alternative for sharpening snuffers?

[snow leopard]

could someone please tell me whether the s-24 files system can be used to sharpen snuffers as opposed to the snuffer files also sold by 3 rivers? thanks for any help.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I just use a 16" Mill Bastard file. Any flat bastard file or Stone will do.. I file, then Stone, then end up with a leather strop.

[Orion]

The S-24 is made for two- and four-blade heads.  It does not work for 3-blade heads.  3R and others do sell a similar sharpening/honing block that works on 3-blade heads.

[lpcjon2]

Originally posted by mysticguido:
I just use a 16" Mill Bastard file. Any flat bastard file or Stone will do.. I file, then Stone, then end up with a leather strop.

X2

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by mysticguido:
I just use a 16" Mill Bastard file. Any flat bastard file or Stone will do.. I file, then Stone, then end up with a leather strop.

X3    

[Kevin Dill]

No matter what method, here's how I finish:

Find a drinking glass which has a radiused edge around the top...which they almost all have.

Starting at the back of the blades: Lay 2 blades flat on the top edge of the glass.

Do not press down at all; but pull/slide the head across the glass edge from back to tip.

One pull on 2 blades, then rotate and repeat. You want light contact only. Go around the head 3 times.

Finally; go around the head another time or 2, but try to make only the lightest contact with the glass surface. You'll be "carrying" the weight of the head, and just letting the 2 edges scarcely touch the radiused edge of the glass. Now you're done.

The glass is harder than the steel. You're not removing any material from the head. All you're doing is fine-tuning the sharpened edge. They cut like a laser!

[Bobby Urban]

KD - that is an interesting and savvy idea?  Never heard that one before but I certainly plan to use it on my Snuffs and WW's going forward.  I always look at these threads as I am a 3 blade shooter and love to pic up new ideas.  I thought I had heard/read most of the techniques until now.  Good stuff.
Bob Urban

[Kevin Dill]

Bob,

It works well. I actually use a Kustom King file for basic filing and 80% sharpening. The KK file has a (somewhat) smooth radiused edge to it, which serves the same as a steel. After filing the head, I steel it on the edge of the file a bunch of times, lighter and lighter strokes toward the end. Usually I can cut hair with it right then. Going to the glass is my little secret for getting a quick and easy finish to a hair-popper.

[bretto]

Kevin, That is how I strop all of My heads. I usually use the bottom of a glazed coffee cup.

My Grand mother used the bottom of a crock bowl in her kitchen to sharpen all her knives. Her father was a part time meat cutter who taught her this trick.

bretto

[Bill Carlsen]

I use a small ceramic rod on my Razorcaps. Very light pressure = surgically sharp blades.

[Kevin Dill]

I think maybe the most overlooked aspect of sharpening any broadhead is how to finish it off.

I learned a long time back that a soft hand is needed after initial sharpening. Going with increasingly lighter pressure all the way to the end is what yields the finest edge. On all my broadheads, those last 3 or 4 strokes are almost not even touching the glass.

[hvyhitter]

Big file, diamond rod, coffee cup/ceramic stick............never needed anything special for my snuffers.

[hova]

i thought you meant you sharpened with glass. stropping on a glass will work fine , but sharpening will take forever.


i used to sharpen my shaving razor on an old ceramic bowl as others have said. make sure you get a flat edge to sharpen against , otherwise youll just gouge the face up.


and nothin' beats an old german stone and a canvas/leather strop. unless you got a paper wheel. had a guy at a gun show sharpen my hunting knife , and it was the sharpest thing i had ever seen. polished nicely too.

-hov

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I first touch mine several times on 2 of the flat blade edges "lightly" on an 80 grit belt sander. Rotate and touch all 3 sides....2 blades at a time, and I do this about twice or 3 times around until all the edges are even. You can color the blade edges with a black sharpie first if you need to, so you will know when you have the edges all even.
Then I use a small fine cut flat file to hone the edges from back of the blade to the front and keep rotating for about 20-30 strokes....3 strokes at first, then rotate 3 more strokes and so on. When I get down to the last final 4-5 rotations, I lighten up on the pressure barely stroking the blades at all and go down to 2 strokes, then 1 super light stroke the final couple of times around.
Then that's it, I don't do anything else to them and they are hair popping sharp.

It took me awhile to get a "Feel" for it, but when you do........you will know when to lighten up on the strokes and when to stop. I tried stropping on leather, card board, and other materials before and it didn't do anything for the sharpness and sometimes it even felt as if it dulled them slightly.....so I didn't do that anymore.

I zipped one through a coyote like he wasn't even there. So that tells me that they are plenty sharp.

[chanumpa]

My method is about tne same as semos,but I am certainly going to try the KevinDill secret.Shh,thanks for sharing Kevin.

[snow leopard]

thanks for all the tips so far, in paticular kevin. never heard of that before. orion; all i can say is what's left of my mind must have gone "south" for a few nanosecons. thanks again all---.