History of Ice Skates

The first ice skates are Dated back to about 3000 B.C. witch were founded in the bottom of a lake in Switzerland. The skates were made from the leg bones of large animals. Holes were then made at each end and leather straps were used to tie them on. In the fourteenth century the Dutch started using wooden platforms with flat iron bottom runners. Poles were use to propel them around. In the 1500 hundreds the dutch invented a narrow double edge blade making poles useless. The double edge makes it so one could push and glide with his feet. In 1884 the first all steel clamps were founded in Philadelphia, PA. The toe pick was invented in the 1870's for figure skating. In 1914 the first closed toed blade made from steel was invented. This made skates lighter and stronger.

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bliceskates.htm