Even before we saw Nathan Chen performing the quadruple jump on Olympic ice, people were using skating to get around. Ice skates made from horse and cow bones may date back to around 1800 BC. The first ice skaters from Scandinavia drilled holes in the bones and bound them with leather.
Skates eventually evolved into what we know them as in the 20th century. Older strap-on skates were replaced by boots fitted with lightweight stainless steel blades, allowing skaters to glide more freely and safely. Additionally, the blades of these skates are twice as long as 13th-century skates (wooden skates with metal blades).
Stainless steel is one of the materials of choice for skate blades due to the importance of hardness, enhanced strength, durable edges, and aesthetics. Stainless steel skate blades are usually of AISI 420C (EN 1.4028) grade.
At DSM Stainless Steel we wanted to get into ice skating but we kept getting cold feet!