Sharpening Broadheads: Fixed Blade Edges That Hunt Sharp Again

A three blade fixed head carries six cutting surfaces. That one number explains why sharpening broadheads frustrates so many bowhunters. You are not sharpening one edge, you are sharpening three pairs that must finish at the same height.

The good news is that a solid one piece head sharpens itself into alignment if you let it. Lay two blades flat on a stone and the head sets its own angle. Two blade and single bevel heads need a different approach, and replaceable blade heads should not be sharpened at all.

This page covers the technique. If you want the hardware compared, see our roundup of dedicated broadhead sharpeners.

What actually matters when sharpening broadheads

Four things decide the result. The stone must be flat and sitting on a table, not held in your hand. The pressure must drop as the edge comes in.

The angle must come from the head, not from your wrist. And you need a way to see progress before you can feel it. The marker trick handles that.

G5 Outdoors tells Montec owners to ink every cutting surface with a felt tip marker first. When the ink is gone across the whole bevel, that surface is done.

Pressure is where most people go wrong. Owner reports repeat the same complaint: heavy hands round the tip or leave one blade shorter than the others. Coarse work can take moderate pressure, but finishing strokes should barely load the stone.

Three blade heads: let the head set the angle

Solid three blade heads like the Montec are the easiest to sharpen and the most often botched. Any two blades laid flat on a stone form a stable base. The third blade then sits at exactly the angle the factory ground it.

The manufacturer method is short. Ink all six surfaces. Put the coarse side of the stone flat on a towel and place the head nose away from you.

Push the head side to side with moderate to heavy pressure until the ink is gone. Rotate 120 degrees and repeat until all three pairs are clean. That is the coarse pass.

Then switch to very light pressure and give each pair 3 to 12 strokes. That light pass removes the burr. G5 lists a fine 1200 side as optional, and that step turns a working edge into a hair popping one.

Do not try to pick an angle when sharpening broadheads of this style. The grind fixes the geometry, and any angle you add with your wrist only creates a second bevel. For the theory behind that, read how bevel angle changes cutting behavior.

Two blade and four blade heads: file first, stone second

Traditional two blade heads usually arrive thick and need real steel removed. A bastard file is the standard tool. Use a 10 to 12 inch file at the bench and a 6 to 8 inch file in the pack.

File from the rear of the blade toward the tip with steady pressure. Work one side until you feel a wire edge along the whole length. Then flip and do the other side.

Once the file has set the bevel, move to a fine diamond stone and then a strop. Light strokes only. Leather or ceramic rods both work, and the goal is to remove the wire edge without rounding it.

The angle question matters more here than on a three blade head. Most double bevel heads run between 20 and 25 degrees per side. If you know the factory spec, translate a bevel spec into a stone angle and hold that number with a wedge or guide.

Single bevel heads: one side cuts, one side stays flat

Single bevel heads are ground on one face only. The other face is flat and should only ever touch the stone to remove the burr. GrizzlyStik, which builds these heads, lists 20 to 25 degrees for straight edges and 25 to 30 degrees for convex edges.

Work the beveled side at that angle until a burr forms along the flat side. Then lay the flat side dead flat on a fine stone and take two or three light strokes. Never lift the flat side to an angle, because that turns a single bevel into a lopsided double bevel.

The same discipline applies to any blade with a hard curve or a fixed grind. It is why a curved karambit edge gets sharpened with the blade doing the guiding.

Replaceable blade heads: replace, do not sharpen

Heads with removable blades are built around thin stamped steel. The blades are cheap and the tolerances are tight. Sharpening one shortens it, and a shorter blade sits differently in the ferrule than the two beside it.

Owner reports repeatedly mention a ruined head after a touch up on a stone. Buy a replacement blade pack and swap all three at once. Save your sharpening effort for the one piece heads that reward it.

Checking the edge

The classic field test is shaving hair off your forearm. It works, but it puts a razor next to skin. Paper is safer.

A sharp head should slice cleanly through printer paper held by one corner, not tear it.

The rubber band test is the traditional benchmark. Stretch bands across a wooden frame and push the head through. A sharp head cuts every band instead of shoving them aside.

Tools that fit the job

You do not need a special broadhead device to get this done. A flat diamond stone, a file, and a strop cover every fixed head made. The products below are the ones that make sense, with honest notes on where each one falls short.

Mistakes that ruin a good head

• Holding the stone in your hand. The manufacturer instructions are blunt about this. A stone on a lap or in a palm rocks, and a rocking stone rounds the edge.
• Uneven blade count. Giving one pair twenty strokes and the next pair eight leaves the head out of balance. Count strokes and rotate on a schedule.
• Chasing the tip. Pushing the nose into the stone at the end of a stroke blunts the point. Keep the head flat through the whole stroke.
• Skipping the burr removal. A wire edge feels sharp on the thumb and folds over on the first rib. The light pressure pass is not optional.
• Sharpening replaceable blades. Covered above. Swap them.

The knife on your belt needs the same attention. Our guide to sharpening the hunting knife that rides with it uses the same stone and pressure discipline.

FAQ

Can you sharpen broadheads with a regular knife stone?

Yes. A flat bench stone is the tool the manufacturers themselves describe for sharpening broadheads. Diamond cuts hardened steel faster than oil or water stones, and it stays flat.

What angle should I sharpen broadheads at?

For a one piece three blade head, none. The head sits on two blades and the grind sets the angle. For two blade and single bevel heads, use the factory spec, typically 20 to 30 degrees per beveled side.

How many strokes does it take?

Coarse work continues until the marker ink is gone from the whole bevel. Finishing takes 3 to 12 very light strokes per blade pair on a three blade head. Neglected heads take longer, and a file shortens the job on thick traditional heads.

Should broadheads be shaving sharp?

They should cut paper cleanly and shave hair if you choose to test that way. A finish on a 1200 grit surface followed by a strop gets there. Sharper than that is fine but adds little in the field.

Do sharpened broadheads fly differently?

They can if one blade ends up shorter than the others. Even stroke counts and a consistent rotation keep the head balanced. Spin test on an arrow after sharpening and before hunting.

For more on stones, files, and every other sharpening tool, browse more sharpening guides.