In today's high tech environment many things are taken for granted,
including the blade sharpness of broadheads. Since this is just not the
case, I caution every bowhunter that not all broadheads are sharp right
out of the package. In addition, most bowhunters believe that just
because a broadhead has replaceable blades, those blades are also hunting
sharp right out of the box.
As with any product category, there are some
excellent broadheads and there are some marginal broadheads. Blade sharpness
is no exception. As a responsible bowhunter you need to check blade sharpness
yourself before you ever take it into the field for game.
Rocky Mt. Ti-100
One good check is to see if you can shave the hair off your arm without
much pressure. If you can't, notify the manufacturer and send the blades
back for replacement. If you frequently have to send blades back or if
you are not satisfied with the quality of sharpness I would urge you to
switch brands.
Through the years I have been on several hunts where bowhunters would
practice with their broadheads shooting into foam and dirt. Then, some
of these hunters would put the same arrows back in their quivers with the
belief they were okay to hunt with. A broadhead that has been previously
shot should never be used on an animal without replacing the blades or
re-sharpening them. We owe it to the animal.
There are several blade sharpening devices on the market designed to
re-sharpen dull blades. Most come with pre-set angles so the edges are
properly set for you. I have personally used the HONING GUIDE from Fine
Line and highly recommend it if you can find it in stores. It works great
for bringing a honed edge back on broadhead blades as well as other flat
blades. There is a caution however, do not try to re-sharpen blades that
are too damaged.
Due to the high Rockwell hardness of blades, it takes a while to get
the hang of re-sharpening and it takes time to get the edge shaving sharp.
I recommend buying replacement blades because it's easier and because of
the difficulty of getting blades as sharp as those that come from the factory.
Re-sharpening is good for a short term touch up but not for long term.
Know when it’s time to buy replacement blades.
At BARRIE ARCHERY, we specialize in manufacturing the ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Broadhead line so we put all our effort into producing quality broadheads
with extremely sharp blades.
Rocky Mt. Snyper XP3
Crescent Manufacturing has been our main blade
supplier since 1978. They have been making blades since 1898 and specialize
in micro-tome blades for medical biopsies. Obviously we can depend on this
company to provide us with the sharpest blades available.
Blade sharpness is very subjective in nature with shaving being the
one sure way a consumer can check for sharpness. In addition to this old
fashioned way of checking blade sharpness, we also check blade sharpness
with two other methods.
The first method requires the use of high magnification to check the
fine honed edge. Under a microscope we can visually detect even the
slightest
variation in blade edge sharpness. The other method uses a Sharpness
Tester™
which equates blade sharpness to a statistical variable which measures,
graphs and monitors each edge. As part of my MBA requirement, I, along
with the engineering department at Crescent Manufacturing, developed
the Sharpness Tester™ to implement an SPC System for Rocky Mountain
blades.
By utilizing both old and new technology Rocky Mountain Broadheads have
always been known for having the sharpest blades available, we intend
to
keep it that way.
So take it from the Broadhead Dr. regardless of the broadhead
you are shooting, always ensure the blades are razor sharp. Good
hunting and if you
have any questions feel free to e-mail the Broadhead Dr. at:
barrie102@mchsi.com
