IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan => Topic started by: Oceantoad1 on Jan 24, 2021, 07:14 AM
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Do you buy replacement blades and have back ups with you? or, do you sharpen your blades with a hand held sharpener? If you sharpen by hand, what tool works for you?
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There is a specific one for StrikeMaster augers. It cost about $7 and are blue.
Keeps blades sharp and they last a lot longer.
Just a few swipes on each blade and they are sharp again.
I only have StrikeMaster augers so I can only speak of those.
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Ive never sharpened my jiffy and my eskimo hand auger is still on original blades.... My eskimo is 6 years old and still cuts like new... Trick is babyi g your blades.... Dont bang em on the ice and bend your edge... If taken care of properly the ice will keep your blades sharp as can be
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Ive never sharpened my jiffy and my eskimo hand auger is still on original blades.... My eskimo is 6 years old and still cuts like new... Trick is babyi g your blades.... Dont bang em on the ice and bend your edge... If taken care of properly the ice will keep your blades sharp as can be
All true but if you fish a lake when the wind is blowing hard there is a lot of sand in th eice. I had that several years ago on Lake Missaukee. I bought an exta set and sent my blades and a spoon or an auger to a sharpening place in GR. They came back in about 3 days and you could shave with them. I use the spoon auger until the ice gets thick enough for the power auger. Much lighter to carry
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Never seen where ice keeps blades sharp, but oil, stone and light hone after each use will. Razor sharp.
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Babying you blades plays more to hand augers... My jiffy is a chipper ive never sharpened it and im sure if it was sharpened it would cut better but being a one armed bandit i like that it doesnt bite to hard... I enjoy my wrists lol.. Plus i havent used it in 3 years because ive had no need... Might sell it and buy and ion they have em at menards right now
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Never seen where ice keeps blades sharp, but oil, stone and light hone after each use will. Razor sharp.
That is an art, and you could probably make some money touching them up for people.
I've butchered a couple sets trying to stone them in the past. I just buy replacements now. I'm pretty easy on my blades, though, aside from smacking a rock last season. I also don't drill a ton of holes, so a set generally lasts me a lot of years.
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I want to try my hand at sharpening some. I've got a ken onion Worksharp, and a 30 x 1 belt sander with every belt including leather. I always keep new Lazer blades with me just in case, but I never need them because I baby my auger. It seems like Lazer and Mora at least wouldn't be that hard to sharpen once you know what not to do. Don't sharpen the flat edge, don't round the corners, and don't take much off unless it's really beat up. The 2nd small bevel on them is what cuts, so you shouldn't need to take off much.
- Joe
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That is an art, and you could probably make some money touching them up for people.
I've butchered a couple sets trying to stone them in the past. I just buy replacements now. I'm pretty easy on my blades, though, aside from smacking a rock last season. I also don't drill a ton of holes, so a set generally lasts me a lot of years.
Thanks, but no thanks. Way too many years of fixing augers, engines, and ruined blades. I won't do it anymore, to see them taken right back out and abused. A friend or two; that's it. I don't charge them.
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Thanks, but no thanks. Way too many years of fixing augers, engines, and ruined blades. I won't do it anymore, to see them taken right back out and abused. A friend or two; that's it. I don't charge them.
It makes me cringe watching guys bang them on the ice. That is just like flushing money down the toilet. In the past 20 years I think I've only had to buy 3 sets of blades, and one was because I hit a rock like an idiot in shallow water last season.
A friend of mine goes through a set or two every season, and he fishes less than me 😬 I keep telling him the auger isn't a walking stick...
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https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=309016.0
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I just received this $13 angle guide. Goes from 10-45 degrees and it's made to snap right on my Harbor Freight belt sander.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HVXFP80
I may have to break down and sharpen the blades on my backup 5" lazer that doesn't need it. See if kill them or not. I've got a new spare set if I do. It's probably best to learn on a set without gouges and nicks, and already at the correct angle, than ones that are trashed.
- Joe
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I just received this $13 angle guide. Goes from 10-45 degrees and it's made to snap right on my Harbor Freight belt sander.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HVXFP80
I may have to break down and sharpen the blades on my backup 5" lazer that doesn't need it. See if kill them or not. I've got a new spare set if I do. It's probably best to learn on a set without gouges and nicks, and already at the correct angle, than ones that are trashed.
- Joe
This may help with the Mora blades angle ..not certain what angle the Lazers would be
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Is there a way to test your blades after sharpening when there's no hard water around?
At least, ice that doesn't fit in a glass of ... Iced Tea? ::)
I managed one more season of light fishing on my blades and I'd like to give sharpening them a try over the summer.
How do I know they're sharp enough to shave ice?
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Shaver blades need honing after every season or so. I keep spares for both my Finbores and my Ion with me at all times, as well as the wrench. That way, I swap them if something goes wrong on ice, then hand sharpen them when getting back home.
Chipper blades need less maintenance, but I've seen them dull enough to where they are useless.