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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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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