How do I know my bh are sharp
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Bassmaster9960
30-Aug-18
I got some Magnus stinger and some G5s but I can run my finger down all of them without getting cut. How do I test if they are sharp
From: Smtn10PT
30-Aug-18
see if they will shave hair off your arm, from the sounds of it, they wont
From: CurveBow
30-Aug-18
As a comparison, do you have any new replaceable blade heads? Check an edge carefully with your thumb. Your edges you have sharpened should be similar.
The hair shaving test is also a good one. Beware though, that really scary sharp blades can cut you if you're not careful. Years ago, a friend was demonstrating how sharp a knife was that he built. He shaved a bunch of hair off his arm. A few minutes later I noticed blood running down his arm! He didn't even know he had cut himself. Fortunately it wasn't deep.
From: carcus
30-Aug-18
They need to shave
From: Bou'bound
30-Aug-18
if they are magnus they are sharp. just make a good shot.
From: APauls
30-Aug-18
At least shave. Magnus sharpen up very quick
From: Lee
30-Aug-18
If hair doesn’t fall off my arm they don’t go in my quiver.
From: jjs
30-Aug-18
Lee x 2
From: Jaquomo
30-Aug-18
The only solid COC broadheads I've found that don't need touching up out of the package are Iron Wills. But I've not tried Solids or Silver Flames. I once asked an executive from a big broadhead company about this and he told me honestly that the extra steps needed to get them "shaving sharp" would make them cost-prohibitive.
From: Trial153
30-Aug-18
New from the pack Soilds will make your eyes bleed. IW as well. The oldslick tricks were like that as well. GT have been sharp too....nothing else I ever had were at those listed levels.
From: GF
30-Aug-18
More critters have died from blades that were sharper than necessary than from blades that weren’t quite sharp enough.
I won’t hunt with a blade that won’t shave cleanly and easily, though I know some guys have killed more deer than I may live to see, and they swear that file-sharp is more than adequate. Maybe they go by the rubber-band test?
Bottom line is that if you don’t trust your own sharpening skills, buy your blades from someone whose skills you DO trust. That way, it’s one less thing to fret over when you are following up on your shot.
I think if I were to go with a compound, I’d just use the good old Thunderhead. In a 2-blade, the Magnus Stingers made quite an impression on me about 10 years back. And I still have the scar to prove it!
From: Pyrannah
30-Aug-18
I use to shave hair with them but I got tired of having bald spots all over the place. I would start on arms then moved to legs, looks pretty funny in shorts lol
Get one super sharp and see if it shaved hair. If it does do a test on your fingernail, it should “bite”.
Do the same fingernail test with a dull one and it will slide across.
I find this extremely useful
Good luck
From: Glunt@work
30-Aug-18
Shaving sharp. Putting an edge on a blade is a good basic skill that every hunter should learn. Its not hard, just takes a little practice and patience.
From: cnelk
30-Aug-18
I have put 2 nails on a board, spread out, and then stretch a bunch of small rubber bands between them tightly.
Push your bh thru the rubber bands and see if they cut them. This simulated cutting arteries and blood vessels.
From: Linecutter
30-Aug-18
The rubber band test is good BUT you don't want them stretched tight, as semi sharp blade will cut a tight rubber band. As a suggestion do yourself a favor get a RADA knife sharpener. It won't take much with the Stingers to touch them up, not sure about the G5's have never shot them. The RADA sharpener hands down is the easiest thing I have EVER seen to get a shaving sharp edge on a knife or broadhead. I've sharpen things for a long time. You WON'T be able to run your finger down that blade with out laying it wide open after using it. They are inexpensive (Amazon or Ebay), small enough to carry easily in a pack, and great for a touch up in the field if needed knife or broadhead. No kidding and this is not a sales pitch: They are so easy to use MY WIFE can even put a sharp edge on a knife using this. DANNY
From: spike78
30-Aug-18
I usually run them down paper and if it sliced clean it’s sharp if it tears it’s not. The finger nail test is good too no need to start shaving hair. Try shaving with a Slick Trick 4 blade and see lol. Tricks are the sharpest out of box I’ve ever seen. My new Tooth of the Arrow heads are damn close to them.
From: APauls
30-Aug-18
Gotta shave. If you're out of hair, look for more. I'm never short.
From: SBH
30-Aug-18
Wac ems are the sharpest I've seen out of the box. Used to be a slick trick guy but they were no were near as sharp.
I agree with the arm hair test.
From: spike78
30-Aug-18
I’m not sure how you can get sharper then Slick Tricks? Aren’t they like scalpels?
From: Glunt@work
30-Aug-18
I shoot 2 blade so my hair lasts longer. Only 1/2 way up to my elbow so far this fall.
From: DMTJAGER
31-Aug-18
It's times like this I truly appreciate being able to sharpen a knife to the point no effort is required other than moving the knife and I watch the hair literally fly off my arm. The replaceable blades on my Wasp Boss SST's are scary hair popping sharp. I USE TO test them by placing them in a hemostat that locks and then test them on my arm hair. I say use to because after 10+ years and dozens of tests never had a blade fail. So I just give them a rub against my thumb and call it good. You can also stretch a thick rubber band across the mouth of a glass and test your blades in a assembled broad head by trying to gut the band.
From: sticksender
01-Sep-18
I use the fingernail grab test. But I do find that an edge can grab your nail, but still be made sharper.
From: Woods Walker
01-Sep-18
Shaving sharp, and with a little pressure as possible. Fortunately I'm half Italian, so having enough hair is not an issue for me!
From: Arrowflinger
15-Sep-18
You Might find a broadhead with blades as sharp as Thunderhead. But you won't find any sharper.
From: Medicinemann
15-Sep-18
The sharpest broadheads that I have ever seen, were German Kinetics. Haven't seen any Iron Will in person. But Jaquomo's comment makes a lot of sense......the cost to make broadheads scary sharp would increase the cost....a lot. Ever compare the cost of a German Kinetic or an Iron Will, with other more commercially available broadheads? It explains the difference in price, and potentially the difference in sharpness.
From: Medicinemann
15-Sep-18
The sharpest broadheads that I have ever seen, were German Kinetics. Haven't seen any Iron Will in person. But Jaquomo's comment makes a lot of sense......the cost to make broadheads scary sharp would increase the cost....a lot. Ever compare the cost of a German Kinetic or an Iron Will, with other more commercially available broadheads? It explains the difference in price, and potentially the difference in sharpness.
From: Buffalo1
15-Sep-18
Try the rubber band test. If a BH can't cut a rubber band, it will have a hard time cutting the elasticity of an artery or vein of an animal.
From: Dale06
15-Sep-18
I’ve tried many of the fixed blade heads. The only one that was in my opinion “ hunt ready” out of the box was Iron Will. The others, Exodous, Magnus, Slick Trick and a few others get a visit to my Lansky sharpener before they go in my quiver.
From: Shawn
15-Sep-18
The Iron Will I have seen were sharp but because of blade angle they seemed tougher to get sharp than a lot of heads. I use a 3 sided jewel stick to sharpen my 3 blade VPA's and I will compare them to any head out there. I get them so sharp in just a few strokes that if ya look at them your eyes will bleed. I 100% agree though that a file sharpened broad head shot with a fairly heavy arrow out of a modest preforming bow will get the job done. Face it, it is all about the hit, broadside at 20 yards and punch both lungs a field point will do the trick on a whitetail!! Shawn
