How to Sharpen Your Ax

Wear work gloves throughout the entire sharpening process to help prevent cuts from the sharp metal of the ax blade.

Place a guard between the grinding parts of the file and its handle to further protect your hands. Do this by pushing the file through a piece of rubber hose or leather.

Clamp the ax down to a work table or other level, hard surface.

Grind the axe with the file, always pushing into the blade edge rather than drawing down from the center. Clean metal particles off the file occasionally to maintain a sharp cutting edge. File in a fan shape, with the grinding taking place no more than three inches from the edge of the blade. If done correctly, the filing area should resemble the shape of a football.

Flip the ax, re-clamp the tool and grind an equal amount on the reverse side, using the same procedure described above.

Draw a square of cardboard and along the blade to test the blade shape. Remove the cardboard, then examine the shape of the cut. It should be slightly convex, but come to a sharp point at the center. Continue filing the ax if this shape has not been created, taking care to curve the file slightly as you grind to obtain the optimal shape.

Use a circular motion to polish the blade edge with a coarse whetstone, applying water or oil (depending on the whetstone) to the surface to help remove metal shavings. Always push toward the handle, as was done when filing the blade. Continue until you have created a burr, then flip the ax and work the other side in the same manner.

Switch to the fine whetstone, and use the same circular motion to hone the blade, pushing toward the middle of the ax and creating a fine point.

Repeat Steps Three through Eight if you are sharpening a double-headed ax.

Check the blade for sharpness by very gently pressing your fingernail against the tip of the blade, using extra care not to touch the edge with your skin. If the ax is sharp enough, the blade will cut into the nail.

Coat the entire blade with a thin layer of light machine oil to protect it. Then rub a light coating of beeswax onto the blade to further protect it from rust and corrosion.