Servicing a well used GB hatchet

[Cliff Stamp]

I had been doing some chopping comparisons lately and my well used Wildlife hatchet wasn't cutting as well as I remember, especially on scrap lumber, I was seeing a lot more compression.

Now the bit was sharp, it would shave readily, but the blade simply wasn't cutting smoothly, so I checked it with a set of calipers and the final edge had steepened to >20 degrees per side, the effects of a lot of sloppy hand honing.

I attempted to file the bit down, but after about ten minutes came to the conclusion that this was going to be far too much work and it was a nice day and I wanted to be in the woods, not on my front step filing an axe, so out came the grinder.

After about five minutes of grinding, and a little filing to clean the edge up, then a honing back to full sharpness, the axe was once again smoothly cutting 2x4's like so much balsa.

Curious, I compared a few times and they were not significantly difference (nor was the stroke count, say 10%), however the feel was very different, much smoother in the cut, a lot less of a jarring impact.

If you are hand honing a lot, especially free hand judging a convex arc, take care once in awhile to check the bevels, I should have done this long before now and it would not have required a grinder to fix.

In any case, great little axe.

-Cliff

 

[peter nap]

Welcome to the world of flat grinds Cliff. I use a convex grind pretty much exclusively now. It not only makes a tougher, better cutting edge, it is easier to maintain!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

The edge was convex, the 20 degrees just refers to the curvature in the last bit, less than a mm or so wide. I hand sharpen axes freehand with small stones. The problem is, when you get sloppy, or in a hurry, I have a tendancy to arc the hone just a little bit more to speed up the sharpening. The final edge should be 10-15 degrees per side (mainly have soft woods here). The thickening was very gradual, it took about two years for it to get to ~20 degrees. I should have just made sure to check the grind with a file periodically, once every month or so in the summer when it gets a lot of use.

-Cliff

 

[hollowdweller]

I have that problem with a lot of khukuris. Edge too steep and although the edge is sharp you end up pounding off as many branches as you cut. Then you get one with that nice gradual bevel and it cuts right through and twice as deep as the fatties.