>>1242845Generally, as long as you sharpen by hand, it can be fixed with some time. Just follow the existing angle and you're generally ok. Can also custom make a jig/handle for a flat diamond stone that, when pressed to the cheek of your axe head, produces a consistent angle. Depending on the design of the head, using a jig on the cheek will produce certain edges (see pic example) so this is something to take into consideration. Each grind has different uses.
There are ways of ruining the heat treating by using belt/disc grinders too fast/hard/long, but you shouldn't really ever have to do this. It's enough if you are sharpening for a couple minutes before each use; If chopping some serious amount of wood, you'll have to keep it sharp as you go, of course.
