# Why Use A Skate Hook? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 17, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505 "2013-08-17T18:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/1 "2013-08-17T18:51:29Z")
On this week’s “Rizzoli and Isles,” the murder weapon was a skate hook. Having never heard of it, as I never played hockey, I looked it up online, but couldn’t find much beyond sites selling them. I have some questions. What’s the difference between using it and just your hands to tighten your laces? Why is the latter weaker? Also, is it really sharp enough to cut someone’s throat and, if so, why is it that sharp? ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/2 "2013-08-17T21:18:00Z")
When using a skate hook, you use it to “grab” the laces between every (or every other or every third) set of lace holes and tug the laces tighter. If you’re laces are pretty tight, it is difficult to grab them with your fingers to pull them even tighter, but the hook slips easily under the laces to pull on them. A skate hook is not sharp, but the hook part of it is small and metal so it would be fairly easy to jab it into someone’s throat just as you could presumably stab someone with a ball point pen. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/3 "2013-08-17T21:36:17Z")
> [@Jormungandr](#): > > On this week’s “Rizzoli and Isles,” the murder weapon was a skate hook. Thanks for the spoiler. If I actually watched that show I’d be fuming mad. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/4 "2013-08-17T21:55:53Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Thanks for the spoiler. If I actually watched that show I’d be fuming mad. Thanks for the threadshit. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/5 "2013-08-17T22:22:46Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Thanks for the threadshit. The spoiler is worse. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/6 "2013-08-17T22:49:32Z")
Jeez guys, the episode aired 4 days ago and the murder weapon is (apparently) a minor plot point identified early in the show. The spoiler thing is getting ridiculous IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/7 "2013-08-18T18:30:56Z")
Agree with **Zakalwe**. Even if I watched the show, I wouldn’t give two shits if someone revealed the murder weapon, regardless of how major it is. Tight skates increase ankle support. Hockey players (and presumably figure skaters) want the laces as tight as possible and as little ankle movement as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/8 "2013-08-18T22:13:50Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Hockey players (and presumably figure skaters) want the laces as tight as possible and as little ankle movement as possible. I think most skating involves decent amounts of ankle action - especially fore-and-aft. The point of tight laces is to ensure the foot doesn’t flop around in the boot, and to provide lateral ankle support. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/9 "2013-08-18T22:59:17Z")
Yeah, it’s the side-to-side action that would crack your ankle in a NY minute. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/10 "2013-08-19T01:06:04Z")
I’ve played plenty of hockey. The only people I’ve known to use them were children. They’re as sharp as a metal coat hanger. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/11 "2013-08-19T04:54:42Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > I’ve played plenty of hockey. The only people I’ve known to use them were children. They’re as sharp as a metal coat hanger. I played plenty of ice hockey too. Everyone on my team used them. Of course, depending on how one defines children, one could say we were all someone’s child. This was junior high and high school level play. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-a-skate-hook/666505/12 "2013-08-20T04:50:28Z")
I used them when I played hockey, and I wasn’t a child. They’re useful. Not too sharp, though. Mine weren’t pointy on the ends.