Menu ice skates with curled-up prows
• American skates • Dutch skates • English skates • German skates • Swedish skates	All ice skates with runner blades that are not fully supported by wooden platforms are considered as having 'curled-up prows'. The curls have a variety of appearances, such as: • small simple curls; • large turned-over curls with forged tips or some kind of finials; • sturdy wide forged tips; • simple flat tips. Until the end of the 19th century ice skating was not much more than a winter pastime. People moved around a bit, played a game, chatted, made fun and used 'refreshments'. Only a few could write their initials or those of their girl friend in the ice surface. And those who were able to measure their strengths in a race against the clock were even scarce.   Therefore Ice skates of ancient times cannot easily be divided in skates for speed or figure skating. Depending on the wishes of the owner runners were grinded just a bit rounder or straighter.
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