Blade sharpening angles---I need some advice

[Yolla Bolly]

I have been reading many posts, viewing tutorials, etc. trying to plan for sharpening the single bevel Zwickeys that are flying so well with the new Grizzly Stiks---In the past, when I sharpened the the double bevels, I used files to reduce the  factory produced angles, such that the file barely cleared the ferrule.  If I do the same on the single bevel, the resulting angle will be only half of what I produced before.  I am concerned that it might be too thin.

Any help from your experience will be appreciated.

[Old York]

Good topic.
I'm concerned too about the minimum thickness a blade should have to render a durable edge.

[ChuckC]

experiment !  start with the biggest angle you can.  if you can get it sharp enough, right there you are !
ChuckC

[J-dog]

Not held the zwickey single bevel in my hand, so take it for what it is worth. On here the other day someone was saying that the zwickey was not built as thick as the grizzly. I know the Doc recommends 25 degrees on grizzly but then again you really dont have to, you can sharpen the head using the factory angle.

I think the answer to your question would be just to leave the factory edge and sharpen it as is? I am not sure how thin a zwickey would get with a 25 degree angle? the Zwickeys I have used have always been easy to sharpen and tough as nails.

I am sure someone on here will have tried it.

Later

J

[BobW]

I'd think Ron (Sharpster) might chime in soon on this one.  If not, I suggest giving him a jingle....

[Yolla Bolly]

Thanks folks---I did email Sharpster, and he responded quickly, so I ordered one of his knife sharpening rigs----he was confident it would do the job, but he had no experience with the particular broadhead, and did not say anything about which angle to use.
Unless I hear from someone who has tried a shallower angle with success, I will probably go with Chuck's and J-dog's suggestion and see what comes of it.  Not likely i will get to hunt mulies or elk this year---blacktails will be my only test subjects (I hope).

[WidowEater]

you cannot go wrong with one of rons sharpeners they are excellent and very user friendly

[BobW]

Ron's BH sharpener is a fixed angle.  The knife sharpener is adjustable.

[joebuck]

20 degrees most definitely. Silver Flames are sharpened to 19 degrees and touched up when dull to 20 degrees. I have a shaved left foreman show for it!

[ChuckC]

Joe.  Silver flames are double bevel, which makes for a 2x 19 degrees angle (each side).  A single bevel has only one side so 20 degrees is pretty thin.  The Lansky jig goes out to 30 degrees, however I am not really certain that this doesn't change a bunch depending upon how "wide open" you have the jig after inserting the blade (a wider blade needs a bigger gap).  There is another jig out there, similar to the Lansky, that has longer "ears" and hence can achieve wider angles.   I am guessing that 30 degrees would likely work fine if you use the Lansky.  I would not go down to 25 on the Zwickey.
ChuckC

[Deadbolt]

i have been playing around with these same heads myself...i have been trying multiple things but i am a sharpening idiot.  I really do stink at sharpening broadheads especially single bevels.

But anyway I will letcha know what I find next weekend when I really sit down for a bit and work these heads.  I have covered some ground but I'm not quite thewre yet...I have them sharp and they take a few hairs off but I want them scary sharp.  Once that happens I'll letcha know what I did LOL.

[WidowEater]

the KME systems angle is dependent on the width of the broadhead.  I asked Ron about it in a PM and this is what he said:

"The broadhead sharpener sharpens at around 23-30 degrees depending on the width of the broadhead. Very wide heads like Ace or Magnus II sharpen at lower angles than narrow heads like Grizzlies or Tusker Concords".

[fyrfyter43]

The lower the angle, the greater the bevelled surface area. The flesh/bone pushing against this bevelled area is what generates the torque that rotates the head. The greater the surface area, the greater the torque. I believe that's the reason Doc Ashby recommends sharpening Grizzlys at 25 degrees.

[ChuckC]

fyrfyter.  

true, but along with that view comes the fact that the lowerer the angle, the thinner the metal at the edges and the easier it is to bend , chip or deform.  This changes depending upon the shape of the head, the thickness of the head and the hardness and type of the metal in the head.

Without performing all of the metalurgic tests and in vivo shooting / pennetration testing, I am guessing that you should experiment, starting with a thicker angle and stop when you can achieve a very sharp blade.   I don't believe there will be a substantial difference in bevel surface area between 25 degrees and 20 degrees when you take into account the latter portion of the broadhead is one metal layer thick in the heads he is asking about.

Another study might be fun....  IF the front third of the blade is triple thick, as is the case here.. does it even matter if the rest is single beveled ?  Will IT drive the twist in the blade's travel.
ChuckC

[Ray Hammond]

mine are eyeballed (grizzlies) but I am thinking they are around 22 degrees..I am just off cutting metal off of the ferrule when I sharpen. I actually use the ferrule as a guide, and lift ever so slightly off it..but use no jigs or devices.

I don't have issues with blades chipping or deforming on my 160's and 190's. I don't shoot the smaller size grizzlies.

[greenhed]

Great thread!  I too have trouble getting heads sharp.  I just got a KME sharpener and seems to be doing the trick.  Do you suggest a diamond stone or something else?

[Ray Hammond]

I'm trying to get someone with a video camera to tape me sharpening a single bevel.

Out of the package to a finished head so sharp it will cut you to just stare at it- maybe 5 to 6 minutes.  After the first time where I have to change the angle, maybe 2 minutes to finish.

I have showed the fellows who have come to hog hunt with me how I do it and I think to a man they all kind of looked at it and said, 'hmmm, didnt think it was that easy."

If you are like me, you can be TOLD how to do something a million times, but if you SEE it done it makes it seem so easy..and it really is.

[SOS]

I'm sharpening challenged and used the jig in this thread:


 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=060487

to rough out my grizzlies single bevel.  My Gatco sharpener was too shallow at the 25 degree slot, so I epoxied a bracket on top that perfectly hits the bevel to put the final edge on somewhere near 25 degrees.  steve