Thread: Sharpening Tools

Hi BrianGo,
I know where you stand, been down the same road as you. Picture this : I was in the shed one afternoon and I was planing full length whisper thin shavings off a piece of silky-oak 3x2. My daughter in-law poked her head around the corner, watched for awhile and said " Why are you doing that?" and I replied "Because I can!". She didn't get it.

Good story!
I am quite against any of the fancy sharpening gizmo's.
A stone, be it a Japanese water stone, a diamond stone or even the old school oil stone plus a strop is all that is really needed.
Obviously that all changes if we are talking about large workshop machines.

I suppose I am pretty lucky with my family. Most of my family are from the jack of all trades type who will set their hand to anything. When I started woodworking again and started bringing my edge tools up to sharp and producing nice fine shavings my family watch mesnerised. It is really satisfying not only to produce a beautiful sharp edge but to have an appreciative audience.

john

I have used the same oilstone for 40+ years and can achieve a a razor sharp edge if I wish at any time, without all the fancy gizmo's,
I'm not having a go at those who who have all the gizmo's I'm just pointing out that they are not required

Would anyone care to explain their sharpening technique? I'm really struggling to keep a consistent angle. Am using wet and dry paper at the moment.

Xfigio, I use a honing guide and wet/dry on a glass sheet. The guide is as shown below. Bought mine at the big green shed a few years ago, was around $20 (I think). There are probably a few similar designs around in different brands. You still need to keep the blade level left to right but at least the bevel angle is held fairly constant.

Honing guide pic.jpg

Many of us began with wet-and-dry. If you wish to read the original "Scary Sharp" post by Steve LaManta (in 1995), go here.

The problem with wet-and-dry, and the reason we all moved on, is the cost and the dust. Neither are acceptable. Still, it is a cheap method that can work very well.

The best sharpening system is the one that you are comfortable with. End of story. Or nearly ... the question is 'what makes you comfortable'? Is it cheap? Is it fast? Is it simple? Is it available? Often you can have a couple of these, but not all.

For me it is about speed. But speed is also more than about sharpening once - it must also include re-sharpening the same blade over-and-over again.

Technique comes in as one becomes more experienced. For me, efficiency comes from freehand sharpening (no set up time wasted on guides), and honing the smallest amount of steel (so a micro bevel on a hollow grind). This is where machines join hands, but the former do increase the costs.

My system is a far cry from simple wet-and-dry, but it is fast and efficient, and I spend my time working wood not blades: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Woodwor...ningSetUp.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks Labr@ I will take a look.

Derek, your web page was fantastic. I've been reading so much over the past couple of days, and while you say the best sharpening system is what you're comfortable with, as someone starting out, it helps a great deal to read a comprehensive post detailing one persons system, rather than trying to understand and comprehend a full process from the bits and bobs posted.

It is much easier to emulate when starting from scratch, and refine from there.

Just to throw in my two cents...

I can't recommend the Veritas mk2 honing guide highly enough. Whatever sharpening medium you use the best way to achieve precise and repeatable angles is with a jig and this is probably the best available. It can also be upgraded to produce cambers and sharpen skewed blades and there is now also a narrow blade holder too.

I can sharpen freehand and often do just for touch ups, but for a proper sharpening session I use the jig.

My preferred method is using diamond stones up to 1000 grit and finish off on a piece of leather with metal polish.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Just to throw in my two cents...

I can't recommend the Veritas mk2 honing guide highly enough. Whatever sharpening medium you use the best way to achieve precise and repeatable angles is with a jig and this is probably the best available. It can also be upgraded to produce cambers and sharpen skewed blades and there is now also a narrow blade holder.

I got mine at the Wood Show last year and have not regretted it. fast repeatable angles every time.

TT

Interesting, Derek, I've not found W&D sandpapers to be costly or dusty.
I have had no choice but to go that way for all my PacNW designed crooked knives and adzes.

Buried a couple of years back in the Woodcarving Forum is a long and windy piece
called "Star's Sharpening Journey." I wrote and illustrated most of it with my freehand
sharpening processes. Using my whole body as the jig, angle cards for consistency and
black felt marker on the bevels to inspect progress are key elements.

I bought a Mk.2 Veritas honing guide and got the best results I had ever been able to achieve.

The results were no perfect and I put it down to me.My brother borrowed the guide and found some
play in the roller so he turned a new roller and over the moon with the results he is getting.

Moral of story is to check for play!!

I took a woodworking class that really was a metal working class taught by an anal retentive instructor.

I learned sharpening methods that work very, very well. The methods worked so well that I bought the diamond abrasive plates, Tormek wheel, boxes of wet or dry, a glass plate and Japanese water stones. In today's market I probably spent $900 for the set up.

What can I say? It takes me longer to drag all the equipment out than to re-sharpen a half dozen chisels. Is my methodology correct? Probably not but it works for me. The system works so well for me that I bought a set of 4 chisels for $8 (New and Chinese junk) that I sharpen to 27° to 30° and they are my go chisels for abuse.

Is my method good for you? Only you can decide and with SWMBO permission.

I was in your position three years ago, I bought a second hand Berg chisel from Ern Reader on the forum, perfectly sharpened with mirror finish and learnt to copy it. Never looked back and I have never sharpened the Berg.
Thanks Ern
Yachtie