Grizzly Sharpening

[YosemiteSam]

Last year, I used a marker on the bevel of a Grizzly broadhead to sharpen it.  It was okay but I wouldn't have called it "scary" sharp.  This year, I want to do a better job at it so I picked up a lansky kit.  I set it up and started with the coarse stone at the 30 degree hole.  Right away, I noticed that I was grinding down the top of the bevel (where the paint meets the bevel) and not really on the edge.  At the back of the head, i wasn't even getting much on the bevel at all because the ferrule was in the way (ground down the ferrule a little).  I'm guessing that the bevel must be somewhere around 35 degrees -- way beyond what this jig can do consistently.  Any tips for getting the grizzly heads sharp with this setup?

[JimB]

The bevel should be 25 degrees but keep in mind,that on those type sharpeners,30 degrees is just a sugestion.Different width blades and where the clamp is placed,change the ACTUAL angle that the stone contacts the blade.

I think you will find the KME broadhead sharpener much easier to use.

This is how I do it:
 http://www.singlebevelbroadheads.com/Honing%20the%20Tuffhead.html

[Michael Arnette]

I use the kme sharpener which is pretty good for that. Not sure how the lansky works.

[Rough Run]

I've been using a Lansky system for many years.  It should also have guide slots for 25, 20 & 17 degrees.  I'm sure it will work.  I'm going to be using mine on some Tuskers and No Mercy in the next couple of weeks.

[olddogrib]

My Lansky does a good job on Grizzlies but I have to get the jaws against the ferrule and the angle the blade to get the edge square to the stone .  I use 25 deg.  The latest ones I bought had a much improved angle, but the edge was very coarse.  Most of the work was getting rid of the gaps and for that an extra coarse diamond stone does wonders.

[the rifleman]

If your lansky does not give steep enough angle try putting spacers under the washers and use upper guide.  Hope this makes sense...

[monterey]

I made a Lansky sorta universal and all it took was a piece of steel flat bar.

Drill a hole in the bar and then place it up against the back of  arms with of the Lansky where the holes are.  Then clamp the lower arm in a vice along with the steel bar with the hole in it.  You can adjust the bar up and down until the hole in the bar is at the angle you need.

Clear as mud, eh?  Sorry for no pictures.

I used a Lansky for years and it does a fine job.  I brazed a rod on the end of a file.

The last couple years I've used the "new" Stay Sharp guide.  It's the ticket for just about any two-blade head. First I use it with a 14" Mill Bastard file, then once I get the new edge/angle down, I run it on a course stone, then a fine stone.  Hair shaving sharp.

Once you get the angle with the file, it just takes a few strokes to get them to shave and makes for an easy touch-up now and again.

[Kopper1013]

I used grizzlies this year and used my KME and boy did it get them sharp! I'm bevels where very close to 25 degrees but still required a fair amount of grinding to get consistent enough for me.

[Tedd]

Free-hand on a $39  1"x30" Harbor Freight belt sander. Get a set of belts of varying grits and a leather strop belt w compound. You can go to any level of scary sharp you want in minutes. I was going to make up a guide but found it is not necessary. I made most of them like a mirror finish last year by smoothing that factory grind and going through the series of belts. I'm not sure you have to get all those factory grind makes out. I have tried just the leather stop on the rough factory going and got it hair popping in just a few passes. A batch of 185 Grizzlies just arrived from 3 Rivers and they look like the factory grind is a bit smoother and more precise than last years.
I do have the KME also. And it works great if you have a lot of time.
Tedd

[nineworlds9]

Last year I sat down with some beer, an arkansas stone and set of Lansky ceramic sticks and I was surprised how sharp I got each head with about 5 min time on each.  Not hair shaving sharp per se, but sharp enough that I'd be careful handling them and 185 fps through something would ruin it's day Lol.

[JimB]

KME for me.
 

[RGKulas]

I use the Stay Sharp Sharpening guide for all my single bevel heads whether they are my homemade single bevel or purchased single bevel.

 

The original Grizzlies came with sharpening instructions that worked.  They were. File from tip to rear, to recuce metal and raise a burr on the flat side.  then, put the file flat to the flat side and push forward to straighten up the burr.  Then the direction changed to quote: 'Lay flat on other side and remove burr. if desired, take stone and stroke the same as file.'  We found  very soon that flatteneing the flat side first got a consistent edge with no gaps in the burr.  We had great blood trails with them and not one hit deer was lost.  Later I flattened the flat side and filed from rear to front on the beveled side, and pushed the burr up and forward with the flat stroke.  Then I was told that someone from Elsburg with the file that they sold for them, cut a serration into the flat side like Howard Hill would do.  That worked too, but when looking with a glass, I saw that the serration would be better if the beveled side was serrated which would leave the serration cutting action on the flattened side, which was the direction the head was pushing into, holding the elsburg file at about a 45degree forward and away angle. I think that worked better.  And no, I never once had a situation where the head was dragging deer hair and fouling up the head.  Later after seeing how Tom Musato sharpened Hills, I used that method on Hills as well and adapted a variation for Grizzlies and single bevel Hills, ground from tempered blank Hill blades.  I have yet to find that getting Grizzlies to be razor blade sharp has offered a see-able difference on any deer that we have hit, neither am I saying that getting them razor blade sharp is not a perfectly suitable thing to do as well.  The new Grizzlies take to this method very well.  What we found that does not work with them, is attempting to get a hair shaving smooth edge and not obtaining a hair shaving smooth edge.  that person is now using a combination of the filing the beveles side with a flat file, pushing the burr with the flat file and finishing with reversed strokes with a quarter inch round file and getting excellent results in the field.  Grizzlies are very versatile and deadly with any keen edge.  We have been considerring the new double bevel, for those I will go with a strict Tom Musato method.

[J-dog]

I just use a little 6 inch file? count ten strokes a side. Saw a vid on it and it works great, cut you bad if you slip.

J

[YosemiteSam]

Pavan - thank you for that explanation.  I have a hard time knowing how sharp an edge I have unless I can shave with it.  It's sort of been my standard since I was a kid.  But I'm new to the single bevel blade.  Are you saying that "razor sharpness" isn't as important with these heads?

For others, what's the best way to regrind this bevel angle down to a more reasonable 25 degrees or so?  Is this belt sander work?  The head is fairly narrow so even at its present angle, I'm taking metal off the ferrule with a file or stone.  So I know that laying the blade perpendicular to the belt will just exacerbate the problem.  The edge of the belt might work but I certainly don't want to catch a corner & send it flying across the patio.  Any tips for regrinding?

I think the worst edge with any narrower broad head can have is when one tries to get a smooth hair shaving edge and fails to get it. Arteries are not tied all that tight and they are made of fibrous tissue like muscle tissue.  Ever try to eat a piece of roast that has a heavy vein or a small artery in it?  They are unchewable. I do not argue against hair shaving buffed edges, but filed edges, if they are keen and not simply rough still work.  Louis Armbruster finished his heads off by pulling the narrow flat of his file reversed, to pull up a working bur.  I have examined his head after it ripped through a deer and it was still extremely sharp.  A friend of mine that is very short on talent, when it comes to getting a razor edge on anything, went to the the reversed pull with a 1/4" round file on original Grizzlies, I sharpened the first one for him with that technique and he could get that edge.  He also killed a deer with one that year, he got a super blood trail from a slightly high double lung hit. The blood trail didn't matter, the deer went down close and in plain sight.  i also have a couple friends that battled with Hills, they couldn't get them shaving sharp nor the with the method Craig described, nor with the Tom Musato method that showed them.  I showed the add buggers the round file method and they can do that with Hills.  Hill heads work very well with that method, even for them.  I am not saying that Grizzlies are not super heads with that hair shaving buffed edge.  You know when it is right, the hair falls off your arm or leg with almost no drag, and soon enough your limbs are bald from testing edge sharpness.  Just getting a couple of hairs to show up, when going for the smooth edge, does not count.  Chances are that there is just a microscopic burr that is taking the few hairs, it will give out going through deer hair or bone.  If one is challenged at sharpening to that super hair shaving edge, there are alternatives that do the job quite well.

[ISP 5353]

KME for Grizzly heads!  It is worth the investment!

The KME diamond hone system works good, it can be a bit spendy for some budgets.