How to Keep an Ax Sharp

Keeping your ax sharp is not only essential maintenance, but it can help prevent a devastating injury. A dull blade edge can glance off its target, causing you to lose control of the tool. Sharpening the ax before or after each use ensures it will always be ready when you need it. Use a sharpening stone to get an edge on the ax, followed by a light coating of machine oil to keep the steel rust-free.

Work gloves
Work table with C-clamp
Sharpening stone or wheel
Sharpening gauge
Machine oil
Rags

Instructions

- 1
  Hold the ax by the handle just behind the blade head while wearing heavy canvas or leather work gloves to protect your hands.
- 2
  Pin the ax to a work table with a C-clamp bolted to the table and the ax handle positioned so that the ax blade is pointed away from the table edge.
- 3
  Press the edge of the blade at an angle against a sharpening stone or wheel. Pull the file, stone or wheel straight toward and over the blade edge. Sharpen the blade until you can feel a slight metal burr on the opposite side.
- 4
  Unclamp the ax, turn it over and sharpen the other side of the blade edge in the same manner.
- 5
  Release the ax from the clamp and insert the blade edge into the sharpening gauge. The ax is properly sharpened if the gauge fits snugly on both sides.
- 6
  Rub a light coat of machine oil on the metal ax head with a rag until it glistens and store the tool in a dry location.

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