Skate blade question (Believe it or not, I don't believe this has been asked before)

[richterfan]

What does ROH stand for?
Do hand held skate sharpeners work?
How sharp do you get your skates cut?

just kidding


In all seriousness, maybe this has been asked but it was tough to find. I have two scenarios and aplogies in advance for the SAT format (this might be a US thing)


#1
Lets say I have two identical pairs of skates which I just had sharpened; one at1/2" and the other at 3/4". If I play in four hour long sessions with each will they both feel the same in relation to each other at the end of the fourth session as they did for the first? Would the 1/2" while not as sharp as it was during the first session, still feel like is has more bit (or whatever the proper term(s) is, than the 3/4"?


#2
Lets say I have two identical pairs of skates which I just had sharpened; one at1/2" and the other at 3/4". If I play in four hour long sessions with the 1/2" but don't use the 3/4". How should the 1/2" now feel after four sessions compared to the 3/4" when using for the first time?

[hroark2112]

There are WAY too many variables here.

Condition of the ice
Weight of the goalie
Type of steel in the blade
Style played by the goalie
Initial sharpening quality
Profile of the blade

Tough question to answer with any degree of certainty!!

[junior1cats]

An eight inch off ? What the hell are you trying to do ? Like Ant says, way to many.
Why don't you get them done at 5/8" if tha'ts what your shooting for ? That's in between.

[Full_Right]

Friction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm no scientist, but ideally the sharper the hollow, the more force used to push off, the more force pushed back by the ice, hence the more friction between the two, where in the normal world would lead to deterioration of the metal faster than something of a shallower hollow. And hypothetically there would be more force acting on a smaller area (even less blade in contact with a 1/2 than a 3/4 - but thats really a micoscopic scale) so that would also point to a sharper skate getting/feeling duller quicker, but only in relation to its starting sharpness. Even in ice, I think the laws of physics still pertain

But basically too many variables to every really tell, lest you could do this in a space vacuum with 10,000 monkeys with 10,000 type writers for 10,000 years. The truth is that most of the measurable quantities in this experiment are opinion based and relative so its pretty difficult to say.

[Redness]

As important as the ROH, the contour of the blade will make a huge difference. When sharpened properly, your blade should have a flat spot in the middle roughly 8" long. This allows the whole blade edge to bite, giving a strong crisp bite into the ice.

The amount of friction/drag on your skates do to deeper hollow is related to the square of your speed. Unless you're streaking down the wing, don't worry about friction. If you are too sharp, you will be hopping rather than shuffling. If you are too dull, you'll get slip-out on your driving leg.

As for when to sharpen.... You may have noticed that on a fresh sharpening, when you push into the ice, there is no give, the blade was already biting into the ice. As the blade dulls, you will find that as you push into the ice, there is a fraction of an inch movement as the blade bites into the ice. You'll hear a crunching sound as you push off. If you hear this crunching sound, you are either on a worn blade, or you have a contoured blade instead of the ideal flat.

So..... Experiment with the hollow and find out what you prefer. If you are hearing a crunching sound on an old sharpening, get to the skate shop before the next ice time. If you hear a crunching sound on a new sharpening, get a qualified skate sharpener to restore the flat on your blade. I've found a dupliskate machine to be the best skate sharpeners for restoring flatness/countours, which is why I bought one.

[goalieworld35]

Is this just an "I just curious" type question with no significance???

If not, then it would be best for you to get your skate sharpen, as in your example(s), and get first hand real hard data.