sharpening a machete

I broke down a few months ago and got a 1 inch belt sander and an assortment of fine belts from Lee Valley. I'm lazy and stones just take too long and require a steady hand.

Here's a link to Hossom's site specifically about sharpening an Ontario machete http://www.hossom.com/sharp/

I used the machete to practice on before I started in on any of my good knives. Even though the steel is really soft I can chop through small saplings and other brush for quite a while before it needs a touchup. A few seconds back on the belt and it's back to near shaving sharp.

The first few inches nearest the handle I keep whitting sharp for making fuzzstcks. I use it more like a really big camp knife than a machete. I may chop off a few inches of the end and reshape my 18" into more of a big corn knife or golok.

Good luck. I've been more than pleased with mine and I'm sure you'll get tons of use from it no matter what edge you end up with.....
 
I was cruising around Lowes today and noticed a 10" Diamond Sharpening Steel with handle and guard made by Smith's. Bought it. It has a lot of potential on long blades and since you can use it vertical such as you might use with the ceramic rods, you can eye ball the angles. Being a non-file kind of guy, this may just work for me. Take a look at one sometime you are shopping.
 
I use a file for general machete sharpening, and especially if in the field.
Like Runningboar, if I'm in the workshop, I'll file, but then take a coarse stone or the like to Machete, to give it that extra "zing".

I look at it as several quick "field sharpenings" then once in while, take the time to really work the edge to a smoother finer finish.

Riley, send it to me, I'll run across the wet wheel for a few minutes.
It'll be sharp after that! :)

The Ontario's do come a little blunt, or obtuse on the angle, I like to thin them out a little. As was already said, a bastard file will do the heavy lifting, then follow with a finer file. That will do 90% of the work right there. After that, it's a matter of how much time you have, and just how sharp you want it.
 
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