Sorry for the blurry cell phone pic.
(http://i.imgur.com/zTw3S.jpg)
As some of you know, I have often admitted to being sharpening challenged. Until a few years ago I could never get a broadhead "Hair popping" sharp as you often hear. I just realized something from talking to a compound friend of mine tonight. After looking at the picts of my recent doe kill he said "How come all that hair is on the ground around the arrow mine never do that". I was telling him I've only noticed that on my deer hit in the past couple years when it hit me. At about that time is when I started getting my heads "hair popping" sharp. I suppose all the deer I had shot prior to that with dull heads the blades would simply push the hair aside as the broadhead entered and exited the deer instead of grabbing and cutting it.
This is a simple thing if you think about it but if you aren't noticing lots of hair you may want to explore options in getting your heads sharper. This may be my imagination but I really think that is what is happening here.
You guys that have always gotten your heads super sharp may have never experienced no hair at the shot site but believe me with a dull head there is none to very little. Do you guys think there is something to this or am I off base?
I think you are spot on TJ. I would like to put your idea to the test but I have had 1 shot in the last 3 years, but I think my heads are sharper now than ever. Maybe I can report back late in December.
More profuse blood trails too. I use grizzly heads. I used to file sharpen them, poor blood trails. Now they are stone ground and leather stropped, PROFUSE and short trails now. I have found deer I had no business tracking because they just bleed more. I keep a little diamond sharpener in my pack now for touch ups in the field. Hair popping is a must for me.
Agreed, shaving sharp cuts more of everything, including hair going in and out! Shawn
I think a lot of it also depends on where the deer is hit. Whenever I see hair, it's always white hair....never brown hair. I know the white stands out better, but I always look closely and it's always just white hair.
So Tom are you going to share your secrets to sharpening those VPA's?
The way I found to overcome my sharpening challenge is to find an easier head to sharpen. The VPA's are so easy to sharpen a cave man could do it.
Being three bladed keeping the same angle isn't an issue. I slide them across a big file lightly a few times then take them to a couple stones and finally strop them on cardboard. Easy as that and they are scary sharp.
That's kind of funny. I've always used impact hair as part of the initial decision to trail or wait.
I flip-flop between whether I prefer a polished edge or a "toothy" edge. With either edge, they need to be able to take hair cleaning off your arm in my opinion.
Brown hair will cut also. It's sure harder to find though. One of the last deer I stuck with a compound was a high and back hit. I've never looked harder for a trail. Got poison ivy in January if that tells you anything. All I found was a single tuff of brown hair...in bean stubble at that.
You can worry about the type of edge, and point, and testing methods tills you're comatose. If you've got a bald spot on your arm, go hunting.
Polished edge for me! but I think the true secret to a very sharp edge,,,, well not a secret but some skip this step is stroping the edge..
seriously,,, take some buck skin, old suede or even the back side of a leather belt thats been sanded and glue a long strip to flat stick like a flat wooden ruler about 10" long and using that like a file on your finished edge will turn an edge from okay sharp to seriously scary sharp in 10 passes.
You are spot on in your observation TJ,Once I was able to get my broadheads scary hair popping scarp there is always hair at the hit site.The bloodtrails have also been more profuse.
Good observation. Also that it can give you good information about the hit location.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM2693.jpg)
After being a sharp NUT for many years. I now kind of prefer a happy medium. I used to strop for about 10 minutes to a POLISHED edge. I came to the conclusion that the edge was TOO fragile. I like to file to a fairly smooth edge and then run over a medium diamond steel. The edge will bald my hand but is a little more durable IMO. Probably way over thinking it but oh well. I am shooting razorcaps that are stainless. Another thought is that carbon heads with a VERY honed edge will oxidize over easier. Thoughts???? BILL
You are right about the hair but that will only get you so far. Blood trails like this tell me what I need to know about my heads being sharp. There was a great deal of hair with this one. Normally I don't focus much on hair at the site of the hit as I already know where that is. But, you are 100% correct. If your heads aren't cutting hair they could be sharper and, by definition, deadlier.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Bloodtrail1.jpg)
Bill,
NOW...that's a blood trail!
Bob
Dirtybird the VPA's can be just touched with a jewel stick to get them crazy sharp. Shawn
Tom you hit the nail on the head.I use a file then go to ceramic sticks to get em popping hair.
Tom, that's a pretty picture.
TJ, Yes I do agree with the hair at impact theory.
But I also believe the size of the head, angle of hit, and amount of blades has a lot to do with it as well.
The sharpest two blade ever won't show much cut hair if it hits "with the grain" of the hair.