need some advice.....

ratamahatta

ratamahatta

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wanna put a better edge on a machete....was gonna us a fat bastard file, what are other suggestions?????
 
Ive been trying to put a good edge on a machete with a file. I havent got it yet.
 
a big, single cut bastard file should work wonders.

if you are looking for other suggestions...you might try a fresh cinder block, used like a regular sharpening stone. finish the edge on a regular fine stone to reduce the burr.

just keep grinding/filing until you get a heavy burr along the whole edge, then use lighter strokes to reduce the burr. after that, use a fine stone (new brick or unglazed-mug-bottom if you want) to remove the burr. i like to strop my "nice" machetes. on my beaters i just finish with some light strokes on a medium grit stone.
 
i use a file and stone and put a fairly keen edge on my machetes. although lately i've been using my bark river golok, which is convexed.

there was a sharpening tutorial put up by pict i believe somewhere here on the forum. maybe someone can help you search for it.
 
DO you want to put a completely new edge on it or just freshen up the current one? I ask because with Machetes, I get a lot of knicks in them and will often have to regrind the edge. For this I get the initial edge done on a bench grinder, but I have literally decades of experience doing this and I have seen many people try it and really mess things up. Otherwise, if there are no serious gouges out of the machete, I too, as others have suggested, use a good new file. Typically I will place the machete in a cushioned vise and use both hands on the file to get the bur, then finish it off with a stone. I try not to make it so sharp that it pits or chips easily when it strikes hard knots in wood, or sometimes the occasional rock (but eventually it still does, aingh). In other words, one could not shave with my machetes.
 
Work up the edge with the file if you don't have better tools or the experiance to not mess up the edge on machinery. A big ole file never burned the temper from an edge. Besides you'll only go through the real work once. Next time you go to sharpen that edge , you'll probably just be doing a slight touch up :) Yes I do own a big ole hog grinder in the shop, but I am a firm believer in the power of hand tools and the skills one needs to run em correctly. Just start with a good quality,new file and you'll be fine :)
 
Actually Bill makes a good point, one I neglected to mention. Bench grinders, EVEN IF you know how to put an edge on with one, can cause a lot of friction and heat. Again, I have probably 30 years under my belt when it comes to benching edges, and even I sometimes overheat the blade (usually mower blades, since I am impatient, heh). This method is best suited for cheap machetes, and certainly not for anything you have invested any serious money in. A file may take you longer, but I think it will yield the best home-job you can possibly hope for.

I have sharpened all sorts of tools for everyone in the valley and surrounding towns for decades, and have earned a name for doing so. I still have yet to see another come close to being able to equal my bench-grinding techinque, so suffice it to say, it may be best to not try your own hand at benching a piece you really like. Maybe practice on old mower blades, flat pieces of steel etc first. Once you get the knack though, people will want your phone number, heheh.
 
I'll start with the file, the machete is and 18 inch ontario that i bought for 12 bucks....thanks for the advice...
 
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