How to Dull Skates That Are too Sharp

Ice hockey skates should be a specific sharpness, and it depends on the skater as to how sharp or dull they prefer their skates to be. Some players find a sharper skate helps them corner and skate faster, while other players prefer a duller blade as it allows them to make a more gentle stop. However, if you find your skates to be too sharp just after getting them sharpened, there are several things you can do to dull them to perfection.

Put the skates on and lace them up as normal. Take a few laps around the rink to see how sharp the skates are and determine how much they need to be dulled to feel "right."

Open the door from the rink to the bench and stand in that doorway. Stand with one foot on the rubber flooring in the bench and place the blade of the other skate on the plastic portion of the boards where the door is open. Make sure you are distributing your weight evenly on the foot that is on the plastic and run your foot back and forth over the plastic.

Repeat Step 2 with the other foot. Make sure the motion you use when dulling the blades is a straight motion, going back and forth parallel to the blade. If you press the blade into the plastic and try to push in or outward (like making a hockey stop), you risk dulling the blade too much, or possibly chipping the blade.

Skate another lap or two around the rink, stopping frequently to test the sharpness of the blades. If they are still too sharp, repeat Steps 2 and 3, followed by another lap or two around the rink until the blades reach the perfect sharpness.

Use a hand stone to dull the blade if the plastic on the boards isn't dulling the skate blade enough. The hand stone can also be used to remove scratches or chips that are missing in the blade.

Warnings

Don't walk on pavement or other rough surfaces with your skate blades. This causes the blades to become chipped or scratched, causing you more problems.