Broadhead Sharpening - WHY CAN'T I DO IT????????

[aerostarp]

I read the posts on this site and also on Archery Talk and followed the directions. I bought the strop and Yellowstone and the Alum. Oxide powder from Smokey Mountain Woodcarver's Supply and even bought the Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish recommended in Archery Talk. They all make it sound so easy - a few strops and "Scary Sharp". Mine seem to get duller the more I play with it.

I have tried fine grit stones, hand sharpeners with the plastic handle and the 2 carbide "teeth" you rake over the edge to get it started, even used sharpening steel. I can get it to the point of being a little sharp but you could not cut yourself with it without really trying.

So what is the secret. I am trying to sharpen broadheads - mostly the replaceable blades. If I take a new one out of the box and attempt to make it sharper by stropping it I make it duller. I could have bought 2 boxes of replacement blades with the money I spent on this stuff but I feel the need to get this right. It can't be that hard.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong? I know some guys had the same trouble with the material. I am wondering how they made out of if they gave up. I did watch the video that was referred to with the guy from NJ and read the comments afterwards about technique and the use of Mothers Mag and Alum polish. Need some help.

Thanks, Wayne

[deerman]

Thats why I like the replaceable blades. If I shoot a deer the blades get replaced. If my shot happens to miss, the blades get replaced. I demand razor sharp blades. It only fair to the animal to get a quick blood bath kill.

[Grizzly Adam]

I know there will be some who disagree, but as far as I'm concerned, the secret is a file ... not a stone, or a stick, or a strop, or anything else. They all can work, but there's nothing like a high grade file for putting a good edge on something quickly. The con is that a file takes off a lot of metal just as quick ... but with a good fine file, you can have an edge that'll cut the hair off your arm no problem.

It's all in the stroke (which is true of the other devices too) ... and that's just something you'll have to learn.

I know a file doesn't put the highly finished edge on a blade that a stone and strop can ... but for practical purposes, a file is hard to beat. I've killed many deer with file-sharpened two-blade heads.

Fred Bear used files to field-sharpen his Razorheads, if I remember correctly. Didn't he have a file-sharpener using two mounted in a v-block?

[raydaughety]

I went through the same thing. I bought a bunch of G-5 montecs and tried for weeks to get them sharp. I bought the G-5 sportsman's sharpener, the G-5 diamond sharpener and many more. Finally accepted the fact that I just didn't get it and bought Slick Tricks. As for sharpening knives, I bought a Lansky sharpening system and am getting better with it all the time.

[aerostarp]

Hey Griz:

What is the name of that file exactly and can you get one at the local hardware store? How would I ask for it and describe it so the salesperson would know exactly what I needed? Thanks, Wayne

[Boo]

I think they are called single cut bastard files.

[wabi]

Sorry, but it reminded me of an old joke -
Lady walks into a hardware store and asks the clerk for a file.

Clerk responds, "do you wand a flat bastard?"

Lady explodes, "You can't talk to me that way, what's wrong with you...."

Clerk explains, "No lady, bastard is a term referring to the design of how the file cuts, now is it a flat bastard you want?"

Lady responds, No, one of those little round mother f******!"

[Fred]

Ditto on the Slick Tricks they got to be about the sharpest out of the package little buggers I have had a hold of in a while I had never seen them until I got this crossbow and they are a neet little head put one in a tree pried it out none to carefully slapped new blades in it still straight and true and they put a serious hole in a critter

[BOB VANDRISH]

My own personal experience with blades and knives is to start with a Norton Crystolon cutting stone to put a burr on the opposite side of the edge you are working with,being careful to be at no more than a 15 degree angle to the blade,turning it over and doing the same from the opposite side.
Then I move to a 2000 grit small hand held oilstone,repeating that process,and then to a strop mounted on a board,with some coarse paste cutting compound on top of the leather.
I think that shaving your arm with a bit of spit as a lubricant is the acid test for sharpness.
Sure works for me(although I probably have 25 stones that I have experimented with to get there!)
It is definitely a learning curve,that's for sure!
Bob.

[ONLY8PTS]

Everyone doesn't get it right away, but it sounds to me like you have too much of an angle on that blade. And you probably only need a few strokes on each side.

[Hi5]

bstout

You nailed it!

[aerostarp]

Thanks for all the advise. At least I now realize that it is not as easy as some would have you believe. I have no problem with perseverence and practice - I was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with me or if people were just grossly exaggerating. Sounded like you slop a little paste or powder on a board and a few strops and watch out. Well I have done my best and the best I have gotten so far is with that "little 10" Bastard" (No - not bragging ) Still nowhere near even shaving sharp

Anyway, I will keep on trying. BTW the reason for wanting to learn how to resharpen disposables was not to be thrifty or reuse them - just wanted to touch them up from the quiver or from out of the box.

Wayne