Sharpening an Axe

Here’s a short video about how to sharpen an axe. Like all sharpening, it’s not complicated to sharpen an axe, but there are right and wrong ways to do anything.

An axe is a beautiful tool. It deserves to be treated with respect. Be nice to your axe.

From files and oil stones to belt grinders and polishing wheels, this guy covers the basics in less than 8 minutes. He also provides tips on filing steel, cleaning files, and making sure you don’t get your axe head too hot if you use power tools.

He advises users of power tools to sharpen their axes bare-handed so they can touch the edge often to make sure it’s not getting too hot. Personally, I prefer to wear gloves to protect my hands from clumsy mistakes, and use water frequently to ensure the steel is cool.

Enough talk; enjoy the video.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.