How sharp is sharp...

[Blayne]

I am really going at it this year with archery hunting. I have packed a wheely bow around in the past, but this is my first year going trad(glass recurve and yew long bow) I am also using Zwickey Eskimos for the first time, and am having a tough time getting them "hair popping, razor sharp".

My question... How sharp is sharp enough? And do any of you have any hints on how to get them crazy sharp. I have tried sandpaper, file, stones, broadhead sharpeners. Nothing seems to get them the razor edge that I hear about. Thanks for feedback...

[osage outlaw]

I use a Lansky sharpening kit to get my trade points sharp enough to shave a path up my arm.  The kit is around $20.  It uses a jig to keep the stones at the same angle.

[Pat B]

If you can draw the edge across a stretched rubber band and it cuts it your blade is probably sharp enough to kill. A sharpening system like Clint suggests is a good idea for consistently sharp broadheads. Consistency is the key and that is most folks problem, myself included. Technique is also important. On an established edge finesse is more important than brute strength.

[Chief RID]

A consistent angle is key. Use the broadhead sharpener to get that consistent angle. Use a med to fine stone to hone the edge by using the following method.

Look closely at the angle and place the edge on the stone at the exact same angle keeping the entire edge on the stone if possible. Now use the whole edge to cut a slice off the stone. Do this for 10 strokes then flip to the other side of the edge and do ten strokes making sure to keep the correct angle.

Flip it back over and do 9 stokes and flip and do 9 on the other side of the edge.

Continue until you get to one stroke per side.

Check the edge with your fingernail for any rough places or inconsistencies on your edge. If you feel any work the edge some more to get them out.

You can check cutting a sheet of paper if you want or your arm hair but angling your edge into your fingernail and if it sticks instead of slides, you are probably there.

That is what works for me. That consistent clean edge is what I look for. Remember, Fred did all this with just a file. Can't argue with his results.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I use just a mill bastard, and it seems to work for me. If to you step back and take an honest look at stone heads, you'll realize straight edge steel doesn't have to shave hair off your arm to work damn fast. Yes, stone is stupid sharp between ridges. But those ridges still have to go through all the same, and they do. That tells me a straight steel edge that is "pretty sharp" is more than sharp enough. Hit them in the rib cage and the shows over in under a minute. 

[Chief RID]

I know this has been discussed many times but the old example used in the bowhunter certification classes was excellent. It explained that you want to relieve the circulatory system of as much blood as possible in the shortest time. Cutting as many veins and capillaries and arteries is the way to do that. Punching a low in the body exit hole in an area that will not plug up is how to get a good blood trail.

The example was a square frame on which was stretched rubber bands from side to side in both directions. A dull head moves the bands aside as it passes through. A sharp one makes the rubber band explode in all directions. Pretty graphic and a good teaching tool.

[aaron]

using a jig for constant angle is one thing that helped me.
the other was using only very light pressure at the end.

[punch]

Zwickys out of the box are more than sharp enough.   I was putting zwickys on a very cold day with hot glue and holding and heating the heads in vice grips. Well the glue and head cooled down a lot faster than expected and the vice grips were not tight enough.  The arrow pushed the head out of the vice grips and across the top of my hand.  It cleanly cut all the way down to the bone and severed 90% of several tendons in my hand. It took 54 stitches to close up my hand including permanent stitches in a few tendons. It was so sharp that I didn't feel a thing only the warm blood down my arm. I now drop a hot head into a block of wood with a slot to hold it. I learned my lesson.  So I would say make them as sharp as they came.

[Blayne]

Oh wow! That is scary Punch:( Thanks guys. I wasn't sure the Zwickeys were sharp enough out of the box. I have been working with sheetmetal for the last decade, so my tolerance and handling of sharp metal is probably a little different than most as well. I was getting them to shave my arm if I pushed pretty hard after I touched them up. I am hoping that I can do most of the work with a file, but my look for a system. Don't want to over analyze this lol:)

[PEARL DRUMS]

I love Zwickeys, but I prefer to touch them up out of the box. I can feel a burr usually. A few minutes with a mill bastard and the burr is gone.

[Little John]

I have trouble getting my broad heads as sharp as I think they should be, but on the two times I have cut my self while sharpening them I found out that they were still pretty dam sharp, and I know I was not cut at any thing near flying arrow speed. I get mine as sharp as I can and call it good.

[bowandarrow473]

For me, if they can cut paper easily then I call them sharp.

[mullet]

If I want them sharp enough to shave my face, (overkill) I use a set of paper wheels with impregnated carbon chips in one and then finish it off with jewelers rouge on the other. But I've had pass thru's with a fine file and strop it on leather with rouge.

[Pappy]

I just use a file and on the last stroke I turn the file slightly on the edge and that will put a wire edge that is killer, never had any trouble with killing stuff with that and the edge will stay on it. I use to spend hours sharping them and then after a week of carrying them around in the quiver I would have to do it all over again, with the file sharping I don't have that worry anymore. Takes about 5 minutes. 
 Pappy

[crooketarrow]

  Before I started makeing my own trade points dozzen or so years ago. I used ZWICKEY 2 blade for years. I shot at least dozzen bucks and to many doe's to remember. All with just a filed edge.

 ZWICKEYS will get sharp but there pertty solf metal so the adverage hunter can get them sharp. All I ever did was file sharp. A lot of pass throughs, I've got 3 inbeded in spines 2 that cut through spines.

   File sharp good enough that it will go through sholders easy. I've killed 2 or 3 does quatering shots that still went out  through the far shoulder.

  Alot of these were shot with a 61# bow.I used 61#s for a lot of years.

  Placement is by far better than how sharp heads will get.

  If you want a head that gets scary sharp get GRIZZLY'S. They have a harder ROCKWELL harding.
  (not as solf) as most heads. But there hard be prepared it take a while but when finished. There scarey sharp and harder the RW you can get it sharper and stays sharp longer.

   I retempered my ZWICKEY'S  a couple times. It works but there's really no need to. I could only tell the difference because my retempered heads were harder and took longer to sharpen. But got sharper than the out of the pack ZWICKYS.