Snuffer Sharpening Euphoria

[Seeking Trad Deer]

Ever since I had the good privelege of seeing how sharp a head COULD be (when I held a Curtis Kellar sharpened Grizzly El Grande) I have been on a quest to get a head really really sharp.  The way Curtis sharpens a head almost makes you start bleeding by just looking at the head    .

Anyway, I usually don't have a lot to offer as far as "how to" on here but I'm immensely grateful for how much I have learned from all of you folks on this site.  I think I may finally have something worthy of contributing and hope it helps somebody.  Here goes...proceed at your own risk   :eek:  .

Searching in the trad gang I saw Roger Rothaar's bench grinder method of sharpening Snuffers.  I also have seen some good examples of using the big mill bastard file to sharpen WW heads.  I'm kinda compulsive when it comes to my trad archery gear so I tried both methods and they worked very well but I still could not achieve Curtis Kellar sharp  

[Ray Hammond]

if you chalk your file, you won't need to clean the metal out of the teeth like that.

It's real gratifying when you finally get the 'knack' figured out and then you wonder, " why didn't I figure this out sooner"...it's so easy...but I had to wear out some heads before I got it worked out right in my head.

Congrats

[Robert Cunfer]

Hey Mike, Saw you were at DH on this site, but we didn't connect. The ball is in your court for stump shooting....Bobby

[brackshooter]

Seeking trad deer-
Where did you find Rogers Bench grinder sharpening video?  I have some snuffers headed my way next week, and a bench grinder waiting to be used.

thanks,

brack

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I just use a mill file, wetstone & leather w/jewlers rough (sp) that I got from TexMex. Mine are scary sharp & lossing 6-8 grns sharping to me would be to much, doing it the way C.L. does it you don't loose that much.I found if you just take your time anyone can get them really sharp.

[Seeking Trad Deer]

Brack...I find Ryan Rothhaars pictorial on doing the Snuffers on a grinder on a search of "Snuffer Sharpening" and a post in Spring of 2006 I believe.  Here is the link...I hope it works:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=031172

Robert...sorry we did not get to hook up at Denton Hill.  I looked for your Chevy with the cab below the vendors twice but the only Chevy I saw had a camper back on it.  I'll pm  you about stumping.

Mystic...I did eight heads and seven of them lost 6 grains and one lost 8 grains if I remember the pre arrow weight of 600 grains before sharpening correctly.  They were mostly all 594 afterwards.  Seemed like I took off more of the grains with the file but I could be mistaken.

I hope something walks into one of these snuffers this year as the freezer is down to the last throws of venison   :eek:  .  Archery season for Doe starts September 15th in my area this year so it's only about a month away.  Will hunt for food  

[Bobby Urban]

can also use a piece of PVC with spray adheasive and wet/dry sand paper in ever increasing grit sizes to ge the hollow ground edge on a Snuffer.  You can get them Crazy sharp this way but in my oppinion it is more work than necessary for them to kill animals.

Bob Urban

[indianalongbowshooter]

I use a belt sander instead of grinder, then file then diamond stone, but I do the stone just like the file, lay it flat and push from back to front, gets them scary sharp.

[Dustin Waters]

I just sharpend my first three blade heads last night following the file method.  Big flat file/ pull from back to front across the file, till all the edges are matched up and clean.  Then I went to the fine stone and did about 25-30 strokes in the same manner.  They will cut rubber bands nicely with little to no pressure, but they wont shave.  How do I get them to shaving sharp from this step?  Really concerned about the shaving sharp thing.  Can I achieve it rather easily from the point I am at now or is this still a ton of work to be done?
Is the leather strop the next step in the process?

[southpawshooter]

You're pretty sharp already, but the next level of sharpness is on a leather strop.  Put a little Flitz metal polish on the strop and pull heel to point, turning on each stroke.

[Dustin Waters]

about how many times.  You can feel the edge with your thumb when you run it over the edge almost like a burr edge, but they wont shave.  They feel sharp but the hair just wont come off?  This leather strop thing is going to get me there?

[joebuck]

This may be out of the box but........I heat every new Snuffer and Woodsman I buy. I heat the edge with a little butane torch and move the flame from heal to point when the edge turns blue. Now.....I know someone is going to say you have changed the temper....yada yada yada...but..This "softens" the metal where it grabs my single cut files so much better on my snuffer tamer. it eliminates the "skip" some of you have noticed. I wrote an article about it years ago in the old Longbow and Recurve magazine and got some great feedback.  Also I sharpen my woodsman on a SnufferTamer and does great. I love this "softer" edge Because I can flip the BURR back and forth till it flakes off and really becomes Serrated Razor Sharp...hope some of ya'll try this....

[brackshooter]

I start with the file, go to a medium diamond hone, than to a fine diamond hone, and finish with a ceramic stick.  I can easily shave with mine, and usually takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish.


brack