Most short track skaters know how to put an edge on a blade. Far fewer finish the job properly. Sharpening cuts a fresh edge, but the grind leaves behind a tiny lip of raised steel called the burr, and the freshly ground steel is still slightly rough. If you step straight onto the ice at that point, the edge feels keen for a lap or two and then fades, because that fragile lip catches, folds and wears away unevenly. The two steps that separate a good sharpen from a great one are deburring and polishing, and they take only a few minutes with the right tools. With rinks reopening for the new season, this is the perfect moment to build them into your routine before the first hard sessions. This guide walks through the finishing routine that keeps your edge true, fast and long lasting. For the grinding step itself, see our full guide to sharpening short track blades. Here we pick up where that leaves off.
What the burr is and why it robs your edge
When a stone cuts across the steel, it pushes a thread of metal to the very tip of the edge. That thread is the burr, a raised lip that runs along the length of the blade. It can feel sharp, which fools skaters into thinking the job is done, but it is weak. On the ice it catches instead of biting cleanly, it folds over under load, and because it is so thin it wears away at different rates along the blade. The result is an edge that felt great in the changing room and vanished halfway through the session.
Removing the burr leaves a true, square edge with no fragile lip. That edge grips predictably, holds its bite far longer, and gives you the consistent feel you need to trust the skate through a fast corner. Deburring is the quiet step that makes everything else you did on the stone actually count.
On the left the grind has left a thin lip of steel. On the right the deburr stone has knocked it off, leaving a clean square edge.
The finishing sequence at a glance
A complete sharpen has three parts, always in the same order. First you sharpen, cutting a fresh even edge with a stone in a jig. Then you deburr, removing that raised lip so the edge is true. Finally you polish the gliding surface so the steel runs with as little friction as possible. Skip either of the last two and you leave speed and edge life on the table. Do all three and the blade feels sharp, glides fast and stays that way for far longer.
Sharpen, deburr, then polish. The order never changes, and the last two steps are the ones most skaters forget.
Deburring with a diamond stone
The quickest, cleanest way to take the burr off is a small handheld diamond stone. The StayBent Diamond Deburr Stone is sized to sit in your hand and needs only a few light passes to do the job. Hold it flat against the side of the blade, run it along the full length in a few even strokes, and check that the edge feels clean with no raised lip. That is the whole task. It is easy to control, easy to carry to the rink in your bag, and it turns a rough freshly ground edge into a true one in under a minute.
A diamond surface is ideal here because it cuts hardened blade steel cleanly and stays flat over time, so it keeps removing the burr consistently rather than glazing over. Keep the pressure light. You are shearing off a thin lip, not grinding fresh metal, so there is no need to lean on it.
Polishing the glide face to a mirror
Once the edge is true, the last gain comes from polishing the gliding surface of the runner. A freshly ground blade is microscopically rough, and that roughness is friction. Bring the steel to a mirror and the skate carries speed for longer on every glide. The Zandstra 3M Polishing Triangle is built exactly for this. It is a purpose made aluminium triangle, 25 cm long, carrying genuine 3M self adhesive lapping film loaded with micro aluminium oxide, and it comes ready to use with three grades already fitted.
You work from coarse to fine through the colours. The blue side is 40 micron, the coarsest polishing stage. The green side is 30 micron, the middle stage. The pink side is 3 micron, the final stage that brings the steel to a mirror. Clamp the blades straight in a jig, start on blue and move the triangle slowly back and forth along the runner using the whole length of the strip. When the friction noticeably drops, after around a minute, switch to green. When the resistance eases again, finish on pink. The whole polish takes about three to five minutes. To check your work, look at the gliding surface. A clean mirror means the polish is optimal. If it is not there yet, simply repeat the pink stage, or the green stage before it. If you want an even finer progression, two more grades are available separately, 9 micron in light blue and 12 micron in yellow, and every strip is self adhesive so you can replace them as they wear.
Each grade removes the scratches left by the one before, until the glide face runs clean and bright.
The combination stone route
If you prefer to carry fewer tools, a combination stone handles both cutting and smoothing in a single block. The Zandstra Foss Combination Sharpening Stone (Art 7205) has a coarse side that cuts a fresh edge and a fine side that smooths it, so you work coarse first and then fine without switching tools. It measures 250 by 75 by 20 mm, is made from silicon carbide and, importantly, it is flattened after production so the working face is genuinely flat. That matters more than skaters expect, because a stone that has dished or worn unevenly puts a rounded edge on the blade, which you feel as lost grip and glide. Keep the stone clean, dry and stored flat so it stays that way. Even with a combination stone, still finish the very edge with the diamond deburr stone to be sure the lip is gone, then polish if you want the fastest possible glide.
Why a jig holds the whole thing together
None of these steps work well if the blade moves while you work. A good jig clamps the blade perfectly straight and steady, which is the single biggest factor in an even result along the full length. The EHS Short Track and Long Track Sharpening Jig is CNC machined from aluminium in the Netherlands, holds the blade true, and takes apart for transport so you can carry it to any event and reassemble it in about five minutes using the four central screw knobs. Tighten those firmly before you start so nothing shifts. A blade held straight sharpens, deburrs and polishes to an even edge. A blade with any twist in the clamp shows that twist as an uneven edge, and no amount of careful stone work will hide it.
Common finishing mistakes and how to fix them
Most finishing problems come from a handful of habits. If your edge is not lasting or the glide feels sticky, check this list first.
- Pressing too hard on the deburr stone. Heavy pressure starts to round the very edge you just cut. Use light, even passes and let the diamond do the work.
- Deburring only one side. The burr can sit on either face of the edge. Run the stone along both sides of the blade and feel for a lip on each before you move on.
- Skipping grades on the triangle. Jumping straight from blue to pink leaves the deeper blue scratches behind. Give the green stage its minute so each grade clears the one before.
- Using only part of the strip. Short strokes wear one patch of film and leave the blade uneven. Use the whole length of the strip on every pass.
- Polishing a blade that is not clamped straight. Any twist in the jig shows up as an uneven finish. Clamp first, check the blade sits level, then start.
- Leaving metal dust on the steel. Fine particles hold moisture and start rust spots. Wipe the blade clean and dry the moment you finish.
Finish safely and store the blade dry
A freshly finished edge is keen, so protect your hands. We strongly recommend cut resistant gloves whenever you handle or work on blades, because an unprotected slip along a fresh edge cuts easily. Once the edge is deburred, polished and checked, wipe the blade down to remove any metal dust, then store it properly. Blade guards protect the edge while you walk, and blade soakers draw moisture off the steel in your bag so it does not rust between sessions. Our guide to blade guards and blade soakers covers the storage side in detail. A clean, dry, guarded blade holds the edge you just worked for far longer.
How often should you deburr and polish?
Deburr every single time you sharpen. It is part of the sharpen, not an optional extra, and it takes seconds. Polishing is worth doing whenever you sharpen if you want the fastest glide, and many skaters at least run the fine stage before an important session. Between full sharpens, a light deburr can also freshen an edge that has picked up a small nick without going back to the coarse stone. Let feel be your guide. If the blade suddenly bites less than it did, check for a folded burr before you assume the edge is gone. For a fuller picture of sharpening intervals across a training week, read how often you should sharpen short track blades.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between deburring and sharpening?
Sharpening cuts a fresh edge into the steel with a coarse stone. Deburring removes the thin raised lip that the grind leaves behind, so the new edge is true and durable rather than fragile. You always deburr after you sharpen.
Do I really need to polish my blades?
You can skate without polishing, but a polished glide face runs with less friction, so the skate carries speed for longer and the edge tends to last better. It adds only a few minutes and most serious skaters do it every sharpen.
Can I use the polishing triangle to sharpen?
No. The triangle finishes, it does not sharpen. Cut the edge first with a stone, deburr it, then use the triangle to polish. Trying to sharpen with polishing film will not create an edge.
How do I know the polish is done?
Look at the gliding surface. When it shows a clean, bright mirror and the triangle moves with almost no friction, the polish is optimal. If it is still dull, repeat the pink stage, or the green stage before it.
Will a combination stone remove the burr on its own?
The fine side helps, but a dedicated diamond deburr stone is the surest way to remove the lip completely. It is quick, easy to control and worth adding to your kit even if you sharpen with a combination stone.
Should I finish my blades the night before a race?
Yes, if you can. Sharpen, deburr and polish the evening before, then take a few easy laps in warm up to confirm the feel. Avoid a full sharpen on race morning, because a new edge that you have not tested can surprise you in the first corner.
Sharpening gets the credit, but deburring and polishing are what turn a rough edge into a fast, dependable one that lasts. Add these two short steps to every sharpen and you will feel the difference from the first corner. Everything you need to finish a blade properly sits in the short track setup collection, and the LiveLica team is always happy to help you build a finishing kit that suits your blades.
