How to Sharpen an Axe for Efficient Chopping

Geometry Cuts! Edge sharpness is of secondary importance and once an apex is achieved at the filing stage, higher grits equal diminishing returns. Its worth noting when cutting wood sometimes a toothier edge sharpened with a course stone can actually sometimes cut better than a higher grit smooth edge.
This is how I sharpen my axes and I think the results speak for themselves. I have no significant damage cutting beech, fir and sycamore/maple and generally take no care for knots. I do not baby my axes yet have had great success with sub 20 degree bevels on axes that are considered 'budget' such as council tool and hultafors/ hults bruk agdor. Any minor rolls or chips have been fixable by one or two passes with a file, hardly a catastrophic failure that some sources would claim.