Thanks for the help Boise. Sounds like I am trying to use too fine of grit for one thing. Put a new 120 belt on the Work Sharp and will try to get your feather edge and go from there. Totally off topic, I have a beautiful old (1920's?) Collins double bitted falling axe that is so hard, it rings when you hit a knot, a good Nicholson file just slides off it. So, same general technique you think?
Yes, in general. But you'll want a convex edge. Look for a set of sharpening pucks. Or if you're going to turn the old axe into a user then consider using a fine grit grinder of sorts, like Huntsman posted but a newer version maybe more available. I take a Dremel to my user splitting maul that has a "harder than file" edge. This will take away a lot of the collector's value but then if you use the hell out of it, it won't be much of a collector piece.
