Axe sharpening question

T

tommytman

Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Messages
302
Hello
I’m having some difficulty getting an old axe head sharpened. The steel files well so that is good.
The edge wasn’t perfectly straight and I am in the process of adjusting it by hand with a file.
sometimes I find it difficult to tell if I still have a wavy or wandering edge by eye. Is there a trick to somehow figuring this out?
 
No trick, you just have to do it. Go slow on the strokes. I sharpen from pole to face. Then work the burr off with a finer file. DM
 
I sharpen away from the edge. First with a file, then finish with stones.

here is a good video - by Bernie Weisgerber

sharpening starts at about 20 minutes in


If the edge isn't straight - just take more off one side or the other until it is. so if you are looking down the 'blade' of the axe, and you see the edge veer off to the right - then file more on the right side until its straight.

David Martin David Martin , since I see your post here - do you mind going over to the Buck forum and see if you can tell what steel my new old 120 might be? its in the 'what's your newest buck knife thread'.
 
My method is to sharpen the edge from the sides till it is keen and then to run the file lightly but directly on top of the edge following the length of it and then go back to sharpening the sides again. Alternating on this will straighten the edge. Then when I start honing with a stone I also alternate with using a crossed rods Edgemaker. Alternating on this will fine tune the edge and eliminate all serrations.

Once you have the edge properly profiled it takes very little work to keep it occasionally dressed with a stone. Profile is more important than how razor sharp the edge is.
 
When initially setting up the geometry I'll use a Sharpie - cross hatch the entire bit and then file away. Every so often I change direction or the angle of the file to create a difference in the grind pattern I can see, or reapply Sharpie. I use a good sized dowel for the file handle and work edge to poll from heel/beard up and across.

The rest of it you just have to get in and do, stop often to look at what's happening.
 
Funny how much i enjoy axe ownership. Stems from ancestry on my mothers side. French Canadian and a fair few Lumberjacks and Farmers in the Family.
 
The wavy bit can be tough depending on how bad it is. I've had some before that were so bad it was hard to believe.
The one bit of advice I can give is when you sight down the bit and you see where the wave is, check it again and place your finger on the middle of the outward part of the wave.
Then when you are filing it, file it until you think you've got it straight, and give it 2 or 3 extra file strokes!
I find I have a tendency to do too little, which is smart but ultimately frustrating. So giving it a couple extra files, beyond what I think it needs, is usually just right.
Edit; I just thought of something else.
Also have a fairly bright light and a white background you can sight against. Just check it often and keep at it! You'll get it!
 
In fact I always slide my file along the edge to a degree when I sharpen to avoid getting the highs and lows.
 
That's precisely how I do it. :thumbsup: I only file that way, along the bit, for the entire process. I know a lot of folks file into the bit directly. I've tried it but I've gotten so efficient the other way I just stick to what works for me.
Thanks for pointing that out! I just took it for granted that people knew what I meant. Whoops! :D
 
I always file into the bit with the file pointed toward the center of the back of the eye. If you maintain the same file angle on both sides of the axe you shouldn't have any issue with a wavy edge.

Odd shaped cheeks can affect the way you need to file. I showed how to deal with that in my Walters restoration thread.
 
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