# How sharp is sharp enough?



## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

Got a dumb question.... how sharp is sharp enough for broad heads? I like my knifes to shave.....is it necessary to have the broad heads that sharp?


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## Apex Predator (Jul 9, 2010)

Depends on what you expect them to do.  I won't hunt with a head that won't shave, because I know that a dull one can push flesh and blood vessels aside instead of cutting them.  What kind of broadhead are you having trouble sharpening?


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

Just got me some Zwickey Delta 170 gr. I started working on one of them a little while ago.


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## ky_longbow (Jul 9, 2010)

thats why i like the zwickey 125 eskimo's............a file and a piece of leather and they are ready to hunt..........


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

Is there much of a difference in the eskimo's? I have worked on one of the Delta's and it's close. I went with these since I am shooting 175gr field tips.


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## Jake Allen (Jul 9, 2010)

The Deltas are as easy to sharpen for me as the Eskimos.
A file, some chalk, (great tip Lance, thanks), and a dressed leather strop;
pop the hair right offin' your arm.


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## DAGATOR16 (Jul 9, 2010)

As we all know, an arrow is designed to bleed an animal down. Nothing like a bullet that has "shock" power and can lay a deer down in his tracks. Thus, for me, a broad head needs to be razor sharp. My reasoning behind this is because I want every advantage I can get in order to get a "pass through". A duller head will most likely not give me this pass through. An animal leaving two blood trails for me to follow is a great advantage for obvious reasons. 
Clay


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

Is the chalk to make sure your are hitting the edges right....I was using a black sharpi to make sure I was hitting it evenly.


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## jdrawdy (Jul 9, 2010)

Have you tried using a pure tungsten electrode, like used in tig welding, to dress up the edge.  I use it on my knives and the ones that are close to shaving go to shaving easily in just a few swipes across the tungsten.


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## Jake Allen (Jul 9, 2010)

The chalk is for dressing the grooves in the file, and prevents the filngs from loading up the grooves.
If the grooves load with filings, you will likely gall the the edge of the blade, causing it not to sharpen.

Clay, that is good advice!


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

I am using a file and a Spiderco sharping set (Similar to the crock sticks, with a medium and a fine set). Got one of em shaving now!...May have to go see if the kids have any chalk laying around! Thanks!!!


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## fountain (Jul 9, 2010)

shaving sharp..like the weight of the head down the leg and a patch of missing hair several inches long...sharp.  it HAS to shave everytime, nothing else is acceptable
for all 2 blade heads the grinding wheel system is the way to go for me, but i think i've said that before!  gives you an even sharpening and a purdy shiny finish all at the same time!!
3 blades and a file, but cant get them as consistent sharp as i can a 2 blade on the paper wheels.  
i shoot wide  blades mostly anyways.  the big snuffers are good heads and have the possibility of getting super sharp in the right hands...just not mine


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## Al33 (Jul 9, 2010)

Hair shaving sharp for me. I use a file then go to the leather strop glued to a stiff board loaded with sharpening compound. Before your head gets into the vitals it has to cut through hair and hide and like Clay, I want all the advantage I can get.

Tip: Put your heads on a shaft you don't care that much about before taking a file to them, otherwise your file is likely to occasionally hit the end of the shaft and you may find you have filed off a bit of your inserts.

One more tip: Use a magic marker or something to dull the shine on the filed edges. Light reflecting off them is VERY detectable to a deer.


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the tips guys! Got a little more work to do on them before they are all shaving sharp but I will keep at em.


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## Slasher (Jul 9, 2010)

go to the big auction site and buy RADA knife sharpeners...

They are lil wheelie sharpeners... I can get something shaving hair in 30 seconds or less... They remove some metal, but any knife or 2 blade is real short work.. Better than I can do with my 2x12 inch arkansas stones down to the black stone...


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## Jake Allen (Jul 9, 2010)

Another thing, m 2 blades, in just a few hours, will rust enough to take away that perfect edge. I coat the edge, (after blacking with a magic marker), with cooking oil.
That holds the rust for several days, or weeks depending on the weather.


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## longbowdave1 (Jul 9, 2010)

i bought a product called protecto edge from three rivers. its a large pot of wax in an aluminum cup.. after sharpening you head to your liking, you dip the edges of your heads in the wax after its heated on the stove. allow them to cool. the wax keeps the edges from rust and getting dull in your quiver or arrow box. when you ready to noc up the arrow, the wax pulls off easily in a single strip and you can place the used wax back in the pot and melt it down for next time.


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## Apex Predator (Jul 10, 2010)

I struggled to sharpen Woodsmans and snuffers to my satisfaction.  The VPAs are much easier to sharpen.  I start with a 16" mill file, then progress to a three sided tri-hone stone.


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## Al33 (Jul 10, 2010)

BTW, you don't have to look like you have the mange all deer season from shaving your arms and legs with your broadheads or knives. If a blade of any kind will slide over the hair on your arm it needs to be sharpened, but if it stops (without force) and grabs the hair without sliding then it is hair shaving sharp. No need to make bald spots all over yourself.

If you don't want to do the hair test take a piece of notebook paper and try to slice through it while holding it without supporting it at both ends. If it tears through the paper it is dull, if it slices cleanly and effortlessly through it it is razor sharp.

Before you go to a strop with your head edges they must be somewhat sharp. You cannot sharpen a dull blade on a strop, it must have a decent edge to begin with. I gently feel the edge for a slight burr after filing and if I have one from one end to the other on an edge then I know it it ready for the stropping. If you have good eyes you can see the burred edge in the right light. It will show up as a tiny, silvery line on the edge and distinguishable from the actual cutting edge that will occur after honing.


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## Night Wing (Jul 10, 2010)

Shaving sharp broadheads for me. My favorite broadhead is a STOS 145 grain. The tips don't curl, they fly true and they're easy to sharpen.


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 10, 2010)

Worked on my heads again today. Decided to try a different approach. This time I only used the medium Spiderco stick on them. After a about a minute or two they were shaving! Then I got out theBear Razor Head and had them shaving in no time either. Thanks for all the tips!


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## ky_longbow (Jul 10, 2010)

post up some pics of your method, and those spiderco stciks ? not sure i know what they are..........


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 10, 2010)

ky_longbow said:


> post up some pics of your method, and those spiderco stciks ? not sure i know what they are..........



This is basically the same sharpener that I have. The Tri-Angle Sharpmaker includes two sets of high alumina ceramic stones: A pair of medium-grit (brown) stones for aggressive sharpening and a set of fine (white) stones for professional grade finishing.

I started out with 10 passes per side and worked my way down to 1 pass. By the time I got to the last pass they were shaving. I only used the medium-grit stones to.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jul 10, 2010)

Jake Allen said:


> Another thing, m 2 blades, in just a few hours, will rust enough to take away that perfect edge. I coat the edge, (after blacking with a magic marker), with cooking oil.
> That holds the rust for several days, or weeks depending on the weather.


 
I don't suppose you'd be willing to bring some of this stuff to the shoot tomorrow and demonstrate a little bit would you? Nothing like a demonstration in person to help me learn this stuff.


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## 2wheelfoster (Jul 10, 2010)

Al was going to bring his stuff and I have mine in the truck already.


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## Nicodemus (Jul 10, 2010)

I want my edges so sharp that if you cut yourself, you don`t hardly feel the cut.


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## dawg2 (Jul 10, 2010)

Yep, razor sharp.  I use separate (same grain and type) for practice and keep hunting heads for hunting.  I want then sharo enough to shave.  File, Arkansas stone, then leather strop.


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