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Sharpening Tips - Brad's Way
(the picky engineer way)
I get started the same way that Blake does. I
start with a sharp file and the arrow grabber and I try for a
25-degree angle. I think the 25-degree angle is a good compromise
between sharpness and durability. It is more comfortable for me to
file from tail to tip and besides I don't like the thought of my
hand heading for that razor tip with every stroke. On one side of
the broadhead I file across the blade (see Photo No.3) whereas on
the other side I file along edge, similar to Blake (see Photo No.
4). I do this simply because it is more comfortable and I don't
believe it matters which direction you file from as long as you
achieve a consistent edge bevel. One way to help determine if you
are filing consistently is the appearance of the filed edge.
You should strive for an edge that is consistent in both width and
color. Color? Isn't silver, silver? Yes, but different angles will
appear as subtly different shades when the blade is held up to light
and tilted back and forth. The edge should appear as one consistent
shade of silver, regardless of how the blade is tilted. If the edge
appears multi-faceted or has zones with different shades, you
haven't achieved a consistent angle. To reiterate what Blake stated,
the first several strokes on each edge require significant file
pressure. The idea is to remove a lot of metal fast and establish
the desired angle. Once I have the desired angle established on each
edge, I gradually lighten the file pressure and reduce the number of
strokes per side until I am using only one stroke per side and very
light file pressure. At this point you should be able to shave hair.
This is about as good as it gets with a file and for many people
it's good enough, but on a microscopic level the edge is still
fairly rough and serrated.
I believe a more polished edge cuts cleaner, bleeds better and is
more durable. So, I take things one step further and reach for my
modified Li'l Shaver. The Li'l Shaver is a sharpening jig, which
holds the broadhead and file at a constant angle of your choosing.
It is similar to the Lansky, GATCO and DMT systems made for knife
sharpening, but is tailored to broadheads and comes standard with a
file. If you already own one of these other systems, they will work
just fine, but you may want to rig up a file by gluing one onto a
spare hone. I've modified my Li'l Shaver by gluing medium and fine
grit stones to the handle.
I can usually eyeball a 25-degree angle pretty close, but being an
engineer, I like to be exact. So, I start with the Li'l Shaver file
and make some minor adjustments. If my eye was on target, this goes
quickly. If you are wondering why I don't use the Li'l Shaver from
the very beginning, I have found I can't apply a lot of file
pressure with it and it is much faster to rough the edge in by hand
first. Also, I don't want to wear the Li'l Shaver file out because
it is more expensive to replace. With the minor adjustments made, I
now proceed to finely polish the edges with the medium and fine
stones. The same process applies here as with the file - firm
pressure at first then gradually lighter and alternating sides often
using an equal number of strokes per side. Finally I finish up by
stropping the edges with a leather strop. All this may sound
protracted, but with practice, you can complete an entire broadhead
in 20 to 30 minuets and the hair will literally fly off your arm.
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4)
Go To Blake's Way
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