How To Sharpen A Machete

If you’ve ever wondered How To Sharpen A Machete, now you know. I did a video recently on this topic. I know there are many different designs to machetes out there and each will be a little different. However, all can be sharpened with the ViperSharp system.

A machete is a great tool for a variety of tasks from trailblazing to cutting brush or for some of us, even cutting watermelon. Keeping it sharp is important for safe and proper use. Most often the belly and tip of the blade will do most of the work and therefore receive the most abuse. When sharpening however, you want to make sure the entire blade stays sharp. This is an easy task with the ViperSharp Precision Sharpening System.

Advantages of a Removable Clamp

One of the benefits to the ViperSharp is the removable clamp. This is a nice feature in and of itself but even more so when you need to sharpen long blades such as that of a machete. It comes in extra handy because you can use two clamps to hold your blade, allowing you to work in shifts to sharpen along the length. So, when wondering how to sharpen a machete, first think about the ability to sharpen the entire length of the blade easily.

When you are using two clamps like this, you may need to adjust placement a bit until you get the proper angle from one end fo the tool to the other. A sharpie marker is a great tool to help you understand where your angle is along the blade. I actually found that it may take 3 clamps on this particular design to guarantee the same angle and geometry on the machete. Since I am not too concerned with the final look of the edge, I did not bother to use more clamps but just made sure I was sharp from one end of the blade to the other.

Video of The Process

This video outlines the process I used for this particular machete.

As with any blade, the more frequently you sharpen, the easier it will be. Maintenance on a tool is always better than damage control from abuse. No matter what knife sharpener you use, if you work the blade so hard that it is rounded and is no longer a sharp edge at all, it will take more time to correct it and get it back to extreme sharp.

If you have any other questions about how to sharpen a machete or any other blade, comment below and let’s discuss it. Also, comment what you use a machete for