Sharpening....?

[PhysicsOnIce]

Okay so here is the thing. I recently change coaches and with that skates, rink and lesson schedule. I'm typically skating around 60 hours a month, which means last week was my sharpening time. My new coachs' (Olympian, Coach Isa) dad has been doing her skates since she was around 8 years old  as well as some of the national competitors and is a very experienced skater and skate tech. We noticed that I had some nicks on my blades last week and she mentioned her dad could take care of it for me when he sharpened my skates. So, I let her dad do it.

I'm actually very happy with the sharpening. I typically skate with a 7/16th hollow, and I'm not sure what hollow he  used but My blades are much faster and I have to do a lot less effort for the same type of speed. I had absolutely no adjustment period. That being said, they are less noisy and my blades feel less grabby. I would not say I feel less secure, but edges feel softer and more delicate on the ice if that makes any sense at all. It's hard to explain what I mean by that but If I take a deep enough edge I am use to hearing my blades roar a bit... I love that sound because to me it is a sign that I am on a deep good quality edge, but with the new sharpening no matter how deep my edges the blades are completely quiet. I can't for the life of me make my blades roar. The blades themselves are SUPER sharp, and  my edges glide more. So, I'm not complaining, but I just want to understand what might have caused this effect. I know some of you are very well versed in the art of sharpening, any ideas?

[nicklaszlo]

1.  Smaller radius of hollow.
2.  Different rink.  Besides variation in temperature and humidity, the ice sounds very different depending on the acoustic environment.

[PhysicsOnIce]

I know the rink isn't the issue.  I skated the night before, got my skates sharpened and then skated less than 12 hours later in the same rink.

[irenar5]

Less grabby edges usually mean that the ROH is slightly larger- he probably sharpened the blades closer to 1/2". Also, he likely used a finer hand stone to smooth the edges after the regular sharpening.

I love blades that take no adjustment after the sharpening.  I always have them sharpened by the same person and ask for an in-between ROH- between 7/16 and 1/2.  Works very well!

[riley876]

I'd take it back to the sharpener, and get them to tell you exactly what they did, and measure the hollow, just so you know what to ask for next time!

And maybe take them flowers or a bottle of wine, just to encourage them to do it right again next time too...

[Query]

There are lots of potential issues in addition to ROH:

Many sharpeners create a slight very thin extension (created from a reshaped sharpening lip or burr), whether they know it or not, which extends slightly beyond the hollow. The longer the extension, the more sharp and grabby the edge - and vice-versa. This is a form of sharpness that is a separate issue from ROH.

Many (most?) sharpeners dull the edges slightly after sharpening, because many people don't want it too sharp, and don't want to have to change the way they skate before and after sharpening. Your new one may dull it more, so the edge is less grabby. Another form of sharpness that is a separate issue from ROH, though it has the side effect of shortening or removing the extension too.

He may also have used a LESS fine wheel or stone, which means he didn't generate as sharp an edge, or as great an extension, in the first place. Though I'm not sure why that would make it quieter - it leaves a rough edge, if you look under a microscope.

I tend to have a quieter ride when my blades are MORE sharp, because there is less side slip.

However, if I push down harder (which I need to do if the blade is less sharp, or if the ice is too cold or too warm), there is a crunching noise.

Some sharpeners leave the sides of the blade and edge very rough, because they don't lubricate the metal before sharpening. That creates noise. Maybe he is careful.

There are simply too many variables. I agree that you could ask the sharpener what he did, and with what tools.

And use him again, and again, forever.

However! If he removed the nicks, which involves taking off less metal, he would also be removing any surface roughness, that would make the blades much quieter, because the non-edge parts are smoother. They be a bad issue if he always removes more metal (as many hockey sharpeners do - hockey players create a lot of nicks, and their blades are cheaper, so it makes sense.), you would have less blade lifetime. About the only way to tell is to use a calipers or micrometer to measure the length from a fixed point to the edge. A good figure skate sharpener using a powered machine tool and a reasonably fine wheel will usually remove roughly 0.003" of metal. A hand sharpener using a fine stone can remove somewhat less and get the same effect, because at slower sharpening speeds, he/she reshapes the metal, and doesn't need to grind off as much.