Hockey Skate Blade Guards Vs. Blade Covers 

Do you know the difference between hockey skate blade guards and blade covers are? Did you just get your first pair of skates? Do you plan to skate for fun, or did you join a hockey team or maybe even taking up figure skating? Regardless of what type of skating you will be participating in, the care of all skate blades comes down to one centralized issue. RUST. So I am going to do my best to explain the differences between blade covers and blade guards so that you can use both of them properly. 

The Purpose of Blade Guards 

Typically made of plastic and rubber, and leather. However, there are some metal ones but these are not as common. Guards are designed to protect your blades from damage when off the ice. Hard surfaces such as cement, rocks, wood and or metal can lead to scratches and chips on your blades. These should be applied to your blades the moment you exit the skating rink. And never, I repeat never store your skates with blade guards on them. Storing skates with plastic, rubber and leather guards will only promote rusting if left on wet blades. Blade guards should only be used when you’re walking around the rink and or on a hard surface. 

The Purpose of Blade Covers 

Blade covers a.k.a. Soakers are made of cloth and designed to keep moisture off the blades and help prevent rusting. Blade covers are a necessity when storing your skates. Ice skates are an expensive piece of equipment, the better you care for them the longer they will last. When you take off your blade guards, take a minute to wipe your blades and mounting surface dry. Then apply Zerust blade covers on blades, this rust prevention technology will keep working to protect your blades while not in use. 

Why Choose Zerust Ice Skate Blade Covers? 

Even just a few minor rust spots will make your blades rough which can lead to slips and falls. With severe rusting this causes pits in the blades and weakens them, basically rendering them useless. Poor maintenance and storage of skates will lead to moisture which corrodes the blades and the base underneath.  With Zerust’s exclusive engineered guard covers protecting your blades you gain peace of mind they will be rust free when you’re ready to use them again. 

Getting the Best Performance From Your Hockey Skates.

Hockey skates are often an investment of several hundred dollars, this is why it’s important to properly care and store them in between games. Wet, sweaty and smelly gear is more than just a hygiene catastrophe. If you have the bad habit of tossing this wet gear directly into your hockey bag including your WET skates, the salt-filled moisture is sure to be disastrous to your blades. And once that bag sits around ignored until prep time for the next game the damage could mean dropping a couple more hundred dollars for a new pair. 

Getting the Best Performance From Your Figure Skates. 

Keeping your skates in tip-top shape is crucial because the condition of your blades will directly impact your performance. Ensuring proper maintenance of your skates is all about keeping edges in its best performance. Proper Maintenance begins the moment you step off the ice. When you take a moment to ensure your blades and mounting area is dry this will prevent rusting and the leather of your boots from rotting. 

Getting the Best Performance From Your Recreational Skates.

For those of you who do not skate professionally, but do skate for fun you can most likely get a lifetime out of your skates if you take care of them properly. Rusted blades will make it more difficult to skate and prevents you from enjoying your time at the rink. Protecting your blades from rust is the most important precaution to get years of use from your skates. Rust will develop on the blade if you don’t keep the blade nice and dry after every use, and it will eat through the blade and ruin skates. Healthy blades can last years with proper maintenance.
Zerust products will do not affect the electrical or mechanical properties or functionality of the metal components they protect. In fact, they actually help improve reliability by preventing corrosion damage that is too small to be seen by the naked eye. The residue engineered and produced by Zerust is safe and environmentally friendly. In fact, the FDA has approved Zerust for use with kitchen utensils. To view their full line of products please visit their website.