5.6.2 Advanced blade features: Side honed, parabolic and tapered blades
This article is from the Recreational Figure Skating FAQ, by Karen Bryden with numerous contributions by others.
5.6.2 Advanced blade features: Side honed, parabolic and tapered blades
Most skating blades have the same constant width along its full length. However, some advanced freestyle figure skating blades have a concave section ("side honing"). Side honed blades are thicker at the stanchions and the edge stripe and thinner in between. You can tell side honed blades because reflections appear inverted.
Another modification to the edge profile found in advanced blades is "tapering". Tapered blades are thicker at the front near the toepicks and thinner at the tail, i.e. the edges are not parallel. Parabolic blades are thinner in the middle section and thicker at both ends. Some models or custom made blades can be both side-honed and tapered.
These modifications make the blade lighter (because of the removed steel) and supposedly provide a better grip on the ice. Not surprisingly, the more laborious manufacturing process translates in a higher price. Whether they actually provide any real advantage is a matter of discussion.
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