Fiskars XSharp Axe and Knife Sharpener, Ceramic sharpening stone/Fiberglass reinforced plastic case, Black/Orange, 1000601

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Clean away any dirt or wood fibers from the surface of the axe head, as it will be full of moisture. Sharpen your blades with Fiskars Xsharp Axe & Knife Sharpener The Fiskars Xsharp™ Axe and Knife Sharpener acts as 2 sharpeners in one. Wood preparation requires that you have the sharpest tools for making the cut. If you chop a lot of wood, it's only a matter of time that your blades will dull. Regular maintenance keeps your Fiskars Axes and Knives sharp and safe. This handy portable tool features 2 sharpeners in 1. Ceramic grind stone has clearly indicated cutting grooves for either axes or knives. Just run the blade through the right groove and roll it a couple of times and your blade will restore its optimal bevel for cutting. This handy little forest companion has optimized sharpening angles for both Fiskars axes and knives and its easy to use mechanism makes it a breeze to work with. It's also small enough to carry along wherever you go. Ideally, leather should be used for stropping, but you don’t need to buy a dedicated strop. I use an old wallet for my axes. You can use an old belt, purse, leather pants – anything. Reduce pressure and strokes at the end, ideally finishing each side with one or two light strokes to keep the edge sharp and clean.

While most of a Fiskars axe is fairly indestructible, the cutting edge will dull with use and can chip or roll. It’s a fairly common criticism of Fiskars. The 30-degree flat grind edge is sharp but more delicate than a convex grind. Combined with a bit softer steel and you are going to have to do some sharpening. If someone has a Fiskars axe, then a sharpening stone can help keep the axe’s cutting edge sharp. Of course, a rusty axe will never cut wood smoothly, but a decent sharpening stone will accomplish the task without any hassle. Sharpening dull axe edges requires stones with grit. And the grit ranges from 1000 to 3000. So, whetstones with grits ranging from 4000 to 8000 grits are used to polish the knife and sharpen the sharpness. Technique Two: Fiskars SharpenerI keep an X15 permanently in the trunk of my SUV – all seasons. And in my area, we can go from 40° C to -30° C (100° to -22° F) at the extremes. Fiskars axes have a very flat bit (blade), and all of these axes have much more curved profiles. As a result, it’s harder to do one nice clean motion from one end of the blade to the other. So after describing all the best ways to care for a Fiskars axe it’s time for me to confess – I often don’t care for my Fiskars axes as well as I should.

All axes will dull with use, and rolled edges can be quite common with flat ground edges (like on Fiskars). When you are examining the edge you should see the newly sharpened bevel as brighter steel. Make sure it is a constant depth/width. Any narrow or non-shiny areas should be sharpened more. I tested the Fiskars sharpener on a few other axes I had laying around that were also a little worn from testing. There was a classic Estwing sportsman, Council Tool flying fox, and Husqvarna hatchet. A rolled edge is when the fine sharp point of the blade gets bent, or “rolled” to one side. It may not even be noticeable at a glance but if you touch the sides of the blade edge you will feel a thin “wire” or “lip” of metal off to the side, right at the tip. However, with these axes, I know a lot of people don’t bother. Especially with the splitting axes – just keep swinging and sharpen as needed. 2. Maintaining the blade (bit) of your Fiskars AxeI’ve found it can be awkward to try and sharpen the big axes higher up, and you get a less even or complete motion. I would end up just doing a bunch of partial strokes. The big axes are easiest to run fully through the sharpener if it’s lower to the ground and you are positioned above it. So while I encourage people to learn to sharpen “properly”, sometimes it’s hard to beat a 60-second method with no learning curve. I always recommend people learn to sharpen the “proper” way with stones, but it can be hard to beat an easy 60 second sharpen. See how to use the Fiskars sharpener here. How to fix a chipped edge on your axe Learn how to reduce chipping and fully maintain your Fiskars axe here. Fiskars sharpener instructions