How To Sharpen A Machete Professionally – 5 Different Techniques

Do you want to know how to sharpen a machete like a pro? Well, we have five different techniques here. First, a machete needs to be kept in the right shape. However, it would be best to sharpen some of the machetes that don’t come with a sharp edge.

Don’t Know What Machete is?

A machete is stainless steel tool similar to an ax and was made in central America. Now machetes are commonly found among all the countries. This blade is used for several things and is made of carbon steel for long life.

Furthermore, machetes have different shapes and sizes. The size of the machete varies from 12 to 17 inches. Many more giant machetes have a broad belly, but the tip is sharp and pointy. Therefore, you will not find all the machetes with curves.

So If you don’t know how to sharpen a machete before, don’t worry. We will tell you the easy methods to sharpen any machete.

Without any further delay, let’s start!

 

How to Sharpen a Machete in 5 Different Ways

There are several ways to sharpen a machete, but you will learn the five different techniques here. Below we will tell you how to sharpen a machete in 5 different ways with the following tools:

1. Belt Sander
2. Grinder
3. File
4. Dremel
5. Whetstone or Rock

 

1. How to Sharpen a Machete With Belt Sanders?

Several people use belt sanders to sharpen a machete because it is one of the most accessible techniques. You can sharpen machetes and give them a pointy tip using a belt sander. First, however, you need to know the proper technique for sharpening a machete with a belt sander. Several professionals use this technique for sharpening machetes.

Besides, the long machetes of 17 inches are sharpened by the belt sander. The katana machete can be sharpened with belt sanders easily. Do you want to discover how to sharpen a katana? A belt sander is perfect for sharpening it.

Also, do you want to buy the Best Combat Machete? Then click on it and get one for you now.

To sharpen a machete, you have to pressure it and not overheat any machete. The carbon steel present in a machete will be damaged if you overheat the tool. A belt sander is not costly, and it is better than electric sharpeners. You can also sharpen the knife with sandpaper. It is the best way to sharpen a machete.

 

2. How to Sharpen a Machete With Grinder?

A sharpening machete with a bench grinder is commonly used when you need the sharpest edge. However, this process of sharpening a machete with a grinder is not easy. A grinder is a tool that requires a lot of space, and it is one of the most challenging knife sharpening techniques.

Besides, the grinding wheels produce more heat that can damage a machete. So you have to be careful and set the grinder at low RPM. Only professionals use this technique because it doesn’t give favorable results sometimes. The beginner machete workers do not use the grinder sharpening technique.

 

3. How to Sharpen a Machete With File?

Sharpening machetes with the help of a file doesn’t require complex rules to follow. However, you need two other things to sharpen it with a file.

Firstly, you need to hold the machete tightly with a vice. Moreover, there are two different files available for machete sharpening. One file has a smooth edge, and the other file will have a rough cut or double cut. You can also buy a file that has the option of sharpening a machete with a rough and smooth cut.

You can push the machete over the blade after setting the machete in a vice tightly. However, you cannot pull a machete in a vice. Also, remember that you cannot push the machete reversely or in the opposite direction of the file.

So after sharpening a machete from one side, you have to repeat the same process for sharpening the other side. However, files are small tools that you can easily carry anywhere with you. Besides, you can sharpen a machete in its best form. Moreover, you will feel like it is similar to a new homemade machete.

 

4. How to Sharpen a Machete With Dremel?

The following technique is to sharpen a machete with a Dremel. This Dremel knife sharpening tool is powerful, and it is operated manually, and you have to rotate the Dremel with the shaft for sharpening an ax. So before you sharpen this tool, you need a firm grip for holding a machete.

After that, you need to sharpen the machete with a Dremel and place the machete over it. In this way, you can sharpen the other side as well. Also, you can sharpen the knives with Dremel.

While sharpening a machete with a Dremel, you need to be careful that the edges don’t get uneven. Besides, you don’t need to bother if there is a minor difference between the edges. With this tool, you can give the sharpest edge to your machete.

However, this technique is only suitable for those users who need to do challenging tasks with machetes. For example, several farmers sharp their machetes to work on the fields. You can also sharpen a knife with Dremel.

 

5. How to Sharpen a Machete With Whetstone or Rock?

Sharpening a machete with whetstone or rock is one of the oldest techniques. With a whetstone, you can give a razor sharp edge to your machete. Besides, you can easily sharpen a machete with sharpening rock or whetstone, but you have to soak the rock or whetstone in water for an hour.

After soaking the whetstone inside the water, you have to sharpen a machete perpendicularly. You have to sharpen a machete with a rock in simple words by moving it in an up and down direction. Within a few minutes, your blade will be sharpened easily.

Moreover, you can easily find handy whetstones in the market. Above all, sharpening a machete with a whetstone or rock is not difficult at all. Do you know that sharpening a machete with a whetstone is the easiest and most popular way, and it is used by several machete users worldwide?

The whetstone will maintain the edge of machetes easily. Homemade sharpening stone and whetstone are the best machete sharpener.

 

Sharpening Angles of Machete

Before you sharpen any machete, you have to figure out the angles. All the machetes will not sharpen if you don’t know the angles. Moreover, the angle of sharpening a machete depends on what type of work you will do with it.

For instance, if you are going to cut grass and other stuff that doesn’t include wood, you need to sharpen a machete at a small angle. The sharpening angle should be 25 degrees.

Besides, if you use any machete on woods or thick stuff, you need to keep the sharpening angle of 25 degrees. Then, you can easily do the chopping with a machete.

Furthermore, it would help if you didn’t use the smaller sharpening angle for cutting the thicker and broader stuff. Indeed, the sharpening angle is critical because it will make your work easier and protect the machete’s edge. It is an opinion by professional machete users that the sharpening angle of the machete is necessary before you sharpen your ax.

 

The Sharpening Edge Problems

Sharpening different kinds of machetes are complicated because they all need different angles. Here we will tell you the common problems while sharpening a machete. You can read the issues before to avoid later inconvenience while sharpening them.

Firstly, you have to know how curvy you need your machete. Some of the machetes aren’t curvy because of their size and shape. So you need to know the right shape of a machete and how curvy it can be before sharpening it.

Secondly, this problem occurs while sharpening several machetes. The correct technique of sharpening a machete is essential; otherwise, you might destroy your tool. Lastly, you need to know the right angle of sharpening a machete. For cutting the softer material, you need to cut the machete in 25 degrees, and for cutting the woods, you have to keep the 35 degrees angle.

The machetes shouldn’t be thin because they won’t cut the harder stuff. So you have to consider the correct sharpening angle according to the thickness of the material you’ll work on.

 

Advantages of Using a Machete

One of the reasons that make machetes popular is that they are versatile. Other than that, the machete will do all the functions that an ax and a knife can do. Moreover, you can do several tasks with a machete, from the thickest to the thinnest material.

You can use a sharp machete on a farm or any camping site. And that’s not all; the machete is a helpful weapon for wars. Moreover, the thickness of the machete is another advantage because it will give them a unique ability to work as an ax. Best of all, the machete is longer than an ax.

With superior abilities, you can use a machete in the fields. Additionally, machetes will make the work of Famer easier. While working at the farm, you don’t need to carry different tools because the machete will do the grass cutting and harvesting tasks.

As if that’s not enough, you will be using a machete for clearing any brush or collecting the wood. But wait! Machete can be used to make food if you are in the field. It will help you to cut the more complex food items. For example, you can open a coconut with any machete. Machetes are sharp, and they will make your cooking task more manageable.

Of course, machetes are an excellent tool for your self defense. You can easily use a machete as a weapon to protect yourself. So if something is approaching you, the machete is a reliable tool for you.

 

Disadvantages of Using a Machete

There are some flaws of the machete that we will discuss here.

You cannot use a machete for several tasks. However, the blade of the machete needs frequent sharpening. Plus, you cannot do all tasks with a machete blade.

One of the major flaws of the machete is its size. Some machetes are too long that you cannot keep them in the kitchen. In addition, it is not meant for cutting smaller food items. With machetes, you can only roughly cut the food items. Although the machete works like a knife, you will not have the smoothest cut with it.

The next flaw of the machete is that it cannot split the woods perfectly. You can use it as an ax, but it will not work similarly to an ax. For instance, you will not have the perfect cut like an ax with a machete, especially splitting wood.

All in all, machetes can do several things, but they aren’t made for cutting any particular item. As you know, axes are perfect for chopping trees, but you also use a machete. Similarly, scythes are specifically designed to harvest.

Moreover, the knives are perfect for cutting several things. You can do all these tasks with a machete but not perfectly. No doubt, the machete is a helpful tool, and it has a few ignorable flaws. A few issues exist because no tool can do what the others are specifically designed for.

 

 

To Sum Up

After all, sharpening a machete is not easy. Once you start using any technique, it will be easier to sharpen an ax next time. You need to follow the correct technique for sharpening a machete.

However, the most challenging technique is sharpening a machete with a grinder. Machete sharpening service is also offered in some tools shops. Other than that, you can easily sharpen a machete with the best machete sharpener, but you must clean it after each use.

We hope that our machete/ax sharpening techniques are helpful for you.