Best axe sharpening methods

[RI Chevy]

Nice work.

 

[PissRev]

I use the Ken Onion Work Sharp with blade grinding attachment. Pricey but well worth the money. You could get the same results with a Harbor Freight 1" belt sander at less than half the price of the Work Sharp. All the belt sharpeners put a convex grind on the edge which is more durable than a standard V grind.

 

[Al Smith]

I use a stone they use to dress machine ways made by Norton .For two reasons,one the axes are too hard to file and two the stones are free at work .--cheap is good free is better ----

The double bit cruiser is as old as I am,. My fathers .has the original handle and has never been left outside .Not bad for damn near 70 years old .The splitter is over 100 years old,hand forged ,was in my ex wifes family .Might have came over on the Mayflower for all I know .

 

[Blackgreyhounds]

A file and stones is the traditional method and can give as sharp of an edge as you could ever want. A belt sander is a more modern method and certainly gives and excellent edge too. Probably the "best" method is course grinding with a relatively loose belt sander to give a nice, mildly convex primary grind, followed by a final hand polishing of the edge with stones and strop. However, most axes don't really need a razon sharp edge to do work, just a nice, even, solid grind at to a medium grit.

 

[Ron660]

I hand sharpen using diamond stones. The steel will get razor sharp if it's quality steel.

 

[Ron660]

I carry this small, credit card size, diamond stone (fine grit) in my wallet. It'll sharpen hatchets and large felling axes quick.

 

[Ron660]

I sharpen by pushing the stone across the edge toward the butt/poll. Advantage of using a stone, compared to the fixed angle hand-helds, you can adjust to any angle you want. Works good on my Granddads axes they used during their Logging careers. Plus my double-bit edges get different angles.

 

[junkman]

A retired logger told me once if it takes 3 hours to cut a tree down 2 and a half of them should have been sharpening your axe.

 

[PissRev]

I use the Ken Onion Work Sharp with blade grinding attachment. Pricey but well worth the money. You could get the same results with a Harbor Freight 1" belt sander at less than half the price of the Work Sharp. All the belt sharpeners put a convex grind on the edge which is more durable than a standard V grind.

I'd been meaning to show a what the edge looks like after sharpening with the Work Sharp. It doesn't take long to get a shaving sharp edge.

 

[CR888]

Using a quick grip or g-clamp fixing the axe face towards you on a bench & a raker file will get a sharp edge on it. I've used die grinders with drum stones, flat abrasive discs, sharpening stones & they all work well......now I use a raker file and do it in 5 mins.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Yeah I do something similar if the edge isn't too beat up I use a raker file but if there pretty bad I use a 16" bastard file then when it's nearly in shape , I file out the coarse fillings with the raker file then wet stone

 

[CR888]

Ya hitting a nail is the worst....leaves a nice chip/hole in the edge & if your OCD cannot stand a chip in the edge you end up filing for a 1/2hour to remove enough so its gone.

 

[RI Chevy]

I just got one of those Hoffman pucks. They work great. He has a little tutorial video that is good too.

 

[species8472]

I have one of these for my Racing axes

 

[J. Loe]

A retired logger told me once if it takes 3 hours to cut a tree down 2 and a half of them should have been sharpening your axe.

I love that quote and thought it was from Abraham Lincoln and measured in hours...
Upon further investigation..

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/03/29/sharp-axe/

 

[J. Loe]

I have one of these for my Racing axes

Link?
I really wanna wanna one

This guy.

 

[J. Loe]

This is nuts.

I read in Beranek a that fallers don’t sharpen their felling axe that sharp as it’s used primarily for pounding wedges, and that a sharp axe is risky in the timber. If you trip and fall on it for example.

 

[species8472]

Link?
I really wanna wanna one

This guy.

That's the one I just made one my self.

 

[J. Loe]

That's the one I just made one my self.

Build thread?

 

[pbillyi69]

i just use a flat file. and run it along the edge like you would use a steel. gets them really sharp and work good