Zwickey Broadheads

[JR Chambers]

I use one of those paper wheels and they are super sharp.

[Larry Dean]

Agree, there are some heads that are not file friendly. File friendly heads are softer metal and need a stronger edge that works for them.  People always claim that my lightly serrated heads pull hair through the wound, in over 50 deer I have yet to see that, but i did find a replaceable blade head on an arrow that had a dry covering of deer hair and under that a bloody covering of deer hair, it was also missing a vane. Under all of that the edges seemed sharp. My guess is that head when not flying true punched its way through the deer at a bad angle that rendered the cutting action ineffective.  It was a 2419 full length, either the boy was very big and strong that shot it or the arrow was totally over spited for whatever bow he was using. I found the missing vane on the entrance side a dead doe several hundred yards later, not a drop of blood anywhere that I could find.  What works, works, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Sam McMichael]

I am still not an expert on sharpening even though I have been doing it for many years. The only advice I can give is that you should not use excessive pressure with either a file or a stone. A smooth, even stroke seems to give better results.

[UncasUK]

Just a different point on Zwickey 2 blade glue on.
The ones I have 125grain, weigh on average 138.6 grains
do all broadheads have the same problem of being 10/20 grains heavier.
And why don't the makers give the correct weight.

[dnovo]

The Zwickeys I have are supposed to be 135 not 125. Maybe that’s why they weigh heavy for you

[Terry Green]

Yes, the Deltas weigh 135, when you sharpen that 138 it'll weigh closer to 135.  Either way,  its not going to make a hill of beans.

[Larry Dean]

I just weighed my stash of new Zwickeys and compared them to one that has been sharpened and re-sharpened several times. Like stated above, the 3 or 4 grains weight comes down to and even below the target weight very quickly. If you get a vastly different reading, first check the scale.

[Tim Reese]

I love the eskimos and no mercy’s. I do have a few deltas but haven’t hunted with them yet.

[Tim Reese]

This momma didn’t know how lucky she was to have a little one with her or she would have seen the Zwickey curse!

[Lori]

Not long ago, we were at a public hunting area. I young snot saw my husband Larry Dean touching up my Zwickeys at the car and he expressed his doubt about if they were good enough for an Iowa deer. Then proudly said, "This is what ya'll need right here.", while pulling a nosed  mechanical head. He went on and on about how much better they were. While, my arrow went through the deer I shot and stuckinthe dirt. The poor deer tried to make it over the hill, but died quietly about 80 yards from me. He came around with his bright flash light while we were carting mine out. He claimed that he hit a buck, but it did not leave a blood trail and most of the arrow was sticking out as it ran away. He was still looking the next day according to what we were told and still could not find it. I will stick with Zwickeys.

[mgf]

I just got a new scale so I weighed three screw-in eskelites yesterday. they came in at 133.8, 140.x and 142.x. The light one has been through a deer and into the mud so it's had more sharpening.

Everything else reads what it should on the scale so I believe the reading.

[varmint101]

First year I’ve used them since I used eskimos probably 15 years ago. Used a lansky then. Used the stay sharp jig I use with my Simmons heads and it worked great on the single bevel no mercy. Marked the edges with a sharpie and used the round file. Had spots that took much longer than the rest to get the bevel even. Finished with a ceramic rod. Boy it got them super sharp! Did fantastic on the 2 deer I took too.

[Terry Green]

I recognize the shaft  varmint101 ....

[varmint101]

 

[Jon Stewart]

Been using a file on them for 50 years. I do nothing but use the file and nothing else. I like that rough edge a file leaves on them. I touch them up almost every time before I go out.

[Tdaniels]

  Try a RADA sharpener, 10-15 bucks . I use it on all my blades except axes , even my 3 blade woodsmen

[charles m]

Terry Green has a video in the How To forum. And Tom Musatto has a serrated method as well.

[Caranthir]

Lately I use a rada wheelie sharpener and strop on a piece of cardboard. I like to keep it simple. The broadhead has to be sharp enough to get the job done, then it goes back in the quiver, if the arrow survives! Repeat the process when back in camp or home. Guess I'm just not sharpening obsessed anymore.

[Sojurn]

I'm not saying any one right or wrong.  I'll be the first to admit that any reasonably sharp broadhead will kill with decent shot placement and time. 
  But.
 As a guy who makes knives, I feel obligated to give an opinion in RADA type sharpeners.  The "edge" they create is really just torn and jagged metal.  It's not so much to planes of steel intersecting to create an apex, focusing pressure and thereby cutting. 
  It's more like what's left over after using a can opener mixed with a steak knife. 
  Will these edges cut? Yes,  are there ways absolutely. 

[Larry Dean]

The RADA removes metal by scraping it off, so do other carbide sharpeners. However, like when one uses a file with lighter and lighter pressure, the same should be done with carbide sharpeners. A couple of very light strokes with a diamond file or strokes on a leather belt will clean up the edge as well.
One thing that cannot be done as easy with the single bevel, the laminates, No Mercy that I do with my single bevel Hills and Grizzlies is forward flat side serrated cutting teeth. On those I get them sharp enough to cut hair, then with the raw corners of a files with safety edges, at a 45 by 45 degree angle, I serrate the beveled edge. Then flat file the flat side with either a file a a flat diamond hone to remove the chunky stuff, then lightly dress the beveled side as well. This puts very clean little concave serrations that are super sharp and on the side of the single bevel flat, which is the direction that the head is rotating towards. A softer metal needs an edge that can hold up to initial hair and bone contact. Regardless of what some will say, this does not jam up with hair, bone or gristle when going through a deer.