Comparing the machete to the other types of blades, you get to see that the machete is the most common with various applications. If you have ever wanted to clear a path in the forest, then you will need to pick up your machete, and you will be good to go. The same thing applies to when you have to trim your hedge around the home. The machete comes in different sizes so that you can choose the best one depending on what will work for you.
Probably as a way of ensuring safety, the machete would be sold with its cutting-edge quite dull. Well, this means that you have to get down to sharpen the blade before using it. Below is a guide on how to sharpen a machete using different tools.
What you’ll need
- A belt sander
- Vise
- File
- A grinder
- Whetstone
- Water
- Beaker
Steps
1. Sharpening with a belt sander
If you own a belt sander, then you could put it to a good use of sharpening the machete with so much ease. This method should make sharpening easier and faster as compared to some other methods. You will still get it being popular among most professionals who are looking to sharpen the machete for the first time.
With the belt sander running, all you have to do is apply some light pressure on the straight edge of the machete to start the sharpening. The light pressure is important so that you do not get the blade too hot. Too much heat would damage the carbon steel composition of the belt.
2. Sharpening using a grinder
Another option would be sharpening with a grinder. If you see someone opting for the grinder, then you are looking for an aggressive approach to sharpening. This could be a great method when looking to eliminate the initial dullness or large nicks in the blade. This is not the same as using the belt sander as it needs considerable experience to get the sharpening done correctly.
You still need to have a large work area so that you can easily move the machete is a simple and fluid motion to get the edge of the machete sharpened evenly. You do not have to run the grinder at its highest speed, as too much speed can lead to overheating of the blade.
3. Using a file
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This one of the simplest ways to sharpen the machete before some high tech tools came around. Sharpening the machete with a knife might need more input from you as the user. The process is simpler that you might think, as you simply need to clamp the knife in the vise to get started.
Keep the machete at an angle on the vise so that you have an easier time working on the blade. Start by pushing the file over the dull blade continuously. You are not to pull the blade as the file teeth as designed to point away from its handle. It can take more time and muscle to get this part done, but do not worry, as with experience you will be sharpening them faster.
4. Using a whetstone
This is another low-tech way of sharpening the machete, but it gets the job done each time you have to use it. You need to have a whetstone, water and beaker when using an artificial whetstone. This can easily be said to be the traditional way of sharpening the machetes without the need of expensive hardware.
As for the sharpening process, you will have to move the blade of the machete starting at the base to the tip of the machete keeping the blade against the stone. Repeat the process severally to sharpen the blade in no time.
Depending on where you are, such a low-tech method should easily be used to sharpen the machete and continue using it.
5. Using a Dremel
A Dremel is a simple handheld power tool that comes with a knife-sharpening tool at the end of one shaft. It does not just have to sharpen knives; you can now repurpose it to sharpen the machetes too. You need to get the machete clamped in the vise and start the sharpening process.
To sharpen the edge, simply run the Dremel against the edge of your machete. You have to do for both sides of the blade edge so that it is sharp enough. Not many people would advise you to use the Dremel for sharpening as it can leave imperfections to the edge if you are not experienced in using it.
Below is a video that should give you more tips on how to sharpen a machete
Conclusion
As you can see, several ways on how to sharpen a machete exist. It is all about what you have as a person to use for the process. You can use different tools so long as they end up giving you the best results. The methods above are quite easy to understand and follow. Share your comments and ideas below if you liked the guide.