Axe Sharpening

[Tonka]

Well, my brother taught me the perfect technique for sharpening knives and tools... and after years of practice, I'm still crap at it. So I can't help sorry.

What I will say, is an axe doesn't actually need to be a razor, too fine an edge will take too much damage in the rather brutal
process of swinging an axe. So even I can get an OK edge on an axe.
If I'm being lazy, I sometimes use an angle grinder in a vice on an axe.

[Northumbriman]

Ok here is the thing with axes.... if you buy an axe in a shop it will absolutely have to be ground down. The edge will be way to thick for sharpening otherwise. I bought a medium axe from B&Q and had the same result you have been finding. Get an angle grinder and workmate bench clamp the axe securley and grind the edge down to thin it out. As a fantastic alternative you could go to alocalboot sale and search the old tool boxes on the stalls-- I have bought up some really good OLD axe heads that given a little TLC have been much better than modern store bought axes. Carve your own haft too and you end up with a great woodaxe.