Preferred Tool For Sharpen Your Axe ????

[Peasgood]

Felco diamond sharpeners are very good,a bit pricey but fit in the pocket nice.

The sort of thing if you do a lot of sharpening regularly.

[daveatdave]

I have a bench grinder with 1 grinding wheel and 1 whet wheel 

[dumper]

9 minutes ago, Witterings said:

 

 

 

This isn't a criticism at all in case anybody takes it the wrong was but instead is me trying to learn but wouldn't all of these create heat which then softens the metal / tempering so it's not so strong in the future???

 

Certainly something power driven that doesn't weaken a blade for the future would probably be my preferred.  

Secret is not to heat up the steel so just a little at a time and keep checking should only be warm to the touch 

[mtt.tr]

20 minutes ago, Witterings said:

 

 

 

This isn't a criticism at all in case anybody takes it the wrong was but instead is me trying to learn but wouldn't all of these create heat which then softens the metal / tempering so it's not so strong in the future???

 

Certainly something power driven that doesn't weaken a blade for the future would probably be my preferred.  

 

 

Secret is to keep your hand on the bit you are grinding, you soon know when it's hot

[Witterings]

47 minutes ago, dumper said:

Secret is not to heat up the steel so just a little at a time and keep checking should only be warm to the touch 

 

37 minutes ago, mtt.tr said:

 

 

Secret is to keep your hand on the bit you are grinding, you soon know when it's hot

 

OK ... these both make absolute sense ... maybe I should look at something powered that I could use for other things as well.

[Rough Hewn]

What are you cutting that needs such a perfect edge?
[emoji106]

[Witterings]

3 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

What are you cutting that needs such a perfect edge?

 

For an axe this is probably a good point as well but yesterday I'd sharpened one with a file and then thought I'd try and put a better edge on it with the puck but instead seemed to be making it worse rather than better ... I'd rather have something I know's reliably doing the job rather than almost taking pot luck and finding I#m going backwards.

 

Re putting a really decent edge on .... last year after Xmas the neighbour was having a bonfire and said bring the Xmas tree round and stick on it to get rid of it ... I took it round and he had a Bill Hook - he took 1 effortless swipe and it went through a thickish part of the tree like it was butter .... I felt the edge and it was razor sharp and made me re-think how beneficial a decent edge was on any cutting tool.

[Rough Hewn]

 
For an axe this is probably a good point as well but yesterday I'd sharpened one with a file and then thought I'd try and put a better edge on it with the puck but instead seemed to be making it worse rather than better ... I'd rather have something I know's reliably doing the job rather than almost taking pot luck and finding I#m going backwards.
 
Re putting a really decent edge on .... last year after Xmas the neighbour was having a bonfire and said bring the Xmas tree round and stick on it to get rid of it ... I took it round and he had a Bill Hook - he took 1 effortless swipe and it went through a thickish part of the tree like it was butter .... I felt the edge and it was razor sharp and made me re-think how beneficial a decent edge was on any cutting tool.

Different tools for different jobs.
My bill hooks are razor, only use a round file or whetstone. Couple of gentle licks and it’s lethal. Holds an edge really well.
My axes though are a total mix up.
Hatchets for kindling blunt.
Selection of very small axes sharp
Carpentry hatchet sharp
Side axe sharp
Medium axe razor
Medium Forest axe sharp
Maul blunt
Big axe blunt
Felling axe 1 sharp
Felling axe 2 sharp
Big broad head sharp
By sharp I mean like a kitchen knife which will slice tomatoes without squashing.
My only axe which is scary sharp is for woodworking.
[emoji106]

[sime42]

How many axes?! That's just showing off. [emoji12]

[doobin]

10 hours ago, Witterings said:

 

 

 

This isn't a criticism at all in case anybody takes it the wrong was but instead is me trying to learn but wouldn't all of these create heat which then softens the metal / tempering so it's not so strong in the future???

 

Certainly something power driven that doesn't weaken a blade for the future would probably be my preferred.  

Did you even read my post?