This is mainly a case of how sharp the skater wishes his/her skates to be. A rule of thumb which seems to satisfy most skaters is 25 to 30 hours of ice time, or approximately every 3 to 4 weeks, depending on how many hours per week are skated. Other factors may have as much affect on how long a sharpening lasts as the number of hours of ice time.
Consider the following:
1. Always wipe your blades completely dry after skating.
2. Don’t walk on any surface (carpet, tile) without your skate guards on.
3. NEVER leave your skate guards on your skates for any length of time.
4. Protect blades from each other with a towel or covers when carried in your skate bag.
5. Don’t leave your skates in your bag overnight. They need time to dry out properly since there is always moisture present in the skate bag. This practice is extremely hard on the skate boots as well.
Keep in mind that unprotected steel begins to oxidize (rust) within a few hours of being exposed to moisture.
A RUSTY BLADE IS A DULL BLADE!!!