The easiest way to set the bevel on a Grizzly is with a good file. The new Grizzlys come out of the bag with a bevel set close to 30degrees. You can keep that same angle and get a sharp working edge very fast, or you can remove a bit more metal and lay the bevel down to the ferrule around 25degrees which will reveal a super sharp edge. The $55 Ashby recommended Nicholson file is outstanding, but you can also get great results from the $8.00 Nicholson double cut mill bastard Handyfile.
Using the same set of files from the tutorial, at the link above, I timed sharpening one set of new Grizzlys keeping the factory 30degree angle. I also timed sharpening a second set where I changed the angle to approx 25degrees. I can comfortably sharpen around 5 Grizzlys per hour at 30degrees, and can sharpen 4 Grizzlys per hour at 25degrees. This is at smooth and steady pace. When I say sharp, I mean sharp!!
I would not recommend setting the bevel on the Grizzly with a knife sharpening jig. I have a KME knife sharpener which is outstanding, but such jigs work the stone in an arc whereas the edge of the Grizzly is long and straight. The wide bevel of the long straight edge does not mesh well with the sweeping arc.
No matter how wavy the factory ground bevel leaves the manufacturer, a good hand file will cut a perfectly uniform bevel to the edge from heel to tip in a matter of minutes. Beyond that point, it is up to the skill of the user as to how keen an edge one can obtain with a mill file. Properly done, one can hone an outstanding sharp edge with a good 6inch single cut mill bastard file. This will leave your edge perfectly straight without any rounding or arcing. You can also opt to hone the edge with a stone once the bevel is set with the file.
As noted above, once the bevel is set and the Grizzly is sharp, maintaining that edge becomes a simple task requiring only a few strokes. I can use the carrier and stone from my KME knife sharpener to dress up the final edge, but I do this free hand. The wide Grizzly bevel makes it easy to hold the correct angle.
I've hand sharpened Grizzlys for over a decade and have found that most who run into trouble cannot hand hold a consistent angle and/or are using the wrong file. Many will attempt to set the bevel with a 6 or 8inch single cut honing file which is a bad choice. Others forget to card and chalk their files and get frustrated when the file skips because they are gauled with metal filings. Most round the edge and play a game of chasing their tail. I've kept the same cheap Handyfile I tested running on over two dozen Grizzlys and it continues to cut like new. The Ashby file last longer. The 8inch and 6inch single cut mill bastard files will last equally long when properly used during the correct stage of the sharpening process. Think of the progression in courseness of files used on the Grizzly no different than the progression in courseness of stones used for sharpening. You need to learn when to use which file. Also, a blind man with all thumbs could hold a consistent angle using a bench technique like the one described in the tutorial. You can feel the angle as well as see the angle throughout the entire stroke. Bottom line, it is a straight edge with a single bevel. You cannot get any more basic than this. The only difficulty is with the harder steel when compared to other soft production broadheads. It is not rocket science.
Good Luck,
Daddy Bear
Topic: Having a heck of a time sharpening grizzly's. (Read 301 times)
