Pro's Corner: Rivet Replacement

All hockey skate manufacturers use rivets to hold the skate blade holder onto the skate boot. Over time, the force applied while skating can loosen rivets. Additionally, skates that are not properly cared for can cause rust and corrode the rivets. In all of these cases, you can extend the life of your skates by having them replaced.

Replacement by a skate professional, like Binnie’s Skate Sharpening and Equipment Repair, is relatively easy and cost effective over buying new skates but can be time consuming. It requires a special rivet punch and setting tool and either steel or copper rivets.

Copper or Steel?

There are two primary types of rivets used on hockey skates – copper and steel. Typically, copper rivets are reserved for the high-torque areas of the blade holder as they tend to be a stronger rivet that can withstand greater forces. Traditionally, they are seen on the heel portion of the holder. Steel rivets are usually used everywhere else on the skate holder. While the copper rivets can be more expensive, using them in a blended manner with steel rivets makes replacement an affordable option while providing long-lasting repairs.

If you find, however, that you are constantly having to replace rivets because they become loose, talk with a skate professional like Jason Binnie to discuss your options. You may be a candidate for more than standard copper rivets, or may even need new holders or other skate repairs.

Rust & Rot

A big problem leading to rivet replacement is rust and rot. This is most often caused by long hours in your skates and not properly allowing them to dry. The sweat soaks into the soles of the boots and corrodes the steel rivets. When a rivet rusts it is more prone to becoming loose or worse – failure. A loose, bent, broken, rusted or otherwise damaged rivet can cause the holder to twist and break, which can lead to injury. Issues with your rivets can also put extra force on the holes where the rivet pass through, causing them to enlarge and eventually resulting in boot failure. Additionally, if your boots are not properly drying, the boot itself rotting out can cause rivets to fail.

Cost

At Binnie’s we know how much you invest in your equipment and you want to get as much life as possible from it. Replacing rivets can cost as low as $1.50 per rivet or $20 for a full set per skate. Standard adult hockey skates have 14 rivets per skate. That’s $40 for a pair of skates, which is a far cry from the $800+ for a new set of skates! Before buying new, be sure to consult Binnie’s to see if we can help keep you on the ice longer in the skates you love.

If you have any concerns regarding your rivets or the structure of your skates, talk with Binnie’s.