Broadhead sharpness

[Eastonsgrandpa]

So having settled on two broadheads I will be testing and deciding which goes in the quiver, Iron Will and Evolution Outdoors, both fixed and one EO expandable for follow up, I am wondering about sharpness.

The IW are ridiculously sharp. Surprised they didn’t cut my porch in half when delivered.

The Evolution not so much. Not dull by any means, but very noticeably less sharp and the edges feel less refined.

I have listened to Dale on why this is, but it doesn’t compute in my brain.

So what is your preference? A sharp head that will get the job done, or one that slices like a razor blade?

I can definitely get the EO to a much sharper edge, but don’t know that I should have to.

 

[Shooter Mike]

In my opinion, I think when you buy a broadhead that it should be “hunt ready”. I don’t care much for sharpening broadheads, but I will strop them. Once they’ve gone through an animal, the blades become practice blades and I replace with new blades.

So if a broadhead manufacturer can’t send out hunt ready sharp blades, it’s not one that I will bother with. Determining what is “hunt ready” is up to the individual though. To me, that’s shave sharp. And shave sharp is more than just scraping dead skin cells. It better be cutting hairs with ease.


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[dtrkyman]

Sharp as possible while still retaining the edge. Crappy steel might be sharp until it passes through hide then it may lose the edge? Not an issue with the Iron Will, no experience with the Evo.

What is Dale's take?

There are at least three aspects to cutting, edge, pressure and velocity, if you have enough pressure and velocity a butter knife will cut, but without losing edge integrity there is no such thing as too sharp!

On a shot into the lung or heart it really wont matter, but a marginal hit that sharp head will cut more tissue, arteries, veins and cause more blood loss. A dull head may push an artery out of the way and a sharp one will cut it!

 

[JK47]

As long as I keep cutting my fingers on the darn things, I just put em in the quiver. Whichever head I’m using.

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

Sharp as possible while still retaining the edge. Crappy steel might be sharp until it passes through hide then it may lose the edge? Not an issue with the Iron Will, no experience with the Evo.

What is Dale's take?

There are at least three aspects to cutting, edge, pressure and velocity, if you have enough pressure and velocity a butter knife will cut, but without losing edge integrity there is no such thing as too sharp!

On a shot into the lung or heart it really wont matter, but a marginal hit that sharp head will cut more tissue, arteries, veins and cause more blood loss. A dull head may push an artery out of the way and a sharp one will cut it!

From what I get from his point, and maybe I’m off, is that a non surgical sharpness creates better and quicker blood flow. There is a point where a super fine cut will take a little longer to flow where a more torn cut starts quicker.

But I can’t help but think that surgical slice is going deeper with less force and therefore damaging more arteries, veins, etc in a more efficient manner.


I agree with the above that even razor sharp crappy steel is less effective than subpar sharpness on good steel as it will keep that edge longer.

 

[Beendare]

Not only do you want super sharp blades...but you want the design of the head to assist in keeping those blades razor sharp.

Designs that plow put the blade edge in direct contact with hair, hide and bone....where the tapered design heads slip in with less pressure on the blades edge.

BTW, thats^ been proven decades ago...

 

[RickDalton]

I would argue sharpness is one of the most important aspects of a broadhead and matters for penetration and getting pass throughs.

 

[cwitt]

To play devils advocate, I think there’s a point where things are sharp enough and beyond that it doesn’t matter or could even be a detriment. There are thousands of animals that get killed very effectively each year with broadheads that are not as sharp as Iron Wills. Because of the difference in blade steel, they are leaps and bounds above just about everything else on the market so it’s almost unfair to compare others to them. It’s actually the main reason I am not a fan of Iron Wills, combined with their two blade design is they’re essentially too sharp.

I’m sure most of us have cut ourselves with a dull pocket knife. Maybe a few that have also cut themselves with a havalon. Or have had some sort of surgery. Which of the cuts easier to get to stop bleeding? Which close up and begin to heal sooner and more easily? It’s the reason surgeons use scalpels is to cause less tissue damage. But when you’re trying to cause an animal to die from blood loss and internal damage, the tearing and rough cut caused by a dull edge ends up being a good thing, so long as there’s sufficient energy to push it through. And most of us have that in our setups. Remember, we aren’t trying to quarter the whole animal with this blade edge. We just need it to be sharp enough to penetrate through hide to get the stuff inside and if it can come out the other side, thats even better.

 

[Jpsmith1]

From what I get from his point, and maybe I’m off, is that a non surgical sharpness creates better and quicker blood flow. There is a point where a super fine cut will take a little longer to flow where a more torn cut starts quicker.

But I can’t help but think that surgical slice is going deeper with less force and therefore damaging more arteries, veins, etc in a more efficient manner.


I agree with the above that even razor sharp crappy steel is less effective than subpar sharpness on good steel as it will keep that edge longer.

Sharper edges create cuts that bleed more. Dull edges rip more than slice and the ripped edges clot quicker.

I don't hunt with a fixed blade edge I didn't sharpen. Expandable are a bit different because they're more difficult to sharpen.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

All heads need sharpened before hunting, and I get them as sharp as I possibly can. Some heads will go dull just sitting in a quiver over time too.

 

[KyleR1985]

There are no diminishing returns on getting broadhead blades as sharp as possible.

I sharpen every head I hunt with.

 

[ozyclint]

In my opinion, I think when you buy a broadhead that it should be “hunt ready”. I don’t care much for sharpening broadheads, but I will strop them. Once they’ve gone through an animal, the blades become practice blades and I replace with new blades.

So if a broadhead manufacturer can’t send out hunt ready sharp blades, it’s not one that I will bother with. Determining what is “hunt ready” is up to the individual though. To me, that’s shave sharp. And shave sharp is more than just scraping dead skin cells. It better be cutting hairs with ease.


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If you can't sharpen a dull head or resharpen one that's been through an animal an into the dirt then you have no business bowhunting.

If you won't reuse a head after shooting an animal I think that's a waste of resources.
Primitive hunters valued their equipment very highly. They designed stuff to be reused and where skilful enough to reuse it.

 

[Dennis]

I look for high quality steel broadheads that can survive impact, while maintaining sharpness throughout the animal.

Just like with knives steel quality matters. If the last cut is as sharp as the first you have great blade steel. Looking back I summarize that sharp broadheads in flight matters very little if they don't remain sharp upon reaching the vitals after breaching hide, bone, meat and tissue.