WW . . how sharp can we get it. .Let's try

[wingnut]

From our exit hole thread we learned that it may not be how sharp a BH is before it enters the animal, but how sharp it is as it exits that is the determining factor.  I've taken the challenge of going from my age old "file sharp" mentality to taking the edge to "don't want to be in the same room sharp".

To start on the project this morning I pulled the DMT grit chart.  As a dealer, I'm lucky in that I have all of these grits in stock and available to use:

   

The real heavy ones will really move metal and after already doing the file I think would be overkill.  Where do you think I should start with a good file sharpened head?  I'm thinking Red, Green, White, Tan.

 

Mike

[Shaun]

Then a leather strop and then burnishing on a piece of glass. But I would be scared to carry it around unless it was immediately coated with something (like Chapstick) and put in a protective quiver.

Keep us posted on getting them super sharp.

[southpawshooter]

I go from the file to the red stone.   From there to the green - that puts a VERY sharp edge on the WW.  If you want one step further then go from the green to a strop, but it really isn't necessary - the green does a heckuva job.

[wingnut]

With this project, I'm not going to go to "good enough" or VERY sharp.  I'm going to go to "it can't get sharper" in my hands.

Got some stuff to do this am.  And then I'm going to get started and take pics as I go.

Mike

[Widowbender]

David

[Jeremy]

The green stone is the equivalent of 900 grit sandpaper, or put another way a little coarser than the typical hard (white) Arkansas stone.  Sharp, but nowhere near polished.

The ceramic stone is just over midway between the hard and translucent Arkansas stones (~1700grit sandpaper) and should do a good job of getting a nice polished edge, and may just be able to cut a free-standing hair.

The tan stone will put a near-mirror edge on.  It's finer than the hard black Arkansas.

For a true razor edge you should polish with a 30000 waterstone (that's not a typo).  That will not only cut a standing hair, but split a standing hair.

[Jeremy]

I forgot you were a DMT dealer... we'll talk later  

[paleFace]

just for my info just how sharp would you say the majority of the pre sharpened blades such as muzzy or thunderheads are based on the above info.  I use WW's and the eclipse and feel like i get them purty sharp but should they be sharper?

[SlowBowinMO]

Good stuff.  The Snuffers and Woodsmans are about 45hrc, softer than many heads, to compensate for the blade angle which can make them harder to get sharp.  Anyway you should be able to get them wicked, I'm watching with great interest!  

[Charlie Lamb]

Looking forward to this one Mike.

     

[Steve O]

Mike,

You may want to do another experiment after; take one to a 6" grinder first, then go thru the same process you settle on with the stones.  The hollow grind start may yeild an even finer edge.

I am very interested to see how this progresses!

[tradtusker]

looking forward to it mike WW can get very sharp i would start about red like you said if you have it flat with the file

also remember you can over sharpen an edge once it gets very sharp you have to be careful as you can make it worse trying it make it sharper needs a delicate precise touch at the finishing stages

[calgarychef]

I love ww's but I doubt that anyone can get them really sharp.  If I could get them sharp like my kitchen knives I'd be mightily pleased, but alas it's never to be....you see it's the metal that matters and they're made to stay in one peice after the shot not to be scary sharp.

As an aside I notice that when you buy them: knives are sharp, razors are sharp, scissors are sharp etc.  Everything I buy with an edge comes sharpened and ready to use why oh why can't a broadhead?  After 20 years of cooking and sharpening knives countless times I'm just sick of sharpening stuff.  

the chef

[jrchambers]

has any one hollow ground them, I use a spray paint can wraped with sandpaper and leather with jb bore paste gets the angle flat and sharp,  I think that if one pass on your arm takes all the hair it comes in contact with it is as sharp as its going to get or at least wont be able to tell a difference.

[SlowBowinMO]

JR, you could make them even sharper that way initially, but I suspect the edge holding qualities would deteriorate significantly.  Plays right into the "sharp on the other side" thread topic.

[Morning Star]

I use....

1. file
2. blue DMT
3. red DMT
4. strop with oil soaked leather.

[Kingwouldbe]

Originally posted by wingnut:
With this project, I'm not going to go to "good enough" or VERY sharp.  I'm going to go to "it can't get sharper" in my hands.

Got some stuff to do this am.  And then I'm going to get started and take pics as I go.

Mike

After reading you "only file sharpen your heads" Mike, it's good to see old dog's are willing to learn new tricks.

If you look at a file sharpened edge under a microscope it looks like a saw blade, now your going to smooth out that edge to a fine edge.

As doctors already know, a super smooth edge causes more hemorrhaging, and is much harder to stop, and that's what we want, don't we.

Another great topic Wingnut    

[Sharpster]

Mike,

Sorry to chime in so late on this.

Since the heads are already file sharpened I'd only use the blue (coarse) and red (fine) then go to the white ceramic if you have one. (I'd use a Norton cobination india stone between the fine diamond and the white ceramic but not sure if you have one of those).

Next Strop on dry corrugated cardboard. If your doing a three blade head, then lay the head on the cardboard. Lift one blade up slightly  and drag the other blade backward across the surface of the cardboard. Then reverse to do the other blade. Then rotate the head and repete. Kind of like a skating motion except instead of pushing into the blade that's down, you're pulling it backwards. You don't want to crush or even compress the cardboard.

Snufferes, WWs, Razorcaps or almost any three blade head can be made every bit as sharp or sharper than a brand new razorblade. Push from elbow to wrist and not leave a single hair behind. I say  almost because there is one popular head out there that the metal is just not adequately hardened to be able to develop that level of sharpness.

Ron

[Glenn Carl]

Ok Mike, its after lunch now. Really looking forward to this. is there anyway you can video some of this so us sharpening challenged guys can see how you move the head along your sharpening media

Gnenn

[Sharpster]

Oh yea, one other thing that's sure to raise a couple eyebrows...

When sharpening a three blade head I push the head away from me point first rather than pulling it backwards like so many recommend.

This is the equivelent of hand sharpening a knife when you draw the blade, edge first along the stone as though you were trying to shave a slice off the stone. You wouldn't use an "away from the edge" motion to sharpen anything else so why would a 3 blade broadhead be any different?

And as you progress through finer and finer grits use less and less pressure. It's also critical to rotate the broadhead every single pass, particularly with the finest grit.

Ron