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Sharpening Broadheads

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Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Swede » 02 19, 2023 •  [Post 1]

Do you sharpen your new broadheads and if so, why do you not just purchase razor sharp ones? Do you resharpen used broadheads? Can you get them sharp enough to shave with?

To be honest, I try to get very sharp broadheads right out of the box. Sharpening SS is a problem for me, and I never seem to get them as sharp as new. I have some good tools for sharpening and they can touch up a broadhead, but they just don't seem to be as sharp as they were when I took them out of the box.
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Jhg » 02 19, 2023 •  [Post 2]

I try to buy them sharp, but as a part time perfectionist have at it regardless. Initially I had a hard time sharpening broadheads- lots of work vs results. Once I started to use some brain it has gone much easier/faster. If it takes more than 5 minutes a head re-evaluate technique.

Here is a shaving sharp bh that went through a 600lb bull elk.

E82503CA-8948-4A33-AE37-AEDA954BDBF1.jpeg
E82503CA-8948-4A33-AE37-AEDA954BDBF1.jpeg (242.67 KiB) Viewed 785 times


Five minutes on the diamond and strop. Good as new. Sometimes if I am sitting a ground blind and bored I will work a head or two and strop them on my pant leg.

DF0C0730-7C16-4276-858E-7A3DBFF6D047.jpeg
DF0C0730-7C16-4276-858E-7A3DBFF6D047.jpeg (95.8 KiB) Viewed 785 times


BTW, I make my own footing collars from suitable aluminum shafts. A carbon arrows weak point is the insert area. Without a collar the carbon will rupture on a heavy hit as the insert is driven deeper into the shaft cavity, (bone, rock, armor) rendering the shaft useless. I would wreck two three a year without collars. Never lost any in eight years with collars. Some of that may be I learned to be a little more discerning in what I shot at and better placement.
I still hit trees now and then. Then its dig it out with a knife.

These heads are not cheap. ~ $60 per three. So it is wise to treat them as such: re-usable. Like a knife.
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 19, 2023 •  [Post 3]

Unfortunately, many BHs do not come razor/hunting sharp out of the box. A few pulls through one of these will get em’ to where they need to be. Trust me, it’s more than well worth the asking price of 20 bones.

https://www.amazon.com/Gatco-40006-Mili ... B002ZYLJAY
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Lefty » 02 20, 2023 •  [Post 4]

I have a heavy benchtop tool sharpener,,, works great on 3 blade broadheads
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Tom Grates » 03 24, 2023 •  [Post 5]

I use Tooth of the Arrow broadheads. Single metal construction, they make their own sharpener, I can get mine razor sharp after shooting whitetails, have yet to shoot an elk with one.
The amount of whitetails I shoot a year would be way too expensive to use a new broadhead every time.
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby >>>---WW----> » 03 26, 2023 •  [Post 6]

Just being plain LAZY is the only excuse for shooting heads that aren't super hair splitting sharp. If your eye lashes don't fall off just from looking at em, they ain't sharp enough! :shock: :shock:
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Swede » 03 26, 2023 •  [Post 7]

Bill: I think you are mistaken. Not everyone is that lazy. I have had bow hunters tell me they sharpen their broadheads very sharp or something of that level. When I checked them out their blades they were not "super sharp". They were too dull for my use. I consider a blade sharp if I can shave with it. I have a tough time getting there with some broadheads, so I just change the blades. Changing blades may be lazy, but that is how I often keep em sharp. I think some stainless steel is very difficult to work with.
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby >>>---WW----> » 03 27, 2023 •  [Post 8]

Swede: Thank you for your response. You are correct. Not everyone is too lazy to insure that their broadheads are sharp. I never implied that. However, too many are. And that is a good reason for replaceable blade heads for those that don't have the ability to sharpen properly. And thank you for knowing when you need to replace yours.
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Re: Sharpening Broadheads

Postby Swede » 03 27, 2023 •  [Post 9]

Thanks WW. I would never shoot a dull broadhead at an animal. I save my dull ones for practice. My targets don't care what they get hit with. I have a dirt pile with a paper target in front. The dirt never seems to wear out no matter how many times I hit it.
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