Sharpening?

R

riptricket

Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
4
How do I sharpen my axe head?
I have 3 axes... Gerber, Truper, and a small hatchet that I found at a garage sale for $5.
 
There are a thousand different ways, depending on your intended use of the axes, the equipment you have available, and your personal preference...

What equipment do you have at hand as far as sharpening goes? You can use a common bastard file to put a workable edge on an axe, or you can use a whetstone in the manner of a file (but using circular strokes) to work up a finer edge. Any edge you put on freehand will be convex, which is best (IMO) for an axe anyway.
 
Well, there ya go. Just grasp the axe head in one hand, the file in the other, and go to town. Just remain aware of the angle at which you are filing in relation to the edge...You may need to adjust your angle and file off some of the "shoulder" in order to get a keener edge.

BTW, if you're talking about one of the gerber/fiskars synthetic-handled axes, those (as well as many other axes) can take a hair-shaving edge with a whetstone or wet/dry sandpaper stapled to a piece of wood. You may not get that with a file. A filed edge will be more of a rough "working" edge, which will last longer, but may not be as sharp. Good luck.
 
I lightly use a bench mounted sanding machine on the cheaper axes. My Gransfors Bruks gets the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker.
 
riptricket said:
How do I sharpen my axe head?
I have 3 axes... Gerber, Truper, and a small hatchet that I found at a garage sale for $5.
Click to expand...

If you keep a look out at the Garage Sale's & Swap Meet's and Gun & Knife Show's. You can build up a good Collection of Sharpening Tool's Stone's and File's and Steel's you name It, Here's just part of my Sharpening Tool's I've bought through the year's for 50 Cent's to a few Dollar's each, Practice make's Perfect and Sharpening by Hand Is "The Best way To Go !

1zfyip.jpg


Frostyfingers said:
There are a thousand different ways, depending on your intended use of the axes, the equipment you have available, and your personal preference...

What equipment do you have at hand as far as sharpening goes? You can use a common bastard file to put a workable edge on an axe, or you can use a whetstone in the manner of a file (but using circular strokes) to work up a finer edge. Any edge you put on freehand will be convex, which is best (IMO) for an axe anyway.
Click to expand...

This Man has some Good advice get you a Bastard File and a Good Fine & Course Wet Stone and you can get a Great Edge with some practice, In this picture that Garden Tool Sharpener with the Blue Handle If you can find one like that grab It up ! It work's Great on Axe's & Shovel's just about anything really, I picked up that at a yard sale for 50 Cent's many year's ago !

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riptricket said:
I will probably be using a file...
Click to expand...

Yep just a Good Ol Bastard File will give you a Great Working Field Edge, Just keep your eye out for Yard sale Deal's and build you up a collection "Sharpening by Hand Is the Only way to go ! Try and find some good Soft & Hard Arkansas Stone's also the Diamond type Stone's are great also.

1zfyip.jpg


Also look for Sharpening Video's on You Tube you can learn alot there also, There's also a Sub-forum here on BladeForum's with lot's of Great Info. on Sharpening, I'll post you a link, Do some reading In this Section lot's of great Info. on Sharpening In general, Check It out !
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=794
 
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