You will be surprised at how sharp an axe can get with the help of Tormek's axe jig SVA-170. The axe is securely held in the jig and sharpened at a constant edge angle.
The stone's rotation presses the axe up, fixing it against the jig's rubber stop and enhancing the force from your hand, which ensures that the edge receives an appropriate sharpening pressure against the sharpening stone. You also avoid any chipping against the stone, which can easily happen when sharpening freehand against the sharpening direction.
When dry sharpening on a normal, fast-rotating bench grinder, there is a high risk of burning the edge and ruining the axe. With the Tormek sharpening system, there is no such risk, as the water continuously cools the edge.
Straight or Curved Edges
Since the axe is fixed against the jig's rubber stop, you can easily follow the shape of the edge, whether it is straight or curved. A recreational axe has a curved edge, while a carving axe may have an almost straight edge.
Edge Angle for Your Purpose
Choose the edge angle that is best for your axe. A general-purpose axe for sports and recreation has a larger edge angle than a carving axe. A splitting axe requires an even larger edge angle.
Carving axes can be sharpened asymmetrically with a larger sharpening bevel on the left side (if you are right-handed). The axe carves more easily since the cutting force is closer to the carving direction.
SVA-170 is also included in the House and Home package HTK-806