Sharp Enough to Pierce and Cut

Arrows and broadheads should always be kept sharp; otherwise, they are useless. Even newly bought broadheads have to be sharpened first before use. Beginners might find it challenging but with a lot of practice and perseverance, sharpening and testing will be a piece of cake. Traditional sharpening is done on almost all types of broadheads, even those for your carbon arrows, and you need the proper tools to effectively do the job. As soon as you open the packaging and see your new broadheads, you would probably wonder why there’s still a need for sharpening. New arrows are blunt; the sharp-looking edges are simply factory grind that you will use as a guide on how you should file the broadhead. Before you grab a quality file, you need to install the broadhead first; make sure the head spins straight and it is attached securely. Holding it while sharpening is never a good idea. If the broadheads you bought are made with high quality materials, a single cut bastard file is enough to work on it. Remember that the top class arrowheads are made of steel that are hardened through several series of heating and cooling; nevertheless, the material is still soft enough to be filed and sharpened. If you have troubles using a sharpening file, you can use diamond, which can bite any hard surface. To end up with a perfectly sharpened arrowhead, the trick is to sharpen all sides with equal force and angle. You also have to test the sharpness of the broadheads. You should file a broadhead from its back towards the tip. Keep the file angled based on the factory grind and maintain this angle while sharpening the other sides; move the file with calculated amount of pressure, which should also be maintained. The key to making that razor sharp edge is sharpening all sides with equal pressure at almost an equal angle. You will know that you are doing the right thing when you see what archers call “wire edge”. This is presumably the steel fragments removed by the file; it is possible that they coagulate along the edge and form what looks like a thin wire. When you remove this, you will reveal the sharp edge you’ve been waiting for. To test whether the broadhead for your carbon arrows is sharp enough for hunting, you can use the rubber band test where a band is stretch on a wooden frame with the strands overlapping. If your arrow can cut it effortlessly, you’re good to go. Experts can identify a sharp arrowhead by simply feeling it with their thumb or shaving the hair on their arm. These tests are done by experienced archers, and unless you want to shed blood, refrain from trying them. Click here to check out the most popular carbon arrows.