Dont they sharpen axes at the factory anymore?

[Paintedcow]

I bought an inexpensive axe (12" hatchet) at Menards for $12.99. Made by Yardworks. I mainly bought it for cutting roots on a digging job I'm doing. I have a costly axe for actually cutting trees and similar uses, and I dont want to dull that one on roots. This one I just bought dont seem to bad for the price, has a fiberglass handle with a rubber grip, but you'd think they would sharpen it.

It came with a piece of rubbery clear protective coating over the blade, which appears to have been dipped in this stuff. Anyhow, I removed that protective coating and it's not even close to being sharp. Sure, I can sharpen it, but that's not a job I enjoy doing. It dont need to be a precise sharpening job for what I intend to use it for, but the way I bought it, I doubt it will cut much of anything.

[gfretwell]

We bought a hatchet on vacation to chop up some firewood and it was like yours, not sharp at all. I ended up putting a little bit of an edge on it using the curb in the parking lot and honing it on a parking stop.

[Stormin Mormon]

How'd that work? I'd have thought of Harbor Freight, buy a flat file for $2.79 or so.

[clare]

What do you expect from chinese or Indian produced "tools" that you buy for less than it costs to have them professionally sharpened???

[gregz]

Been a few years since I bought an axe and hatchet at Harbor Freight. Seems they were sharp. Nice German head with US made wood handle each.

Greg

[notbob]

If yer gonna use it to chop dirt, I suspect you will be sharpening it quite often.

nb