Skate Sharpening Chart: Hollows by Weight, Position, Style

A skate sharpening chart matches radius of hollow to weight, position, and skating style. Use it to pick a starting point, not a permanent setting. The table below covers the range shops actually cut, from a deep bite through a flat glide.

Radius of hollow is measured in inches. A smaller number always means a deeper cut. Deeper cuts grip the ice harder, and flatter cuts glide with less drag.

This page is built around the chart itself. Read the table first. Then use the sections below to fine tune your pick by weight, position, and skate type.

The skate sharpening chart: radius of hollow, deep to flat

Radius of hollow	Metric	Feel	Typical skater
3/8 inch	about 9.5 mm	Deep bite, more drag	Very light junior skaters, aggressive experienced goalies
1/2 inch	13 mm	Strong bite, common default	Lighter or younger skaters, most rink defaults
5/8 inch	16 mm	Balanced bite and glide	Average weight skaters, most forwards and defensemen
3/4 inch	19 mm	More glide than bite	Heavier or stronger skaters, softer ice
7/8 inch	22 mm	Flat, fast glide	Strong skaters chasing top end speed
1 inch	25 mm	Very flat	Beginner goalies, some elite skaters
1 1/4 inch	31 mm	Flattest common cut	Goalies who want control and glide in the crease

Some shops offer a deeper 1/4 inch cut for very light children just starting out. That option is rare. Ask before assuming your rink stocks that wheel.

What shallower versus deeper hollow actually trades

A deeper hollow cuts two sharp edges into the steel with a tighter curve between them. Those edges dig into the ice fast. That grip costs speed, because the blade drags more with every stride.

A flatter hollow spreads the same two edges farther apart. The blade sits higher and slides more freely. Skaters trade some bite for that speed, so tight turns and hard stops take more edge control.

Blade thickness changes how far this trade goes. Hockey blades run thinner than goalie blades, so the same radius bites differently on each. That is one reason goalie charts and skater charts rarely line up exactly.

Suggested starting hollows by weight

Skate sharpening machine maker Wissota publishes a weight based radius chart. It runs from 3/8 inch for very light skaters up to 3/4 inch for heavier ones. Bauer’s own sharpening guide agrees on the direction.

Lighter skaters need a deeper hollow to get enough bite. Heavier skaters already carry plenty of bite from body weight alone, so they can run flatter and still feel grip.

Use your actual weight, not your target weight. A skater sharpened for who they hope to become usually ends up fighting their edges instead of using them.

Suggested starting hollows by position

Goalies usually run flatter than skaters. A common goalie range is 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch, since a flat cut glides better through crease movement.

Some experienced goalies disagree with that default. They prefer a deeper hollow instead, closer to 3/8 inch, for a harder push off the post. Treat 1 inch as the safer starting spot and adjust once you know your own game.

Forwards and defensemen mostly land at 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch. Colder, harder ice rewards a touch deeper cut. Warmer, softer ice rewards a touch flatter one.

Suggested starting hollows by skill level

Skill level matters as much as weight. Beginners control their edges better on a flatter hollow, since it forgives small mistakes and does not catch the ice as easily.

Advanced skaters often move deeper once their edge control catches up to the extra bite. That shift usually happens gradually, not in one visit to the shop.

Figure skate hollows

Figure skating hollows are not identical to hockey hollows. Blade profiles differ between the two sports.

One sharpening source lists 1 inch as a common figure skate radius, chosen for glide over bite. That single data point was not confirmed elsewhere. Figure skaters should treat it as a starting question for their own sharpener, not a fixed rule.

Flat bottom V: the alternative to a single hollow

Flat bottom V, often shortened to FBV, replaces the single curved hollow with a different shape. A flat channel sits in the middle. Two raised edges stand on either side of it.

The flat center handles glide. The raised edges bite only when the skater leans into a turn. In theory that splits two properties a plain hollow always ties together.

The tradeoff is durability and skill. Those raised edges chip on hard impact instead of wearing down gracefully. A poorly cut FBV skates worse than an ordinary hollow.

FBV suits skaters fighting fatigue on a deep hollow, or those on a lot of soft ice. It is a poor fit for beginners still learning basic edge control.

Using the skate sharpening chart at the counter

Bring a number, not a guess. Tell the sharpener your current radius, your weight range, and your position. Ask for one step flatter or deeper, not a totally new setting.

What that visit should cost is covered in our skate service pricing guide.

Track how each hollow actually skates for two or three sessions before changing again. A single bad practice is not enough data to judge a new radius. For the mechanics behind what that grinding wheel does to your steel, see our rundown of what a hollow actually does to the edges.

Mistakes to skip

Do not chase whatever radius a favorite pro skates. Their weight, ice, and skill level are not yours. Copying their number skips the fitting process this chart exists for.

A recreational default of 1/2 inch is common, but the pro game trends flatter overall. Reports on NHL skaters put more than half at 5/8 inch or larger. That gap is not a contradiction, just a sign that the level of play shifts the average.

Do not jump more than one or two steps at a time. A skater used to 1/2 inch who gets cut at 1 inch will feel like they lost their edges. That can be true even when the flatter hollow is the right choice over time.

Do not judge a new hollow after one skate. Steel needs a few sessions to feel normal. A first impression after one shift is not reliable data.

Picking a machine instead of a shop

Some skaters skip the shop and sharpen at home instead. If that is the direction you are considering, our breakdown of home sharpening machines covers that decision on its own, separate from which radius to run.

Bottom line

Start near the weight and position rows in the skate sharpening chart above. Adjust one step at a time. Judge each change by how your edges actually feel, not by what anyone else runs.

What is a good beginner skate sharpening hollow?

Most rinks default new skaters to 1/2 inch. It grips enough to build confidence without punishing small mistakes on turns and stops.

Does a deeper hollow make skates faster?

No. A deeper hollow makes skates grip harder, not glide faster. Flatter hollows cut drag and tend to feel faster over a full shift.

How often should a hollow change?

Most recreational skaters keep the same radius for a full season once they find one that fits. Change it only after a real shift in weight, position, or ice conditions.

What radius do most NHL players use?

Sparx, which builds sharpening machines, reports that more than half of NHL players skate at 5/8 inch or flatter. Plenty run 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch, or a full inch. See our full writeup on the Sparx machine for how that gear compares to a shop grind.

Is flat bottom V worth it?

It can be, for skaters fighting fatigue on a deep hollow or skating a lot on soft ice. It is a poor fit for beginners still building edge control, since a bad FBV cut skates worse than a plain hollow.

Should goalies use a flatter hollow than skaters?

Usually yes. Some experienced goalies go deeper instead, for extra push power out of the crease. Start flat and test a deeper cut only once you feel settled on your current one.

Hockey is not the only sport built around a precise edge. For blade and edge guides outside hockey, see our collection of specialty sharpening pages by sport.