Nathan Chan, a commercial lawyer by training, felt there was an opportunity to be found in upgrading the skate-sharpening process for the 21st century. So he launched Skatescribe.
Sharpening skates hasn’t changed much since the first hockey players took to Canada’s frozen lakes and rivers in the 19th century. Running a stone or wheel along the surface of the blade grinds the blade down allowing it to bite into the ice.
Chan spoke to the Star about the science of sharpening, competitors, and working with former professional players: Where did the idea for the automated process you’re using come from? Was it something you came up with, or was it one of your collaborators? The edges are different because we mill and machine skate blades. When you mill and machine — the exact same technology used for automotive and aerospace parts — you’re actually cutting into a piece of metal to a very precise tolerance. It just yields a better product.
Grinding technology delivers a much coarser finish. I don’t think the edges are as durable as a machine edge. The existing technology uses template bars to profile skate blades. The problem is that every skate size requires a different size template bar. All our templates are digital. You just change a number here or there. That’s where I think we have a distinct advantage. It’s the ability to profile on a whim.