RADA sharpener

[David Mitchell]

The animals I kill just hate the edges I put on my broadheads with pull through sharpeners.  I use the RADA as well as a neat little G5 sharpener.  They work just fine for my purposes.

[Butch Speer]

I hate to be a contrarian but since broadhead sharpening is my business (as well as being a knife maker) and collector of knife and broadhead sharpeners and the owner of magnified imagery tools, I can tell you there is a good reason NONE (ZERO) knife and broadhead and razor blade manufacturers sharpen the blades they make in the direction a Rada or other "V" shaped sharpeners do. All knife and broadhead and razor blade makers sharpen/hone perpendicular to the cutting edge, not parallel to the cutting edge.

If you looked (under magnification) at the edge produced by a Rada or any of the other "v" shaped "drag through"  sharpeners, you would understand what they very rough and jagged edge looks like vs a correctly honed and razor sharp edge.

I understand the appeal of the rada type sharpeners (especially on concave heads like Simons sharks, etc) because they require no skill to use and they are fast but the edge they produce has little longevity and is as jagged as the top of a tuna can (which is why you feel and hear the "chattering" as you drag your blade through the rada.

The jagged edge produced by a Rada “V” drag through sharpener edge (parallel to the cutting edge)



A honed edge (perpendicular to cutting edge)

Sorry but, I knew you were peeing  into the wind. I'm a woodcarver and I know exactly what a razor sharp edge will do. Most here haven't the foggiest idea what a real sharp edge can do cause they've never seen it. Not they're fault. Most don't have the time or ambition to learn.  Have to say but I would rather see people go to the woods with a "Rada" edge than a dull one.

[Bisch]

I tried a RADA, and while it was OK, it was not as sharp as I like my broadheads to be. I still have it, and if I was in a pinch with no other way, I would use it, but I have not been in that pinch yet!!!!

Bisch

[RGKulas]

Sorry but, I knew you were peeing  into the wind. I'm a woodcarver and I know exactly what a razor sharp edge will do. Most here haven't the foggiest idea what a real sharp edge can do cause they've never seen it. Not they're fault. Most don't have the time or ambition to learn.  Have to say but I would rather see people go to the woods with a "Rada" edge than a dull one.

Correct, if given the choice I think the list for hunting would be

A razors sharp edge

A rada edge

A dull edge

That said, shot placement trumps all of them so if you are always shooting them through the heart/lung combination, its a moot point but if your not in a perfect world and need to actually slice through that artery or major vein (after passing through a dirty hide) to end up with a kill rather than a wounding loss, I will opt for the razors edge every time and there are tools as easy to use as a Rada to produce that razor's edge so one does not have to spend a lot of time developing a skill set to get the much superior edge.

Yes, I knew (as you stated) I was peeing into the wind which is why I prefaced my first post with :

"I hate to be a contrarian but since broadhead sharpening is my business"

And I expected some push back. Im ok with that.

[Homey88]

Great info!

[two4hooking]

Yup, "I want to kill 'em, not shave 'em".

I go so far as to put micro-serrations on my heads like Howard Hill Preferred...but now we've entered into the eternal "how sharp is sharp enough debate"

IMO Rada is a good tool for hunting broadheads.  I prefer the file though.

My list for hunting would be:

A file edge
A Rada edge
a razor's edge
a dull edge


To each his own based on his experiences and preferences. Now my woodworking tools are another story...

[pavan]

For some that are sharpening skill deficient, a RADA will get the job done.  I would advise to use a fine diamond hone and a leather strop to supplement the edge.  Do not be surprised if you find that the RADA edge may degrade some if you use too much pressure with the fine diamond hone and leather strop.  One odd thing that perhaps only is relevant to Bear razor heads and Zwickees and maybe Rib Tecs, it seems to me that when an arrow flies through a deer and into the dirt that the file sharpened heads maintain more of an edge than those having a shaving edge with the RADA hone and strop method, even though the RADA version shaves hair as smooth as a good razor before the shot.  I still think the RADA is a very useful tool and gets a good enough job done. 

[Macatawa]

I hate to be a contrarian but since broadhead sharpening is my business (as well as being a knife maker) and collector of knife and broadhead sharpeners and the owner of magnified imagery tools, I can tell you there is a good reason NONE (ZERO) knife and broadhead and razor blade manufacturers sharpen the blades they make in the direction a Rada or other "V" shaped sharpeners do. All knife and broadhead and razor blade makers sharpen/hone perpendicular to the cutting edge, not parallel to the cutting edge.

If you looked (under magnification) at the edge produced by a Rada or any of the other "v" shaped "drag through"  sharpeners, you would understand what they very rough and jagged edge looks like vs a correctly honed and razor sharp edge.

I understand the appeal of the rada type sharpeners (especially on concave heads like Simons sharks, etc) because they require no skill to use and they are fast but the edge they produce has little longevity and is as jagged as the top of a tuna can (which is why you feel and hear the "chattering" as you drag your blade through the rada.

The jagged edge produced by a Rada “V” drag through sharpener edge (parallel to the cutting edge)



A honed edge (perpendicular to cutting edge)

Ron,
To be clear...
We are hunters...not broadhead and/or razor blade manufacturers. 

So far in this thread we all have heard a bit of collective and practical experience from hunters that have proven their equipment over many years of field use...lotsa critters down and in the freezer.

That is what its all about as far as I'm concerned.  I have recently watched Charlie sharpen a broadhead in a video posted somewhere.  When he was finished it shaved the hair off his arm.  In our world, that is the standard.  Its what we do...

If your desire is to share with the "Gang", post some pics of your hunting success...

[Friend]

Love the Rada......

[TIM B]

I use the rada also on tigersharks and treesharks.  I clean them up a little w a leather chunk but it's probably unnecessary. 
Tim B

[Rough Run]

Would I like to have a honed, mirror-edge finish on all by broadheads?  Sure I would, but while I am not a professional at sharpening anything, I am not completely inept, either.  It just takes significantly more time.  And that is time I usually don't have, due to the myriad other commitments of work, family, home care, etc.  I have to portion my time to get it all in.  If I'm spending a disproportionate amount of time sharpening, what else isn't getting done?  Practice?  Work?  Family?

My edges are not prize winners, but they are more than sufficient, more than lethal and, certainly aren't unfair or unethical to the game I'm pursuing.  If the Rada or any other tool allows me maintain that balance, I'll use it.

[Charlie Lamb]

RGKulas... I totally understand what you are saying and with a lot of time to prep my broadheads for the upcoming season mine are usually finely honed. I'm a huge fan of the KME system.

All I was saying was that the edge produced by the RADA is certainly more than adequate when it comes to taking big game. If I should take a shot and somehow mmmmiss my target I have a phobia about returning a dull arrow to my quiver... even though there are others in the line up that are well honed.

If it would come down to some kind of firefight with a critter that just won't quit I want every arrow in the quiver to be ready to do it's best.  The RADA in my pack gives me that with confidence. I should add that after using it I will give the edge a couple of light strokes on a ceramic "crock stick" that I keep in my kit for that purpose.

Sure hope I didn't sound like too much of a smart ass. Though with me a little bit of that is inevitable. 




 

[RGKulas]

An admin told me not to reply to this post any more or I would discuss the matter with you further. Sorry.

[Butch Speer]

Seems like when an administrator gives an opinion, you're not allowed to question it.

[nmiller08]

If your desire is to share with the "Gang", post some pics of your hunting success...

Seems to me he offered an opinion on a sharpener that the OP was asking for opinions on.  Just because other posters disagree doesn't mean he should keep it to himself, polite disagreement is good and worth being shared too

[RGKulas]

If your desire is to share with the "Gang", post some pics of your hunting success...

Seems to me he offered an opinion on a sharpener that the OP was asking for opinions on.  Just because other posters disagree doesn't mean he should keep it to himself, polite disagreement is good and worth being shared too

Broadhead sharpening is what I do. Ive created an entire company based on it. He asked  for pics of my hunting success over the last 42 years, I replied mentioning the numerous deer, bear (some taken with my own homemade broadheads from a 48 pound homemade longbow) and hogs and 1,700 Lb water buffalo and and 1,000 Lb Vancouver bull but my post was pulled and a PM sent to drop it and move along. Knowing what I know, I cannot offer praise for a Rada sharpener and that seems to be the goal here.

[hybridbow hunter]

I have rada sharpener in all of my back packs and for my needs it is really effective for field/hunting camp sharpening my Magnus or zwickey deltas. I can get the BH to shave my arm. I found it less effective on hard steel and prefer soft wheel guided sharpening like the razor sharp edgemaking system for that type of broadhead.

[Sam McMichael]

This argument will probably last forever. Various degrees of sharpness have been described, and people have talked about their many successes with each of them. Obviously, several types of cutting edges are effective, so it still comes down to whichever sharpening method a given hunter prefers. Basically, if an arrows makes a clean kill it is sharp enough. To you, it may not be the preferred edge, but, nonetheless, it is sharp enough.

[Rob DiStefano]

people who just can't stop being argumentative over things that clearly need no arguing about don't seem to last long on trad gang, specially when they don't listen to directions given by their host.

[huskyarcher]

(In my best Trump voice) "Tremendous, tremendous sharpener, it's really great." All jokes aside the RADA is incredible, unbeatable at that price.

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