Sharpening Grizzly broadheads

[eagle24]

I recently ordered some 160gr Grizzly broadheads.  They fly well on the arrows I am shooting.  At the time I ordered them, I did not realize they were only ground on one side.  Also, they seem to not be ground sharp on the front most part of the blade at the tip.  For those who shoot grizzlies, how do you sharpen them?  Do you sharpen only the side with the grind and then remove the burr from the other side (per the instructions)?  Is the small angle at the tip supposed to be left without an edge by design?  I won't shoot anything less than razor (shaving) sharp.  Been there and done that, lesson learned the hard way.  I would like to hear your suggestions before I break out the sharpening stones.

[BamBooBender]

Jusat sharpen em like you would a plane blade or chisel. BTW I use a file and get them shaving sharp.

[JEFF B]

yes as bamboobender said use a  file but after the file use a bit of leather to take any burs off the edge. then use a steel. you can shave the hair off your arm no problem.    jeff

[Golden Hawk]

Just use a file on the single ground edge,then a ceramic stick. Run the unground side across some leather to remove the burr and they'll pop hair.

[eagle24]

Thanks Guys,  What about the very tip where the angle of the blade is steeper for about 1/8", is it supposed to be blunt with no cutting edge or should I try and file an edge on it?

[Golden Hawk]

Leve the tip as is. It won't hamper the peformance one bit.

[ShinneryOak]

The Grizzlies are unbelievably tough but gave me all kinds of grief trying to get them shaving sharp. I am just not good enough with a hand held file. If you get frustrated, try the Lil Shaver from 3Rivers. I use the outside guide hole. As above, just take the burr off the flat side, though. I follow it with the Sportmen Stick sharpener from KustomKing, very lightly, until it "sings". I go ahead and sharpen the point but leave the angle as is. I think Grizzlies are still the best points out there, I just took a 190 lb. 8 point with one last month.

[Walkingstick]

Eagle, I once did an arrow building tutorial in which I sharpened Grizzlies with a file and it is still up this website:  griizly sharpening on page 6  
Lilfeather once did one too but I cannot seem to locate it. He sharpens the bevel down to a less steep angle but other than that does it all about the same. Check it out...the pics are really good....Mac~

[SlowBowinMO]

File sharpening is my first choice.  I'd leave the point alone, that is one bone breaking, just about bomb proof feature of the Grizzly I really like.

If you can't file sharpen, try this.  It's a good alternate method.

 http://www.braveheartarchery.us/new_page_10.htm

[BamBooBender]

File sharpening bh's is sorta like making a flemish  string, it's easy to show someone how, but kinda hard to splain it with words. Also there's more than one way to do it. The videos Tom Mussato put on here  helped me out a lot years ago as did Dean Torges web site. I think you can find them both on the recent thread about "micro serrated vs smooth honed edge" or somethin like that.

[Alsea]

I use a 12" Nicholson Mill Bastard file, finish up with a diamond stone. Not necessary to change blade angle, just use the factory angle as a guide. Easy to sharpen, flies great, penetrates extremely well, bone breaker, tough as they come, you'll lose 'em before you ever bend or break one, cheap, scary looking, easy to touch up in the field, great killer of game and my favorite broadhead, especially the 190 grain El Grandes...

[eagle24]

Thanks again for the info.  I'll give the file sharpening a go.  I've always used Zwickeys and honed them with my Arkansas stones.  I usually hone them until you can breathe on the edge and hear the germs screamin and let that be it.

[TheArc]

If you want a cut on contact tip that Dr Ashby highly recommends try the Tanto style point. It won't weaken the tip and works better than a scqaured off chisel type.

[eagle24]

Well I figured out sharpening the grizzly heads.....you take them off and put on STOS heads.  Seriously, I spent 2 hours fooling with trying to get one to shave last night.  I tried the file sharpening, leather strap, ceramic sticks, butchers steel, arkansas stone......never got one close to shaving.  I took them off and put 160gr STOS heads on the arrows.  I'm leaving in the morning for a 4 day hunt and did'nt have any more time to fool with them.  They are on the arrows for my backup bow/setup anyway.  I'm not giving up because I really like the looks of the head and they fly great, but I won't use them if I can't get them shaving.  I've always been able to sharpen knives and broadheads, but this is my 1st experience with a single ground edge and it really has me beat right now.          

[SlowBowinMO]

Don't despair.  The single bevel is a dream come true for some, and impossible for others at first.  If you stick with it you'll hit it, and then they'll be easy as pie.

[Pack]

The Grizzlies gave me a lot of grief until I figured out how to sharpen them.  I did reduce the angle about as much as you can without filing on the ferrule.  If you use a single cut file it will take a long time per head.  I have found it much easier to use a double cut file to remove a majority of the metal from the beveled side first.  I mount the file on a boarda and C-clamp it to my bench.  Once I get close to having a burr, I switch to a single cut file and continue until there is a burr along the entire length of the bevelled side.  I then use a medium and fine diamond to remove the burr and get the head fairly sharp using single strokes on both sides of the head at basically the same angle you were filing at.  When the burr is completely gone and the edge is smooth it will be fairly sharp, but not finished.  I then use a ceramic rod to finish them.  The trick is to increase the angle with the ceramic rod so you are cutting a new and clean bevel slightly steeper than the filed and honed bevel  (I probably raise the broadhead up another 1/8" or so to get the steeper angle).  I do that on all double beveled broadheads also.  Most sharpening instructions seem to ommit that part, but it is what will make them scary sharp.  The steel on the El Grandes is very hard.  You have to want to tinker and spend some time with them, but they will end up super sharp.  Lil feather helped me finish my first package and I hope to try them out on an elk this December with my new Wes Wallace bow.