Recommended broadhead sharpener

[Ridgerunner7]

What do you guys use to sharpen your broadheads?? I've used a Lansky for 2 blade traditional heads but it's not super convinient. Is there a quality pull through sharpener that will work on 3 blade heads? I've tried the G5 sharpener and it didn't get them as sharp as I'd like. Ideally I could use this sharpener for my buck knife as well.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[rancid crabtree]

I designed and manufacture the Stay Sharp broadhead Sharpening guide for 2 blades heads and another version for replacement blades. Here is a link to my web store.

http://staysharpguide.com/

Product usage video.

[bbvideo=425,350]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Cs1GckwJA[/bbvideo]

As for 3 bladed heads, (and even 2 bladed versions) I would never recommended a pull through style of sharpener. They almost never work. You wont see a singe knife or Broadhead manufacturer sharpen their blades by producing scratches parallel to the blade edge. It will only create a uneven, chattering and wavy edge that wont create the sharp edge or burr you want. You will be forced to follow up on a whetstone or other method that produces scratches in the metal that are perpendicular to the blade edge (like ever knife and broadhead maker does to begin with)

3 Bladed heads dont really need a guide. You can pace the head on a flat stone or fine sandpaper and just push back and forth and the blade angle will be set for you by virtue of the head design. You can slide the broadhead on the sharpening media either front to back or side to side.

3 blade, fixed blade broadheads are very popular. The G5 Montec revived the interest and other broadhead makers have followed suit. All of these heads appear to be top notch, but as a broadhead collector, I can tell you that these heads are not exactly razor sharp right out of the package. Don't get me wrong. All of these heads will do the job straight from the package if you make a well placed shot through the vitals but they can all be improved by a little touch up prior to taking them to the field.

The same is true of a head that you have been using as a practice Broadhead. Foam targets don't really damage a broadhead but they will dull them considerably. In either case, sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is so easy that there is no real reason to not to give them a touch up that will make them scary sharp.

Sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is a simple a rolling a toy car on a table top. No special skills are required to produce a sharp, hunting quality edge. You can use something as simple as 400 or 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. This sandpaper is normally black and is available at all hardware stores and home centers. For longer life I use a flat diamond hone. You can also use a whet stone. The only other thing you need is a sharpie marker. The sharpie is used to draw in the blade edge. As you sharpen the head, you will wear away the marker and know that you have touched up the entire surface. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep your stoke count equal on all 3 sides of the head to maintain balance. If two sides can be honed with only 30 stokes but the 3rd side, requires 40 strokes, all sides must get 40 strokes.



Here is a head I took straight from the package. Notice the grind marks and the rolled over edge (white line along the cutting edge). This head was semi sharp but not one I would take into the woods.



I took another head and spent perhaps 3 minutes on a diamond hone and then an Arkansas stone. In very little time, I had the head much sharper. In the upper blade you can see the reflection of the camera lens info.



This is the sharpness tester I built from a piece of wood and some rubber bands.



I was able to press the first head into the tester without cutting a single band.



The head I sharpened with only a few strokes cut nearly every band it came in contact with.



Here is a video I shot of the diff between the two heads in the sharpness tester.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rancidcrabtree64

It takes very little effort to take a new broadhead that is semi sharp and turn it into a head that is more suited for hunting. The duller of the two heads will push tissue out of the way (like the bands) while the sharper head will slice through the material it contacts.

[DaveT1963]

Rancid crabtree - curious what you use and how you do it for concave heads like the Simmons Sharks?

[Ridgerunner7]

I designed and manufacture the Stay Sharp broadhead Sharpening guide for 2 blades heads and another version for replacement blades. Here is a link to my web store.

http://staysharpguide.com/

Product usage video.

[bbvideo=425,350]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Cs1GckwJA[/bbvideo]

As for 3 bladed heads, (and even 2 bladed versions) I would never recommended a pull through style of sharpener. They almost never work. You wont see a singe knife or Broadhead manufacturer sharpen their blades by producing scratches parallel to the blade edge. It will only create a uneven, chattering and wavy edge that wont create the sharp edge or burr you want. You will be forced to follow up on a whetstone or other method that produces scratches in the metal that are perpendicular to the blade edge (like ever knife and broadhead maker does to begin with)

3 Bladed heads dont really need a guide. You can pace the head on a flat stone or fine sandpaper and just push back and forth and the blade angle will be set for you by virtue of the head design. You can slide the broadhead on the sharpening media either front to back or side to side.

3 blade, fixed blade broadheads are very popular. The G5 Montec revived the interest and other broadhead makers have followed suit. All of these heads appear to be top notch, but as a broadhead collector, I can tell you that these heads are not exactly razor sharp right out of the package. Don't get me wrong. All of these heads will do the job straight from the package if you make a well placed shot through the vitals but they can all be improved by a little touch up prior to taking them to the field.

The same is true of a head that you have been using as a practice Broadhead. Foam targets don't really damage a broadhead but they will dull them considerably. In either case, sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is so easy that there is no real reason to not to give them a touch up that will make them scary sharp.

Sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is a simple a rolling a toy car on a table top. No special skills are required to produce a sharp, hunting quality edge. You can use something as simple as 400 or 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. This sandpaper is normally black and is available at all hardware stores and home centers. For longer life I use a flat diamond hone. You can also use a whet stone. The only other thing you need is a sharpie marker. The sharpie is used to draw in the blade edge. As you sharpen the head, you will wear away the marker and know that you have touched up the entire surface. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep your stoke count equal on all 3 sides of the head to maintain balance. If two sides can be honed with only 30 stokes but the 3rd side, requires 40 strokes, all sides must get 40 strokes.



Here is a head I took straight from the package. Notice the grind marks and the rolled over edge (white line along the cutting edge). This head was semi sharp but not one I would take into the woods.



I took another head and spent perhaps 3 minutes on a diamond hone and then an Arkansas stone. In very little time, I had the head much sharper. In the upper blade you can see the reflection of the camera lens info.



This is the sharpness tester I built from a piece of wood and some rubber bands.



I was able to press the first head into the tester without cutting a single band.



The head I sharpened with only a few strokes cut nearly every band it came in contact with.



Here is a video I shot of the diff between the two heads in the sharpness tester.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rancidcrabtree64

It takes very little effort to take a new broadhead that is semi sharp and turn it into a head that is more suited for hunting. The duller of the two heads will push tissue out of the way (like the bands) while the sharper head will slice through the material it contacts.

Thank you. What would you use for a mechanical with replaceable blades?? Something like a kill zone or rage hypo?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[rancid crabtree]

Rancid crabtree - curious what you use and how you do it for concave heads like the Simmons Sharks?

I use both the older version of the Phantom (now sold by Muzzy) as well as slick trick magnums.

That is why I designed both a fixed blade sharpening guide and a replaceable blade version of the guide.

People buying the replaceable blade guide that are using curved (convex) blades are rocking the guide while they roll it forward so as to sharpen every bit of the edge. These were designed for straight edged blades but people are using it with curved blades.

I offer a money back guarantee. If you buy my guide, try it and don't like it, send it back and I will refund your purchase price.

[rancid crabtree]

Thank you. What would you use for a mechanical with replaceable blades?? Something like a kill zone or rage hypo?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

My Stay Sharp guide for Replaceable blades. (watch the video above) I make 2 versions.

[johndeere506]

Geez! That looks sharp rancid, thanks for posting. Im going to look into this. I have no excuses, I stink at sharpening and just use rage out of the box. Some of the fixed blades I used to buy were like the dull one in your photo.

[Jphunter]

Rancid your sharpening tool looks easy to use. I just ordered one off the replaceable blade ones.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dirt nap giver]

I use a system that has a jig similar to RC's kit, with the Norton tri stone system. I forked out some pretty good coin for my system, and would use RC's system without question.
Looks good Rancid.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Jphunter]

Rancid , I am liking this sharpening tool. mine came in the mail this weekend I tried it out last night. It is easy to use and my slick tricks are probably the sharpest they have ever been. You don't mess around on the shipping either, that was fast.

[ Post made via iPhone ]