who sharpens broadheads?

[cld.1]

Have tried a fixed blade magnus snuffer ss this year. Have not done extensive shooting with it, but tried it at 25 yds and it hit where I was aiming so I called it good. Shoot a doe with it monday at 40 yds, sorry no pictures, and had a decent blood trail. Pushed the deer for about 1-1.5 mi over about 2 hrs and the doe bleed out and found her in a ditch. It was only after I got to her that I realized how far fwd the shoot was. Shot through the brisket and nicked a front leg. She was quartering toward me. Don't suspect the broadhead was the issue as it was an akward shot - I was on the ground contorted with her staring me down and thought everything was good to take the shot, but was a little shaky with adrenaline/fatigue setting in is why I think it ended up being fwd. I had a gut feeling to keep pushing her because the arrow didn't smell like a gut shot, the blood trail was good, and the several times I came to where she laid down licking her wounds there was only a small pool of blood. Was really trying to get a follow up shot, but found her in a ditch dead a mile later. Had a feeling if I didn't push her she would have recovered, but who knows in the freezer so I feel I made the right call rather than to wait a couple of hours before trying to recover her.

So here's the question: Do people sharpen the two blades or mechanicals? I see the advantage for flight/accuracy of a mechanical and had good luck with them last year, but don't like one and done. I tried to sharpen the magnus stingers and ended up making them lopsided and didn't even bother trying to sharpen a rage or grim reaper mechanical as there didn't seem to be enough to grab and hold or worry about a bent blade. I tried one of the cheap carbide insert pull style sharpeners for the fixed 2 blade, but just couldn't get them razor sharp. Thought trying the magnus black hornet, but after my luck trying to sharpen the stingers decided against it.

I'm cheap and switched to the snuffer ss because of the warranty and ease in sharpening. I just can't grasp that a broadhead or arrow is one and done as some do, and think they should be sharpened and reused. The recovered broadhead looks undamaged and barely dulled. 3 blades seems to pretty much be a built in angle jig and is easy to index with 3 vanes of the arrow. To sharpen, just lay it flat on the sharpening media and go at it, rotate and repeat. I just use a harbor freight multi-sided/grit diamond sharpener block and it works well. I finish up with a little polishing compound on a piece of MDF.

Again the questions is what does everyone else do for sharpening broadheads?

[j.krug]

I use Rage Crossbow broadheads and sharpen the used blades using the Lansky sharpening system. I keep spare new blades on hand to swap out and sharpen the dull ones once I've accumulated a few.

[paulaboutform]

I don't do it. Shot blades either get replaced or become practice heads. That's why I used replaceable fixed heads.

Paul

[hankenhunter]

Flat diamond stone will put a wicked edge back on the blades. Welcome to the forum.
Hank

[8ptbuk]

I do , Every head I buy regardless who makes it seems dull to me ! Is it asking too much for them to be at least sharp as a utility knife blade ? As much as broadheads cost they shouldn't be dull straight out of the pack . JMO

[kd8jgu]

I will test shoot new broad heads then sharpen them

[vixenmaster]

I practice wid me tri bladed BH then i sharpen them up to hunt wid. Mech. i use its a one shot affair

[Kegbelly]

I sharpen my Stingers, and I count the strokes on each blade and try to keep the same number of strokes on each side. I also weigh each one and try to match my hunting heads to each other. If you go through all the trouble to weight match everything else to within 1/2 grain, why not the broadheads too?

[Starvin' Hillbilly]

I use the Lansky sharpening system also, then strop jus a little on leather.
-ken

[nchunterkw]

I use a Lansky as well, but this year I bought the Work Sharp. I haven't tried any blades on it yet, but I think it will work great. Works GREAT on knives. With BHs, I've found that most times you just need to strop them to bring them back....at least with my Slick Tricks. But then, they have a pretty thick blade....

8pt - have you tried Slick Tricks? Those things seem just STOOPID sharp to me right out of the pack....the only ones I've found that are.

But I cannot for the life of me get a Montec to seem real sharp to me. I guess it's because of the 60 degree angle. If I could get those shaving sharp, I might use them more because they fly awesome and are tough as nails.

[grouse]

I think to be humane and ethical you need to keep your blades as sharp as you reasonably can. You don't want them to make light contact with a vein or artery and just push by without cutting it. I have a set of small files and a small diamond embedded stone with a handle on it that I use. When a broadhead is damaged too badly I replace blades or toss it. Unused heads that are older need a touch up because of atmospheric dulling. It can be a little awkward to sharpen your broadheads but it is worth it. I'm not impressed with those little carbide sharpeners either.

[8ptbuk]

Keith , Trying standard slicks this year and bought two packs and was disappointed in how dull they were . Had to go over them with a sharpener to get them where they need to be . I know sharpness is interpreted different by different people . Mine were a lot less sharp than a Utility knife's replaceable blades , In my opinion they need to be at least that sharp ! BUT love the Slicks accuracy !

[wildcatter]

I always sharpen my fixed blades, I also find the best blades don't need sharpened right out of the box!!

I shot G5 Strikers and Slick Tricks last year, they did well are as sharp as a scalpel out of the box, and pretty easy to dress shaving sharp after use, blades were never bent.

BUT,,, I shot VPA 3 blades the for two seasons prior, and always sharpened mine shaving sharp. I have found the VPA's all need help right out of the package!! I will say I have never seen a carbide pull through sharpener I would call anything but a metal destroyer!! Stone and diamond hones are what I use, and strope on a rubber polishing wheel or felt wheel with ruge on my dremel.

I will never again shoot a mechanical head,, never! I have went back to COC heads and will always sharpen them if not bent. I use light pressure, and use the same number of strokes on each side, no more than 2 strokes per side at a time. The VPA are a great blade once sharpened! I also have just started using the Magnus Black Hornet,,, awesome sharp right out of the package, and true lazers! Both of these heads are Lifetime warranted,,, and tough as it gets.

The next blade I am going to try,, and have to say is as sharp as it could possible be right out of the box, and still that way after taking a Goat, is the German Kinetic! I don't know if it can take the place of the VPA,,, it is sharper but the VPA is a lazer and has proven to make very quick kills with it's 3 blades slicing over 2???? One thing is sure, all three of these blades are easy to use for multiple kills and keep sharp and flying straight,,,,, or you get them replaced!

[cld.1]

I'm a woodworker and tried a Tormek water wheel for sharpening a magnus stinger. That is when I learned the metal is much softer than the chisel and hand plane steels I am used to using. It was very easy to get unbalanced from side to side. I don't have manual sharpeners after using the Tormek and no desire to invest and store an assortment of stones anymore, so tried mechanical's, and they never really seamed that sharp. So this year I tried the 3-blade snuffer. So easy to sharpen on a $10 diamond hone from Harbor Freight. The magnus steel does not seem like quality like knife or tool steel, but it worked took another doe this morning.

Does anyone make a broad head with high quality steel like tool or knife steel. I hone my blades before using them, but I would think a higher quality steel would stay sharp in the quiver and from year to year. I have never had a chisel go dull from just age and the blade just doesn't feel as sharp as I'm used to getting from high quality steel tools. I can cut/chop through maple with a chisel and it is still shaving sharp and would like the same from a broadhead if it exists.

Thanks

[Starvin' Hillbilly]

Try this link:

http://solid-broadheads.com/

if i'm reading it right made of S30V

-ken