What method of broadhead sharpening do you employ?

[RGKulas]

Which guy are you?

I dispose of blades or heads when dull or use them for practice
KME sharpening system
Lansky sharpening systemem
Work Sharp system
I sharpen them by hand/eye with no fixture
I have a homemade sharpening system
I suck at sharpening my heads and Im looking for a tool
I don’t sharpen them, they come sharp enough
Other

Im starting this thread asking how you accomplish this important task since razor sharp heads are a must have for the serious bowhunter. A lot of people lack the ability to put an edge on a broadhead and it seems plenty are looking for an easy way.

3 bladed fixed heads (re. montec, hellrazoers, Wensel woodsman, Bodkin ect) are pretty easy to sharpen. If you can roll a toy car on a countertop you can sharpen a 3 blade head. 4 blade can be challenging unless you can disassemble them and reduce them to 4 individual or at least 2 blades but it seems people struggle with sharpening single or two bladed heads.

Lanski and KME and worksharp systems are effective but penny pinching bowhunters done seem eager to part with their money for a quality package so they wing it, dont sharpen the heads or simply dispose of the heads/blades and buy more or they use those dull heads/blades for practice.

The Lansky package is about $40

KME's package starts at about $50

Spyderco's system is about $55

Worksharp is about $70

all the above are quality and well worth the money (especially if you struggle to keep a consistent blade angle and be able to replicate that angle)

Im kicking around the idea of creating a tool for sharpening blades/heads (for replacement blades and/or 2 blade fixed blade heads) that would be simple to use (as simple as the KME or gliding a fixed 3 bladed head on a sharpening stone without worying about blade angle). Im looking for input from bowhunters. What are your thoughts on accomplishing this task. What would you be looking for in such a device?

[Jakeemt]

File, stone, strop all by hand no clamp ect. It gets them shaving sharp with a bit of elbow grease

[Whitetail Addict]

I shoot three blade heads. I sharpen by hand/eye, and like you said, It's pretty easy. I shot two blade heads years ago, and sharpened them by hand too.

I'm sorry can't help you with any ideas. I've never used any kind of sharpening system, or put any thought into it.

Bob

[BWD]

Originally posted by Jakeemt:
File, stone, strop all by hand no clamp ect. It gets them shaving sharp with a bit of elbow grease

Same here.

[monterey]

I use a lansky for two blades. I have some bodkins for small game and simply glide them on a stone.  For hunters using three blades on big game, it is effective to sharpen them with progressively finer grades of wet or dry on a thickish piece of glass.

Not really looking for a new or different system, but if I change it would be to the KME.

[Stixbowdrew]

Single cut file, and leather strop, very nasty serrated edge that does a number.

[Mint]

KME all the way for sharpening my Muzzy Phantoms or Palmer Extreme Cuts.

[stonewall]

file and stone by eye.

[Cavscout9753]

Zwickey eakimo. I use a file and break the burr off on my pant leg. Like anything it takes (took) a learning period, but now that I have it down its fast and effective.

[Longbow58]

http://tbwpodcast.com/video-39-stropping-for-razor-sharp-edges/  The blue jean final strop is amazing. I'm not a good sharpener but I am now getting them razor sharp.

[shedhunta]

Kme then razorsharp cardboard wheel on my bench grinder for two blades.

[Brianlocal3]

By hand

Here is a video I made
 

[olddogrib]

I use the Lansky.  For convex heads like Simmons I modded a 3-sided Jewelstik to take a guide rod so I can use it with the clamp.

[Rock 'N Bow]

I've been using a 12" file and cardboard for my 3 blades and a Lansky for my 2 blades. The stones with the Lansky are getting old after 15 years of use, so I will probably replace the whole system with a KME knife sharpener.

[RGKulas]

Originally posted by Brianlocal3:
By hand

Here is a video I made
   

You produced very good results even if your blade angle was sort of all over the place. The guys I talk to cant master freehand sharpening, dont want to spend big $$$ on a device or machine so they wing it or just by new heads or replacement blades or hunt with less than sharp heads all the while wishing there were an easier way to make it fool proof and repeatable and low cost.

[AZ_Longbow]

Mill cut bastard file, I keep it in my quiver so even if I miss I retouch it up in the field. and for that extra special between field time I use a spiderco sharpmaker to make the edge beyond the razor the  file makes when I am back at camp.
And the file gets it plenty sharp, I was just out after deer and got a shot at a yote, I missed and got my arrow out or a pebbly riverbed. Well I few minutes later I hit it with the file and decided to see if it would shave hair. A swipe along a patch and it bit into the skin and I bled for about 5 minutes. never even felt it cut. That's sharp enough for the job.

[Sam McMichael]

Now, I most often use KME, but I still do it free hand sometimes. I have found it very useful to lessen the pressure as the sharpening sequence goes along.

[Stump73]

Kme broadhead sharpening jig on a large stone then finish up on leather strop.

[smokin joe]

I have developed my own systems.

For two blade: I sharpen with a high quality chain saw raker file (the raker file is the flat one with the smooth edges) file to establish the angle and get rid of the factory grind. Then I finish with a Smith tool.

For three blade: I sharpen two blades at a time with a chain saw raker file and a count-down method. Then i steel the blades two at a time with a count-down method. The raker file edges are smooth and make a darn good butcher's steel.

All of my files have home-made handles in them so I don't slice myself. Don't ask how I thought of that.   :rolleyes:  

All of my broad heads will shave after the above methods. And the tools are very inexpensive.  

[Biathlonman]

3 blade see a file and a crock stick.  Two blade see either a KME or a RADA sharpener. For less then $10 the RADA can't be beat.