Okay, so last year I purchased some STOS broadheads, which I've used in years past, and really liked.

However, I can NOT get an edge on this batch of broadheads. I don't know if I got a bad batch of steel, or what.

Do any of you think that I could heat treat it in the oven? Say like 350 for 2 hrs or so (like a deer roast, he he)?

Don't think that would help at those temps! Contact STOS and see what they say!

Swamp: I would look in the mirror for your problem. You should be able to get even a piece of soft steel sharp. Nothing much softer than a bear razor head and they sharpen. Bob

You should be able to cut them with a file. If they are to hard to cut then, they are to hard. Put them in the over at 400 deg. for 2 hours. If they are to soft heat an area to red hot and air cool. If they get harder it's air hardening tool steel. If that don't work try quenching them in used motor oil. If the oil don't work try water. If this don't work they just don't have any carbon in them. Unless they are a 300 series stainless steel. Then a magnet will not pick them up. You can test them with a magnet to start with. If they do get hard put them in the over at 400 deg. for 2 hours.

swampappy

i was a tool and die maker 25 years .meaning alot of cutting grinding etc heat treating and not to mention some file work .with tool steel A2 D2 O1 VASCO MAX 350 ETC . now what you need to do is take one of the head to place were they have a hardness tester we used a rockwell one with tool steel use C SCALE . you will know how hard they are . or simply buy a new file a good one nicklson or simmonds . it should cut those heads .the last time there was a discussion on hear about grinding it went crazy . i am sure there will be more this time but i will say if those heads are in the 50 c scale range they will be tuff to sharpen .

STOS have to be some of the easiest heads to sharpen...it's what I use for a 2 blade..hit them with a file with the furell as a guide and then a 600-1200 grit stone..pop hairs.

Are you saying you use to get them sharp but you can't this batch?

What aromakr said

I had some Zwickey Eskimos that I could not sharpen. They were too hard and the file would just slide off of them. I sent them back to Zwickey Archery with a note describing the problem. About a week or so later I received a package from Zwickey Archery. In the package was a hand signed letter from Mr. Jack Zwickey, the Eskimos that I had returned to him reground, 6 new Eskimos and 3 or 4 dollars to cover the shipping! Mr. Zwickey stated that the Eskimos I had sent him were in fact, too hard (due to a mistake in the heat treating). He also apologized for any inconvenience that I may have experienced and thanked me for using Zwickey broadheads. Your broadheads could be the same way. Contact STOS and return them so they can test them. Oh, by the way, I still have the note and the broadheads that Jack Zwickey personally reground. How cool is that!

I bought a diamond stone from a chef store for sharpening chef knives, it works OK on Zwickeys. I sharpen most knives on a carborundum stone under running water to float the chips away.

When I think it's sharp, and no wire edge, I hold my thunb down at a 45Deg. angle, and I lay it on my thumb nail (straight up and down) to see if it slides off, if it does, it's still dull, if it sticks, it's sharp.

When I was younger (a PFC) I shaved in the barracks with a straight razor, so I got kinda good at sharpening stuff. (I also had lots of private space while shaving, but I'm not sure why....)

TinHorn

Way cool SuperK!

If I were in that sich, only two things I would do. Send them back to the mfgr with a note (they do need to know when there is a problem and they usually want to examine them). Or, toss them in the trash and order some Ace Standards.

super k is dead on but being me i always try to fix anything i know i should not just send them back

Heating to 350, even if they are a plain carbon, and susceptible to that kind of thing is too low to draw the temp, but it will mess up paint, Ok for most powder.

The best advice so for for DIY is a sharp file, and if it cuts the steel, keep at it, if it skates, then the most sensible thing is to return them. If you want to give them to soften them, clean the edge so it is silvery (free of rust or paint)Play the torch on the edge until it shows a sign of going anything you would describe as black or blue. Set aside to cool. That should do it.

To be clear, I owned 6 STOS heads that I absolutely loved, and killed a lot of critters with over the last several years. They were super easy to sharpen, and never gave me trouble. I misplaced two on a hunting trip, lost two after shooting a hog, and deer (both animals recovered, but not the front portion of my arrows w/ the heads attached), and I have two left, but the inserts are bent, so I purchased a new pack of 6 heads.

After an hour or more of trying to get an edge on them, I asked my father to give it a try. Suffice it to say the man could sharpen mud, and shave with it. He had the same problem I did. He just handed it back, and said "bad steel." Father-in-law tried, same thing, so either we all suck, or the steel is bad. I don't have any problems sharpening any of my knives, or other broadheads. I pulled out my remaining 2 heads, which I'd dulled practicing with, and got them shaving sharp in a matter of 10 min.

I think the steel is too hard. I can get the file to bite, but I have to put a ton of pressure on it (unlike any other head I own). I don't study metalurgy, but was hoping I could get them soft enough to put a good enough edge on them to hunt with. I may try the 400 deg oven for 2 hrs, and let them air cool, and try again.

I'm not going to send them back to STOS. They are a good company, and as I mentioned earlier, I love the product I purchased last time. I think I just got a bunk batch, and it isn't worth the time or shipping. After these went south on me, I purchased some Grizzly single bevels that I really liked, and were a breeze to sharpen in a matter of 2 or 3 mins. Just didn't want to chunk these if I can get them to work. Thanks for the help so far.

Sounds like you know what you're doing. But sending them back might be a favor to STOS as well. How else are they going to find out that they might have had a bad batch of steel. Others might not be so understanding.

It could be and, is likely the steel in them. I had a batch of snuffers like that one time. A file wouldn't cut them. I ended up using a belt sander.

While it is easy to say it is the guy doing it, sometimes things just aren't right. I have been there and will say that not all steel leaves the broadhead factory perfectly. Act accordingly. God Bless

I had some grizzly single bevels that I couldn't get a file to bite into.

Why not just call the manufacturer and have them sent back? Sounds like bad steel to me.

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