In 1999 I was lucky enough to be at ShrewHaven with Ron LaClair and Fred Asbell. It was my first time in camp. I kinda kept my mouth shut, and listened to a couple of legends talk.

One topic was broadhead sharpness. There was another guy in camp who was constantly touching up his heads. If I remember right, they were old Magnus heads, and he had sharpened them so much that they were taking on a different shape.

Ron was ALWAYS an amazing sharpener....on anything. He had an eye for the angle. His heads were frightening with just a few touches of a file or crock stick.

My heads were pretty good. Almost as good as Ron's, with a little more effort.

One morning while Fred was watching the unnamed fellow resharpening a head for the tenth time, he asked us all...."how sharp is sharp enough?"

That sent us down a rabbit hole of media comparison. We pushed heads through paper, cardboard, leather, rubber bands, etc. I can't recall any significant difference in our heads, which would say they were all pretty sharp. The fellow who was obsessed was a little disapointed. He realized that he was reshaping broadheads to no positive affect (he wasn't reshaping them on purpose, just from over sharpening).

So what is your method....and more importantly what is your test?

For me, it is a file and then crock sticks. I then put a few rubber bands stretched tight on my fingers and push the head through. If they pop off with no resistance I am happy. As an aside...I won't use a head that needs more than a file, crock stick, or whatever tool I can put in my pack. If I can't resharpen in the field I don't want it.

I learned to sharpen growing up when we had none of the sharpening systems we have now. I learned to use a whetstone for my knives and I just used a good file on the broadheads.
I just need a sharp broadhead good enough for one pass through a deer. I don't require a polished edge, just a sharp one which I can accomplish easily with a file and lessening pressure one each pass.

For my Simmons Shark broadheads, using a diamond impregnated rod works really well.  It is easy to maintain a consistent angle by maintaining contact with both the edge and the spine of the broadhead on the rod.

At the moment I'm more interested in maintaining a sharp edge on my skinning knife while skinning an animal.  It seems to get dull pretty quickly, and has to be resharpened 4-5 times in the process of skinning.  I used to use one of those pull through gadgets, but they have gotten a lot of bad press on YouTube lately as mainly just removing a lot of metal from your knife without sharpening very much.

When I want to get a razor edge I get out my razor edge kit from the seventies. I can get Bear greenies like a razor blade in 5 minutes.

I have a couple of sets of the TruAngle Hones with all the stone attachments. I sharpen my Eskimo's and Razorheads like a razor scalpel. I use a KME on my Magnus Stingers.

I sharpen each head until it shaves hair effortlessly. I can't say the ultra keen edges of my broadheads make a significant difference; though I have to admit that I have awesome blood trails and recoveries... though using standard width two blade broadheads that others often say leaves no blood.

I like the file method followed by a few passes on a course stone. The test is my thumb just like a knife.
This is my bowhunters kit, my copy of the bear kit. I wanted one of these after seeing Komfjagers(Frank C) of Pennsylvania. After using it in the field the handle on the ferro rod was shortened.

For me 3 blades Woodsman Milbaster file finish it with three side jewel stick, 4 Blade Zwickey main blade a Simmons wheelie bleeder Milbaster file, 

For most of my sharpening I use a file and a steel. As said before I need it handy when out in the field.

I hollow grind Snuffers on a medium 6 inch wheel then finish the microbevel flat on a 600 grit diamond stone followed by a strop. Takes a couple minutes total per head. If they easily and cleanly shave hair on my arm good enough. I put chap stick in the cutting edge and keep the inside of my bowquiver clean (never put in a dirty point) to keep the edge. I only very rarely touch them up. Maybe once a season if that.

Frankly I've never had to touch up a head in the field in 41 years of bowhunting. Maybe I don't shoot at enough animals 😄. I only carry 3 broadhead arrows generally, maybe 4 on a remote hunt.

I agree, Roger, getting carried away sharpening is quickly a point of diminishing returns.

R

Sharpening has been something that I have struggled with.  I usually use a belt sander with fine belts.  I just got a 10" DMT diamond stone to use.  I can get a knife sharp, I can get my broadheads sharp, but not scary sharp.  I've got some cheap knives to practice on.

Scary sharp requires proper angle and progression of abrasives. Go fine enough and you get there. Add belt sander or buffer and it's faster. Add an angle jig and a little less finesse is required. Nothing replaces abrasive progression to the finest number of your choice, and keeping 22-25 degrees isn't particularly difficult but taking your time is! YMMV and sharpness level and time expenditure is up to you and your preferences.

Three sided jewel stick and a razors edge broadhead guide. Then I strop everything but the Simmons heads on an old arm guard with green buffing compound. I have used card stock and buffing compound wrapped around an arrow shaft for the Simmons, but truthfully never really found it necessary.

I usually have a Rada sharpener in my pack, but like somebody said above, I don't think I've ever sharpened a broadhead in the woods, and can usually get through an elk without sharpening my knife (usually).

I like to use a 10" and later 6" single cut bastard files. I might start with a new head mounted on a short shaft and sweep the bevel into the 10" file with a motion like a clock 12:00 to 9:00 first then turning the file and repeating 12:00 to 3:00 on the opposite edge. Then repeat the other blade. Keeping the blade flat on the original bevel. When all heads are finished, I go to the 6" file to create a serrated edge by pulling the leading edge of the file from the ferrule perpendicular to the edge. The serrated edge is enough to cut thru anything the head touches. I then use a diamond steel to finish the edge and even the serration. The sharpened head will slice thru a leather strap 1" wide of 6 - 7 oz. latigo. This is all I need to touch up or sharpen a head in the field in a few minutes. I prefer two blades, 3:1 ratio, and 3 blades.

Quote from: Ryan Rothhaar on April 01, 2026, 05:19:02 PMI hollow grind Snuffers on a medium 6 inch wheel then finish the microbevel flat on a 600 grit diamond stone followed by a strop. Takes a couple minutes total per head. If they easily and cleanly shave hair on my arm good enough. I put chap stick in the cutting edge and keep the inside of my bowquiver clean (never put in a dirty point) to keep the edge. I only very rarely touch them up. Maybe once a season if that.

Frankly I've never had to touch up a head in the field in 41 years of bowhunting. Maybe I don't shoot at enough animals 😄. I only carry 3 broadhead arrows generally, maybe 4 on a remote hunt.

I agree, Roger, getting carried away sharpening is quickly a point of diminishing returns.

R

Ryan,
Wise old Indian say " man who hits what he's aiming at sharpens broadheads at home"

   I only use Simmons and was lucky to buy a couple of the SteelMaster sharpeners before they were discontinued. I set the bevel with a file, then take the burr down with ceramic sticks. I test with a fingernail, then shaving hair.

Quote from: Ryan Rothhaar on April 01, 2026, 05:19:02 PMI hollow grind Snuffers on a medium 6 inch wheel then finish the microbevel flat on a 600 grit diamond stone followed by a strop. Takes a couple minutes total per head. If they easily and cleanly shave hair on my arm good enough. I put chap stick in the cutting edge and keep the inside of my bowquiver clean (never put in a dirty point) to keep the edge. I only very rarely touch them up. Maybe once a season if that.

Frankly I've never had to touch up a head in the field in 41 years of bowhunting. Maybe I don't shoot at enough animals 😄. I only carry 3 broadhead arrows generally, maybe 4 on a remote hunt.

I agree, Roger, getting carried away sharpening is quickly a point of diminishing returns.

R

Ryan - I would imagine that your ability to sharpen a Snuffer is second to none! I bet a video or picture instructions would be appreciated by many.

I find myself touching heads up in the field because I  do shoot them into foam prior to hunting, and I like to give them a few strokes to "make sure". Touch ups are almost NEVER because I shot at a critter.

Roger, I definitely touch up a head in the field occasionally. It's usually because I was excited and didn't pick a spot.

I enjoy sharpening broadheads and knives. It's relaxing in my opinion. I can get everything sharp enough for my liking using different stones once I get the angle I'm after. My trick to getting them as sharp as I can is stropping on a thick piece of cardboard when I'm done. I use a broken piece of arrow as a handle. I test by shaving arm hair or running across my thumb nail.

The only time I touch up heads in the field is when I'm ground hog hunting. They wise up real quick once the hay is cut and my shots are usually 50 yards or more, sometimes a lot more. Let it rip, but I do miss......a lot! I use a little hand held sharpener to get an edge back on after I clean off all the dirt.

I use a vintage Ekco Pull to create a hollow ground on heads with a concaved profile like the old Howard Hill broadheads where the ferrule obstructs sharpening with my single cut 10" and 6" files. Rather than just putting a serrated edge on, I went to the Ekco. Here is a link to the wheel sharpener that will put a hollow ground blade on with some patience.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ekco+knife+sharpener&rlz=1C1PQHA_enUS539US565&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqGwgAEAAYQhiRAhi0AhjqAhiABBiMBBiKBRjnBjIbCAAQABhCGJECGLQCGOoCGIAEGIwEGIoFGOcGMhsIARAAGEIYkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQYigUY5wYyGwgCEAAYQhiRAhi0AhjqAhiABBiMBBiKBRjnBjIbCAMQABhCGJECGLQCGOoCGIAEGIwEGIoFGOcGMhsIBBAAGEIYkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQYigUY5wYyHAgFEC4YkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQY5QQYigUY5wYyBggGEEUYQNIBDjEyMjQ2NDM3OThqMGo5qAIGsAIB8QV1O8_vrFVMRQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I've been bowhunting for 45 years. The last 40 years I've used 2 blade Zwickey Eskimo's. I have tried different ways of sharpening them, but I always come back to just using a file. It works good and it doesn't take long. Its something you can do in the field if needed with just a small file. I had success with the other methods, but the file for me is faster and easier.