I decided to try to find a decent quality axe, without spending my life's savings on something from Sweden. I have a Council Tools axe on the way. Now I want to know: what's the best way to sharpen an axe? Maybe I should put it another way: what's the best way to sharpen an axe without buying a Tormek or some other exotic tool? How did knowledgeable people sharpen axes 50 years ago?
I have a belt grinder, a belt sander, a bench grinder with white aluminum oxide wheels, files, and rotary tools.
I picked Council Tools because it was affordable and American, and I figured it had to be better than a Chinese axe from the store. The reviews for the axe I bought were interesting. People said a lot of nasty things about the handle, but it seemed like no one complained about the head. If the head is good, I don't care about the handle. I can replace that for ten bucks.
Another question: how sharp should an axe be?