Machete

[omegabrock]

What's a good cheap way to sharpen and maintain them? At least that can hold me over until I can upgrade

[1moretoy]

what I use mine for (mainly clearing thick brush and vines) I sharpen mine with a bench grinder. I want it to have a rough finish for what I'm cutting.

[RWalls]

Yep, touch it up with the bench grinder or metal file. Dremel would work as well.

[omegabrock]

I don't have any of those lol. Would a concrete porch work?

[Infidel]

A bench mounted belt sander with a fine belt might work also but a file is probably the best bet if you don't want to use stones. An large bench stone would do a nice job on it I think.

-Infidel

[1moretoy]

I don't have any of those lol. Would a concrete porch work?

I guess so...I once used a brick for a wood file

[Sparkyprep]

Rub the stone onto the blade, instead of the blade onto the stone.

[Infidel]

Concrete would work, that's what convicts use to sharpen shanks but it's pretty course. I finer grit stone like quartz might be a better choice than concrete but concrete would do if you have nothing else, just don't expect shaving sharp.

-Infidel

[omegabrock]

Nah like 1more said, I'm just using it to clear thicket and brush from a decently wooded area so I can get an axe or chainsaw in there to clear a lane out for the range

[Deebo]

Any old file should work for that.

[shootbrownelk]

What's a good cheap way to sharpen and maintain them? At least that can hold me over until I can upgrade
Omega, try one of the hand-held sharpeners from "Outdoor Edge" they work great, put a fine edge on my knives FAST. They get dull P.D.Q. when field dressing & skinning elk.

[omegabrock]

Well shit. I guess I'm going to have to spend some money then lol

[RWalls]

Get a cheap metal file, after you are done sharpening the machete you can use the file as a shank!

[James m]

The house I grew up in. The people who lived there before were bad news. One day I was digging out front in a garden. And I found a few long worms. But I also found a shank. An actual piece of metal with electrical tape wrapped around for a handle. Crazy nuts.

[omegabrock]

Anything specific?

[Sarge7402]

If you get a file, get one that has a very coarse pattern - used to be called a bastard file in the old days - as it sharpens the blade much faster than one with a finer pattern. If you really want to put a sharp edge on the blade one of the knife sharpeners (with the two angled round bars ) that you use on pocket, belt and kitchen knifes will put a very sharp edge on in no time.