On this day in 1892 Lizzie Borden was arrested for giving her parents 40 whacks. If you plan to use your ax for more conventional reasons, like splitting logs or cutting down trees, you'll want it well-sharpened to make your work easier. Here's how. You can use a carborundum file, but an ax stone works even better, with light oil for lubrication. Combination stones are best. They provide coarse grinding or honing, first to shape the blade and remove nicks, and then fine honing to sharpen the cutting edge. Move the stone in a circular motion or put it in a vise and move the blade over it. Be careful to retain the slightly rounded blunt taper called a cleaver grind. It helps split the wood. A sharp v-grind gets stuck easily. And that's the On The House tip for today.