Sharpening Question?

[JamesKerr]

How do you go about on sharpening the back of some 2 blades like the new Eclipse Werewolves, ABS heads, or stingers? I am inclined to try the new werewolf heads and would like to know also what the advantage is of sharpening the back of the blads.

[Jake Diebolt]

I think you'd have to either use a grinder or a really aggressive file to take off enough material for a bevel - I'm not sure, never done it before. As for advantages, well, if you get a pass through there's no advantage at all, but maybe if the arrow was still inside the animal the extra cutting edges would come in handy. I think my dad and uncles used to sharpen the back of two-blade heads, but they've since switched to 3-blades and don't bother.

I'd be careful though - if you take off too much metal it could affect the integrity of the broadhead.

I shoot Silverflame XL's and don't worry about trying to resharpen the back. I just sharpen the main blades with my KME sharpener and go hunting.

Bisch

[babs]

I use the KME broadhead sharpener on my two blade stingers and they are scary sharp. I dont sharpen the back either just the two main blades

[m midd]

I sharpen the back of my grizzlies with a file and finish with a ceramic round.. Something with a deep bevel like stingers or werewolves i would just use a ceramic round with light pressure. I wouldnt use a file  because they have a nice factory grind..

[Charlie Lamb]

I'm with M Midd. If the broadhead has an existing grind on the back of the blade it won't get much abuse so simple honing with a ceramic stick should do.

I no grind exists then careful file work should get it done.

[mongoose]

I don't sharpen the back of the blades simply for safety reasons. I think it would be to easy to bump the rear of the BH while its in the quiver. Can you say OUCH!      

[m midd]

i know what you mean mongoose.. I started out with short arrows.. one evening i drew on a nice 8pt and drew the back edge on a stinger into my index finger... you could have blood trailed me...

[mongoose]

So..you probably CAN say "OUCH"      

[3arrows]

You can use a dremel tool with a cut off discs.The advantage is when the arrow stays in the deer and it pulls the arrow out with his mouth you will have two wound channels.

[StanM]

I did quite a bit of testing with sharpening the back edge of a broadhead when we were developing the Razorhawk.

Honestly, I don't think there is a significant advantage to having the back edge sharp from a performance standpoint on game.  If you're getting pass throughs it won't make any difference.

For a single bevel head there is a benefit in beveling the back edge, but not like most do with the back edge beveled on the same side.  I found it advantageous to bevel the opposite side on the rear so extracting the broadhead from my Rhinehart target was a lot easier.

This is what I mean by opposite side rear bevel.

 

I don't do this on the heads I sell as the cost associated to bevel the rear edges isn't justified by the benefit of arrow extraction.

[Overspined]

Good tip Stan!!