Troubles with blade sharpening and blade change

As I sharpened my blades last week, I remembered about the time I changed the blade, around a year ago. This post is gonna have both technical info and terribly frustrating comic-tragic recollection of the blade change process.

My first blades came with the boots. They were intermediate level boots and blades. They lasted me 7 years. Then, with repeated sharpening, they lost the front rocker on which you spin. I do Ice Dancing, MITF and Freestyle so I needed a blade to accommodate all. That excluded the dance blades because they have too small of a toe pick for jumping  and the front rocker is design for twizzles not spins. But I wanted a shorter back. There are synchro blades but I couldn't find anybody that actually skates on them to have some feedback. There are plenty of people that skate on Coronation Ace, and the feedback from everybody, including coaches is that is a good beginner- intermediate blade. And there is Coronation Dance, that is exactly Coronation Ace but cut at the back, so shorter.

At the point I wanted to make the change I was ready to test MITF and dances so I wanted to time the replacement with the test times. I thought to change them a month before the tests... So I went to the skating store 2 months before that, that's a hour drive, to set everything, measure, order and pay. My previous blades where 9 2/3, so thirds increments of an inch. They aren't produced like that anymore, just in quarter of an inch increments. They didn't actually measured the boot, just looked at the size of the blade. I was called that they arrived and a month before the test I went to change them, only to find that they ordered the wrong size... 9 1/4 (closest to  9 2/3 is 9 1/2 or 9 3/4)... I couldn't change them, and I told them I'll change them after the first test, in a month. Now my blades needed a sharpening. They offered to sharpen them for free. I said my radius is 7/16. I didn't really know what it means but I knew is important to keep your radius the same. I didn't know what they did but I felt way more into the ice, I couldn't get the speed as easily. My forward circle 8 didn't come around anymore. My coach said that probably my regular sharpener was smoothing a little the sharp edges after sharpening and the shop didn't. But my power didn't really come back. I did pass my moves test but I struggled with confidence on moves and especially on dances.

After the test, here I went to change the blades. I had 9 2/3, they've ordered 9 1/2 but they were too small for my boots... I actually needed 9 3/4. And this was my 3 rd trip there. Seriously? why didn't you measure the first time when I was there, or the second time. WHY? They sharpened my old blades complementary again. On ice I couldn't even do crossovers, now I wasn't too into the ice, I felt on top of the ice no matter how much I pressed. My coach was around giving a lesson, he checked my blades and said they rolled the edges towards outside...

I went straight to my regular sharpener I told him all I felt on ice and in my head and heart. He confirmed the rolled edges but... surprise! he found that I had a different radius, a deeper one, 3/8 of an inch not my usual 7/16... so there was where my power went! Seriously WHY would a sharpener change the radius?

So now I understand the sharpening radius. Smaller radius (3/8 is smaller then 7/16 which  is smaller then 1/2) gives deeper bite in ice. So 3/8 gives deeper bite then 7/16 and 1/2. Beginner have 1/2 inches because they cannot control a deeper bite. The more skilled skaters need a deeper bite to help them hold those deep edges. So advanced skaters often use 3/8. But heavier adult need sometimes less bide because their weight helps with the pressure into the ice. And dance famously blades are sharpen with a deep bite, but that's not true... dance blades are narrower so, an small radius like 3/8 would give just an intermediate bite, like 7/16 on regular blades.
 
I considered to not ever go to that shop again, not even to install my new blades when they come, but actually is a well trusted and loved store in my skating community... Plus the install is complimentary. Maybe I could have ask for a refund, as my blades haven't had arrived just yet. But I still went to them for the blade installation... I wonder, was I a fool or I just haven't had a better option? Let's leave it at that... I'll write at some point about the blade installing and alignment.

So, to summarize all the knowledge I've got about blade sharpening:
- You would need a sharpening after about 40 hours of skating (that would depend of how hard is the ice and how hard you skate). I found this to be true for me. I followed for 3 cycles of skating between sharpening.
- You need a sharpening when you feel you are sliding around on let's say quick 3-turns and similar skills. This is how I decide my sharpening need lately.
- Don't wait until your blades are really blunt, because the adjustment to them being sharp is gonna be harder.
- Some sharpeners take a little of the sharp edge off with a hand stone for the same reason. Like I said in the previous post, if that is not done, I spend some time scraping around with all edges so I do that myself.
- Be especially careful on stopping with freshly sharpen edges. Also the spins won't work so well with sharp edges.
- Do know your radios and keep it the same. Sharpeners can measure the old radius but some don't, they just do for you what they do for other people. Also if the blade are very blunt before sharpening, the measurement can come as a bigger radius.
- What I've herd about radius recommendation is 1/2 inches for beginners, 7/16 for intermediary to advance, 3/4 for aggressive skaters, 1 for figures.
- The smaller the radius, the deeper the bite into the ice will be.
- So, if you feel you are too into the ice (as I felt when sharpen with 3/4) you go for a bigger radius (7/16 for me). And if you feel you are on top of the ice you go for a smaller radius.
- This need of different radius depends om how hard a skater presses into the ice (and it's related by how aggressive is the push and the weight of the person). So it is a personal choice, there is no rule, really...