What ROH do you sharpen your blades?

[rosereedy]

I was talking to some of the coaches at the rink last night and we were talking about ROH and what we personally like.  My coach likes a 1/2", another likes a 7/16" but I like something with a sharper more aggressive edge at closer to 3/8".  My Gold Seal defaults with a 5/16" but we all agree that was too aggressive so I when I get my first sharpening, I will get closer to 3/8".  I like that hard edge bite and don't have a problem with speed or anything.  On what ROH do most people skate?

[FigureSpins]

I use 3/8" and my kids use 1/2"

I've tried 1/2" on Gold Seals several times and felt like I was skating sideways, so I stick with 3/8" now.

My patch skates are at 1" and I slide all over the place, lol. 

[sarahspins]

I use 3/8" and I skate on phantom specials (which are dovetailed), so my bite angle is a little more aggressive than it would be on a parallel or even a side-honed blade.  I've skated on this hollow for a long time.. I am traditionally very hard on boots and I don't tolerate dull blades, so it works for me.  I tried 5/16 once on a whim once (not on my current blades, but on a pair of professionals) and it never felt right to me, I felt like those blades "dug in" to the ice too much.

I don't have a problem with speed, jumping, spinning, stopping or anything else.  The problems I do have (*ahem*, like back 3's) are for the most part in my head, not the blades.. i know this because I didn't have problems with the things that give me trouble now before taking a 10 year break from skating

My kids' skates are all sharpened to 1/2"

Back when I skated patch, I had my patch blades sharpened at 3/4"... I really felt like I couldn't hold an edge at all at 1"

[rosereedy]

I use 3/8" and my kids use 1/2"

I've tried 1/2" on Gold Seals several times and felt like I was skating sideways, so I stick with 3/8" now.

My patch skates are at 1" and I slide all over the place, lol. 

DANG!!  1" is crazy!  I used to love figures.  I miss them.

[KillianL]

I'm an adult skater and demand edge security.  I use 5/8".  Anything less feels too slippery, and anything more (I've tried up to 5/16") is too grabby for my preference.

[CrossStroke]

3/8".  Used to skate on 7/16, but my sharpener (unbeknownst to me) gradually switched me to 3/8 - I guess for his own convenience, as he has most skaters on 3/8.  Since he did it very gradually, I'm ok with 3/8.

[FigureSpins]

I'm so fraction-challenged, I have to "translate" all of these numbers into 16ths in order to understand what you're all saying.

Just a word to the wise: discussions about ROH usually involve some typos and confusion.

Usually happens when people switch 3/8" or 5/16" (deep) -with- 5/8" or 7/16" (shallow).

Posters might want to check their numbers before someone else gets confused.

ETA: Found this graphic on the Pro-Filer website:



Makes the different ROH sizes more clear, at least for me.


Renata - you really didn't notice?  You must get your blades sharpened often.

[CrossStroke]

Renata - you really didn't notice?  You must get your blades sharpened often.

He once tried to switch me from 7/16" to 3/8" outright - again, without telling me - boy was I mad when I got on the ice!  I certainly felt it that time, and told him in no uncertain words what I thought about it .  After that experience, I don't know how long it took him to finally switch me over to 3/8" - for all I know, could have been over a year or two.  I came to know about the switch only because I was moving away from the area and decided to double-check with him that I am, indeed, skating on 7/16".  He laughed and said that he has switched me over to 3/8" (sloooowly).

[KillianL]

I'm an adult skater and demand edge security.  I use 5/8".  Anything less feels too slippery, and anything more (I've tried up to 5/16") is too grabby for my preference.

Good advice FigureSpins, I'm one of the posters who needs to check her figures.  D'oh!     I like your method of converting everthing to 16ths.  Foolproof!  I use 3/8" (6/16") currently, not 5/8" (10/16").  I can't even handle 1/2" (that's 8/16") never mind a less aggressive ROH.  Where was my brain?  (Possibly on my next program, LOL!).  Sorry for any confusion!

[AgnesNitt]

As it's been explained to me, your ROH depends on the ice you're skating on as well as the discipline.

IF it's figure skating ice, which has a slightly higher temperature, then you can get away with patch blades with at 1" to 1 1/2" ROH. If you're doing freestyle on hockey ice (colder) then you may go to 3/8".   Also figures has a certain kind of sharpening which only older sharpeners know how to do.

 Dance apparently requires something different, it's more than just the ROH, it has to do with the bite angle. But I've no personal experience of this.

There's also a rec sharpening, which is what I have. 1/2" ROH, nothing special.

[FigureSpins]

I agree about the the different ROH affecting your skating based on the ice temp.  Yet, I was just talking to one of the guys who does ice for our local NHL team and he said hockey ice is colder than figure skating ice.  So, color me confused.

There's also a rec sharpening, which is what I have. 1/2" ROH, nothing special.

Arrrggghhh...there are no standards anymore.  Sharpeners just make **** up, I think, either to make themselves feel important or be secretive.

When I skated in NY/NJ, a "freestyle" sharpening was a 1/2" ROH and a "recreational" sharpening was 7/16" with the four sharpeners I used.  That's probably why I'm fraction-challenged: we never had to memorize the actual ROH, we just ordered patch, rec, freestyle, or deep freestyle. 

[AgnesNitt]

I agree about the the different ROH affecting your skating based on the ice temp.  Yet, I was just talking to one of the guys who does ice for our local NHL team and he said hockey ice is colder than figure skating ice.  So, color me confused.

He's correct. Hockey ice is colder than figure skating ice. Figure skating ice has the higher temperature.

I skated on figure skating ice  one week. It was like bridal satin.

[FigureSpins]

Ack.  I need coffee - Hockey=colder=LOWER temp ... Figure=warmer=HIGHER temp.   I must have read it wrong.  Sorry.

[AgnesNitt]

Ack.  I need coffee

Here's a big cup for you.

[CrossStroke]

When I skated in NY/NJ, a "freestyle" sharpening is a 1/2" ROH and a "recreational" sharpening is 7/16" with the four sharpeners I used.
That's probably why I'm fraction-challenged: we never had to memorize the actual ROH, we just ordered patch, rec, freestyle, or deep freestyle. 

Interesting that "freestyle" is 1/2"!  Especially since my sharpener is in NJ, and there's a decent chance he is one of the four you used.

[FigureSpins]

Here's a big cup for you.

Much better, thank you.

Interesting that "freestyle" is 1/2"!  Especially since my sharpener is in NJ, and there's a decent chance he is one of the four you used.

I don't remember who you use for sharpenings.  If it's the guy up by the bridge, then no, not him.  I only started to use him in 2005.  This predates that by many years.  I used to use C&L at the original Sky Rink in NYC and also at South Mountain, occasionally Dante Cozzi, but that was a long trip, and a local guy who only had two settings: hockey or figure. 

[aussieskater]

When I skated in NY/NJ, a "freestyle" sharpening is a 1/2" ROH and a "recreational" sharpening is 7/16" with the four sharpeners I used.

I was surprised that 1/2" is freestyle and 7/16" is rec?  I'd have guessed that to be the other way around?

I skate on 1/2" (9/16" if I can get my sharpener to do it).  I'm only low-level and not doing jumps etc.

[MimiG]

I still have an outline of ROH depths my (very long time ago) sharper wrote. According to him:

Figures: usually 7/8 (14/16) and above, with most at 1" (16/16)
Dance: 1/2 (8/16) to 5/8 (10/16), with most in between at 9/16 **
Freestyle: 1/2 (8/16) to 5/16, with most below axel at 1/2, and most doubles+ at 3/8 (6/16)
Hockey: 1/2 (8/16) to 5/8 (10/16), with most at 1/2 (including NHL level)
Recreational: 1/2 (8/16) for indoor skating or 7/16 for outdoor skating

Shallower (big number) for more glide, deeper (low number) for more grip. Freestyle skaters tend to go deeper as they improve (need more control of edge on harder jumps), dancers tend to go shallower (more glide in and out of turns). He was a firm believer in staying as shallow as possible while still having the control you need for whatever you're doing.

** Dance has changed a lot since he wrote this, so this may not be an accurate reflection of what his clients would be using today, if he were still sharpening skates...

[MimiG]

I'll try to make that a little more readable (since it just looks like a bunch of numbers to me at the moment...)

ROH	Style (*=most fall in this ROH)
Over 1"	Figures
16/16 (1")	Figures*
15/16	Figures
14/16 (7/8)	Figures
11/16-13/16	Not Frequently Used
10/16 (5/8)	Dance, Hockey
9/16	Dance*, Hockey
8/16 (1/2)	Dance, Hockey*, Freestyle (Low)*, Recreational (Indoors)
7/16	Freestyle, Recreational (Outdoors)
6/16 (3/8)	Freestyle (High)*
5/16	Freestyle

[aussieskater]

Shallower (big number) for more glide, deeper (low number) for more grip. Freestyle skaters tend to go deeper as they improve (need more control of edge on harder jumps), dancers tend to go shallower (more glide in and out of turns). He was a firm believer in staying as shallow as possible while still having the control you need for whatever you're doing.

Your previous sharpener must have been related to mine!  Esp. the bit about staying as shallow as possible while maintaining control.

[rosereedy]

I personally love hockey ice because I tend to jump better and overall skate better. That is what I skate on Saturday mornings. My weekly rink is a figure skating ice and I hate it. I feel like I have to work harder to jump. Probably all mental but I feel different. Plus I hate to sweat when skating.

[fsk8r]

I hate hockey ice. I skate at once a week on a hockey rink, and while the air temperature is divine (it's a short sleeved rink and mine is a long sleeve and jacket one), the ice is so hard, I can't get any grip on it. And you can hardly get your blades reground every time you change rink, so I've really got to learn to get on with it.

[momomizu]

I just got mine sharpened to 9/16ths. I'm not jumping(just hopping, lol) and I'm about to refresh  Gamma(Basic 5). I don't remember what they were sharpened to before so I hope and pray I don't have any problems on Sunday. My lesson rink isn't my sharpening rink and I'm not trusting the new rink since I had a bad sharpening experience with another rink.

Can a sharpener tell what your ROH is if you don't know?

[KillianL]

Can a sharpener tell what your ROH is if you don't know?

A skate sharpener I used to go to had a little tool that checked the ROH on a skate.  It was NEAT!  I have looked and looked and looked all over the web and cannot figure out where to buy one, and my former sharpener is no longer available to ask.

After a time you become able to tell by sight and feel whether or not your sharpener has you in the right ballpark.