Riedell Ice Skate Blade Guide

Skate Blade Recommendations

With the most comprehensive line of figure boots and blades available, Riedell has the perfect skate to help any skater, from beginners to Olympic champions, soar to new heights. To find the boot and blade to best serve your individual skating needs, review the Blade Recommendations Chart. Whether you are skating in ISI, Skate Canada or USFSA programs, Riedell has the skates to help reach your dreams.

How do I know which blade I need?

You can figure out which blade may be the best for you by asking the following questions.
  1. Which rocker is appropriate for me?
    • Most blades are shaped to be 7' radius. By knowing if you want 7', 8' or 8.5' radius, you can easily find out what blade choices you have for that radius. The smaller the radius the more curvature the blade will have. The larger the radius the less curvature the blade will have. Smaller radius blades provided for improved mobility where the larger radius blades provided for increased skating speed.
  2. Which style do you skate in? Freestyle, dance, speed, recreational or all purpose?
    • By knowing the rocker and the style, you can further narrow down the choices of blades.
  3. What kind of rake(stop) do I want? Straight or cross cut?
    • Straight Rakes: Single directional milling provides for increased transformation of forward momentum into elevation.
    • Cross Cut Rakes: Multi-directional milling provides added lateral stability when performing jumps.
  4. Which blade style do I want? Parallel, tapered hollow ground, dovetail or slimline?
    • Parallel Blade: Blades that have the same blade runner thickness from the rake of the blade down the total length of the blade to the blade tail. Parallel blades are the most common of all Grade 1 blades.
    • Tapered Hollow Ground: Tapering of the blade results in reduced blade resistance when skating in a forward diretion. These blades are also side hollow ground which provides more defined dedges and increased angle to the ice for tighter turns.
    • Dovetail Blades: The dove tail blade provides for more defined edges and increased angle to the ice for tighter turns and still offer the skater a parallel blade in lieu of hollow ground blades.
    • Slimline Blades: Thin blade for quicker changes from edge to edge. When shaped in a larger radius of hollow, the slim line blade provides for a fast running blade.
  5. Is it sharpened enough to use right away?
    • The blades are sharp enough to test. But you should have it sharpened by a blade sharpening technician to obtain the desired skating edges.