Sharpening

Every woodworking cutting tool has an edge. That edge must be razor sharp in order for the tool to function properly. Sharpening is an essential skill, yet nobody seems to enjoy it or want to do it.

When I first started with power tools, sharpening wasn’t much of a concern. Certainly, table saw blades can be sharpened, but most blades in the power tool shop often get replaced instead of sharpened. Some of these blades are hardened in such a way that they can’t be sharpened, while others can be but generally aren’t. Once I moved on to hand tools, I realized that replacing a blade is not the solution. In fact, every hand tool blade is meant to be sharpened so that sort of forced my hand.

Like most, I didn’t really enjoy sharpening. There is so much information out there about sharpening systems, honing guides, steel types, it just goes on. I wasn’t sure where to start so I just dove in. I started simply with sand paper. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but sand paper is a rough surface just like any sharpening stone. It’s cheaper, easy to acquire, simple to use. It just needs a flat surface.

This worked for a little while, but as I incorporated more hand tools into my workflow I needed a better solution. I did more research and ultimately landed on diamond stones. I chose them because they seemed like the easiest to use. They aren’t as messy as the other solutions and they cut quite fast. Now, I find that the more I use them, the more I enjoy sharpening. I do rely on honing guides because I like accuracy in my blades. However, I find that I’m becoming more comfortable sharpening by hand and will do so in some cases.

Another area of sharpening that some may not consider is actually shaping. Many hand tool blades have bevels at a certain angle. Now, the exact angle isn’t important as long as you’re close. Yet, angles do matter when they meet the wood surface. Shallow angles cut very differently than steep angles. The grain of the wood will ultimately decide for you which angle to use, but in some cases, we need to grind those angles in ourselves. Another consideration is camber. This is the amount of curvature the cutting edge might have. A smoothing plane will have a very faint camber, while a scrub plane might have an aggressive camber. This is where the bench grinder comes in. Luckily, this isn’t necessary very often. Generally, I will grind the rough bevel angle and camber and then fine tune it on the diamond stones.

I know it isn’t woodworking and many of us just want to get back to the fun stuff, but the time invested in sharpening will only make the woodworking more enjoyable. Regardless of your choice of sharpening solutions…Stick with it. Enjoy it. Master it.