Sharpening machete?

[Panfisha]

I received a machete for christmas, and haven't sharpened it yet.
Now I have a small knife sharpener(metal and ceramic sided), but I think I need something bigger for this. Also, the sides aren't even as far as edge length.
This side goes down the farthest, marked with a little silver mark.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P7140316.jpg
And on this side, you can see the silver mark coming around, and compare to the lengths.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P7140317.jpg

So what could I use to even them up and sharpen the whole thing?

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I just use a coarse metal file. I don't worry too much about evening up the edge length as most cutting is done with the first nine to ten inches of blade from the point. If I was using it to cut the grass as they do in Panama, then I would sharpen a bit more of the blade.

REE

[kbproctor]

When I make a knife for this or that, I use a belt sander to rough in the blade, followed by the file, then stones, then polishing compound on a cloth disk in my bench grinder to put the razor edge on.

Most factory blades have too much angle to the edge. A belt sander will taper the edge nicely into the body of the blade and you almost have to work at over heating the metal.

[EdD]

I just use a coarse metal file. I don't worry too much about evening up the edge length as most cutting is done with the first nine to ten inches of blade from the point. If I was using it to cut the grass as they do in Panama, then I would sharpen a bit more of the blade.

REE

I'll second what Ron said. Remember that you aren't trying to shave yourself with this blade. It is used for chopping as much as slashing through brush. If the blade is sharpened that way that one would sharpen a pocket knife, then the blade is likely to chip and pit along the cutting edge. That makes for a much nastier and more dangerous blade to work with. The machete is more akin to a hand axe than to a pen knife.

Ed

[Ron Eagle Elk]

After 3 1/2 years in the jungles of SE Asia and another 1 1/2 in the jungles of Panama, I got pretty handy with one. I still prefer a machete to a hand axe for most chores.

REE

[ELKHUNTER]

I use either a file or a bench grinder.

Rocky

[crook33]

Dremmel works for me.