Sharp, Sharp, or Really Sharp?

[Longbowwally]

I test for sharpness with a rubber band just like you do Roger - its a good way to test broadhead sharpness....

[buckeyebowhunter]

I use a lansky knife sharpening kit to sharpen all kinds of heads over the years. I have found that I have the most confidence in getting my snuffers shaving sharp using the lansky kit all the way down to the finest stone and then pulling them backwards on a leather strop with polishing compound. They are scary sharp at that point and like Ryan said I'll touch them up maybe once or twice in a season, I do find they lose some of their sharpness from taking in and out of a quiver.

That being said, I find that they only lose some sharpness when using quivers with foam, it seems the friction of the foam causes them to dull just a bit. When I used kwikee quivers I never had to touch them up, but had to be more careful of the blades hitting one another.

[Stykbowslim]

To sharpen 3-blade VPA's, I pull the heads backwards on flat diamond stones of different grits depending on dullness of the head. I follow up with the same backward motion on a fine wet-stone and polish the edge on a hunk of tanned horse leather. I check sharpness by shaving arm hair or touch the edge with my fingers. Rub a little chapstick on the edge and stick the arrows in a Thunderhorn 4-arrow quiver. I've never sharpen heads in the field and rarely touch them up during the season. Also, so not to get grit in the foam head of the quiver, I don't stick dirty broadheads back into the quiver.

[Mint]

Depends on the head, with three blade snuffers, woodsmans and Razorcaps I might start with a file then to a DMT bench stone. For two blades or four blades like Muzzy Phantoms i use the KME Sharpening jig on the DMT Bench stone. For Simmons I use the Steelmaster Sharpening system he sold or the RADA in a pinch but i much prefer the Steelmaster. I stop when it will shave hair, I too finish stropping on cardboard or old jeans.

[Iowabowhunter]

For my VPA 3 blade heads I use a 6" PVC tube-start with real coarse sandpaper moving down to 2000 grit step by step, finish with rouge on a thick piece of paper (all on the 6" pvc pipe)

Brutal mirror edge on a 1 & 1/4 VPA 3 blade.

There is no such thing as too sharp

[Terry Green]

Iowa,  actually you can get them too sharp. If you get them as sharp as you can, the blade will roll. It is very possible to get an edge that will shave hair and yet be durable all the way through the animal. 

Zwickey 4 blades, belt sander to level out the bevels on the main blade
Then, a diamond rod or an acusharp. A small narrow flat file for the bleeders.

Most 3 blades. Belt sander and diamond rod to finish two blades at time pulled backwards.

VPAs. They come with a great factory bevel, so basically, just a diamond rod pulled backwards two blades at a time.