HELP ! CANT SHARPEN A GRIZZLY

[EIGHTWGT]

Guys... I am ashamed... I take pride in my work but openly admit faults.. well I cannot get a griz sharp.. I have always used 'presharpened heads' and after reading Dr Eds posts I am using grizzly heads - period BUT... try and try and cannot get them RAZOR sharp - heck I tried so long I honed a curve in the blades...
I have read everything about sharpening them, and blades...just cant seem to 'get er done'   I understand about raising a burr, etc... I have a medium and fine Norton oil stone, a strop...but need help and Im going hunting in Indiana in 7 days.....

[SoNevada Archer]

Tom
without seeing what your doing it's hard to know where to tell you to go, but make sure you are keeping the same angle as you work. You can even screw up the edge on final strop if you roll the edge over as you work back and forth.
The other thought I had is maybe the package of heads is just poorly heat-treated...

[Big'n]

Wish I could help but I can't just thought I'd let you know that you're not the only one. I tried the Grizzlies and the single bevel No Mercys and have thrown them in the trash and gone back to pre sharpened. I just can't take the chance of shooting an animal with a semi sharp BH. I've just come to the realization that I can't sharpen BHs. Or maybe it's that what some people call sharp is not sharp in my mind. If a BH wont shave hair, I don't think it's sharp. I'll try again next summer/late fall, but I really don't see what I could do different as I've used a file as shown on here. I've tried a Lansky sharpener as someone else has suggested....all stones, strop...the whole bit. I give up for this year. Maybe next year. God Bless, Dave

[Charlie Lamb]

Try this system!

  KME  

If it doesn't work for you, I'll buy it from you.

 

[Sharpster]

Tom,

PM sent.

Don't feel ashamed!! They are tough out of the pack... I'm late this am, got to get to the shop but, give me a call.

Ron

[RightTrailWrongTime]

Yeah I'm having a hell of a time too, seems I have to remove a fair amount of material on some to get close and then getting them sharp is givin me fits. I have a lansky too and spent hours yes hours just on noe head and it's still not right- A friend just gave me a Nickelson I think mill bastard file and thats been working far better, now if i could just keep the angle true I think I can get em there. So far it seems the tip area and the rear area get real sharp but through the middle is still not there. I've rolled a few edges over I guess from too much pressure- I'm not giving up I really want to see what these heads will do!

[Daddy Bear]

I put this together to help those having a hard time holding a straight edge:

 http://***********.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?threadid=179670&category=88#2247479

It is using the new 160Grizzly which is of the same hardness as the 190. I would have put the tutorial on this board but I'm unable to post pictures here.

I will say that Sharpster knows the Ashby method of sharpening the Grizzly and Ron knows how to make them very sharp.

[Featherman]

The key to sharpening a Grizzly head is keep the file flat and straight on the blade. When I first started I used a "10 mill bastard file', at least thats what I think it is called, stroke front to back till you get a curl on the edge and then strope with a piece of leather or a set of ceramic sticks.

When I first started I used a black sharpie to color the blade, this way I could monitor the strokes and the angle of the file.

This may not work for everyone but it worked for me, good luck.

[drewsbow]

Talk to Ron at KME , he's the man :0)      

[Missouri CK]

It can be done but is one heck of a process. I used them for an elk hunt this fall.  It took me two files and a lot of man hours.  Your going to need a jig of some sort to keep the broadhead fixed. The KME is what most people are leaning towards.  I used a Lansky sharpener. First and foremost get the backside of the edge your working on flat.  Put the broadhead down flat on your bench and use a file to establish the flat edge for the bevel before you start working on the actual bevel. Go back and reestablish that flat backside everytime before you go on to another grit or a different stone. Your basically keeping the bevel from curling over.  Sometimes I can still go through all the stones and the head still won't shave hair.  I turn the head over and reestablished that flat backside (removed the curl on the bevel) and they start popping hair immediately.

If I had to do it all over again I would probably buy the KME sharpener. I got involved with the process and then had to prove to myself that I could get them sharp.      

I can say that I got a grizzly sharp but it wasn't fun.

If you don't have a jig it is my belief that your going to have to possess a large amount of file experience to get it done.  I just don't have the ability to keep the file perfectly uniform without a jig of some type.  Feel free to call or e-mail with further questions.

Chris

[dsa1817]

Just out of curiosity, what angle does the KME jig sharpen, or is it adjustable for angle?

[Whip]

The KME jig is what it took for me to turn the corner.  To make the process even quicker and easier I set the initial bevel by clamping a head in the KME jig and running it on my belt sander. (Be very careful to have the belt running AWAY from the head - don't want that thing getting lose and going through your hand!)  Then I finished them by going through a progression of sandpaper on down to very fine wet/dry paper.

[Danny Rowan]

Gee, I must be the odd man out. I can get the hair popping sharp in no time with a file.

Danny

[K Lantz]

I made a board that holds my file and a piece of planer blade at the same level. I lower the bevel on the edge by letting the ferrule run along the planer blade while the edge runs on the file. After the bevel is brought down a piece of wood goes under the planer blade to bring it to the same level as the top of my stone.
 http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t29/kl80_2007/PA120014.jpg
After a little honing I go to a strop treated with the green honing compound available from Lee Valley It takes a little while to change the bevel on new heads but the only trick is making sure you keep the pressure equal along the length of the edge to ensure it comes out straight without taking more from one end or the other of the head.

[EIGHTWGT]

I talked to Ron at KME today - what a great guy... I need to have him send me that jig of his, you guys make it sound great.... Ron gave me great pointers and figured out what I was doing wrong.... nothing bad, just a few minor errors that kept me from getting the results I wanted...  Now Im sitting here trying to de-burr the blade. I tried a method Ron explained but not doing well... gee...