Hi all,

Admittedly not a surveyor, but I am trying to find the edge of a very overgrown 4 acre property. You all seem to be the brush-clearing masters of Reddit so I figured I’d start here…

I’m dealing primarily with blackberry thickets that have been overrun by vine honeysuckle, plus a mix of autumn olive, Bradford pears, bush honeysuckle, and bittersweet vines.

I thought I’d pick up one of these brush axes and after using one today - I have questions…

1. It seemed a little dull “out of the box” (maybe a bit sharper than a butter knife) but I’m curious how sharp these need to be? Any tips to sharpening? I pulled the blade, but the “nubs” that hold it into the axe make it tough to get on a belt sander at the right angle, and I can’t figure out how to get a file on it well either.

2. It seems to do ok on blackberries and thinner sapplings/bushes, but I’m really struggling with vines - particularly honeysuckle. I’m guessing there’s a better tool for the job? Even on the greener wood, it seems to bed the stalks, instead of slicing through them…

3. On “heavier” limbs (think 1” dead oak branches) the blade practically bounces off… or, if the branch breaks, it breaks from the impact, not the blade. I did try to put more of an edge on it (I could almost shave with it) - I’m wondering if there’s an “art” to swinging one of these that one of you could explain to make it more effective. As it stands, I still found myself reaching for the loppers, but loppers suck when you’re dealing with thousands of tangled honeysuckle vines…

Any guidance from those who have mastered the Sandvik would be much appreciated!