Skate Sharpening
Finding the Right Hockey Skate Blade Hollow
Last updated: September 3, 2026.
A hockey skate sharpening chart compares the radius of hollow, or “ROH” settings. The hollow of a skate blade is the curved groove that is sharpened into the bottom of the blade, between the inside and outside edges.
The simple rule is that a smaller hollow number, such as 3/8", creates more bite and less glide, while a larger number, such as 3/4", creates less bite and more glide.
Bite More
Glide
| Radius of Hollow | Hollow Depth | Relative Bite | Relative Glide | General On-Ice Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/8" | Very Deep | Very high | Low | Aggressive and firmly connected to the ice. |
| 7/16" | Deep | High | Low to moderate | Strong bite with slightly easier release than 3/8". |
| 1/2" Common youth start |
Medium-deep | Moderately high | Moderate | A familiar, all-around balance of bite and glide. |
| 9/16" | Medium | Moderate | Moderately high | A gradual move toward more glide without a large change. |
| 5/8" Common adult start |
Medium-shallow | Moderate | High | Efficient glide with dependable edge control. |
| 11/16" | Shallow | Moderately low | High | A lighter edge feel with less resistance through the ice. |
| 3/4" | Shallow | Low | Very high | Strong glide with a less aggressive connection to the ice. |
| 7/8" | Very shallow | Very low | Very high | A light connection to the ice with minimal resistance. |
| 1" | Extremely Shallow | Extremely Low | Extremely High | A specialized, glide-focused feel with minimal bite. Elite & incredibly strong skaters. |
Bite and glide are relative comparisons. The same hollow can feel different depending on a number of factors related to the player’s physicality, biomechanics, abilities, skate, insole, steel quality, blade profile, as well as ice conditions.
How to Adjust Your Blade Hollow
If your blades feel as though they are sliding when you accelerate, turn, or stop, you may need more bite. Move one hollow increment smaller, such as from 5/8" to 9/16".
If your blades feel too aggressive, create stopping chatter, or require too much effort to maintain speed, you may need more glide. Move one hollow increment larger, such as from 1/2" to 9/16".
We always recommend making one adjustment at a time. Keep the rest of your skate setup consistent and evaluate the change on the ice before adjusting again.
What Does Radius of Hollow Mean?
A hockey skate blade is not sharpened like a knife. The bottom of the blade has a curved groove, called the hollow, running down the length of the blade between the two edges on either side of the blade. These become the inside and outside edges used to accelerate, turn, and stop.
The radius of hollow describes the curve (or radius) used to create that groove. It does not mean the groove itself is 1/2" or 5/8" deep.
A smaller radius creates a tighter curve and a deeper hollow. This produces more pronounced edges that dig farther into the ice.
A larger radius creates a wider curve and a shallower hollow. This allows the blade to sit higher in the ice, reducing resistance and improving glide.
Smaller Number, More Bite
The fractions can initially feel backwards:
- 3/8" creates a deeper hollow with more bite.
- 1/2" provides a balance between bite and glide.
- 5/8" creates a shallower hollow with more glide.
- 3/4" creates even less bite and more glide.
Moving from 1/2" to 5/8" does not make the blade dull. A properly sharpened blade should still have two clean, even edges. The change adjusts how aggressively those edges interact with the ice.
Bite Is Not “Sharp”
One of the most common requests at a skate counter is, “Can you make them sharper?” Usually, the player is actually asking for more bite.
A properly sharpened hockey skate should have two clean, even edges regardless of whether the hollow is 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", or 3/4". Changing the hollow does not determine whether those edges are properly sharpened. It changes how aggressively they engage with the ice.
If a player wants the blade to dig farther into the ice, they may need a smaller radius of hollow with more bite. If the blade feels too aggressive, catches unexpectedly, or creates chatter during stops, they may need a larger radius with less bite and more glide.
This is different from a blade that is actually dull, damaged, or uneven. A blade can have the correct hollow and still perform poorly if its edges are worn or the sharpening quality is inconsistent.
Instead of asking for “sharper” or “less sharp,” tell your skate technician whether you want:
- More bite
- More glide
- A less aggressive feel
- Your existing hollow restored consistently
That language gives the technician much more useful information about what you are feeling on the ice.
Misconception: More Glide is Always Better
More glide is not automatically better, and moving to a shallower hollow isn’t a sign that a player is ‘advancing’.
Although a shallower hollow can reduce the resistance that a player has between the ice and their blades, the advantage is only present if the player still has enough bite to accelerate, turn, stop, battle, and trust that their edges are there!
Professional players use hollows across the entire range. Some NHL players prefer incredibly deep hollows, while others are on 1 ¼”! It’s also not unusual to see Rookies using a familiar ⅝” hollows.
There’s no ‘best’, Pro, or beginner hollows, or one hollow that is ‘the fastest’. There are countless variables that go into a blade setup, so much so that if you took two players and gave them the exact same hollow, one player may feel the blades have incredible glide and feel good, while the other feels like they don’t have enough bite on the ice and look like Bambi on ice.
Selecting a Starting Hollow
Choosing what your favourite NHL player uses as a hollow is a sure fire way to end up slipping around, catching an edge unexpectedly, and feel completely uncomfortable on your skates. Choosing their setups means getting what was purposely built for them, not for you.
If you already have a hollow that feels comfortable and predictable, keep it as your starting point. The same applies to a young skater who is only beginning to feel confident on their blades. At that stage, consistency is more valuable than experimentation, and the worst thing you can do is change the setup simply because a sharpening chart suggests something different.
Younger or lighter weight players starting out can begin at a ½” hollow, where older or heavier or physically stronger players can begin at ⅝” hollow.
New goalies can begin playing on a ½” hollow, but as they progress and work on their butterfly pushes, recoveries, and movement around the crease, they may feel they need more bite from their blades. If they need the extra bite, try a 7/16” or a ⅜” hollow. On the flip side, if they feel the blade is too aggressive and catching during shuffling across the crease, try a 9/16” or a ⅝” for an easier release of the blade.
Again, these are just practical baselines and not final recommendations that are set in stone.
The key is reflecting on how the blades felt after a skating session.
Younger skaters may have difficulty in remembering how their blades felt or in explaining in words what they experienced. In these cases, keep it simple and ask the young skater if the blades felt stuck, felt slippery, or felt good; again, keep it as simple as possible and don’t press too hard to diagnose at this stage of their development.
For others after skating, if freshly sharpened blades feel like they slide during starts, turns, or edge engagement, try going one hollow smaller for a little more bite to the blade.
If blades feel stuck in the ice or if they feel like they are biting too much, creating chatter during stops, or requires more than normal effort to glide, try going one hollow larger.
When blades suddenly feel different even though the hollow hasn’t changed, immediately check for dull, damaged, or uneven edges before changing your setup. There could be a small burr imperfection that can be carefully fixed with a honing stone and a little blade maintenance knowledge, or take them in for a sharpening.
It’s important to note to make adjustments gradually, such as moving from ½” to 9/16” rather than immediately jumping to a ¾”. Changing a small part of the setup, one at a time, allows for a proper evaluation of the results on the ice; it’s easier to dial-in small individual changes.
How Often Should I Sharpen Hockey Skates?
Sharpening frequency is affected by personal preference, how often you skate, your weight and strength, the quality of your steel, the hollow you skate on, the ice conditions, and whether the blades have contacted hard surfaces or debris.
At Tydan, we recommend a standard sharpening after 6 to 8 hours of ice time, while our recommendation of an ISP on the Skatescribe is between 10 to 15 hours of ice time. Obviously personal preference and other variables come into play during these sharpening intervals.
Keep in mind that a competitive player skating several times a week may sharpen every week/couple of weeks, while a recreational player may go several weeks between sharpenings. Some elite level players may sharpen more frequently, with some Pros swapping blades each game, in between periods, or even between shifts.
The best approach is to inspect your blades after every session while paying attention to any changes you may feel on the ice. Your skates may need a sharpening when:
- You begin to slip during familiar starts, turns, or pushes.
- Your stops feel less controlled or take longer than expected.
- One skate feels different than the other.
- The edges of your blades have visible nicks, damage, or rust.
- The blade no longer feels consistent from heel to toe.
- The skate suddenly feels less predictable or trustworthy.
What Makes a Good Skate Sharpening?
We’ve all been there. You try a new shop, or a new person at your usual shop sharpens your skates. The first time you step onto the ice, something feels off. You instantly no longer trust your edge enough to go hard into a corner, because you’re not sure it will hold! Even before inspecting your blades, you know something isn’t right.
That feeling can be caused by a number of factors that get grouped into a ‘bad sharpening’. It could be that the shop had a different wheel on the machine and your hollow is different than what you’re used to. It could be that the edges are uneven, the finish is inconsistent, or the shape of your blade might have changed.
So what makes a “good” skate sharpening? Consistency. A consistent sharpening experience is crucial, as players of all skill levels rely on their blades to feel and react the same way each time they step onto the ice. The hollow must be accurate, edges even, and the finish clean while maintaining the blade profile. When all four of these variables are consistent, a player feels they can trust their edge and skate with confidence their edges will be there when and how they need them. Read more about how Tydan uses the Skatescribe ISP to ensure consistency on the highest level of sharpening and profiling.
Find Your Setup and Keep It Consistent
Blade hollow is just part of the overall equation when it comes to skating performance. Having an understanding of where to begin, and how to safely experiment with various changes based on the feeling on the ice is the first step in getting your own consistent setup and pushing for performance.
The objective is not to find the deepest, shallowest, sharpest, or fastest hollow. It’s to find an ideal setup that gives you everything you need on the ice to be able to trust your edges and push your own performance.
All players need help on the journey to dialing in their setups. It’s not just younger players or competitive players that need this help, we’ve worked with many Pro players to dial in their setups so they can have the performance edge that works for them.
Skate Sharpening FAQs
What is the most common hockey skate sharpening hollow?
The most common hollows are ½” and ⅝”. A ½” hollow is a common starting point for younger or lighter players, while ⅝” is commonly used by older, heavier, or stronger players.
Is ½” sharper than ⅝”
A ½” hollow is deeper and provides more bite than ⅝”, but that does not make a ½” sharper. Both should have clean, even edges when properly sharpened. The difference is how aggressively the blade edges bite into the ice.
What hollow should a beginner hockey player use?
A first time player can begin with a ½” hollow. Once the player becomes comfortable and confident on that setup, keep it consistent unless they are experiencing too much bite, not enough bite, or unnecessary difficulty caused by the blades while learning different movements. Consistency and quality of your blade is the key!
What hollow should a beginner goalie use?
A beginner goalie could start with a ½” and modify from that starting point. Special attention should be given to goalie movements such as butterfly pushes, recoveries, and cross crease movements. If there isn’t enough bite for those moves, the goalie can try a 7/16” or a ⅜” for more bite. If the opposite is happening, and they have too much bite or their blades are catching during shuffles, try going to a 9/16” or a ⅝” for increased glide. Again, this comes down to what the goalie feels is best for them; feedback is critical.
What blade hollow do NHL players use?
NHL players use hollows across the full range, from some of the deepest to the shallowest and everything in between. It’s common to see players enter their rookie NHL seasons using ½” or ⅝” , however their choices are built around their biomechanics, skating styles, equipment, and other personal preferences, so copying an NHLers hollow is not a reliable way to select your own setup.
How often should hockey skates be sharpened?
At a minimum we suggest sharpening your blades every 6 to 8 on-ice hours if using a standard sharpening service, or every 10 to 15 on-ice hours if using the Skatescribe ISP. Obviously if you see any damage, nicks, rust, or feel you are losing an edge or losing your consistent bite, get your blades sharpened! Ultimately, it’s up to personal preference on how often to sharpen. Ask around a Beer League locker room how often their blades are sharpened and the answers you’ll get will surprise you!
Is sharpening the same as blade profiling?
No. Skate sharpening creates the hollow across the width of the blade and affects bite and glide. Profiling shapes the blade along the length, and influences factors such as acceleration, agility, stability, speed, and ice contact. Learn more about skate profiling.
Can a blade profile change how a hollow feels?
Absolutely, yes! Changing the blade profile changes how the blade contacts the ice. The same hollow on one profile can feel completely different on the other. Hollow and profile need to be considered together as a small part of the overall equation of a players setup, rather than two separate inputs. Learn more about the Tydan Performance Approach.
How does ice affect the bite of the blade?
Ice conditions have a major effect on the bite of a blade. “Softer” ice, found in rinks in warm climates or during the summertime, will typically allow more bite for all blades. During the winter seasons, ice conditions usually improve and become “harder”, meaning that hollows that felt like a deeper bite during the summer months may feel shallow once again.