Sharpening a Fiskers Ax

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leftyscott

Member
Apr 6, 2009
201
arkansas
Have a Fiskers for a few years that has some dinks in the blade, Friend claims he can sharpen back to like new with an angle grinder? Anyone ever do this? Is it OK?

Thanks
 
I bought the fiskars sharpener, and it was the first of their products that I was completely disappointed in.

With regular maintenance and a flat file, one should have no reason not to keep it sharp by hand, especially if one uses a chopping block under what they are splitting. To keep a goof flat file, remember to work it in the forward direction only.

I use a chopping block for everything but that time that I'm splitting the chopping block and moving to a new location. In a streak of bad luck I put a few good nicks in my x27 doing just that task. When that happened, I turned the grinder on and made it right again, as best as I could.

An angle grinder, or any grinding device will work, just go slow and make every touch count while using common sense in an effort to maintain what fiskars sold you when new.

I just saw the x27 is selling now for 40 bux on amazon. At that price, and what I ask mine to do, if I have to sharpen it I don't worry about it. Even if I had to buy one every few years, I'd still do it. Despite my arsenal of tools, I can't find a better one.

pen
 
You could use a grinder if you were really careful, but it's not reccomended. You'll still have to use a file to get a good edge anyway, so why take the chance of screwing up the temper of the steel?
Cutting wood- sharp single bastard file. Clean it every couple of strokes with a toothbrush, get the filings out. With a sharp file you'll be done in no time.
Use the grinder for dirty tools= hoes, shovels, etc. (I still file those, but I'm like that).
Don't forget to slightly round the points on the cutting edges, a wrong hit can cause them to snap off. It's rare but has happened.
 
For some reason my Fiskar Sharpener is holding up OK. $10 is pretty cheap for a sharpener. I recently bought a log splitter so the Fiskars is getting less action recently.
 
I've taken to grinding all of my blades and axes with an angle grinder, in the last few years, but I don't use a grinding wheel in the angle grinder. I use a flat 5" sanding disc on a flexble backing. Gives me a beautiful edge, for stuff like mower blades, axes, mauls, etc.

Prior to that, I was old school, and did everything with a hand file. I have a good collection of roughly 100 vintage made in USA (Simmons, Nicholson, Black Diamond, etc.) files, and keep them very, very sharp.
 
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While the Fiskars sharpener is kinda cheap and crappy, it will keep your tools sharp with regular use. I use it on all my axes.
 
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I've taken to grinding all of my blades and axes with an angle grinder, in the last few years, but I don't use a grinding wheel in the angle grinder. I use a flat 5" sanding disc on a flexble backing. Gives me a beautiful edge, for stuff like mower blades, axes, mauls, etc.

I agree Joful. Here is what I use on my 5" angle grinder to sharpen my machetes, axes, hatchets, and even to take the rakers down on the chainsaw chain OR remove the damm safety raker off that green label chain!!

flap_disc.jpg
 
I use the same wheel as Scotty for a lot of stuff, but for sharpening I've been using a flat disk on a backer, likely the same model shown here:

00928325000-1.jpg

Not sure which is better, really, but I have so much practice with the flat discs that I'm not anxious to learn anything new. :cool:
 
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I use the same wheel as Scotty for a lot of stuff, but for sharpening I've been using a flat disk on a backer, likely the same model shown here:

View attachment 73893

Not sure which is better, really, but I have so much practice with the flat discs that I'm not anxious to learn anything new. :cool:
Yeah, those are the cat's a$$ too Joful. I have them also!
 
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Kitchen knives,wood chisels,plane irons,axes/hatchets,drawknives - several vintage Belgian Coticule,Arkansas & UK natural whetstones used with water only.If they need more 'aggressive' tactics',I start with 220 grit diamond stone & water,proceed to 1200 grit.

220 diamond on the X25,sometimes a couple strokes w/ flat Mill Bastard file is all it needs.
 
Kitchen knives,wood chisels,plane irons,axes/hatchets,drawknives - several vintage Belgian Coticule,Arkansas & UK natural whetstones used with water only.If they need more 'aggressive' tactics',I start with 220 grit diamond stone & water,proceed to 1200 grit.

220 diamond on the X25,sometimes a couple strokes w/ flat Mill Bastard file is all it needs.
That's full-on professional sharpening Thistle......

splitting_hairs.jpg
 
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