How to Sharpen a Hatchet:

our pucks are also great to sharpen Lawn mower blades, Axe blades, machetes, shovels, spades and more!

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION AND TIPS

Aluminum Oxide stones will be best for most common steels like 1050 or 1060. They cut fast and can produce a nicer finish than silicon carbide. You could still use Aluminum Oxide stones on a harder steel, but it would be a much slower process.

Silicon Carbide stones are more aggressive and cut the fastest and are best used on harder Steels and Carbide Steels. For example, D2 Steel will sharpen much more easily on a Silicon Carbide Stone than on the Aluminum Oxide Stones. Silicon Carbide Stones typically have a softer binder holding it together. This means that as you sharpen you are continuously exposing new cutting crystals which makes sharpening quicker but will also wear the stone out quicker.

The main applications for sharpening pucks would be for Axe and Hatchet blades or maintaining shovels, lawn mower blades, or other tools that don't require a super fine edge like a kitchen knife would need.

Even for pocket knives, the pucks would probably be too coarse but would work in a pinch for a camp knife or machete that needed to be touched up.

Deciding which type of stone to use depends on if you know the kind of steel you are working on. If you don't, just remember that using the silicon Carbide stone will probably work the fastest but it is also the stone that will wear out the quickest. Some people like to start out using the silicon carbide stone to quickly repair an edge and then switch to sharpening with an aluminum oxide stone for a nicer and finer finish.

Ideally the 320 grit side will be used for quick maintenance, while starting at the 120 grit will be used when the axe edge is damaged and needs a restoration.

You shouldn't have to worry about the stones wearing out for a long while. Though it does depend on the frequency of use and your sharpening ability. Signs of one being worn out would heavy cracking in the stone, a deep groove worn into the stone due to how you sharpen, or if one side gets worn down close to the other side grit.

Cracking can happen if you use water or honing oil as you sharpen and then don't let the stone dry slowly. For example, if you sharpened your axe using water, saturating the stone, and then just left the stone in direct sun it could crack. Water or honing oil isn't necessary to use the stone, but it does help keep the pores of the stone clean, dissipates frictional heat and ensures a smoother sharpening action.