This ancient tool has maintained its relevance through the ages and today is still a reliable addition toworkshopsand campsites.
Axes are expected to do a lot of work and can become dull in just a few sessions.
Hitting a rock, dense wood, wet wood, or even dirt can dull the axe.
Lee Wallender
That’s because more pressure has to be exerted on the knife to get it to work.
With axes, much of the same theory applies.
Axe-sharpening should not be only an annual event.
Lee Wallender
When cutting wood, frequently stop and run your finger along the axe’s edge to assess its sharpness.
If you are working too hard to chop the wood, this can physically take a toll on you.
Safety Considerations
Sharpening an axe is dangerous in many ways.
Lee Wallender
Always wear hearing and eye protection.
ensure that you have no loose clothing, hair, or jewelry near the grinder.
Wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and shoes.
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Wear gloves when hand-filing the axe.
After sharpening the axe, be careful about running your finger on the edge.
A grinder has an abrasive wheel or a disc that rotates with the help of a powered motor.
Lee Wallender
However, they can be imprecise since they’re all power and have no finesse.
When cutting wood, so much force is applied that even a dull axe will cut reasonably well.
Taking a visual check of the dull axe’s edge, it looks rounded and humped.
Lee Wallender
Run your fingers over the edge of a dull axe and it will be smooth.
Rust sometimes accompanies a dull axe; but sharp axes, too, canbecome rustedif not properly maintained.
If not, improvise a vise with available materials.
Lee Wallender
Not only that but mineral oils will not go bad over time.
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Sharpen the Bevel
Turn on theangle grinder.
Begin by grinding about 1/2-inch down from the edge.
Lee Wallender
An axe edge will be a smooth bevel that ends in a sharp point.
Repeat on the other side.
Sharpen the Edge of the Axe
Move the grinder to the edge of the axe.
Lee Wallender
Change the angle of the grinder to about 25 degrees.
When finished with one side, move to the other side.
Sharper is always preferable.
There should be no nicks or gouges on the cutting surface.
If so, apply the grinder to the axe until the nicks and gouges have been smoothed out.
The best choice is a bastard mill file made for sharpening blades.
Use one that is between 8 and 12 inches long.
Hand-File the Axe Edge
Working from above, hand-file the axe edge with the bastard file.
Warning
Be sure to wear heavy leather gloves when hand-filing the axe.
Keep going back and forth between each side until the axe is sharpened to your satisfaction.
A sharpening stone is also called a whetstone.
To “whet,” in this case, means to sharpen.
Use a whetstone when you want the sharpest tip.
Select a Whetstone
A whetstone comes in different grades of coarseness.
Most sharpening stones are dual-sided, with a coarser grain on one side and a finer grain for finishing.
Many whetstones require using lubricating oil on the stone and axe while sharpening.
However, a popular pop in of sharpening stone, waterstone, only requires water.
A coarse grit stone is best for chipped or dull axes (250- to 3,000-grit).
A 4,000 to 8,000-grit stone is best used on moderately sharp axes that only need finishing.
For all other types of sharpening stones, coat your edge and stone with honing oil or mineral oil.
Stay at a consistent angle, roughly 25 degrees.
Mirror exactly what you did on both sides, giving each side the same time and attention.
Remove nicks and dents as you are grinding.
Finish the edge by using a finer grit stone.
Finer grit stones sharpen the tip.
Another reason to hire a pro is to get a more precise sharpening.
Some knife sharpeners can work on axes, but not those with a fixed angle.
The angle used to sharpen knives is not good to use on axes.
If you use a knife whetstone, it would be appropriate to use it for an axe too.
An axe should not be razor-sharp.
You want an axe to be sharp enough, to make clean cuts without exerting more power.
The problem with a razor-sharp blade is it’s razor-thin.
Yes, you should sharpen both sides of an axe.
Both sides need to be balanced out with the same attention given to each side for a 50-50 balance.
