Using fized blade heads right from the package

[Rancid Crabtree]

Right now, 3 blade, fixed blade broadheads are very popular. The G5 Montec revived the interest and other broadhead makers have followed suit. All of these heads appear to be top notch, but as a broadhead collector, I can tell you that these heads are not exactly razor sharp right out of the package. Don't get me wrong. All of these heads will do the job straight from the package if you make a well placed shot through the vitals but they can all be improved by a little touch up prior to taking them to the field.

The same is true of a head that you have been using as a practice Broadhead. Foam targets don't really damage a broadhead but they will dull them considerably. In either case, sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is so easy that there is no real reason to not to give them a touch up that will make them scary sharp.

Sharpening a 3 bladed broadhead is a simple a rolling a toy car on a table top. No special skills are required to produce a sharp, hunting quality edge. You can use something as simple as 400 or 600 grit wet dry sandpaper. This sandpaper is normally black and is available at all hardware stores and home centers. For longer life I use a flat diamond hone. You can also use a whet stone. The only other thing you need is a sharpie marker. The sharpie is used to draw in the blade edge. As you sharpen the head, you will wear away the marker and know that you have touched up the entire surface. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep your stoke count equal on all 3 sides of the head to maintain balance. If two sides can be honed with only 30 stokes but the 3rd side, requires 40 strokes, all sides must get 40 strokes.



Here is a head I took straight from the package. Notice the grind marks and the rolled over edge (white line along the cutting edge). This head was semi sharp but not one I would take into the woods.



I took another head and spent perhaps 3 minutes on a diamond hone and then an Arkansas stone. In very little time, I had the head much sharper. In the upper blade you can see the reflection of the camera lens info.



This is the sharpness tester I built from a piece of wood and some rubber bands.



I was able to press the first head into the tester without cutting a single band.



The head I sharpened with only a few strokes cut nearly every band it came in contact with.



Here is a video I shot of the diff between the two heads in the sharpness tester.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rancidcrabtree64

It takes very little effort to take a new broadhead that is semi sharp and turn it into a head that is more suited for hunting. The duller of the two heads will push tissue out of the way (like the bands) while the sharper head will slice through the material it contacts.