So you have your very own pair of shiny blades now…how do you keep them that way?
There are three essential tools in a skater’s blade-care arsenal: a towel, soft guards, and hard guards. Wipe your blades with a towel, keep them dry with soft guards, and protect from chips and dulling with hard guards.
1. Towel
After every session on the ice, be sure to have a hand towel (or any piece of cloth that can absorb water) to wipe the moisture from your blades. Even if it may only be a few drops of water, give that shiny surface a good swipe before popping on your soft guards. Don’t forget to dry the bottom and sides of your boot too–even if it doesn’t directly mess with your edges, the water can rust your screws and eat away at the wood and leather.
2. Soft Guards
Used to keep shine in and rust out. Soft guards (also called soakers) are like socks for your blades–slip them on after skating so they can keep soaking away any condensed water droplets that may form. Careful though–be sure to air your soft guards out once you get home so they don’t stay damp; that would defeat their whole purpose since your blades could end up rusting anyway.
3. Hard Guards
If soft guards are socks, hard guards are sandals. These go on your blades to protect them from wear and tear when walking in the the wilderness. By wilderness I mean anywhere that isn’t padded or carpeted to be safe for blades. Ever seen those “No blades past this point” signs painted on the ground in arenas? That’s because the cement floor could dull your edges and chip that beautiful, smooth surface. Hard guards are usually made of plastic hard enough to defend against sharp edges on the ground but soft enough that they won’t harm your blades. And just as you should never wear socks and sandals together, hard guards go over your naked blade–if you tried squeezing them over your soft guards, they won’t fit!