Axe & Hatchet Sharpening question?

[JD Spydo]

I know that this question has probably been up here several times but I am relatively new to Axes and Hatchets. One of the first things I learned when I became a knife addict was to learn all I could about sharpening and maintenance before I got super serious about the hobby.

I kind of want to do use the same game plan learning about maintaining/sharpening Axes, Hatchets, Machetes and other big edged tools.

I currently have a Norton Stone which looks like a Hockey Puck and it seems to do a fair job on the double bit axe but I'm sure with all the advances made in the fields of metal and sharpening that there are probably some really great tools and methods now available for sharpening axes. Now I have a TORMEK unit that I have used on one of my hatchets but I am a believer in learning how to do something the hard/manual way before I rely on power equipment.

So what are the best sharpening tools for Axes, Hatchets & Machetes?

 

[thechuck]

I have found nothing better then 6" DMT diamond stones for sharpening axes. For work axes, I never bother to go finer than the red. I understand that one of the finest axe sharpeners in the country (he does most of the axes you will see on the Stihl Timbersports Series) uses DMT diamond stones for almost everything besides the very final edging. That is the realm of barber hones and the like.