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Sharpening Broadheads and Replacement Blades

Ishi

PMA Member
I’ve put off starting this thread for some time but I sharpened a IW that was a pass through and buried in the dirt so I took pics to write up a thread. Many friends have asked myself how to do it and I show them so I wanted to share it here! The trick is to get a even burr that keeps rolling as you go through the different courses of grit. I sharpen my blades through at least four different courses of grit either sandpaper,stones, diamond stones and then a leather strop.

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On this blade I used sand paper and it’s the least expensive way to go and produce the same results as the more expensive stones.

Normally I use a two sided diamond file and a dual Japanese wet stone and a leather strop.

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I have two different blade holders the left one is a KME jig and is adjustable to fit all heads and blades and the right one is a Stay Shape jig and it’s the least expensive one of the two and around 25$. The KME is adjustable for all blades and the Stay Sharp you need to order the jig for the blade or Broadhead you are using.

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The burr will develop quick and always start with lower number grit I started with 320 then 400 then 800 and finished with 1000 grit. Instead of using my leather strop the back of a cracker works very well also so I’m using it today as well. One thing I’ll note is I’ve never sharpened Stainless blades only steel but people report good results.

The edge is marked with a Sharpie to make sure the edge is even while honing if not readjust the blade.

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Once you get a burr and it only takes 5-6 strokes to develop a burr then do the same with each number of grit till you reach the highest number you have. Where most fail is they only use one degree of grit and they keep hammering away constantly moving the burr to each side and that just wastes material and they never achieve the sharpness they want. The burr will be less noticeable as you move to each finer grit but it’s still present. Once your through all the grits the leather strop or the cardboard box will remove the burr and if done correctly it should be close to scalpel sharp.

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I’m sharpening a Iron Will today and it has 16 edges to sharpen and takes me about 30-40 minutes to do the blade and bleeders.

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The blade is hair cutting sharp after the steps and ready to kill! I like the piece of mind!

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All sharpened up and will get the first opportunity this fall.

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I’ve cut myself with a scalpel many times and it doesn’t hurt as much as a dull knife. A super sharp edge will hemorrhage more which should be our goal to kill the animal we are hunting and kill as humanely as possible!

With many Broadhead companies are now outsourcing to the ChiComms for their profits margins so are your blades as sharp as the should be or once was before they went overseas??? Test them and if not now is the time to sharpen them. If any questions post away as I’m sure I’ve missed something.


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Dull blades crush tissue, closing cut arteries and veins. Sharp blades make wounds that bleed better. My opinion and I’m sticking with it.


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Great thread Ishi, I always struggled to get blades razor sharp again. I'll have to get some jigs to accomplish that task, great suggestions!
 
I've got a honey do list a mile long and am elbows deep in building a machine shed and cutting firewood in my spare time, at the moment. Way too much time investment for me, but my hats off to you Ishi. One of the reasons I went with G5's is due to the simplicity of sharpening them.
 
Dull blades crush tissue, closing cut arteries and veins. Sharp blades make wounds that bleed better. My opinion and I’m sticking with it.


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Totally agree. ^^ And...a dull blade will "push" past some tissue and not cut it. This friction leads to a heightened nervous system reaction AND less hemorrhaging...both negatives when you are trying to kill an animal with a blade. Also, a dull blade will leave a more ragged cut, which will close up faster via coagulation than will a clean slice.

Sharp, sharp broadheads are vital!
 
Great thread Ishi, I always struggled to get blades razor sharp again. I'll have to get some jigs to accomplish that task, great suggestions!
In addition to jigs, if you are going to use sandpaper in the sharpening process, and I do too, I had a couple pieces of 1/2" thick glass cut for me. I then fashioned a simple "tray" out of wood for the glass to rest in and then lay the sandpaper on the glass. This provides a very smooth underlayment and leads to smoother edges, and faster, when using sandpaper.
 
Have to wonder if any of these companies offer sharpening services? Admire your efforts.... I have zero spare time for such endeavors. Ha

And I'm switching to 200 grain 2 blade this year so will need to figure it out.
 
In addition to jigs, if you are going to use sandpaper in the sharpening process, and I do too, I had a couple pieces of 1/2" thick glass cut for me. I then fashioned a simple "tray" out of wood for the glass to rest in and then lay the sandpaper on the glass. This provides a very smooth underlayment and leads to smoother edges, and faster, when using sandpaper.
Thanks for bringing up a good flat surface to work on! If anyone buys a Stay Sharp jig from Inn Outdoors they send a piece of plexiglass to put sandpaper on.

When I bought my diamond and wet stones I bought the larger ones so I have the real estate to work both my jigs on.
 
It always amazes me how many hunters are satisfied with the level of sharpness straight out of the package. Most breadheads simply don’t come as sharp as they should be.

I’d go so far as to say it is unethical to fail to sharpen one’s broadheads to their maximum potential. And who wants to risk losing a trophy, or miss out on filling the freezer, because of a dull blade?

My preference is a single bevel and lately I’ve been using Cutthroats. I just feel so much more comfortable not worrying about a quartering toward shot. I know I’m going to get the penetration I need to reach the heart.
 
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