying sharper longer. Incidentally, referring to what was written earlier, those of you who claim their blades are dull, 99 times out of 100 all that is required is the burr that has been rolled to the side to be sheared off.

Does this method damage skate blades? If done properly, no. So far, after four years of shearing both my short track and long track skates, I have not found any evidence of blade damage and so far non of the other skaters in the club have mentioned any damage. However, if done incorrectly, damage may result. Failure to move the tool straight downward will create a cutting action and, depending on the angle, the blades may actually be nicked. This action is mostly due to the natural tendency for the wrist to rotate rather than push straight down. Also, if some of the angles specified are out of the so called "tolerance window" the burr may wind up being shaved off and a chamfered edge will result. I strongly recommend that if you wish to try shearing the burr, make sure you understand exactly the mechanics involved before attempting it or ask someone that does.

Did you know that the heel of your short track blade must be rounded? According to rule N14-102 of the Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association rulebook, "the rear and front tips of your all skates shall be rounded to a minimum radius of 1cm. This may be achieved by grinding the metal off the blade and/or by adding a hard smooth cap firmly attached to the skate blades."

This rule was implemented to reduce the possibility of cuts occurring. Most of the cuts were occurring in the front of a skater's lower leg when following to close and the rear of the blade contacting the shin area resulting in a small cut. This concern was further highlighted by the adoption, this year, of mandatory shin guards. With these two rules we should see very few cuts in the shin area this season.

Most blades that you buy already have a satisfactory arc on the front end of the blade, it's really the back end that needs to be checked.

How do I round the ends of my blades? The easiest way is to use a fine metal file and carefully work the end of the blade into a nice rounded end while the blades are in your sharpening jig. Keeping the blades in your jig will reduce the chance of bending your blades by improper filing. Keep checking the end of the blade against the arc of quarter. Be careful not to loosen the blade in the tube by pushing to hard on the file. This is a slow process, don't try to do it 5 or 10 minutes.

To keep the arc legal, every time you sharpen your skates, round over the back end of the blade with the stone.

Be sure that the back end of your blades have a radius of approximately a quarter to be sure you won't disqualified due to this rule! Happy skating.

Stones come in many shapes and sizes. You can find them on the street, in gardens, on gravel roads and even in your shoes. However, this article will not be discussing the composition and details of these types of stones. This article will be focusing on the four major brands of sharpening stones used by speed skaters.

Sharpening stones used by the majority of speed skaters today fall into two distinct and completely different types. The traditional stones are typically double sided as opposed to the newer Diamond type stones (don't order these if you plan to give it to a young lady to wear on her hand, it won't fit!)

The traditional stones, such as the Norton IM2 India, the Zandstra, and the Viking stones, are synthetically produced using an electric furnace abrasive technique. All three of these stones are available in a double sided format, one side being a coarse finish and the other side in a much finer finish to polish the blades smooth at the end of the sharpening process. All three stones require some form of lubricant to work effectively. Using oil, varsol or WD 40, maximizes the cutting characteristics of the stone. The lubricant also eliminates the high-pitched squeaking sound that rivals running your fingernails down a chalkboard!

There are some differences between the three stones. The Viking and Zandstra stones are made from a softer type of abrasive, leading these two stones to wear a little faster than the Norton stone. The Viking and Zandstra stones are three quarters of an inch wider than the Norton thereby providing a larger cutting surface that gives these stones a very slight edge in the amount of time it takes to obtain a burr on the blades.

The Eze-Lap Diamond sharpening stones use a patented process creating state of the art sharpening technology. Millions of diamond cutting surfaces are permanently bonded in a stainless steel alloy. This is accomplished through a heat-treating process unduplicated by anyone else in the world. Only one side of this stone is used for sharpening. These stones will obtain a burr on your skates much faster than the traditional style of stone. Do not use oil or water on the stone when sharpening. A little water or oil can be used to clean the stone after sharpening. These stones come in three finishes, fine, medium and coarse. A fine or medium finish is adequate for most sharpening. Using a coarse stone will remove a lot of blade very quickly and in many instances will cause the rocker to be changed over several sharpenings. Do not over grind the blades. This will only require the purchase date for a new pair of blades to arrive much too soon. The coarse stone is great if you're sharpening all of your club's skates in one night, but don't over grind, 10 to 20 passes and your burr should be there.

You may find other diamond-type stones on the market. One type has the appearance of a polka dot pattern on the surface. These stones also sharpen well but are more expensive and don't have the "cutting" feel to them compared to the Eze-Lap stones.

A chart, Sharpening Stone Summary, provides a clear picture of the attributes of the stones discussed in this article.

All of the above stones can be purchased through the Ontario Speed Skating Association Office. To order call 416-495-4043 or FAX 416-495-4329.

SHARPENING STONE SUMMARY

STONE	PRICE $	CUTTING SCALE	SIZE inches W x H x L	LUBRICANT	LIFE SPAN	COMMENTS
Norton IM2 India	40-60	6	2½ x 1 x 11½	oil, varsol, WD 40	3-4 seasons	Economical
Viking	45-65	6	3¼ x 1 x 10½	water	1-2 seasons	Wears early
Zandstra	40-60	6	3¼ x 1 x 10½	water	1-2 seasons	Wears early
EZE-LAP Diamond Stones
Fine	60-80	8	2½ x ¼ x 11¼	none	5 plus seasons	BEST BUY
Medium	79-90	9	2½ x ¼ x 11¼	none	5 plus seasons	Good for Bi-metal blades
Coarse	100-120	10	2½ x ¼ x 11¼	none	5 plus seasons	Takes off too much steel too fast BE CAREFUL!

Cutting Scale: A subjective measurement conducted by the author.
Life Span: Approximate number of seasons for a provincial-level skater. This will vary depending upon sharpening habits.

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