ROH For Beginners

[Orianna2000]

What ROH is best for a beginner (Adult 2) who is skating on hockey ice, and who is 5'3" and 125 lbs?

When I got my previous skates sharpened, I just told the guy that I was a beginner and let him choose the ROH. He never mentioned what it was, but I really liked it. Now I'm going to have to get my new skates sharpened (if they ever arrive!) and I'm wondering what ROH to request. The skating director at our rink suggested 1/2" but I thought my earlier research contradicted this number. I can't find said earlier research, however, so I'm at a loss as to which ROH to get.

(I could have sworn there was a thread on this already, but I couldn't find it when I searched.)

[Query]

I think that just as with figure skates (where sharpeners recommend most people use anywhere from about 1/4" to about 1", depending on the sharpener) you will find many sources with many different answers.

This one agrees with 1/2" for his weight.

Many sharpeners always go to one radius, so they can sharpen more skates/hour. So he may have to go with what his sharpener believes is "best" for most people. 1/2" is very common in hockey in my neck of the woods.

He may also just have to try something, and see how it works. For one thing, depending on the sharpener's technique, and how fine or course a wheel he uses, a given ROH can produce a wide range of different degrees of effective sharpness.

[sarahspins]

What is the default ROH of the blades you chose?  I don't remember which you went with, but most figure skating blades have factory ROH's that are generally appropriate for the level of the blade - the quality of the factory sharpening is typically lacking though, but I know you already know that

I would lean towards "too shallow" rather than too deep though if you had to choose.. I'd possibly even suggest starting at 3/4" if you are worried they will be too sharp at first.  If you find that they're not sharp enough and you have to go deeper, you can do that without sacrificing blade life (a good sharpener would be able to just remove metal from the hollow), where as if you went deeper to start with and had to go shallower, you'll lose metal at the edges.

BTW, I think your question confused query.... he answered assuming you meant hockey skates, not hockey ice (which tends to be harder and more brittle than figure ice because it's kept colder).  ROH for hockey skates means almost nothing for figure skates since our blades are nearly twice as wide which changes the bite angle by a significant amount. 

[Orianna2000]

Sorry for the confusion! The skates are my own and I'm a figure skater. The ice rink caters to hockey players, so I assume the ice is hockey ice, however with the 100 degree weather we've been having, it's entirely possible that the ice is softer right now. My husband, the hockey player, routinely gets 1/2" ROH on his hockey skates.

The blades I chose are Jackson Aspire, but I have no idea what their default ROH is. Since we have to drive three hours to get my blades sharpened each time, I can't really afford to experiment with this. However, this may help. I just found an old email from the sharpener I used in Nashville and he said:

Beginner with basic blades: 3/4"
Just starting jumps, with upgraded blade: 5/8"
Freestyle with freestyle blades: 1/2"
Multi-revolution jumpers: a bit deeper.

Now, I'm definitely a beginner, but are the Aspire blades considered "basic" or "upgraded" or "freestyle"? Since they're nicer than the Mirage blades, I was under the impression they were freestyle blades, but I could be wrong. At any rate, I'm thinking the guy probably gave me 3/4" since I told him I was a beginner with no jumps. What do you all think? (I would email him and ask, but I seriously doubt he would remember what ROH he used on a stranger's blades six months ago.)

[sarahspins]

I'd still start with shallower (3/4") - if you need them deeper that can be fixed without sacrificing any blade life

FWIW, I looked it up and the factory sharpening on the Aspire is 1/2" but you may find that grabs more than you want, especially with new boots.

[sampaguita]

I used to skate on hard hockey ice. I have normal weight, a bit on the low side, and I preferred 7/16". 3/4" might be too shallow for cold hockey ice -- you might be sliding all over the place.

[taka]

My sharpener goes with 7/16ths for most folks as we all skate on very hard hockey ice!

[Query]

BTW, I think your question confused query.... he answered assuming you meant hockey skates, not hockey ice

Oops! You are right.

---

The sharpener I learned the most from said he doesn't usually change ROH for ice temperature. He uses 7/16" for most figure skaters. Partly because it is easier for him.  Another one said the same.

A rink manager told me that depending on how the ice is maintained, you can get variant surface roughness, at various scales. So ice at one rink that is colder than ice at another rink doesn't consistently mean anything about how the ice reacts with your blades. He says there are a lot more variables. Just like ROH isn't the only determent of effective sharpness.

[VAsk8r]

The standard in my area is 1/2"; that's what you'll get if you drop your skates off with no instructions. My first sharpenings were that, and I did fine. Stopping was a little hard the first day after, but that was it.

I started getting 7/16" at my coach's recommendation a year or so ago, skating at ISI FS3 level, and now I could never go back. When I got new skates, I asked them to do the 1/2" hollow because I thought it'd make adjusting to new blades easier, and I had them re-sharpened to 7/16" after two skates.

Even if you're a beginner, I can't imagine trying to skate on an edge with something shallower than 1/2".

[Orianna2000]

Here I was hoping for an across-the-board consensus of what ROH to get! Now I really don't know what to do. I guess I could take my old skates along and see if the sharpener can tell what ROH they have and just use that. But if he doesn't have the tools for that, I'd be at a loss. 

Basically, it's between 3/4", 1/2", and 7/16". The skating director at our rink recommended 1/2", my previous sharpener recommended 3/4" based on my ability, and most of y'all are saying 7/16" or 1/2". I'm just scared that if my current skates are 3/4" and I go with 1/2", that's a pretty big jump. I'm already going to have to get used to brand-new skates and brand-new blades, I don't really want to have to get accustomed to an entirely new ROH, on top of all that. But then, maybe it would make doing edges easier. I always assumed my trouble with holding an edge was because of my pronation, but what if it was the ROH? Hmmm.

[jjane45]

I never asked or checked ROH. I trust the sharpener's expertise (Rainbo! figure skaters drive hours to see them) and probably won't feel the difference anyway.

[irenar5]

I would definitely go with 1/2, especially that you skate on hockey ice.  I think that 3/4 would be very slippery and you would feel insecure on the blade.   

[sampaguita]

I suggest go with 1/2" first. That should be a good compromise. Are you sure your current skates are on 3/4 ROH? 3/4" ROH on hockey ice is going to be slippery for someone of your size.

[Orianna2000]

3/4" is what he recommended for beginners, but since I had freestyle blades, he might have gone up a notch and given me 5/8". I really don't know.

[Skittl1321]

For what it is worth, I have NEVER asked for a specific ROH.  I leave that up to the sharpener.  I use the same sharpener and provide feedback so they know what I favor.

[bambucci]

I would go with 1/2". You're transitioning to new boots and blades, so make the adjustment with ROH now so you become accustomed to your new pair in the beginning.  Enjoy your new set up!

[Orianna2000]

Well, unless the sharpener has something different to say, I guess I'll give 1/2" a try. Thanks for all the opinions!