Sharpen your skate blades from home with this simple tool

You can't always make it to a pro shop before your next time on the ice. Discover the skate blade sharpening tool you can use from home.

1. You can stop on a dime. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. That’s hockey! The puck travels fast on the ice, and the play changes directions quickly. If your skates aren’t sharp then you will definitely have trouble keeping up.
2. You can make tight turns. In order to turn sharply on the ice, your skate blades need to be sharp enough to cut through the ice. If your blades aren’t sharp enough, you will be forced to make wide turns, which will most definitely affect your game in a bad way.
3. You have better control on the ice. Hockey is a precise sport, and if you are not able to get to where you need to be fast, you are not very useful on the ice. Sharp skates are a must for serious hockey players.

There is a tool called a whetstone that can help sharpen the edges of your blades. A hand-held whetstone is especially good for removing nicks from your skate’s blades. You would maybe think that a small nick on your blade here or there will not cause problems on the ice. But any experienced skater knows that even the smallest nick can be incredibly annoying when you are skating. Getting to where you need to be quickly on the ice can be difficult enough. The last thing you need is an annoying nick on your skate making it even harder for you.

What’s the expression? Don’t put the cart before the horse. In this case, it refers to removing the rust on your skates before sharpening them. You can do this easily with a scouring pad and some oil. Once you’ve run the pad along your oiled skate blades, remove the rust with a soft cloth.

When it comes to skate blade sharpening tools, the fastest, most effective way is to bring your skates to a sports store or arena pro shop to have them sharpened. But if you want to do it from home, there are tools you can use.