File or Stone (Poll attached)

[Twodogs]

I use one of these files ,
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ralph-Martind...Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item518e963430
And the good old pulk ,

Twodogs

 

[dwardo]

Little DC4 when out and about is perfect for touching up an edge.
A file is handy for when i get the axe back after lending it to someone

 

[Gill]

schrade honesteel before anything.

 

[mr dazzler]

Well seeing as the question in the first instance was axe FILE or axe STONE, if I had just the choice of one it would be a file. It will get the edge very sharp quickly, remove dings and dents etc (and can be used for other jobs like saw's etc. I generaly use a 3 square bahco ones I also use for filing saws) OK its not a zen perfect mirror polish, but for rough carving of forms its a fine enough edge, why waste time and effort taking it any further. Its on my knives I want the finest smoothest edges to get burnished finishes on wood carvings. Sometimes I will use those cheap diamond cards, ocasionally strop, but very rarely nowadays on the axes, theres no need to.

 

[Teepee]

A file for shaping.
A sanding block with a cut up mouse pad glued to the face with wet and dry paper-180, 320, 600, 1200 and then autosol polish-this gives a constant curve to the cutting edge and could shave an ameoba.
I too, am obsessive.

 

[HillBill]

schrade honesteel before anything.

Thats what i have now .

In house sharpening consists of the mousemat sand paper method. In field is the schrade.

 

[silentpaddler]

From reading the responses, I'm going to assume a GB SFA is a type of axe?

I use a bench grinder(geared down low rpm) for most of the sharpening, then finish it off with a stone. Never tried a file but I guess that would be just as good...

 

[Chris the Cat]

Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe.
Cheers.
C da C.

 

[gregs656]

Only just got into the axe thing but I bought an old axe and I used a file and wet and dry. The file did all the heavy lifting and the sand paper did the rest.

Ever since honing cut throat razors, I too am OCD about it.

To be honest, what ever metal working file or low grit bench stone you have stuck in the back of the garage will probably do the job. I personally wouldn't rush to spend money on specialized tools.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

I use a pair of double sided diafolds DMT files.
Black/blue red/green.

 

[Toddy]

My Gran used to sharpen her kitchen knives on the base of her mixing bowl.

Pizza stone is a great sharpening tool for kitchen knives....even the butter knives end up razor sharp.

Last time I sharpened an axe I used the wee DC4 and then a hone to polish it up. Tidy

M

 

[leon-1]

When I started I used what I had available, a water slip stone and a DC4. I now have three b4stard cut files, a dc4, an axe puck and mouse mats that I use for axes.

 

[Tiley]

I reckon that a file will do the job more quickly but a stone will do it better in the sense that you'll keep the convex profile more readily. Cutting up a mouse mat, sticking it on a block of wood and then attaching some wet 'n' dry will allow you to get that wonderful polished sharp edge.

 

[TarHeelBrit]

Both for me. I use a file to remove dings and such then finish off with the stone. I prefer using a stone as I find it very relaxing to sit on the patio watching the world go by and sharpen using a stone.

 

[British Red]

Files (three grades), belt sander, diamond hones, waterstones, axe stones, Hoodoo hone, wet and dry, leather strop, buffing compound and all the other tools that may be needed to shape, sharpen and polish metal.