Sharpening

A blade only works if its edges are square, sharp and consistent along their length. Sharpening is not a finishing touch — it is the last part of manufacturing the blade, repeated every few sessions for as long as you own it. This page covers what the process needs, and which EHS StayBent tools do which part of it.

What sharpening actually does

A speed skate runner has two edges and a flat between them. Sharpening removes a small amount of steel from the flat until both edges are clean, square to the runner and level with each other. Everything else in the process exists to hold that geometry: the jig holds the blade straight and level, the stone stays flat against it, and the gauge tells you what you have.

The failure modes are all geometric. A blade held at an angle gives you one edge higher than the other. A blade allowed to sit at slightly different heights in the jig gives you edges that vary along the length. A stone that is not flat rounds the flat between the edges. None of these are visible; all of them are felt on the ice.

The tools

Sharpening jig

Holds the pair of blades straight, level and parallel while you work. The EHS Long Track Jig and the EHS Short Track & Long Track Jig are CNC-machined from solid aluminium with anodised wear parts; the short track jig comes apart for travel. The StayBent PRO Sharpening Jig adds bottom- or top-mount locators and a radius clamp system that does not change the bend of the blade. Top-mount locators pull the blades up to a common reference, which is what removes the height variation described above.

Diamond stones

The StayBent PRO Diamond Sharpening Stone has a precision-machined 6061 aluminium body holding replaceable diamond plates — you replace the plate rather than the whole stone, and colour indicators show which grit is on each side. Available in 3.0" and 1.5" bodies, plus the JUNIOR stone for skaters starting out.

Radius and bend gauge

Measures rocker radius and bend to 0.0001", so you can verify a blade against its specification instead of guessing. Use it before and after sharpening, and after any bending work.

Bender

The StayBent Short Track Bender and the StayBent Steel Bender apply bend accurately and repeatably; the steel bender works on the flat section of the tube, which reduces the risk of kinking it.

Anti-corrosion wax

After sharpening, protect the blade. Wax leaves a thin water-repellent film that keeps rust off a freshly ground edge in storage — particularly worth doing at the end of a season and after skating on natural ice.

Basic routine

1. Wipe the blades dry and clean the jig's clamping surfaces.
2. Mount the blades in the jig; if you are using top locators, pull the blades up to the stops so both sit at the same height.
3. Check the blades are level and parallel before touching steel.
4. Work the stone flat along the runner, with even pressure, the same number of passes on each blade.
5. Deburr, check the edges by feel and by eye, and verify with the gauge if you have changed anything.
6. Dry, wax and guard the blades before they go back in the bag.

How often

More often than most skaters think, and less aggressively. Frequent light sharpening keeps the geometry; occasional heavy sharpening destroys it and shortens the life of the runner. If you are unsure how much steel you are removing, have an authorized dealer or a blade technician show you once — an hour with someone experienced is worth more than any written guide.

Get it done for you

Many of our authorized dealers sharpen and set up blades. If you would rather not do it yourself, or you are not confident about a bend, that is the right route.