Skape Sharpening - Explained by James "BatGoalie" McElfresh

The following information is an excerpt from an e-mail posting to the netminders@lists.xmission.com Goaltenders' mailing list. One of the best and clearest descriptions of an arcane subject. Reproduced with the author's permission.

In response to a question about "sharpness" and "deep edges", James replied:

As a goalie, skate tech, and zam driver, I can tell you that "sharp" and "deep" edges are two distinctly different things. First, 1/2" ROH (Radius Of Hollow) is considered the median edge for most skaters (not goalies). The depth of the hollow used generally depends on two things -- skating style and weight. Generally, a deeper hollow (less than 1/2" ROH) is for a lighter person (who needs extra depth on their hollow so their blade edges will sink the proper depth into the ice), or a strong skater who can produce speed despite the increased depth the edges sink into the ice (the deeper your edges go in, the more it slows you down -- but also the more sharply you can turn). A person might go with a more shallow hollow (greater then 1/2" ROH) if they are heavier and their weight causes their edges to sink too much, or if they are not a strong skater and feel that they could sacrifice some turning ability for an increase in speed.

Generally, the terms "sharp" and "strong edges" both mean the same thing -- they refer to the freshness of the sharpening, and how many nicks and bumps the blade has acquired since its last trip to the sharpening table.

With all of that in mind, you can understand that a deeper hollow on goal skates would be detrimental to lateral movement. Most goalies (not all of them, by any means) keep their skates somewhere between a 3/4" and 1-1/2" ROH -- much more shallow than the 1/2" ROH median on player's skates. This increase in ROH is due to the goalie's desire to sacrifice turning ability (generally, turning is unnecessary for goalies) for speed (specifically, lateral speed). The higher ROH used by goalies may also be due to the added weight of the equipment, although I'm not sure that is as significant a factor as lateral speed.

Personally, on my rec skates I keep a 7/16" ROH because I'm a relatively lightweight guy who needs something deeper than 1/2" in order to cut deeply enough into the ice. But on my goalie skates, I keep a 1-1/4" ROH because I don't want to dig into the ice. I also only sharpen my goal skates about twice a season -- but that's my preference, not a recommendation. How frequently you have your skates done is really personal preference.

-- James "BatGoalie" McElfresh
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