Woodsman Broadheads

[johnston]

Anybody know how to sharpen a Woodsman broadhead?
Thanks.

Lane

[Pat B]

When you first get a Woodsman you have to reshape the edge bevel. The way the Wensels suggested doing this is to press the edge to a belt sander(a file will work but takes more time) with 2 blades on the sander at once, but just for a second then flip it and do the next side, then the last side. If you hold each side(one bevel from 2 edges) flat and level you will get the correct bevel for easy sharpening.
  From this point just push the broadhead(each 3 sides) along a file or sharpening stone to achieve the sharp edge you want. It is pretty easy once you het the hang of it.
  The newer Wensels already have the appropriate bevel angle unlike the original ones.

[bowtarist]

Yep, I agree w/ PatB.  I don't have a sanding belt though, so I have used a course stone first, just laying the broadhead flat, two edges touching the stone, work all three sides this way, then to a medium and fine stone the same way.  I like to finish mine on a fine diamond stone, then I even some times run them backwards on a piece of heavy leather.  Files work too for all of this.  Some guys really go for a honed edge, others don't mind a bit of burr on the edge, I thnk this is a personal preferance, though.  I used to use Woodsman, still have a few, but have gone back to the two blade heads in the last couple of seasons.  Mostly cause I have a bunch of them, nothing wrong w/ the Woodsman.  Good luck, dpgratz

[johnston]

Pat, your method is pretty much the same as the package directions and I have been trying that for 3 weeks. Can get a semi-sharp edge but nothing like what I am used to. Even used an illuminated straightedge across the blades to check flatness. Have tried files, diamonds,stones, ceramic and leather all with piss poor results.

Intend to take the blade angle down individually and sharpen each as a single blade. Don't know what else to try. Never saw an edge I could not sharpen.

Maybe this is as sharp as they get?

Lane

[mullet]

 Lane, that's what I had to do with mine. I used a Lansky guide set up on my sharpening belt sand and changed the angle.

[Mechslasher]

with the older model, you have to take off a lot of metal to get the edges true.  if don't get them true, they'll never sharpen.  to get mine shaving sharp, they ended up weighing around 115gr.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Lane my luck was the same as yours. I switched back to Eskimo's and forgot about it. I did kill a turkey with them before I gave up.

[johnston]

Nice to know others have had this problem. Finally got 'em serviceablly  sharp using Mechslasher's admonition about how much metal to remove. Went slow and used a file and still had one drop to 111 gr. Ain't real sharp either. And like a fool I bought 6 of 'em without trying one.

Well, I hunt small game a lot anyway. Thanks for the replies.

Lane

 

[fencepost]

use them for rabbit and small game.. work great and dont need to be very sharp

[johnston]

Finally figured out what I was doing wrong and am now satisfied with the edge. Watched a 3Rivers video on their site of a guy demonstrating how to sharpen a two blade head. Struck me that his file strokes were very light. Huh.

If you go real light and use only one or two strokes per side an edge is inevitable. Change to a stone and the edge gets better. Use ceramic to finish it off.

Something else that helps, don't know why, put the head on a shaft to work with it. I had the broadhead with one blade in a smooth jawed vise and my results were vastly improved when I changed to hand held, shaft makes it easier and safer.

Since I was negative on the Woodsmans before it was only right to acknowledge the fault as mine. Maybe this will help someone else.

Lane

[crooketarrow]

  Most people give up on woodsmen simply because there harden and tempered harder (ROCKWELL HARDEST) than the others and there not putting enough time into it. I made a couple knives and trade points everyyear and have sence shop in high school. I've learned to sharpen all blades like this.
  After you file and edge or if you already have one. If you look at it through a mic.scope the edge looks really jagget almost like a feathers edge. To get it razor sharp it has to look smooth. Get a vibreating sander (vibrateing sander is slower the a belt sander) you can use a belt sander or do this by hand but by hand it takes a while a belt sander to fast. At least for me.
    Start with 120 grit then move down to 220 then to 400. You can go smaller but no need to. I've went to 800 but could'nt see a difference in sharpest. If you look at it through the mic.scope now you won't see that jagget edge but a smooth one.
  Your blade will be shaveing sharp. The harder the rockwell the longer it will stay sharp. But the harder it is to take the steel off to sharpen. Your wallmart knives are uselly 52 to 54 rockwell so the averge joe can sharpen them easy. A 62 is tool steel.The harder ROCKWELL you go the tuffer it is to remove the steel to get it sharp. This is why most people can't get the woodsmem sharp.