Skate Blade Bite-Angle and Radius of Hollow Calculator

This page deals with the sharpening geometry of a blade for ice skating. The subjective "strength" that a skater feels from a blade is a function of the "bite angle", which is 90 degrees less the angle between the side of the blade and the hollow, measured AT THE EDGE. This bite angle is a function of the radius of hollow (ROH), the thickness of the blade, and any deviation from the center of the blade of the path of the grinding wheel, as illustrated below.

Typical skate dimensions are shown in the diagram.

This calculator allows you to explore this relationship.
Enter a value into any field and the other field values will be recalculated when you leave the field.

Blade Thickness (inches).

Change the Blade thickness to calculate BITE angle (ROH constant).
Check this box to hold the bite ANGLE constant and recalculate the RADIUS of hollow instead.

Bite Angle L-Edge Bite Angle R-Edge
Center Line Error (Should always be Zero)
Radius of Hollow (see fraction to decimal chart)

Hockey Skate Blade Thickness - inches (mm)
The accepted 'rule of thumb' regarding the thickness of a player's blade is .110 inch; however precise measurements have proven there are rather significant variences between brand names and surprisingly variences within the same brand.

Keep in mind that blade thickness is a major factor regarding "BITE" into the ice.
The thinner blades require skaters to use a deeper radius of hollow in order to produce the same bite.
                          Example:       A goalie that normally used a 5/8" ROH sharpening switches from traditional goalie skates
                                                 to KOHO or RBK thinner Thrust blades;   in order to get the same bite angle with the thinner blades,
                                                 the goalie would have to now opt for a deeper 1/2" ROH sharpening.

PLAYER BLADES
Graf       --->      NT3000 - 0.116      NT2000 - 0.116
CCM      --->      Prolite 3, SLM1000 - 0.110     SLM 6000 - 0.114
Easton   --->      RazorBladz - 0.115
Bauer    --->      Tuuk - 0.119    Lightspeed - 0.114   Turbo - 0.125
Mission --->       0.122

GOALIE BLADES
Graf - 0.166           CCM - 0.160           Bauer - 0.160
RBK - 0.160           RBK & KOHO with Thrust Blade - 0.131

                                                                          ** Additional blade thickness data will be added upon measurement confirmations. **

Fraction to Decimal
1/4 - 0.250
3/8 - 0.375
7/16 - 0.4375
1/2 - 0.500
9/16 - 0.5625
5/8 - 0.625
11/16 - 0.6875
3/4 - 0.750
13/16 - 0.8125
7/8 - 0.875

Skate Blade Geometry

** The research and development of this chart and calculator was completed by Chuck Wright **