Completely Frustrated with Sharpening

[richter]

Hi Folks. I have had it with trying to sharpen some Magnus Stingers. I am new to Trad this fall and prior this season, during my 23 years with training wheels, I either shot mechanicals or just bought new heads after each kill. With my new equipment I am practicing with my broadheads much more and I want to try sharpening and re-using the heads. I have watched all the videos and read countless threads that I have found through the search function. At first I tried using stones and steels. My dad was a ham boner for 30+ years and he provided me with numerous stones and steels, including some ceramic sticks. With this equipment I can raise a burr, but as I progress to finer stones to remove the burr I seem to lose any edge I started. I end up duller than when I started. next I tried a file first and then going to stones with teh same results. So yesterday I decide to come into my work and try using our grinding wheels and sanders. I work for a manufacturing company and in our tool room we have countless grinders and belt sanders in every grit imaginable. After 45 minutes on one head, raising a burr only to lose the edge on the finer wheels and buffing wheel I decided to quit before I blew a gasket. What am I doing wrong? I suspect that it has something to do with my inabaility to hold a consistent angle, but I'm not sure. I am considering switching to a three blade like a woodsmen in the hopes that I can keep a consistent angle just by laying them flat on a file or stone. Do you think this sounds like a better plan for someone with my grotesque sharpening skills or is there something else I should try? Maybe one of those pull through sharpeners? Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Mike Vines]

Best sharpener on the market in my opinion the KME knife sharpener.  You can not go wrong with it on any 2 blade BH or on a knife.

[stevewills]

get a paper wheel sharpener.thats what i use for all my muzzy 220s,just have to remove the bleeder blade...so easy a cave man could do it

[Stumpkiller]

Sounds like you are changing the final edge angle as you switch between methods.  This gives you a nice and smooth but rounded cutting angle that has no bite and no fine edge.  That's one of the advantages to file sharpening - it's a rough edge but very consistant in angle.

Simplest solution is some type of jig to hold the head in the same position relative to the sharpener.  Like the KME that clamps the broadhead or the Tru-Angle S-24 file block that angles the files.

[Smithhammer]

Some broadheads are more challenging to sharpen than others, but I'm surprised you're having this problem with Stingers - I've always been impressed with the edge they come with straight out of the package. Not that they are totally "hunting sharp," but pretty close in my experience.

Honestly, after messing around with all sorts of sharpening methods (though I have yet to use a KME), I finally just gave in to using an Accu-Sharp on my 2-blades. They work great on Stingers (unless you have the 150 gr. model). A few swipes when the broadheads are new and I have no qualms about hunting with them. A few more swipes now and then and they stay that way. Then I give a few passes with a Diamond stick using light pressure.

Maybe it's not the time-honored, "traditional" method, but it's quick and easy and will produce the consistent results you're looking for. You can always expand into more involved sharpening methods and/or invest in a KME, as you get more into it.

And this is just a personal bias I'll throw out there, but I would avoid switching to a (name redacted) 3-blade solely out of frustration with sharpening. Stick with a good, heavy, cut on contact 2-blade, learn how to sharpen it well, and you won't find anything that produces better results, imo.

[Swamp Yankee]

It sounds to me that keeping a consistent angle might be the problem.  The KME sharpening system seems to be one of the more popular for maintaining a good angle; but there are others.  I've always stayed away from power tools for sharpening for fear of overheating and destroying the temper.
I shoot mostly three blades for that very reason; quick and simple touch up on a fine stone then leather strop and you're done.

[BowHunterGA]

For what it is worth, I have tried a couple of the "pull through" type sharpeners and was dis-satisfied with both. Your mileage may very.

I just picked up a KME last week and I am still working with it. So far I have been unable to get an edge as good as I can with a plain old file but I know this is my short coming NOT the KME. Too many satisfied users, and I am sure I will get there with a little time and patience.

I will add that, with a plain file and a lot of practice early on, I have gotten rather proficient at putting an edge on a two blade with a file. I can easily get my STOS 145s hair popping sharp with a file. The only real advice I could try and give you is that to accomplish a razor edge I had to learn to apply VERY little pressure when finishing the edge. I make a final one or two passes with the file on each side with so little pressure that I am not sure I am doing anything but the edge will be very sharp after doing so. If I tried to strop these I am sure they would be as sharp as could ever been needed but for whitetails I am confident that my heads are plenty sharp with only the file.

Hope this helps!

[str8jct]

$10 AccuSharp for all my two blades and knives, easy as pie.

[Mint]

I recommend the KME also. It holds the broadhead at the perfect consistent angle and is very easy to use. I sharpened 12 muzzy ss phantoms last night in a 1 hour and got them all hair shaving sharp while watching tv no less. It really is idiot proof.

[buckster]

AccuSharp & RADA Wheels, easy as PIE.  We carry the RADA Wheels, knives, etc. on our website.

[KentuckyTJ]

Keeping the exact same angle is critical on any of these hard stainless steel replaceable bladed heads. If you don't you will drive yourself nuts trying. any hand held sharpening device can not do it. I start them (out of the package) with my KME sharpener and a file to make sure the angle is consistent. Then move on to a diamond and stone flat stones. Once you use the file you won't ever have to do that again. A simple touch up with the stones will get them back quickly.

Also as the blades will bend with too much pressure while pushing down you need to go real light pressure during the entire process to keep that angle the same.

[LV2HUNT]

Sounds like you are doing too much to them. Those stingers should require a few swipes on a ceramic stick to be razor sharp.

[Recurve50 LBS]

Richter,

It sounds like you are having trouble keeping your angle consistant. I'd recomend you give KME a call, speak to Ron tell him your sharpening problems and he can steer you in the right direction. Maybe you can buy his knife sharpening kits. For sure he is not the type of man to take advantage of you and sell you something you may not be in need of. Ron is an honest man.

I own and use the KME knife sharpener. I start off with my angle set at 25 degrees for my broadheads and knives. I then mark each edge with a black magic marker then using a course stone/diamond I start working one side of the blade until I can feel a burr along the entire blade edge. Then I flip to the opposet side and repeat until I can feel a burr. When I get to that point I switch to the next finer stone using the same process until I finish with each stone working my way from course to extra fine.

After that I get a piece of cardboard such as part of shipping box top and put some "Mothers" polish on it and let it dry. After it's dry strop your broadhead/knife blade on the polish. After that polish step flip cardboard over and strop on bare cardboard. When done the sharpened edge will appear very shiney and very, very sharp.

It does take some time and patience to get the heads where you want them to be. When you get there you will be very happy with the results.

[Jeff Strubberg]

There's really only two mistakes you can make sharpening, assuming your stones and sticks are in good shape.

1.  Pushing too hard.  This is the problem I see 99% of the time when people haven't done much sharpening. When you move the blade across the abrasive surface, you don't push AT ALL.  No weight.  If you are leaning into the work piece at all, you will NOT end up with a sharp anything.

2.  Not keeping a consistent angle.  I think I got this trick from Too Short (Paul Brunner).  Get a sharpie and darken the entire bevel of the broadhead.  Stroke the head across your sharpener a few times, then check the bevel.  You will have removed some of the sharpie mark.  Keep darkening that one bevel and stroking it until you find the angle where you are wearing the entire sharpie mark off.  Now you know the angle you want for your particular head.  

Work your way through your sharpeners, darkening the bevel with the sharpie every time you switch.  You'll find that you can now raise a hair-poppign edge.

Yes, this method takes time, but you are training your eye and hand to sharpen correctly.  Once you've doen a few dozen heads, you won't need the sharpie anymore and things will go much quicker.

[archeryx]

I use the Magnus All-Sharp on my 150 and 125 Stingers without any issues.  Fast and easy.

[Rob DiStefano]

for knives and twin blade and bleeder four blade broadheads, it's impossible not to get razor sharp with a kme, it's that good.  promise.  it will razor sharpen all yer knives and broadheads and you'll wonder why you didn't get a kme sooner.  

once the kme establishes a good blade angle, a 6" file and a very fine stone/diamond for the field is all you'll ever need.  a coarse stone/diamond sets the angle and will get 95% of the job done, the rest is with light stropping to remove the burr, which can be done with just some flat, stiff cardboard.  creating and removing the burr is what sharpening blades is all about.  just ask ron @ kme.

[xtrema312]

KME BH sharpener and ask Ron for some help.  

Sent you an e-mail with some info.  

[RM81]

I had the same problem and bought a KME.  I sharpen my 2 blades while watching TV and haven't had any problems getting a shaving sharp edge on them.

[Bladepeek]

I would say be careful with that buffer. Obviously your used to working with the equipment, but my buffer is the one most dangerous thing I have in the shop. The other point is that it the little loose ends you can't see sticking up above the main surface of the wheel tend to round off the edge giving exactly what you describe - highly polished but not sharp

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Bladepeek:
I would say be careful with that buffer. Obviously your used to working with the equipment, but my buffer is the one most dangerous thing I have in the shop. The other point is that it the little loose ends you can't see sticking up above the main surface of the wheel tend to round off the edge giving exactly what you describe - highly polished but not sharp

totally agree - buffing wheels and knife honing aren't compatible and the flapping of the buffing wheel will dull blades faster than anything else.

when i need to round the tops of flat metal edges (fret crowning on guitar necks), the flapping/buffing action does the deed perfectly, every time.