Ski Edge Maintenance: Keeping Your Skis Sharp

The sharp edges of your skis will help you to maximise their performance. Sharp edges let you to keep in control across a range of snow conditions and carve naturally. Run the back of your fingernail along an edge to check your edges following each day of skiing. It is still sharp if it removes some nail substance.

Checking Your Edges

Sharp edges should be routinely checked since they help control and grip on snow. Run the back of your fingertips gently along the edge and note whether it digs into the flesh or snags. The edge should, ideally, feel smooth and equal. To handle minor burrs as they arise, you might also carry a finger nail file in your pocket. This will avoid their generating instability and grinding into your ski base. Apart from damage inspection, you should routinely utilise a second cut mill file in a BEAST edge tuner to guarantee sharp edges and appropriate angle degree for your skiing technique. If you do this, your just need to visit a ski service shop once or twice a season to have your edges retuned. Over the expense of a professional tune or stone grind, that represents a significant savings. It also enables your skis to perform as best they can.

Sharpening Your Edges

Snow grip and your control across a range of snow conditions depend on sharp edges. Before the season begins, sharpening your own skis can be accomplished with a file and diamond stone or by visiting a shop for a professionally tuned-up. See whether your finger runs across the edge scrapes your nail. Should it do, the edge is too subdued to be useful. With a file and correct technique, you may rapidly bring the edge back to its ideal sharpness. Starting with a second cut mill file, follow a file guide matched to the edge bevel angle of your ski (most recreational skis have an 88-degree side bevel). Use a specialised base edge file guide since your base edge has a different bevel than your side edge. Also, be careful to work in a safe place where metal shavings and excess wax don’t damage flooring or carpets.

Waxing Your Edges

Finally, regular waxing of your skis is a good idea (see this page for a comprehensive guide). This helps glide and shields the bases from damage. After every use, it's also crucial to run a hand-over the edges searching for any "burrs" that would dull the edge's sharpness and reduce its ability to grab the snow. To eliminate any burrs, corrosion or surface flaws, always deburr the edges prior and after using a file or diamond stone by rubbing them against a gummy stone at a 45-degree angle. This helps you avoid unintentionally dulling or detuning your edges, therefore greatly influencing ski performance and safety. Use a file guide matching the factory side edge bevel of your skis always. For instance, a 2-degree side edge bevel on recreational skis makes an 88-degree file guide perfect. Steer clear of adjusting the bevel of your edges since this may accelerate edge wear.

Repairing Damaged Edges

Many variables determine how long you can ski a pair of skis before they require repairs. Your edges will typically hold up nicely for roughly ten days of natural snow skiing and half that on manmade or ice snow. Edge wear is further influenced by the snow's abrasiveness as well as by the snow structure. You should get your edges fixed right away if they show the core or steel edge since moisture could enter the wood core of your skis from their damage. Since these main gouges probably call for structural repairs and foundation welding, a specialist will be best able to address them. Use a work surface such as a table or bench and quality tools when fixing your edges. To enable you to do the work fast and efficiently, you really need a decent set of ski-specific vises as well as a file and file guide. Also, gently run your files and stone over the edges. This helps control cutting motion and shields the metal.