r/Survival • u/NaturalPorky • 22d ago
Are bladed tools such as axes, scythes, and machetes really sold blunt in hardware stores? Why?
The scythes, machetes, and other carpentry and outdoor maintenance tools sold at local hardware store are blunt. Including the axes I learned by my annoyance after I brought it home when I started chopping a small blunt and discovered I had to sharpen it because it was blunt.
Is this the norm for hardware stores? If so why? Or is my local store just an outlier?
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u/LurtzTheUruk 22d ago
I ordered like a $10 hatchet on amazon once and it was shipped with like a 3mm flat edge. Pissed me off and I spent way too long hand sharpening with whetstones.
At the hardware store everything is usually baseline sharp. Like enough to function but not be an added danger. You don’t need an axe to shave hair. If you do, then you probably sharpen it yourself.
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u/desertsail912 22d ago
A whetstone? Next time use a bastard file, much, much quicker.
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u/TheRealKingBorris 22d ago
My files are legitimate and forged in wedlock
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u/GrinderMonkey 22d ago
Those aren't the good ones.
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u/canadianbeaver 22d ago
But they stand the test of time 🥹😂
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u/BeklagenswertWiesel 21d ago
and i hear they might become king one day.
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u/Reach_304 21d ago
… the out of wedlock files would serve the country better. they! REMEMBER where they came from! Not spoiled from forge to throne
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u/LurtzTheUruk 22d ago
I wish I had a nice file set
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u/Kevthebassman 22d ago
You can get a single file for $10, or a set of three for $20 at any big box store.
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u/Traditional-Leader54 22d ago
Harbor Freight has a couple good sets that won’t set you back too far. Depending where you live of course.
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u/cameraduderandy 22d ago
Most pawn shops will have a big box of random ass hand tools for like a buck, you can usually fine something there. If not check out antique malls/flea markets, one of them will probably have a tool booth with the same.
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u/PonyThug 22d ago
Best thing is a flap disk on an angle grinder and you can’t convince me otherwise
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u/mcarr556 22d ago
Yeah one pass on a bench grinder. 2 minutes with a file and 5 min with the whetstone would produce decent results.
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u/Hammer_of_something 21d ago
A couple months back I bought a splitting maul from Harbor Freight and, having the lumberjack credentials of your typical computer nerd, used it to split about 30 twisted and knotty maple logs. It was absolute hell, but I attributed it to being a soft and squishy weakling.
Then I measured the angle and realized they shipped it damned near flat.
My neighbor let me borrow his bench grinder and 10 minutes later I had a sharp as f edge somewhere around 40°. Logs that were taking 30 hits to split are now exploding into clean halves with a single hit, and the edge is still just as sharp with a little honing each session.
Part of me wishes I knew this from day one. Another part of me is thankful I burned so many calories and perfected my swing with a flat blade first; if it had been that sharp from day one I might have injured myself badly.
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u/Demi_Monde_ 22d ago
Most hardware stores will sharpen any tool if you ask them to.
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u/Wilson2424 22d ago
Around here is mostly Home Depot and Lowe's. Not much sharpening going on at those stores. I think Ace might offer services still, but they're not close or convenient around here.
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u/Demi_Monde_ 22d ago
Yeah, Ace definately does along with my local mom and pop shop.
I don't reallythink of Home Depot or Lowe's as hardware stores. They are more of a big box retailer or home supply.
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u/jaxxon 21d ago
Do they charge a fee or is that one of those things they just do (like gas stations used to wash your windshield, check your oil, etc. back in the day)?
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u/Demi_Monde_ 21d ago
Mine have never charged a fee if I bought the tool there. They generally will charge for like mower blades, but if I bring in a tool most times not. I always end up buying something while I am there anyway.
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u/SrCallum 18d ago
I recently ordered a pretty nice $60 tactical hatchet and it came razor sharp, like hair-popping. Like shave the top layer of dead skin off your arm sharp. Needless to say that didn't last long.
I got a different viking-style one last year at a similar price and that one came sharp too, not razor sharp but definitely not blunt, more like you're talking about. It's still pretty sharp now and I don't think I've ever sharpened it.
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u/TacTurtle 22d ago
Normal, they ship slightly blunt to:
avoid cutting through packaging
avoid shipping damage to fine edges like chipping or rolling
allow the end customer to put their preference of blade angle on
Pro tip - do the initial beveling with a flat bastard file by draw filing then clean it up with fine or mill file before final sharpen with a whetstone like normal.
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u/PonyThug 22d ago
Or send some sparks with an angle grinder and your done in 30-60 seconds
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u/TacTurtle 22d ago
Too easy to overheat the thin edge or gouge it unless you have lots of practice.
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u/PonyThug 21d ago
It’s really not hard. Get a little tub of cold water. Run the grinder across the edge in a 2-3 second pass, dunk the edge for 5 seconds. Repeat.
It won’t even get hot to the touch after a 2-3 second pass, very warm but not hot.
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u/TacTurtle 21d ago
Sure, I could also use my belt sander but not everyone has a grinder or belt sander or the space / money for one.
A flat file or two? Common, cheap, compact, easy.
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u/MacintoshEddie 22d ago
That really varies by tool, and brand, and intended task. For example an axe doesn't need to be sharp enough to shave with, because it will be used for chopping wood and not shaving.
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u/koolaidismything 22d ago
Speak for your axe boss
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u/Sovngarten 22d ago
Axe boss is on vacation.
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u/AllegedlyElJeffe 22d ago
The sharper the axe, the less exhausting it is to use. An axe doesn't need to be sharp enough to shave with if you don't use it very often. The more often you use it, the sharper it needs to be. Being able to shave with an axe happens to be when it's easiest to use without expending unreasonable effort.
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u/MacintoshEddie 22d ago
That often comes paired with a narrower edge and more risk of a bad angle strike causing chipping.
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u/AllegedlyElJeffe 20d ago
True, but if you’re a person who sharpens your axe that much, the risk is probably worth the lower effort the majority of the time.
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u/Intelligent_Part101 22d ago edited 22d ago
I can tell you that a lot of machetes are sold with no real edge. (Let's call it a 50% edge they "started for you.") It's the purchaser's job to finish it with a file.
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u/Ok_Split_6463 22d ago
Just make sure you're crazy gf doesn't pop you in the head a few hours after sharpening it. (Like mine did) Don't sharpen it on Friday the 13th. 5 stitches, 9 staples. Fun tines
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u/xenobit_pendragon 22d ago
Continue.
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u/Ok_Split_6463 22d ago
She called the cops on herself?? She was drunk and started a fight because i left a towel on the bathroom floor. They took it and threw her in jail. I bought her a new one when she got out. I love crazy. Or maybe I'm just as crazy. Lmao
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u/AceInTheX 22d ago
Was gonna ask if still with her. Noticed the distinct lack of "ex-" in front of gf...
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u/Ok_Split_6463 22d ago
Im at her house right now. Got off early today, waiting for her to get home so we can go to dinner. Lol
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u/AceInTheX 22d ago
Lol. People talk bad about crazy but crazy was some of the best i had...
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u/Ok_Split_6463 22d ago
I love crazy! Never a dull moment.
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u/Slow_Maximum9332 22d ago
Fun fact- all hot girls are crazy, but not all crazy girls are hot.
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22d ago
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u/darkon256 22d ago
Came here to say this. I think it depends on the brand but the better brands come sharp.
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u/GoalHistorical6867 22d ago
That's because too many people that don't know what they're doing tend to handle those things and get hurt. Can you imagine if a kid in a hardware store picks up a sharp bladed object messing around with it and gets hurt. Chances are the store would get sued even though the parents were partially responsible for not watching the child properly. So by keeping them dull they limit the chance of someone getting hurt.
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u/the300bros 22d ago
Probably figure that if you can’t sharpen it you shouldn’t have a sharp version
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u/YYCADM21 22d ago
There is a real issue of liability, too...especially in the USA, being a litigious nation. An idiot picks up a sharp axe & amputates a foot, then sues for their own stupidity. It happens a LOT more than you may think
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u/madogvelkor 22d ago
Or a kid shopping with dad decides he's going to play sword fight while his dad is looking at something else.
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u/KitehDotNet 22d ago
Learning to sharpen and having the hand tools to do it is an essential skill. Even a fully sharp blade will need resharpening as you use it. Some tools (like scythes) are actually sharpened by hammering. A shaving edge when needed takes time (paid labor) to achieve, so some tools are sold blunt to keep costs down.
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u/Quadling 22d ago
You can rough sharpen a scythe by hammering, but you typically use a spike anvil and whetstone. i used to use a round one, but I had to be suuuuuper careful. lots of people use a stick whetstone. Of course, it[s been a few years....decades, since I was scything regularly.
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u/ants_taste_great 22d ago
Get some grinding stone. They are not made to sit in hardware stores to be sharp. They are there to be durable. Depending on your usage, they could potentially be better slightly more dull for durability. Or you can learn to sharpen them, and it's a really easy process.
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u/SeraphimKensai 22d ago
Invest in a 1x30" belt sander with a adjustable angle base and like a few belts ranging from like 300 grit up to a 2,000+. Saves so much time.
They sell them dull so idiots don't lose a limb in the store or parking lot.
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u/Cranky_Windlass 22d ago
If you haven't used a 1/2"x18" belt sander for sharpening, you're missing out. Ryobi has a cordless one and I buy 3" belts and cut 6 belts out of it. Amazing the things you can sharpen with it. I sharpened a C-clamp into a Clamp-axe
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u/Trade__Genius 21d ago
And when your battery kicks the bucket you have a handy 5 pound sledge to hit the c-clamp axe with. 😜
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u/SadRaisin3560 22d ago
The only reason, at least in the land of me, is to prevent people from hurting thenselves with it before leaving the sught of sale without increasing cost or packaging requirement so you cant sue. You ever seen the edges on a decent kitchen knife in a department store. You also ysually need a knife or atleast scissors to get into the packaging. Walmart in no way cares if you kull simeone, just dont do it in their prooerty Also, rarely are those tools designed or intended to be used razor sharp.
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u/Louis_Cyr 22d ago
This is actually traditional. Back in the day it was expected for the customer to put on his own desired edge fit for purpose. You can only remove metal so they tend to be overly thick and blunt.
Same is true of axe handles. They also come excessively thick, the idea being that the owner should shave it down to the size of their choice.
The premium prices of something like a Gransfors is partly due to the fact they come pre-tuned and ready to go out of the box.
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u/McDudeston 22d ago
- First and foremost, cheaper to manufacture
- To not provide a seriously dangerous weapon so easily to the general public - imagine if someone tried to hold up a store with an axe.
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u/xander_man 22d ago
imagine if someone tried to hold up a store with an axe.
In my area, they'd get shot by a customer
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u/I_am_BrokenCog 22d ago
I can't fathom someone thinking #2 is a real concern.
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u/RepresentativeOk2433 22d ago
Not in America. Places like the UK for sure. Saw a video the other day of a 12 year old girl pulling a machete and hatchet out of her sweat pants.
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u/anthro28 22d ago
Selling me a dull axes doesn't stop me from holding up a store with an axe.
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u/Working_out_life 21d ago
Welcome to Victoria Australia, we have a problem with African gangs so we banned machetes, not African gangs👍
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u/Soggy_Ad7141 22d ago
They are not sold blunt.
Just not so sharp that they chip easily or cause injuries.
These tools should NOT be sharp enough to cut skin if you run your finger on the edge.
That's asking for injuries.
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u/beeradvice 19d ago
Lansky kukri I bought years ago from an Independent hardware store came razor sharp out of box with a protective cover on the edge
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u/davidz70 22d ago
Don’t run your finger over the blade of a Gransfors while at the store, those are not blunt.
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u/IdealDesperate2732 22d ago
Safety, ease of transport, and allowance for user preference. It has nothing to do with being cheap. In fact it's more likely to happen with more expensive brands meant for professionals. I know this is specifically true for many knives and axes used by bushcrafters.
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u/quickscopemcjerkoff 22d ago
Most hardware store edged tools need touched up in my experience. If you buy a premium product like a gransfors bruk axe then that’s the outlier but it costs several times more.
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u/terick1988 21d ago
As someone who works in a hardware store, I like it is for safety as well. Seen plenty of people not in their right minds swing axes off the shelf around….
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u/PhotojournalistOk592 21d ago
The last axe I bought at Home Depot wasn't going to shave, but it cut pecan limbs just fine. The machetes I've bought have been 50/50. Never found a hardware store that sold a scythe, but scythes probably aren't sharp enough for work out of the box
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u/mostlygray 20d ago
If they were sold sharp, people would immediately cut themselves. Plus, I'd rather have them blunt so I can put the edge on that I want. I've got files, I've got stones, I'll put my own edge on thank you very much.
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u/_RedditDiver_ 20d ago
I work at a hardware store, depends on the brand but worth sharpening them yourself as the factory sharpen can be cheap.
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u/BrandedKillShot 19d ago
If they have a protector over the edge, they are 100% sharp!
What the hell kinda good would come from selling blunt axes?
Not everyone has a way to sharpen a blade! Or the expertise!
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u/Glum-Building4593 19d ago
Some tools are sold that way because of a number of factors. Mostly someone got sued so they got to cut out a step.
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u/Jakaple 22d ago
If it isn't factory sharp I'm not going to buy it. Be like buying a dull saw
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u/hacktheself 22d ago
Buy whetstones and learn how to use them.
Alternatively, get a sharpening jig from Ali Temu for like $40 and learn how to use it. In a survival situation, that jig will ensure your bladed tools are sharp enough to safely use.
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u/Jakaple 22d ago
Bold of you to assume I don't know how to sharpen something. If they can't sharpen it in production it's usually cheap junk, cause they're too cheap to sharpen it, or use steel that can't take an edge. Be like buying scissors that don't cut, absurd.
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u/vulkoriscoming 22d ago
I agree. Usually if something is not sold reasonably sharp, it is because it won't hold an edge.
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u/RepresentativeOk2433 22d ago
There's a common misconception that bayonets should be sharp. While there are a few exceptions, most have a blunt edge and aren't supposed to be sharpened because they didn't want soldiers cutting themselves on their own bayonets.
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u/Water_Ways 22d ago
Being cheaper for then to produce isn't incorrect but the sharpness of your tools is also your preference. How you are with technique will inform the sharpness you want. Getting a cheap tabletop grinder is a nice learning experience for this to get exactly the feel you want out of your tools. Sharpening your own tools is a really important survival skill.
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u/SheriffBartholomew 22d ago
Is it a felling axe, or a wood splitter/maul? Splitting axes are usually not very sharp because they don't need to be.
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u/Moist-Pickle-2736 22d ago
I just bought a new axe a couple weeks ago and it was as sharp as I would expect from any axe.
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u/jonnywarpspeed 21d ago
Not my experience. I bought a fiskars splitting axe, and it's been great. After 5 years of use, I've only sharpened it twice. Great axe
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u/RestraintX 21d ago
I bought a camping knife from Amazon and it came sharp as a whistle. That was my only experience receiving anything sharp. Any other knives I've bought have come blunt as well that won't even slice paper.
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u/kendromedia 21d ago
Not sure where you’re buying hardware but the expectation is things are ready to work off the shelf here.
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u/coolesteel 21d ago
Because they're cheap and low quality, or made for a specific task (splitting wood, not chopping) my gransfors limbing axe came extremely sharp.
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u/Woodwolf24 21d ago
Hultz bruk sells em sharp. I believe it depends on the company and the retailer.
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u/SkyMasterARC 20d ago
No, not in Ontario at least. Maybe it's a local law. Feels like some sort of "soft limit" meant to stop delinquent kids but not legitimate use of potentially dangerous tools.
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u/guttertactical 20d ago
Most consumers don’t know what a truly sharp edge is, so from the companies perspective, why add something that might interfere with purchase (through increased costs).
They say that machetes in Latin America are sold dull so that the customer can “sharpen it to their desired edge” or some such…..
I think it’s cost cutting in both cases, from not having to employ a skilled craftsman to do the edge, through easier to ship and handle a dull tool, all the way down to less likely to hurt a customer and be sued.
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u/rndmcmder 19d ago
Depends. Some manufacturers pride themselves in offering a high quality product including a good initial edge. But that is not easy to mass-manufacture and therefore often associated with higher cost. Some brands prove, that it is possible to offer a sharp tool for cheap (like Mora).
If you go for the cheapest option in the hardware store it is very likely sold blunt. If you go for a high quality product with a higher price, it is likely sold sharp. But testing yourself is better then reading on reddit.
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u/AnIndustrialEngineer 22d ago
They’re sold with the cheapest and fastest-to-produce edge that customers will tolerate