who is the AXE expert here? sharpening an axe...

i have a GREAT axe. it is sharp enough i think i can prepare food with it. it will turn paper into ribbons.

cleaning my garage, i found an old abandoned axe. a smaller hatchet. i bet it is my mother in laws. we used it to install sod at her house. (yes, and axe is the a great tool for shaping odd sod patches)..

well, it is chipped, nicked..dull as a butter knife. i attacked it with a flat file. i am close, but it wont get paper slicing sharp. i am moving to finer and finer stones..but no luck. any tips?

 

Lots of patience.

I'd say water wheel but I'm guessing you don't have one of those laying around...

 

It "may" be just cheap steel. Sounds like your going about the correct way. Keep us posted.

 

keep at it with the flat file. You need to reach the apex and form a good burr (which of course you will remove) with the coarse stone/file, before moving to finer stones. Otherwise, you aren't really doing anything by going to the finer stones...you're just making a dull edge a bit smoother.

Keep filing both sides until you've got a good burr along the entire edge all the way from one end of the blade to the other...you should be able to feel it with your fingertip. If not, use a cotton ball or something to test for the burr. Then, a couple swipes with the coarse stone on each side to remove the burr (light pressure) and then continue to use your other stones to refine the edge.

Just be patient and keep at it with the coarse file though first.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

i just learned alot about flat files. i have been doing it wrong. and my file sucks.

thanks.

 

Uhoh... Were you using the flat file in both directions, in a sawing motion instead of one direction only?

 

yup ^^this. and i didnt have that brush to clean the file. i use them to flatten out my broadheads..i am positive the soft arrow-head material is clogging the file.

and my file is junk to begin with.

 

i cant believe it never dawned on me..heck my cheese grater is one direction only. hahah

 

Axe smells so good in the shower!

 

not if you're over 30 years old....

 

Just pointing out that you don't need an ax to be sharp enough to slice paper. It is meant to split one piece of wood into 2. The first couple swings into a piece of wood and you will dull it down quite a bit. They actually recommend steeper angles for ax's than knives.

 

Depends on what you're using it for. If you want it as a cutter, sharp is good. For splitting, sharp doesn't matter at all, it's just got to be a wide wedge and heavy helps.

 

dont assume i am only using it to split wood

there is plenty of debate on this. some argue that a razor sharp axe will cut easier with less effort and be safer to use. same argument for a knife.

i got an axe to use as a multipurpose tool. splitting wood will be only one use. the strength of an axe edge is the round bevel. i will use mine to butcher animals truck-side. sharp is an advantage. skinning an animal..a big animal. an axe rocks!

 

for splitting..a splitting maul is the better tool.

 

Understood, I would have thought cutting and such would be more of a job for a hatchet. I keep my hatchet real sharp. But If your cutting big enough stuff, and I do hope you are getting some nice big animals to butcher, an ax would be better than a hatchet.

 

Great point. My axe is very compact.

 

Mauls are ideal for chopping wood. im not a big fan of double headed axes

 

100% this ^^

Mauls are for splitting wood , axes are for chopping down trees / de-limbing

 

Reviving this thread since it's where the experts be. Found myself REALLY enjoying splitting the wood I cut down this week, but realized the need for a good maul and wedge set. Anyone have experience with Gränsfors Bruk stuff?
http://grandforest.shptron.com/p/splitting-maul?pp=12

 

Oh. Buy it.

My axe is a gransfor. . One of them. Amazing tool.