Sharpening Billhooks....urmmm???

[Lithril]

Okies how do all you peeps put a decent edge on these wonderful tools?

[Ed]

Traditionaly done with a scythe stone I believe like the one here ;-)
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=20021

How are you getting on with your hook? I take it it's blunt now :-(

Ed

[Lithril]

I wouldn't say its totally blunt, but it defiantely could be better. Having never sharpened a convex edge I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to screw it up.

[Ed]

..... I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to screw it up.

Don't worry if you do. It will take some practice and you can'r be expected to get it right first time.

:-)
Ed

[ESpy]

Hmm. I slack belted one last week - even only going to 120 grit, it ended up a lot sharper than it had been.

Of course, the grinder isn't exactly portable...

There's a lot of steel there. It would take a lot of determination with a scythe stone to really screw one up!

(Aside - I always used a whetstone for keeping my scythe sharp!)

[Gary]

I sharpened my bill hook to an edge that even impressed Jack just using a standard arkansas stone - however I would say the same technique as for an axe would work a treat too.

[sargey]

how do you get round the inside of the curve/nose with a stone?

cheers, and.

[Ed]

how do you get round the inside of the curve/nose with a stone?

The scythe stone I have is rounded along the edges ;-)

:-)
Ed

[Gary]

I used the edge of the stone to sharpen the hook - but I suppose a round file would work too

[The General]

The corners on the Spyderco Sharpmaker would do this a treat!

[EdS]

I do mine with a fine and extra fine mini DMT diamond stone then finish with a Starkie Sharpe honing leather and paste - result a razor sharp billhook.

If you do this just chech where you put your legs when using it - it'll go through skin like a hot knife through butter.

[Womble]

After Friday evening I now have 3 Scouts in the troop who are able to sharpen and use billhooks - and had a great time learning how to do it. One of them wnated to take the billhook he was using home, he liked using it so much!

We've now got our troop axe and billhook experts...