Sharpening Your Own....

Esox · Post by **Esox** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:42 am

In my misspent ute, I used to sharpen my own broadheads (razorheads, zwicky, snuffers) by hand using a couple of stones and a leather polishing strap... It took a while but I could get them dangerously sharp....It a was way of signaling the start of bowhunting season....Somewhere along the line I got lazy and switched to pre-sharpened heads... I still use them (Slick Tricks), but recently have been considering the Woodsman Head..Which is a modified Snuffer....I'm thinking that I'd have to sharpen them by hand...Just like to Old Days.... But with all the pre-sharpened and mechanical broadheads around, I was wondering ...

Does anybody sharpen their own broadheads?...

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:53 am

I will touch them up if they aren't damaged, I use the used heads for coyotes or practice.
I made a leather strop, and jog back and fourth from two cutting grits. I use that strop from everything from broadheads to my Gransfors Ax, it will finish the edge on almost any blade.
I also use a strop to keep the serrations sharp on serrated blades, the whole process is time consuming but will provide the keenest edge you can get, especially on delicate blades like broadheads and fish knives.

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:13 am

I run them on a black diamond stone point first and then on leather with a green compound. It shaves after the stone and scares me after the leather. In my experience you need to shoot Wensel Woodsman broadheads slow if you want to hit what you are aiming at. Sorter more compact broadheads work better at crossbow speeds. That 3:1 ratio broadhead loves to penetrate!

Limbs and Sticks · Post by **Limbs and Sticks** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:44 pm

Get back to your old school, factory's can't do what you done all your life and that's satisfy yourself with how sharp you can get them

Wes

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:27 pm

I would look around and get some first hand opinions on the woodsman broadhead. A friend of mine bought a pack for deer hunting with his longbow several years ago. Very easy to sharpen and accurate, but the first (and only) two deer he shot (and failed to recover) produced a broadhead with the tip curled back and very poor penetration. He showed me the one he lost a nice buck with and the point was actually curled around 180º with a bend radius of 1/4 - 3/8"!!!!!!!!
Looked like he had shot a rock with it, but he assured me he had hit the buck in the ribs and the arrow basically bounced off! He tried another head on a doe and got similar results.
May have been a bad production run, or they may just be too soft of steel, but I sure wouldn't spend my money to find out.

The Magnus Snuffers are a very good broadhead in my experience. Soft enough to sharpen easily, but hard enough to take some abuse and stay sharp.

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 2:23 pm

Wabi, I don't know where I read it but it is suggested that you clip the tip to prevent the curling. Because of the 3:1 ratio the points are too slender.

Esox · Post by **Esox** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:30 pm

Curlng the tip like that was typical with a lot of broadheads. Bear Razorheads, Hilbre, Zwicky Deltas and I even had some Rothaar Snuffers do it... It's the soft steel... I hadn't heard about the Woodsman doing it, but it doesn't surprise me.....

Wabi, I think you're right about those Magnus Snuffers.... I had a friend that used them a lot... He really liked them....I think I might look into trying a set for my Vortex... I think they make a smaller model... Something like a G5, but a bit easier to sharpen....Bodkin style, three bladed heads have always been a fav with me...

Takes me back....

texan · Post by **texan** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:46 pm

Thought that was part of hunting. Tried many methods over the last
50 yrs. Ark. sandstone seamed the best until I purchased a KME
sharpener. good product. Tried leather but could never get the right
technique. Am shooting two blade Stingers. I am open to sugestion
on the leather. Sharping broadheads helps to get thru August.

B-Logger · Post by **B-Logger** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:20 pm

I'm wondering about the leather strops you fellas are using. To get the greatest benefit, you need to also use jewelers rouge on the leather. Now you'll really have something to get that keen edge.

The reason I ask this is because when I am doing leather carving, that knife has to be super sharp. After sharpening, then comes the stropping. Carve a little and when the knife starts to drag a little, stop and strop more. That is the way all sharpening should be finished.

And yes, I've sharpened broadheads for many, many moons.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:22 pm

B-Logger wrote:I'm wondering about the leather strops you fellas are using. To get the greatest benefit, you need to also use jewelers rouge on the leather. Now you'll really have something to get that keen edge.

I use red or green, depending on the tool being ran across it.