Can we make this old Axe SHAVE? Axe Sharpening 101

When it comes right down to it, knowing how to sharpen a cutting tool, whether it be a knife, axe, or pair of scissors, is all about the same. In this video I'll show you how to sharpen an axe to both a rough working edge suitable for chopping and a razor edge that will slice with the best of them. This old rusty double bitted axe has been kicked around and neglected for decades. After refitting it with a new handle, it's time to bring that edge back to life. Since the edge is chipped and pitted, I'll start with a coarse mill fill to clean the edge up and form a burr. Moving to a finer file to remove the burr is all that's needed for a felling axe but just to keep things interesting I wanted to see if I could hone the blade fine enough to slice through paper. I used my Work Sharp Field Sharpener to sharpen the axe to a razor edge and, although it wouldn't slice as well as a kitchen knife, it made some impressive cuts for such a big chopping blade.