Cost to sharpen blades
- Thread starter moonvine
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
$45 CAD, which is today a shade over $31 USD.
The guy I go to specializes in figure skates; he charges US$29. A friend of mine goes to another guy who specializes in figure skates; he charges US$40+. That's the highest price I've heard of in my area. US$100 does sound insane, even after the post-COVID inflation.
There are cheaper prices at generic sporting goods stores and at random places like hardware stores; but I would never have them sharpen my blades.
There are cheaper prices at generic sporting goods stores and at random places like hardware stores; but I would never have them sharpen my blades.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
No way 100. Shouldn't be more than 30 dollars US.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2020
West Side Skate and Stick here in NYC costs $20.
I’ve seen many hockey skaters online saying that they get their skates sharpened for as low as $2, although that’s a bit different.
But $100 is a complete and utter scam.
I’ve seen many hockey skaters online saying that they get their skates sharpened for as low as $2, although that’s a bit different.
But $100 is a complete and utter scam.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2017
I feel like I pay $25-$35 in Boston.
Are you sure you understood correctly and that wasn't the price of the blades themselves or a package of sharpenings? $100 cannot be correct unless maybe you mean AUD and not USD? The most I've ever seen was a place in NYC that charges $45 to sharpen revs. I live in an expensive, major city and the two phenomenal techs here, who each have 40+ years experience charge $20 and $30. $20-$30 is the norm for a good figure skating specific tech who takes their time and uses high quality wheel stones. The exception being the fabulous tech at the Lake Placid olympic center who won't let you pay him more than $10...
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2020
@moonvine lives in the US so not sure why they’d use AUD.
Also that’d still be $60 USD regardless which is wayy too much for a single sharpening…
* <<Emphasis added>> Maybe I'm reading too much into your specific wording, but some clarification would be helpful here. You say, "the skate store here", not "one of the skate stores here".
* Is there only one skate store (or only one skate store that does competent sharpenings on figure skates) in your area? So, somewhat of a monopoly situation unless you're willing to travel far or mail your skates out? If there are other skate stores in your area, what are they charging?
* Did you recently move to a new area, and so are faced with this scenario unexpectedly?
* Is the $100 a recent price hike? If so, when was the hike, and what were their prices before?
* Have you in fact paid $100 for a single sharpening? Looks like you've been around for a while; what were you paying before?
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Could you specify the store? Or at least where you are currently located? Your tag says you are in the U.S., but perhaps you are abroad.
I watched an elite skate tech work. People often overnight expressed their blades or entire skates to him, from half way around the world. He would sharpen them (for $20, several years ago) and overnight express them back. Some of them must have spent more than $100 total, if you include overnight international mailing cost. Does the cost you named include mailing the skates elsewhere?
Is this a supply & demand issue? I.E., is there only one shop that does a good job anywhere near there? Or is gasoline very expensive in your area?
Fairfax Ice Arena's pro shop, the one I've heard most recommended in the Washington D.C. area, charges $15 for regular figure skate sharpenings, $17 for "special grind" (which I think means other than 3/4" ROH), and $25 for special blades (maybe non-parallel sides, or that are otherwise hard to mount?). Those are US Dollars.
Perhaps it would be worth learning to sharpen your own blades (though the tools I used to recommend are unavailable now)? What ROH (radius of hollow) do you use? But there is some work involved, and you may want to practice on junk skates. OTOH, maybe there is a market for you to do it professionally, if you can do it cheaper.
I would also try asking other skaters in your area for what they do.
I watched an elite skate tech work. People often overnight expressed their blades or entire skates to him, from half way around the world. He would sharpen them (for $20, several years ago) and overnight express them back. Some of them must have spent more than $100 total, if you include overnight international mailing cost. Does the cost you named include mailing the skates elsewhere?
Is this a supply & demand issue? I.E., is there only one shop that does a good job anywhere near there? Or is gasoline very expensive in your area?
Fairfax Ice Arena's pro shop, the one I've heard most recommended in the Washington D.C. area, charges $15 for regular figure skate sharpenings, $17 for "special grind" (which I think means other than 3/4" ROH), and $25 for special blades (maybe non-parallel sides, or that are otherwise hard to mount?). Those are US Dollars.
Perhaps it would be worth learning to sharpen your own blades (though the tools I used to recommend are unavailable now)? What ROH (radius of hollow) do you use? But there is some work involved, and you may want to practice on junk skates. OTOH, maybe there is a market for you to do it professionally, if you can do it cheaper.
I would also try asking other skaters in your area for what they do.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
She's in the US and never said she was shipping anything anywhere.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
I only just now remembered one skate shop I used when I lived in Ottawa that sold books of tickets for sharpenings. That was many years ago and prices have risen, of course, but I seem to recall there were six tickets for $50 -- normally a sharpening was $10CAD then, so you could have anyone else pick your skates up when they were done and just hand over the prepaid ticket you'd given them. And then the sixth sharpening was free. I wonder if this shop is perhaps doing something similar?
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
As far as I know there is only one store dedicated to figure skating only.
That is this one: https://gofigureskatesstl.com/
I have bought one pair of skates in my life. That was because I had tried to go to a free learn to skate class and used rental skates and I couldn't even complete the class. Could not walk around in them.
So I went up to Go Figure and bought a pair of skates. They were in the vicinity of $100. She sharpened them for me and I swear she said "The first one is free and after that it is $100 per time."
I could walk around in them and I was so happy, since I hadn't been able to do that in my rental skates. The skating director at Kirkwood turned me down because I couldn't get up off the ice while wearing skates. So I took said skates to Aston for Philadelphia International and one skate became the skate Queen Gracie signed and the other skate became the skate everyone else signed. So clearly I now have to buy more skates.
I would not even be trying again if one of the coaches at Kirkwood hadn't apologized to me, said the person who said that to me had retired and she would take personal responsibility that it wouldn't happen again. But I was snowed in when this round of classes started and now I have a cat that has to be tube fed every 6 hours so I will have to wait until March before trying again.
I'm sure there are probably pro shops at some rinks who sell both figure skates and hockey skates, this just happens to be the only store (that I know of) that specializes in figure skates. I can solve this mystery and call them tomorrow if I remember. I was just curious because there seemed to be such a massive difference.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
$100 for sharpening the blades of a $100 skate kit? Boots with blades already attached?
Are you sure she wasn't making a little joke when giving you your free first sharpening? You know, like the old joke line when someone asks a question and is told, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", and it's just something she says to tease and doesn't really mean it? Blades alone (without the boots) where I shop run from about $500CAD to over $1,000, and they get the $45CAD/c$30USD sharpening, for senior level competitive skating.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Yes, it had actually just occurred to me that I could go buy more skates instead. So more people could sign them.$100 for sharpening the blades of a $100 skate kit? Boots with blades already attached?
Are you sure she wasn't making a little joke when giving you your free first sharpening? You know, like the old joke line when someone asks a question and is told, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", and it's just something she says to tease and doesn't really mean it? Blades alone (without the boots) where I shop run from about $500CAD to over $1,000, and they get the $45CAD/c$30USD sharpening, for senior level competitive skating.
* Thanks for the clarification. Your post makes more sense now. I saw from your listing that you've been on this forum since 2007. So I assumed that you were well versed in figure skating. But your original question in this thread was something a newbie skater would ask.
$100 for sharpening the blades of a $100 skate kit? Boots with blades already attached?
Are you sure she wasn't making a little joke when giving you your free first sharpening? You know, like the old joke line when someone asks a question and is told, "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", and it's just something she says to tease and doesn't really mean it? Blades alone (without the boots) where I shop run from about $500CAD to over $1,000, and they get the $45CAD/c$30USD sharpening, for senior level competitive skating.
* Very perceptive @Diana Delafield. I think you're absolutely right that it was a joke. It's common practice for shops (at least in the US) to include the first sharpening free when a customer buys a new pair of skates (or a new pair of blades) from them. So a $100 sharpening for a $100 kit was likely not a coincidence, but a joke: pay $100 for a second sharpening, or buy a new kit for $100 and get a free sharpening.
* @moonvine. If you go to the website you cited, there is a tab to "Book Your Appointment Today!". It actually lists the prices for some of their services. Skate sharpening is $15 for regular sharpening (I assume this means blades that have been previously sharpened); $25 for new blades purchased elsewhere (the first sharpening typically takes more time). So that definitively settles it; the $100 was a joke.
ETA: Be prepared for sticker shock. Many things figure skating have gone up a lot since COVID.
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Hey, once the effects of all the new tariffs cut in, $100 might not be so far fetched. Ooops, I'm straying into politics.