Need help sharpening machete!!!

H

hardcorepunk

Joined
Dec 24, 2011
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2
First post ever.

So for christmas I got a sharpmaker, and it works great, on pocketknives. I tried sharpening a dull bowie of mine, and it simply stayed dull, and I put it down to it being a cheaper bowie. I had sharpened my pocket knives to hair popping sharpness before it. I went to sharpen my girlfriends semi-sharp machete and the instant it touched the sharpmaker it dulled down to not cutting ANYTHING. Any advice? Thanks in advance'
 
I would imagine it could use some work with a large file before going to the Sharpmaker. If its never been done up well since leaving the factory, the bevels probably don't even meet up. I'd say get out your Sharpie, mark up the bevels, and get to it with a file or a sheet of 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper glued to a board. After that, you might have better luck.

I don't own one, but the Sharpmaker as I understand it, isn't meant for doing heavier clean-up.
 
what kind of machete is it? i would try what hh told you to do and see how that goes. if you dont have any luck and want someone to sharpen it for you i can. i'll also be glad to give you a call and help you to sharpen it yourself.
 
got access to a belt sander?
easiest way I know of to put a decent working edge on a machete is several quick, light passes on a 4x36 with 180 or 220 grit belt.
after every other pass, pinch the blade right behind the edge to see if it's getting hot -- when it's warm enough to be uncomfortable, dunk it in a bucket of water or wipe it down with a damp towel/shop rag to keep from losing the temper.
once you have an even and consistent grind the full length of the blade, you can maintain it with a fine mill file or your sharpmaker.
OTOH, I use a machete as a farm tool and it spends a lot of time in contact with dirt when I'm chopping stuff down, so I don't bother with a mirror bright razor edge, which means this may not work for you.
 
I have used a pneumatic die grinder, with a three (3") inch cutoff wheel to sharpen axes, machetes, shovels, ice choppers etc. I f you don't have a air supply, how about a belt sander upside down in a vise, to also sharpen these pioneer tools.
 
i would use a file before a thin cutoff wheel. the chances of it burning the edge are greater since they tend to be high rpm.
a belt sander would work a lot better.
 
Even a $100 machete will get dinged up, no sense in spending too much time. In fact, sometimes a few passes with a file is all it needs. Get a file, if you don't have one, use the sharpmaker after that, if you want. I just don't see it as necessary. A super fine edge vs. a rougher edge won't make a big difference in it's performance, at least not worth the extra time. Maybe it's good just for practice to use the sharpmaker, but you're going to need to establish the edge with something else.
 
sorry for not responding quickly, and its just a semi cheap machete we got at a local knife store. Thanks for all the replies, the only thing I could use to grind away at it are a set of files, and a bench grinder, which I don't have a steady enough hand for. I also got the very fine stones, so that helped alot with getting the pocket knives really sharp haha. I'll go overthe bevels with a file, then give it another shot.

The blade is labeled
"hero's edge
k-1020-4
stainless china"

I pretty much want it to be reasonably sharp, but not done on the very fine stones.
 
hit it with the file - don't bother with the stones.
check your local TSC or farmer's co-op and see if they have a tramontina or other south american machete available instead of the chinese ones - heat treat is more consistent. Ontario also makes a decent machete under $20.
also check out your local home improvement centers -- in the hand tools (and sometimes with the garden tools) there are usually some sharpening implements. For machete's & cheap axes you want the thing called "the puck" -- it's surprisingly easy to use and is also good for cleaning up the cutting edge on a shovel so it cuts through roots better when digging a fire pit.
 
foxx said:
Even a $100 machete will get dinged up, no sense in spending too much time. In fact, sometimes a few passes with a file is all it needs. Get a file, if you don't have one, use the sharpmaker after that, if you want. I just don't see it as necessary. A super fine edge vs. a rougher edge won't make a big difference in it's performance, at least not worth the extra time. Maybe it's good just for practice to use the sharpmaker, but you're going to need to establish the edge with something else.
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yes and no. yes even an expensive machete may get dinged up but a very very sharp machette will work much better then a dull one! the time is worth the effort and if you have a motorized system, getting a razor edge wont take much time at all. you'll def need something else to get an initial edge on your machete and you'll need another system to finish it off as well.
 
I second the advice to buy one from S America just for the heat-treat and QC.

I sharpen mine up by hand on some 3x18" silicon carbide belts glued to thin boards - 120, 400, 800 grit. Strop with compound from Sears on some newspaper wrapped around the same board. They'll drop through TP (with some snagging where the apex has been dinged). A quick strop with black and white Sears compound restores them fast, even if they've been used fairly hard. It may be a little more work upfront, but a very sharp machete cuts a LOT better. I used to just hit 'em with a fine file and a few swipes with a butcher's steel, but there's no comparison- when the rubber hits the road a chopper works better with more polish. If you're beating holy heck out of them, then I'd go back to my old method (file and steel) - and it should still shave arm hair.
 
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A large mill bastard file is best for me, when I am not near a belt sander. However, all I ever need to achieve is a reasonable working edge.
 
eccvets said:
i doubt your getting anything hairpopping with your sharp maker!
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Spoken like someone who's never properly used a Sharpmaker.

I use a belt sander on my machetes, and a good sharp edge is nice to have. If you have hand tools, it might take more time than you're willing to put into it. I have my machetes set up so they just take 2 steps to resharpen, 180 grit, then power stropped on the sander. Dirt and other such accidental impacts will dull a machete much faster than actual plant cutting. But that kind of stuff is unavoidable in machete work.
 
i agree with 1066vic on getting a better machete. you might want to try a convex edge on the machete since it will hold up a lot better and are easier to maintain out in the field with just a 2x72 belt and some compound. you use the belt tied to a tree or between 2 trees to work up a burr on the grit side and the backside of the belt to strop the edge.
 
me2 said:
Spoken like someone who's never properly used a Sharpmaker.
.
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spoken more like somone someoen which hasnt drank the stupid coolaid adn knwos what he is talking about. it sucks and you do too if you think its an end all for sharpnening, esepically for sharpning somethign like a machete!!! its not even a starting point! I'd love to see your edges cuz if all your using is a sharp maker, they are pathetic!
 
I agree that the Sharpmaker is not suitable to sharpen machetes. I use sandpaper taped to a 8"x11" piece of 1/8" aluminum. A clip board without the clip would also work. I start off with
180 grit and work up to 400 grit.
 
I just sharpened up 3 Trameltina machetes the other day. All three are stupid sharp for a machete. I used a Harbor Fright beltsander to convex the edges and then polished on a buffing wheel with white compound. It took less than 5 minutes a piece.

Kinda hard to tell here, but:
IMG_20111225_173242.jpg

IMG_20111225_173308.jpg
 
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