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The Best Way To Perfectly Sharpen
An Axe
By NICK POLISHCHUK
A blunt axe cuts less accurately and can even be dangerous to you or others. The best hand tools to use to sharpen your axe include a metal file, a sharpening stone, and a strop.
A very dull or visibly damaged axe edge will need a “coarse sharpening.” Secure it in a vice, put on safety gloves, then mark the edge with a permanent marker to use as a guide.
Push the file down on the blade’s edge at about a 20-degree angle. After several strokes, flip the axe over and apply the same number of strokes to the other side of the blade.
Turn the axe again, angle the file less steeply, and file until all markings are gone. Finally, wet the blade and finesse both sides with a coarse-grit stone and a leather strop.
For an axe in good condition, skip the filing and start fine sharpening with the sharpening stone and the leather strop. Your axe is ready when it can cut through a sheet of paper.