I bought a Gerber machete with a saw back and its a little dull. This is my first machete and want to get it sharp the right way. What do I need and how do I do it? Thanks guys!
i used an older sharpening stone for my vietnam issue machete and i got it sharp enough to slice paper which is a little overkill but thats what i wanted
a machete does not need to be razor sharp, it will dull faster with a fine edge. You need a working edge that will take punishment. files work for me too.
I guess I'm the ******* here. I have a small farm in the Shenandoah Valley where vegetation grows so fast you can almost see it. I use a machete a lot and use a grinder to sharpen it.
File, grinding stone, or worst case scenario a flat rock. A machete isn't supposed to be razor sharp, it just needs an edge. Weight distribution is what is most important...
Clamp it to a table or bench and use the file with both hands. Maybe wear leather gloves if you are worried. You can get it done fast. It does not need to be perfect since they are soft metal and need sharpening quite often. You can wear them out after a couple years of regular sharpening. Bring the file (6 or 8 inch is about right) with you if working all day and touch it up during lunch break. A coating of boiled linseed oil will keep it from rusting if it sits in your bag and goes unused for a while.
I have a good collection of files in the shop and yes the best are Nicholson. Which I do use for important work. But to leave in the truck I buy some cheap ones form Harbor Freight. That way if they do rust I don't feel so bad. The cheap ones do work, they just loose their edge quickly.
One skill I learned at a very young age was how to sharpen edged tools. Something I am eternally grateful to my grandfather for. I have just about every sharpening tool in the shop. I rarely use a stone on a larger blade. The right file can do the job most of the time.
I bought a wet stone at ****s. The guy said it works good for sharpening a machete. The only thing is the machete seems too long for the wet stone. Any advice on how to use that?
Circular motion of the blade using nearly the entire length of the stone. Proceed down the length of the blade. You can also hold the stone and "Wax on - Wax off" your way down the blade. Pay attention in the curved tip area as the angle will change compared to the long side.
I sit down, rest the blade over my thigh, and file AWAY from the edge. turn it over, use the other hand on the file, on the other thigh. a magic marker suffices to darken the blade, showing you where each stroke of the file has gone, until you develope a "feel" for it.
I never saw any need for a stone. Waste of time, the thing always gets nicked/edge turned over, etc, requiring quite a bit of metal be removed. A fine edge is pointless on such a tool. be like putting same on a disk or plow.
I have a variable speed belt sander. I take a worn out 220 grit belt and use that on low speed to put a quick edge on my machetes. Don't let the edge heat up however, keep it cool with a handy bucket of water. This is only for machetes, I use a stone on my knives.
+1 on the file for removing dings, but I use a little DeWalt electric die grinder with a 400 grit flapper wheel for the "edge". Not too shallow, say 15 degrees or more...
I do my blades for the mowers regularly on a (6 years and going strong) 60$ bench grinder from Harbor freight....
I hit that thing hard and it doesn't really matter if mower blades get hot....soft metal, not hardened....
I VERY lightly work the fine wheel along the machete blade if it's bad (don't let it rest or get hot) .....it takes some finesse.... definitely use a file to finish....
The neighbor likes to bring me his roughed up machete and I'm not about to take a file to it for him - a couple swipes and it's back in "chopping" sharp.
For brush clearing I’ve never really had a need to sharpen. But the best edge I’ve ever gotten was with a harbor freight electric chainsaw sharpener (basically a grinding stone). That thing got it so sharp it cut the sheath.
Most of the time I just try and use a wet cinder block though..
Probably not the answer you were looking for but that is what I do.
If you want a more elegant approach I would recommend this method.
My kids got Gerber machetes for Xmas, not quality pieces by far. You want a high-carbon steel, it holds an edge better, has some weight as well. Length, I like a blade between 11" and 14", It should have a good balance to it as well. Anything longer at least to me is best for clearing brush only.
The higher-carbon ones don't sharpen as easily with a file. I like to use stones. I use a double-sided cheap one, this breaks down any dings in the blade quickly. I have had this stone for about 30 years. I finish it off with a Smiths hard Arkansas stone. I use their oil to keep the stones from loading up.
Around 1970 we had an army-navy store around, they sold the real-deal machetes that were military issue to troops in Vietnam. Mine is long gone unfortunately. Those were the best quality I have ever seen.
My kids got Gerber machetes for Xmas, not quality pieces by far. You want a high-carbon steel, it holds an edge better, has some weight as well. Length, I like a blade between 11" and 14", It should have a good balance to it as well. Anything longer at least to me is best for clearing brush only.
Fold out files on most of the higher quality multi-tools work well.
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