Blade sharpness - NAP Killzone
Equipment
I typically re-sharpen my broadheads with a jig made for the blades I am using. However, I wanted to give the Killzone a try. When I got them out of the package, they didn't seem all that sharp. So my question is: Do you sharpen new blades on your new broadheads right out of the box? If so what brand?
Of the couple packs of killzones I have the blades were all very sharp. Can't say I've ever seen a blade that wasn't sharp from NAP.
NAP heads usually have sharp blades. I think that is a trademark of theirs. The exception may be the Hellrazors which I use and usually touch up before use.
My wife has been using NAP Killzone expandables for the past three years and everyone has been extremely sharp right out of the package.
The imported NAP Spitfires I have are not near as sharp as the US made variety. The Outdoor Group purchase of NAP a couple years ago has led to a quality decline, at least in Spitfires.
Bottom line, check blades for sharpness. If they are not sharp, sharpen them....shouldn't have to on an expandable, but if they are dull, they need it.
Why is anyone buying expandable broadheads that aren't sharp? I wouldn't consider using one I had to sharpen out of the box. I realize there are fixed blade heads that don't come sharp.... but expandables are supposed to be. Good everyone is checking them. I just switched from Schwacker to Sevr, mainly because the Sevr design seems nearly foolproof.... and sharp, and strong.
I shoot fixed and I don't sharpen them out of the box. I mount them and shoot them into a sand pit which verifies they fly good but of course ruins whatever edge they came with. Then a brand new edge is applied and they go in the quiver.
Thanks for the replies. This is my first year sharpening replacement blades (Slick Trick Magnums) and I am able to get them scary sharp. I have been watching the Ranch Fairy on YouTube and he is a wealth of knowledge. I'm sure he wouldn't approve of the Killzone, but I honestly wasn't super impressed with the sharpness right out of the box. Your opinion of sharp changes after you have sharpened a few.
I have not shot any of the newer Killzones. The ones I have used were plenty sharp. The only issue I had with the Killzone was how much energy that head robs. I love the blade containment system on the Killzone but it is not the best penetrator. I have been using the Trypan lately and get much better penetration with them. Killzones kill quick though.
I shot a pile of deer with the Killzones a few years back. Bought 1 pack of the “new” design and never used them. Just seemed to be cheaply made and dull now.
How do you tell if you got the new ones or the old ones? Packaging?
Korey, new Spitfires say made in Taiwan. Original say made in US.
Kurt, that's exactly what I was afraid you were going to say. I did a few more tests on them and they definitely could use some help.
I realize the Ranch Fair would certainly not approve of the design, but I do want to give them a try...too bad I have to take them apart and sharpen them right out of the box!
I have some doubts the new imported blade steel is the same quality as the original blade steel on the Spitfires.
Just switch to WASP - one of very few made in the USA and blades are always sharp.
I bought a bunch of two blade spitfires off camofire a couple years ago. I had never seen a two blade version but they were only 14 bucks for a three pack. Definitely wapaneese made out of cheaper materials but I have been able to reuse a few after passing through a deer by just touching up the blades.
I believe people put way to much thought into broadheads "which we all know has been going on since the dawn of time" its really simple, if it fly straight and is sharp the critters will die if its put through the right spot.
A new package of broadheads that are not sharp out of the package just takes a few strokes to get hair popping sharp. If its taking you longer than that you are definitely not doing it right.
Of the few different expandables I’ve bought over the years none seemed razor sharp as compared to the fixed I bought.
Wasp x2. Always sharp out of the package.
I use Wasp Jak Hammer expandables. They are always razor sharp out of the package. I replace the blades after every kill. Easy to do once you get the hang of it. But since I started using a Ravin cross bow I have never recovered a bolt or broadhead. They go all the way through and hide under leaves. Can't find them even with lighted nocks.
Wasp does have great heads - strong, sharp... Really consistent and good.
NAP has always been sharp to scary out of the package for me, surprised to hear of a dull NAP.
That said, I tried some heads made local to me this year, a cool 2bld design, and was very excited as they are local. I feel any head should be able to shave the hair's on my arm, if it cant, I want to sharpen it. The head didnt trim a hair out of the pack, and when I tried to sharpen I just couldnt get it sharp. Bummer! Point being, it does seem some heads come out of the package dull, which sucks.
So I can only assume the quality has started to decline since they moved the production over to Taiwan.
I use the Stay Sharp Guide which is made by the Innovative Outdoorsman (a great product btw) to sharpen my other heads. I have the entire kit and can pick the right angle based on the head I am sharpening. I'm using the black replacement blade guide for the Killzone and found the some of the blades had slightly different bevels. I actually had to reset the edge on a couple blades in order to get them sharp...not something you want to have to do to a new blade.
Either way, they are sharp now, but I don't have a huge amount of confidence in the head or the construction quality, but I do still want to test the heads before I say for sure.
Moral of the story, check blade sharpness before you shoot any head, even if it says sharp out of the box.
X3 on the WASP. Hair popping scary azz sharp blades. When ever I buy a 3 pack of Boss SST's I also buy two packs of replacement blades. As a control test I remove one blade from each pack of replacements and one blade and test them for sharpness by holding the blade in my 6" clamping forceps stretch a very thick rubber band about 3-4x its original length between two fixed points and using only the weight of the forceps push the blade across the rubber band. Do the same with the assembled Wasp BH but in a 10-12" section of cut aluminum XX78. Never had a rubber band yet last the length of the blade before being cut in half. I also know absolutely any, even slight pressured accidental contact with my Boss SST FB/BH's will result in a cut.
Pretty sure the new Killzones come from china. They are one of the most energy robbing heads to open anyway. wasp Jak-Hammers are light years better, IMO.
