Sharpening stones in speed skating

For speed skaters to have the best performances, they must have the perfect sharpening. Therefore, skaters will always be searching for that flawless 90degre angle. However, this will be difficult if you do not have the right sharpening tools. For that reason it is important to have the good sharpening stones, since they play a vital role in the sharpening process. In addition, here are some tips on how to choose wisely your sharpening stones.

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos: Schaats Foto's, Carl Savard and stock photos

Natural or diamond stone

On the market right now there exist two types of stones. First, is the traditional stone, more known as the natural stone, for instance there is the “stone Foss” or “stone Norton”. Secondly, are the diamond stones, which are for example those from Nagano Skates. Both options present their advantages and their inconveniences. The natural stone price is very affordable, nevertheless you must regularly clean and maintain it. If the skater does not do this, his sharpening will be ineffective. On the other hand, the diamond stone are more expensive, but you don’t need to maintain/clean your stone to have a good sharpening. So, if you are ready to spend a bit more to not have to think about it, go with the diamond one.

What type of roughness to choose? 

When you shop for diamond stones, you will realize there are different types of stones depending on the roughness of the surface. Consequently, you will have to choose between a softer surface or a rougher surface. The stones are often color coded or have numbers to help you identify which one is which. For the colors, the roughest is black, then the blue, afterwards the red, and finally gold is the softest. It could happen that some companies have a different color codes. For the numbers, usually the roughest has the highest number, and the softest surface has the lowest number. The general rule is that you can sharpen with the blue and the red no problem; nonetheless, eventually if you want to be ready for anything, the black one gives an excellent polish for the blades that are more damage. For the natural stone, you have two sides, a rough side and a soft side, which can compare itself to the blue and red diamond stones. It is essential to mention that the company Norton offers a large range of natural stones.

What is the maintenance required for stones? 

As it been noted above, a natural stone requires maintenance regularly. In fact, it is important to ensure that there are no residues left on the stone; if so it will result on it being less rough. If it is your case you can soak your stone in oil, so it will help with the residues. The stone also has tendency to curve at some places, where you sharpen more often. It is almost unavoidable with time, which will decrease the sharpening effectiveness. Therefore, it is critical to get your stones rectify during the season. You can do it yourself by rubbing your stone with silica sand until it’s straight again. The diamond stone as written above doesn’t need maintenance.

For more details, don’t hesitate to contact us or consult our “Entretien” section of our online boutique.

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Les pierres d'aiguisage en patinage de vitesse

Dans le but d’optimiser ses performances, un patineur de vitesse voudra toujours avoir l’aiguisage parfait. Il sera toujours à la recherche de l’angle de 90 degrés parfait. Si par contre vous n’avez pas les bons outils, il sera difficile, voire impossible d’y arriver. La pierre ou les pierres d’aiguisage que vous utiliserez jouent un rôle important dans l’efficacité de votre aiguisage. Voici donc quelques conseils pour bien choisir et entretenir ses pierres.

Par Marc-Antoine Caron de  Marchands de vitesse

En collaboration avec Passion/Patin/Vitesse

Photos: Schaats Foto's, Carl Savard et stock photos

Traditionnelle ou diamant?

Il existe essentiellement deux types de pierre d’aiguisage actuellement. Il y a la pierre plus traditionnelle comme la pierre Foss ou les pierres Norton et il y a les pierres ou les plaques de diamant comme les plaques Nagano Skate. Chacune des deux options présentent des avantages et des inconvénients. Pour la pierre traditionnelle, son prix est plus abordable, par contre elle requiert un entretien régulier sans quoi votre aiguisage sera plus long et pourrait même devenir inefficace. Pour ce qui est des plaques de diamant, elles sont plus coûteuses mais sont sans entretien et offre un aiguisage très régulier. Donc, si vous êtes prêts à débourser un peu plus pour ne pas avoir à vous casser la tête, allez-y avec le diamant!

Quelle rugosité choisir?

Lorsque vous magasinerez pour une plaque de diamant, vous découvrirez qu’il existe plusieurs rugosités différentes. En effet, vous aurez le choix entre des plaques avec des côtés très rugueux ou bien très doux. Vous verrez soit des couleurs ou soit des chiffres. Pour les couleurs, le plus rude est le noir, vient ensuite le bleu, le rouge et l’or. Il peut également avoir certaines compagnies qui offrent d’autres couleurs. Pour ce qui est des chiffres, plus il est élevé, plus la plaque sera douce et plus le chiffre sera bas, plus elle sera rude. Règle générale, vous pourrez aiguiser sans problème avec une plaque de rugosité bleue et rouge, par contre si vous voulez être prêt à toute éventualité, une plaque noire viendra à bout des lames les plus abimées et l’or vous offrira un excellent polissage! Du côté des pierres traditionnelles, vous aurez la plupart du temps un côté rude et un côté doux qui peuvent se comparer au bleu et au rouge des plaques de diamant. Notez également que la compagnie Norton offre un éventail de pierres plus élargi.

Quel est l’entretien requis?

Comme mentionné plus haut, une pierre traditionnelle requiert un entretien régulier. En effet, il est important de s’assurer que la pierre n’est pas encrassée de résidus de lames sans quoi elle perd sa rugosité. Si c’est votre cas, elle doit être nettoyée à fond et par la suite imbibée d’huile pour qu'elle reste propre plus longtemps. Une pierre a également tendance à creuser aux endroits où l’on aiguise. C’est inévitable avec le temps et cela diminuera l’efficacité de votre aiguisage. Il est donc important de la faire rectifier durant la saison. Vous pouvez également le faire par vous-même en frottant votre pierre avec du sable de silice sur une surface complètement plane. Pour ce qui est des plaques de diamant, elles n’ont pas besoin d’entretien si ce n’est que de les nettoyer avec un chiffon sec de temps à autre.

Pour plus de détails, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter ou à consulter la section « Entretien » de notre boutique en ligne.

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The rocker and the bend in speed skating

There are certain things in speed skating that seem like a mystery to parents of skaters and even skaters themselves; for example the bend and the rocker. The objective of this article is to try to simplify these two aspects by explaining the basics of the preparation of blades.

By Marc-Antoine Caron from  Marchands de vitesse

In collaboration with Passion/Speed/Skating

Photos: Schaats Foto's, Passion/Speed/Skating and Marchands de vitesse

The rocker

First of all, the rocker is the radius or a combination of radius that follows the blade. Depending on the level of the skater and what he is searching for, the rocker will help him turn well, slide better, or improve his pushes. The more advance the athlete is, the more of an impact the rocker will have. In short track, rockers use to be constant, however nowadays progressive rockers have become the general norm. There exist an infinite number of combinations for progressive rockers. The progressive rocker will have a radius that will vary throughout the blade. When the skater moves his weight on the blade, he will be able to use the different radius depending on what he wants to do or depending on his position on the track. 

The general rule is that the front of the blade should be the roundest, the center more flat, and the back a bit more round than the center. The rounder the blade is, the smaller the radius is, making it easier for skaters to turn. Therefore, bigger the radius, harder to turn; on the other hand they are able to glide better and to be steadier. A rocker that is flatter requires more strength in the pushes the reason for that is that there is a greater surface of the blade in contact with the ice. Furthermore, skaters that are more advance will generally have rockers that are flatter since they will be strong enough to push them, and have more stability in the turns.

There are two ways in doing a rocker. Certain people do it by hand with a jig and a stone, while most people do it with the help of a machine that follows an already traced rocker. It is important to know that rockers must be verified and updated regularly. The simple fact of sharpening skates can modify it.

The bend

Subsequently, the bend, also known as the curve, is evidently the arch in the tube. Similarly to the rocker, the bend also depends on the level of skating of the athlete. It allows the skater to turn better, and to equally keep the blade on the ice in the turn. Moreover, the bend must correspond to the rocker to have a better contact of the blade with the ice surface. The flatter the blade is, the less you need bending. In fact, a beginner skater will benefit of a greater curve in the blade especially in the turns since he is less incline then a more advanced skaters.



The curve in the blade is made with a bender. We work on the tube, and not directly on the blade because of the fragilty of the blade. It is harder to work the bend of the blade then the rocker of the blade. Many years of practice are needed before being able to master the art of doing a good bend of the blade.

The rocker and the bend are essential for skaters, however are often neglected. It is vital to verify the blades as often as possible to make sure that they have the optimal combination. We are specialist in the preparation of blades and benefit from the expertise of Francois Drolet who was for many years preparing blades for the Canadian national short track speed skating team. For any  help or advises, don't hesitate to contact us.

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