Blades on hockey skates wear out all the time. It’s a fact of life that they have to be changed every once in a while – perhaps more often for players who use their skates a lot or those whose style of play involves sharp turns and quick acceleration/deceleration.

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Skates aren’t the only things that get worn out. Bodies do too, so players have to be aware of when’s a good time for them to switch their blades for new ones at least every few years or so. You might think this is an easy question. It isn’t.

What makes it complicated is deciding what exactly “worn out” means? Is it simply when your blades are thin enough that you can easily see right through them? That may be fine during one game but in another, you could still play quite well with the same blades even if they were thinner than usual because you knew how to compensate by adjusting your stance and leaning on different parts of your blade better using the edges more effectively to maintain control of the puck.

Some players might need new blades every season if they play a lot and on many different types of surfaces, others can get away with changing them more infrequently (if at all). You shouldn’t change your blades solely because you think it’s time, but rather because symptoms like reduced speed, less power in their shots/pushes, instability while skating or reduced effectiveness when making sharp turns indicate you should; symptoms that show up before their skates really start to look worn out.

A player who needs new ones know it right away – they notice the difference immediately after changing their blades for fresh new ones. Others don’t realize how long they’ve had theirs until trying on some new ones, which feel so much better. They might even wonder how they played so well with their old blades because the difference is so obvious to them now.

It’s important to know when you need new blades. The usual way of deciding this is by playing a game that takes place on a hard surface while wearing your usual skate laces. If you notice a difference in speed, power, or sharp turns, it’s probably time for you to change your blades.