Abstract: A skate sharpening apparatus includes a skate blade holding device, the skate blade sharpening device having a horizontally mounted sharpening wheel which is rotatably driven, and wherein the skate holding device has first and second jaws for contacting opposite sides of a skate blade. First and second pivot arms each having first and second ends with the pivot arms being mounted intermediate the first and second ends are arranged such that the first ends of each of the arms are connected to the first and second jaws respectively. A linearly moveable actuator moves second ends of each of said first and second pivot arms, the linearly moveable actuator causing each of the pivot arms to move an equal distance and therefore move each of the jaws in equal distance, with a center line of the linearly moveable actuator lying in the same plane as a center line extending through a skate blade held between the jaws and a center line extending through the sharpening wheel.