For the best skate sharpening in the Chicagoland area, contact Edge IQ skating.

For all skaters, having proper skate boots and properly sharpened blades is essential for success.   This is even more essential for competitive skaters in both Figure Skating and Hockey.  While figure skate blades and hockey skate blades are very different in terms of their design, material, and the needs of all types of skaters utilizing them, they can both be sharpened on the same expertly designed machine. 

• Professional, experienced sharpening
• Attention to detail
• Knowledge to address all important aspects of a perfectly sharpened blade
• Perfectly leveled and smooth edges
• Correct radius of hollow for the skater’s level
• Consistent quality across sharpenings
• Communication with skater to address specific needs
• Drop off / pick up that works with your schedule

• Competitive pricing:

  Individual sharpening $18 / pair
  Group sharpening discount for 10 pairs or more, upon request.

  If you do not currently skate at one of the rinks where I teach, we can arrange pick up / drop off from a neutral location which will be easy for both of us. 

  For group / team sharpening, we will pick up / drop off from the rink where the group / team is located. 

The Incredible Edger sharpening system was designed by a British aerospace engineer by the name of Sidney Broadbent.  He designed a system that was both portable and highly efficient for both elite figure skate blades and every level of hockey skates.  The size and speed of the wheel allows for precision that is unmatched by any other machine on the market.  The skate carriages can accommodate every type of figure skate and hockey blade available. 

After graduating from Purdue in 1999, Amanda began working in a new pro shop to offer expertise in fitting skates.  In an effort to make sure the sharpening was superb, the creator of the “Incredible Edger” sharpening machine instructed the pro shop staff on how best to sharpen skates.  This knowledge was essential in allowing Amanda to beginning honing her technique in skate sharpening.  With over 20 years of experience, and being a high level skater and coach allowed her to know exactly what is most important when it comes to a perfectly sharpened blade.  Amanda has skated, competed, and coached on many levels of blades from several different manufacturers.  Being the sister of hockey players, and a foundational hockey skating instructor, she has experience on hockey skates as well. 

First and foremost is the need for level edges.  This means both edges, a blade has an inside edge and an outside edge, need to be level relative to each other and to the blade hollow.  The blade hollow refers to the arc between the two edges.  If the hollow or the edges are not even, the skater cannot hope to be able to skate well and utilize their edges properly. 

Another very important aspect of a perfectly sharpened blade is a smooth edge and hollow.  This means there should not be any “chatter” on the blade.  Chatter is evidence of the wheel making small bounces against the blade as it sharpens rather than maintaining constant contact.  This can be a result of a few different issues, but the evidence is obvious when the blade hollow does not look completely smooth to the naked eye. 

Nicks in the edges will slow down the flow of the blade as well.  Not all nicks can be ousted on one sharpening depending on their depth.  But with proper sharpening and stoning, most minor nicks can disappear and return the blade to it’s smooth condition. 

With Figure Skate blades, much care needs to be taken to avoid altering the rock of the blade and the “scratch pick” or bottom toe pick.  This requires the use of a smaller sharpening wheel and close attention paid by the sharpener.  Amanda has 20+ years of experience that allows her to not only give the skater a perfectly honed edge and rocker, but also getting the most life out of each blade to save the skater and their parents precious dollars. 

Radius of hollow is a very important aspect of what allows a skater to gain power and maintain speed.  Amanda can recommend or adjust for the proper radius of hollow to a minuscule degree.  By maintaining a record of each skater’s ROH, Amanda can ensure the proper sharpening each time.  If a skater needs an adjustment due to growth, or issues like slipping or sticking to the ice, or additionally playing on harder or softer surfaces, a recommendation can be made for what the best ROH will be for each blade. 

Many hockey players allow inexperienced sharpeners destroy their blades and are surprised when their skating suffers as a result.  It is very important for hockey players to have their blades honed by a professional.  Having the right ROH, avoiding chatter, level edges etc. will allow each hockey player to perform at their best under any game circumstances.