UKC

I bought a new walking axe a couple of years ago, I've not yet used it and the head has a sort of paint finish in black which seems to give the adze a blunt edge. Pardon my ignorance but should I actually sharpen it?

In reply to mypyrex:
I've always found adzes are really like a blunt chisel / sharp hammer thing anyway and it chops all the same. Never sharpened my adze but thats just me.

In reply to mypyrex:
i wouldnt, firstly, I doubt it will make much difference to performance, unless you regularly find yourself cutting steps in water ice.
secondly, I really wouldnt like both bits of my axe to be sharp, far too many things to get damaged, notably, my face, which is already easily damaged by the adze even whilst its blunt!

In reply to Steeve:

Cutting steps in ice, use the pick, the adze is for use on hard snow which is like lump sugar and does not need too sharp an edge unless you like replacing them regularly.

In reply to blanchie14c. Steeve & Sutty: Just that my original axe - a Stubai 1975 vintage with wooden shaft - had iirc a sharpened edge when I got it and I've always kept it so. Have to say that, apart from the weight I still prefer it to the modern ones.

In reply to mypyrex:

Thats sounds like it'd look grand on the wall above my new fireplace