A sharpening book....

[Mr Brush]

Just received my latest box of goodies from Lee Valley/Veritas - ordered online last Thursday, received country NSW today (the following Tuesday) - and to a P.O. Box at that. I'm drooling over the new spokeshave already......

One thing I tacked on to this order was the book "Complete Guide to Sharpening" by Leonard Lee. Wasn't expecting much for the price, but I'm happy to report that it is an absolute goldmine of information on all aspects of sharpening. Very well illustrated too. I just wish I had found this book years ago and saved myself a great deal of hit and miss on tool purchases, sharpening methods, abrasive types, etc.

I'm sure many of the gurus on here already have this title on their shelves, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't.

[Termite]

I use much of Mr Lee's advice when sharpening, and his method of flattening waterstones is the best I have come across.
I use Mr Lee when refering to him out of sincere respect for the company he established and the values he has obviously passed on to his son Rob Lee.

[Ivor]

As a matter of interest (I have seen some books on sharpening but I am not sure I have seen Mr Lee's), does he cover how to handle sharpening serrated knives, e.g. steak or more specifically bread knives?

I have my own way of doing it but I am sure there is a much more effective way.

[Mr Brush]

Ivor,

Mr Lee (senior) has an entire chapter on sharpening knives, and bread knives come in for special mention.

A couple of methods are described, the more interesting one (to me) being the use of a checkering file after honing a smooth and sharp cutting edge in the normal way. The checkering file is a hand file having regularly spaced grooves aligned with the long side - very cunning. The result of applying this to a smooth cutting edge is to create a pattern of regularly spaced 'teeth' in the edge, as required for cutting soft things like bread.

I think I've seen one of these specialised files at a disposal sale recently, but (of course) couldn't think what use it would be when I saw it. Definitely wouldn't work very well as a conventional file for material removal !

Is this an argument for buying any unidentified items against the time when you may find out what they are for???? :o

[craigb]

I use much of Mr Lee's advice when sharpening, and his method of flattening waterstones is the best I have come across.
I use Mr Lee when refering to him out of sincere respect for the company he established and the values he has obviously passed on to his son Rob Lee.

Crawler. :p

You're still not getting any free tools. :D :D

[derekcohen]

Leonard Lee's book has been considered the Bible of sharpening books for many years! A great deal of technical information is handled in a sensible, easy-to-read manner. It is head-and-shoulders above the rest (no, I haven't read the version from Lie Nielson).

There is also now a CD on sharpening from LV, and this is presented by Leonard Lee. It is worth viewing. Not is the same class as the book (which is in the "superb" category), but it covers a lot of ground very well (from chisels, both bench and lathe) to plane blades. Excellent for the novic sharpener. How is that for a quick review?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[felixe]

I agree, I have read "The complete guide to sharpening" by Leonard Lee and it is excellent value for money, I borrow a copy from the Library on many occasions.
Mr Fox how much did the book cost in the US from Lee Valley?, I would like to purchase a copy.

[Rob Lee]

I use much of Mr Lee's advice when sharpening, and his method of flattening waterstones is the best I have come across.
I use Mr Lee when refering to him out of sincere respect for the company he established and the values he has obviously passed on to his son Rob Lee.


Acorn..... (very short distance).....Tree
;) :D


Cheers -

Rob

(who's really not a nut...)

[MikeW]

Acorn..... (very short distance).....Tree
Oh, Rob. Personal modesty, but at the expense of your parents' values and determination--not that you meant that.

Fact is, there are two parts of the equation. Your parents involvement in passing on their values and your response.

Kudos to both.

Take care, Mike

[Mr Brush]

felixe - price from Lee Valley was US$16.95, or just over 22 of our Aussie dollarettes at the current exchange rate. I have to agree with Derek - this book makes even subjects like metallurgy very interesting indeed ! I now have a much better idea why it took me so long to change the angle of an A2 plane blade using my set of waterstones........ :(

If I'm buying any reasonably large item from them (you can never have too many planes....) I just top the order up with all sorts of smaller (but no less desirable) items to make the freight worthwhile, and this book was one of them.

Cheers

[Stuart]

this book makes even subjects like metallurgy very interesting indeed

What do ya mean "even subjects like metallurgy"? I spent 1/2 my engineering degree studying metallurgy, simply because it is such a fascinating subject. What you can do with a bit of iron as a raw ingredient and come out with such a vast array of materials all with their own unique properties is quite unbelievable. Heat treatments, annealing, alloying, furnaces (Mmmm - molten steel), surface treatments, grain control, alloy precipitation...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/chrisbabar2/teotishop/homer_drool.gif

[Mr Brush]

LOL - if you carry on like that you'll get me thinking about building a fiery furnace of my very own !! :D

Isn't there a poster on here who casts his own bits 'n' bobs from time to time? There is a strange attraction to making your own metal parts from raw ingredients, I have to admit.

I never cease to be amazed by those aerial bicycle repair men, the Wright brothers, and what they achieved in a lifetime. When they found that the infernal combustion engines of the day were too heavy for use in their new flying machine, why they just went back in the shed and designed and built their own lightweight engine to do the job. Probably took all of 12 months - how many of us could even contemplate such a thing?????? No CAD/CAM machines in those days :eek: