Sharpen new skate blades before using them?

[cherry]

I haven't skated for more than a week now since my old skates completely broke down. Since we are on a relatively long school break because of holy week, I won't be skating until next week, Tuesday. And that means I won't be able to skate on my new skates as well. But I think that's a good thing since my dilemma right now is whether or not I should skate on them even if I haven't had them sharpened yet. I do not have any idea on how to check for the "sharpness" of the edges or the usability of blades so I really don't know if I should have them sharpened first before using them. Should I? Just to be safe or it would just be a waste of money? Thank you so much!

[FigureSpins]

If you want to have the option of returning/exchanging the blades, hold off on sharpening until you've tried the blades.  Factory sharpening usually last an hour or two.

If you know you're keeping the blades, get them sharpened now.  That way, you'll know that the sharpening won't cause any problems and can check the alignment with confidence.  They might need adjustment.

I assume you're not skating because of the holiday break, not because the old skates are broken down.  You can use duct tape to keep old skates going for a few extra sessions.  One of my students has a softball-sized (used) duct tape ball in her skate bag - she's impatiently awaiting her new boots.

[AgnesNitt]

Make sure your tech measures the rocker *before* he mounts the blades.

http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2016/01/when-new-skate-blades-are-bad.html

[Query]

Sorry if the old boots broke down.

To check sharpness, see if it can shave a layer off of a fingernail. If you care too much about your nails to do this, I figure wood is roughly the same hardness.

The other way is to see whether the blade slips sideways on the ice. After all, if it doesn't slip, it probably is doing what you want. Of course, that could also happen if the blade is shimmed wrong.

Factory sharpening usually last an hour or two.

Huh? Why?

A lot of people don't think MK and Wilson's blades are ground consistently enough, so most sellers routinely re-sharpen them. But that has nothing to do with the durability, AFAIK.

And you should check whether that resharpening has been done - if so, maybe it's fine.

If the blades are from Ultima, the factory edge is probably fine. Maybe some of the other brands too.

BTW, I would also record the profiles (should be about the same on both blades, but, like I said, some are inconsistent), by photocopying the blades, so you can bring the blade shape back to about what it was if wanted, and monitor how badly your sharpener does.

Happy skating!

[Isk8NYC]

Factory sharpenings are enough to try out a pair of skates, longer if the skater is accustomed to dull skates.  (Not saying the op is accustomed to it, just an observation regarding dull blade skaters.)

[nicklaszlo]

To check sharpness, see if it can shave a layer off of a fingernail.

This is a widespread myth.   The dull blades and never sharpened blades can shave a layer of my finger nails.  I tried it (again) this morning.

[tstop4me]

If you want to have the option of returning/exchanging the blades, hold off on sharpening until you've tried the blades.  Factory sharpening usually last an hour or two.

I don't understand this either.  The techs I've dealt with are not happy with factory sharpenings and always recommend an initial shop sharpening.  Often, if you buy the boots and blades at a shop (and pay full price rather than Internet discount price), a sharpening is thrown in (whether it's advisable for you to accept the free sharpening is a different story).

I can see a factory sharpening lasting only a short time if a very shallow hollow is intentionally used.  Riedell Eclipse blades are not sharpened at the factory at all.  But I thought other blades were sharpened with the manufacturer's recommended hollow (e.g., 7/16" or 1/2"  radius of hollow).

[tstop4me]

This is a widespread myth.   The dull blades and never sharpened blades can shave a layer of my finger nails.  I tried it (again) this morning.

I agree.  And the flip side is true.  Even if the edges fail the fingernail test, the edges can be properly sharp.  I hone my edges almost razor sharp (enough to slice a finger tip and draw blood), but several good techs I know intentionally do not deliver razor-sharp edges (they actually intentionally dull them a bit with a stone) because many skaters do not like it; I know some skaters who break-in freshly sharpened blades by intentionally dragging the edges transversely across the ice repeatedly. 

With experience, I've learned to distinguish a sharp edge from a dull edge by finger-tip touch.  But if you've never done it before (that is, compared the feel of blades in various states of sharpness), there's no way for someone to teach you via written instructions.  Someone has to literally take you by the hand (or finger tip, anyway).  Of course, if the edges are really worn down or banged up, that would be obvious.  But I'm talking about less extreme cases.

[FigureSpins]

Really?  You guys don't know about factory sharpenings?

A factory sharpening is often uneven and rough.  But it's good enough to try out a pair of blades.  Every good fitter I've used has had me try the skates/blades before sharpening.  Of course, I get them sharpened right away and I have my skaters do the same but, with a pro shop that isn't on site, sometimes you have to adapt.

All of the pro shops I used in NY/NJ would do the first sharpening for free if you bought the blades from them.  Here, the sharpener is a sub-contractor who charges for initial mounting, waterproofing and sharpening.
(Which is one reason I've shifted to a more-distant skate fitter, although the local shop is more convenient.)

Those manufacturers that do factory sharpenings do a haphazard job just to give you a short amount of skating time in which to try out the blades.  It's a common practice. (My skaters' Eclipse blades did have a bit of an edge before sharpening.)

Is it a great sharpening?  Hell, no!  Should you get them sharpened as soon as you know you're keeping them?  Duh, yeah!  You'll note I also recommended that the OP have the blades sharpened if she's sure she's keeping them. 

[cherry]

Thanks so much for your responses! Jsyk my blades are pre-mounted and are Ultimas (I think? My skates are Jackson Elles with Mirage blades). And personally, they feel and look dull. I can easily swipe my finger along the edges and still not cut myself and they look pretty flat too. :/ I have decided to have them sharpened once I get back to the rink. I also plan to bring my old skates (Jackson Classique) with me first and secure the sole and the boots with duct tape so I can use just in case I couldn't use my new ones yet. This reminds me of another question I'd like to raise. In case my old ones really could not put up with the duct tape solution, would it be safe to skate on dull new blades? Or it would be better to wait until my next session?

[Query]

I think the question of whether the fingernail test is good enough depends on the skater. Some world class figure skaters, skating many hours/day, are happy going many months between sharpenings, according to Mike C. I've known other skaters who do a touch up on close to a daily basis. (And some very picky hockey and speed skaters who do it MORE than once/day.) So different skaters get used to skating on blades of very different sharpness levels. A few of the school figures skaters actually skate on flat (infinite hollow) blades. I think it depends a lot on how heavy you are, and how strongly you "push" into the ice.

As far as factory sharpenings being dull - it is possible that some brands use a very coarse grit wheel, to do it more quickly, and that would indeed be less sharp than many skaters want. But my Jackson Ultima Matrix I (an old model) runners came a lot sharper from the factory than most skate techs routinely produce - you'd need to use a very fine grit wheel to make it that sharp, and relatively few skate techs do that, because it takes more time. They were also extremely consistent in shape. I assume Ultima still does that - at least on their high end blades. Paramount also makes a big deal out of advertising that they do a very careful sharpening job, though I have no experience with their blades. I seem to remember that Skate Science advertised that way too.

I got used to very sharp blades early, because my first good sharpening tech did that, so the fingernail test was indeed not good enough. But I've tried to get used to less frequent sharpenings, to extend blade lifetime, and it is close to what I need. When I skate on an outdoor rink, where ice conditions are erratic, I often need very sharp blades again, or I skid all over the place. (On very soft or very hard ice, I need sharp blades and to push hard.)

I think the fingernail test is a good starting point for someone who has no idea how sharp they want the blade.

I generally use the finger touch test too - but I hesitate to tell other people to do it, for the same reason I'd hesitate to tell other people to pick up broken glass with their bare hands. On a very sharp or rough blade, if you run your finger ALONG the edge, or you use too much pressure, you can cut yourself. What I'm looking for is a certain amount of drag, when I run my finger, very lightly, ACROSS the edge. But I'd hate to tell someone to do that, and have them get infected because they didn't wash the cut.

Most of the time, I just wait until my edges start to skid, when I don't push very hard.

Many (most??) pro shops re-sharpen new blades WITHOUT being asked. E.g., as of a few years ago, Rainbo sports did, even on mail orders. Which means that same-model blades can have very different profiles and sharpness levels, depending on who you buy them from, if you don't ask them NOT to sharpen them.

[tstop4me]

I generally use the finger touch test too - but I hesitate to tell other people to do it, for the same reason I'd hesitate to tell other people to pick up broken glass with their bare hands. On a very sharp or rough blade, if you run your finger ALONG the edge, or you use too much pressure, you can cut yourself. What I'm looking for is a certain amount of drag, when I run my finger, very lightly, ACROSS the edge. But I'd hate to tell someone to do that, and have them get infected because they didn't wash the cut.

That's what I do, too.  But I also need my finger tips in the right condition.  Doesn't work if my fingers are sweaty or greasy.  But also doesn't work right after I wash my hands though:  the soap and hot water seem to soften the skin too much.  I also stroke across the edge from outside to center and from center to outside and compare the drag.  This is not a test that can be described in words or in a video.