By Cleve Cheney
With the falling value of the rand against the
US dollar the cost of imported archery goods
continues to rise. Forty years ago you could
almost pay for a small car (a VW beetle or
Leyland Mini) what you can now expect to pay
for a good quality pack of broadheads. You
are looking at from R650 upwards for a pack
of three broadheads. So, considering the cost
of between R200 and R300 per broadhead
it makes good economic sense to look after
and maintain them so that they can have a
maximum life. Another aspect we will look at
in this article is the sharpening of broadheads
and why sharp broadheads are so impor-
tant. For the purposes of this article the term
“broadhead” will include fixed-blade and
mechanical broadheads.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Physical damage through falling, being shot into something,
rubbing against other objects and rust are the main sources of
damage that can occur to a broadhead and render it less effec-
tive or in extreme cases useless for further hunting purposes.
The materials a broadhead is made of are aircraft grade
aluminium (ferrule), steel (blades, nuts and washers) and in
some cases O-ring washers to keep the blades from work-
ing loose in the arrow insert or to keep the folding blades of
mechanical broadheads closed (in some models) (Figure 1).
Aluminium parts generally require the least amount of
maintenance as aluminium does not rust (but can corrode if
exposed to certain chemicals and moisture). Keep these parts
clean, dry and lightly oiled.
Broadhead blades are made of steel. As even stainless
steel can rust it is recommended that you spray all your
broadheads – especially those not in use or in storage – with
a good penetrating oil. For years I have used the product
called Spark on my firearms, broadheads and anything else I
do not want to rust (Figure 2).
Be sure to store your broadheads in a cool, dry place. The
higher the humidity in the place you store your broadheads,
the more likely they are to rust. If you live near the coast,
higher humidity and more salt in the air will cause a major
problem with rust. In these areas place some form of desic-
cant (a compound that absorbs moisture) such as silica gel
sachets in the container in which you store your broadheads.
Speaking of salt: If you have shot an animal your broadhead
will have blood on it (Figure 3). If you intend to re-use the
broadhead wash the blood off it as soon as you can with
water as blood has a high salt content which will initiate and
accelerate the rusting process. Spray afterwards with a good
penetrating or rust-inhibiting oil. If you find a spot of rust on
a broadhead blade spray a little Spark penetrating oil onto it,
let it stand for a few minutes, then scrub the rust off with fine
steel wool.
Heat tends to soften O-rings and make them fragile. If
your broadheads have rubber O-rings make sure that youMaintaining and sharpening