# Sharpening



## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

After doing a search and browsing through previous threads on this topic, it seems this issue skirts the edge of civilized discussion and is akin to other taboo topics such as politics or religion. Not looking to start _The Great Debate_, but I need some direction here.

I'm essentially starting from zero. I have no sharpening equipment and have never sharpened anything in my life - unless you count knocking rust off an old ax with a Dremel last summer just so I could split a little bit of wood. There are so many different methods out there, and it seems that the YouTube gurus are all sold on diamond plates. 

I need to sharpen planes and chisels right now, and that's about it. I'm leaning towards the plate glass and sandpaper (aka Scary Sharp) method just because it seems to be the most cost effective way to get started.

What are your thoughts? What do you use and why? Links to products or articles are appreciated.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

if you think woodworkers go a bit bonkers over a chisel, you oughta' see what happens when a knifenut walks into a bar and somebody mentions his kitchen knife . . . 

planes are perhaps a bit easier to master - the cutting edge is narrow compare to the long flat leading up to the edge on a chisel. pretty much all of the methods work peachy keen but there is one very important aspect:
maintaining the angle.

one can have a set up of a thousand grits - but if the angle is not (a) correct and (b) flat it does not work out well.
maintaining a consistent flat angle on a plane blade is trickier than a chisel, because you can lay the long flat on (grinding/honing) surface.

all of this can be done by hand - but frankly it is much easier to maintain the correct angle and flat stroke with guides.

and note that not every tool in the shed gets the same angle....


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

I have posted a chart ex Nelson here a few times Will see if I can find it again.
johnep


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Start off with sandpaper and a piece of granite, you're right, it's the most cost effective. Take the money you save on abrasives and put that towards a good honing guide


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> After doing a search and browsing through previous threads on this topic, it seems this issue skirts the edge of civilized discussion and is akin to other taboo topics such as politics or religion. Not looking to start _The Great Debate_, but I need some direction here.


Roger that. Ask 10 woodworkers and you'll get 11 answers...

What's worked for me for 40 years:

A 1/2" thick piece of plate glass, maybe 9x12". Got it from a local glass shop long ago. Wet-dry sandpaper attached with spray adhesive or just tape. Can be used to flatten the soles of planes besides sharpening tasks. Typically I use WD-40 as a lubricant.

Two Arkansas stones, a medium and a hard stone. Between the two they can make a razor edge on carbon steel.

A 6" or 8" bench grinder. Used to renew the bevel on nicked edges and flea market tools and also to grind special profiles (like a cambered plane iron). Must have a good tool rest on that.

A honing guide, as mentioned, is a wonderful thing.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Maylar said:


> A 1/2" thick piece of plate glass, maybe 9x12".


My local glass shop is just around the corner. All they had on hand was 1/4" - do you think that would be thick enough? They didn't have any scraps of decent size, so I would have to order something anyway.

Thanks for the replies, everyone...keep them coming!

Another question: I haven't seen anyone mention stropping leather. Are we beyond that these days?


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

"Another question: I haven't seen anyone mention stropping leather. Are we beyond that these days?"

so this guy walks into a bar . . . 
finish with 100-1200 wet dry.

the leather and 2.3 - or was that 2.3 no,,, it's 2.113... micron stropping paste on 1000 year old Himalayan yak forehead hide is an advanced topic . . .


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> My local glass shop is just around the corner. All they had on hand was 1/4" - do you think that would be thick enough? They didn't have any scraps of decent size, so I would have to order something anyway.
> 
> Thanks for the replies, everyone...keep them coming!
> 
> Another question: I haven't seen anyone mention stropping leather. Are we beyond that these days?


I have a few ways to hone my knives and irons. For my knives I use leather on a wooden paddle. I use jeweler's rouge on the strop on one side and tooth paste on the other side. 

I just yesterday made a hone using a glass disk with leather from a work sharp installed on an old neck massage machine and it works really great.

I also have a hard felt wheel on my bench grinder for honing, which works great but there is a learning curve to use to keep from over heating the metal.

I also have the scary sharp set up and I use 1/4" plate glass with sand paper and have had no problems at all. I like this setup for my plane irons, then hone on the massage machine. I had the wheel on my variable speed lathe motor before making the massage hone. I use a guide I made to sharpen and hone my irons and chisels. 

For heavy nicks and reshaping my blades, chisels, I have a 1" belt sander set up just for sharpening. 

Once a blade or iron is sharpened, you will only need to hone, no need to sharpen again unless you nick a blade or iron.

For my long knives, I made a wooden jig that gets them razor sharp.


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## Maylar (Sep 3, 2013)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> My local glass shop is just around the corner. All they had on hand was 1/4" - do you think that would be thick enough? They didn't have any scraps of decent size, so I would have to order something anyway.
> 
> Thanks for the replies, everyone...keep them coming!
> 
> Another question: I haven't seen anyone mention stropping leather. Are we beyond that these days?


1/4" would be OK. Ask the shop to relieve the edges so you don't hurt yourself - they have diamond grinders for that.

People also suggest granite, but I dunno where to get a small piece. I know the granite surface plates that machinists use are hella expensive and weigh a ton.

Lots of people still use honing paste on a leather strop. I use one to break the final wire edge after honing on a stone.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Maylar said:


> 1/4" would be OK. Ask the shop to relieve the edges so you don't hurt yourself - they have diamond grinders for that.
> 
> People also suggest granite, but I dunno where to get a small piece. I know the granite surface plates that machinists use are hella expensive and weigh a ton.
> 
> Lots of people still use honing paste on a leather strop. I use one to break the final wire edge after honing on a stone.


A granite cut out for a sink would work, I am sure they sell those.


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## J_L (Apr 22, 2014)

I use a random slab of marble that I pulled from a dumpster and self adhesive sandpaper to stick to the marble. I work up through the grits before hitting 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Most times I'll finish off with a leather strop. Of what I use, the most important is the honing guide. It allows consistent resetting of the angle which is real important and it allows you to set up and run the tools to get a square edge. I had used less expensive and less quality guides in the past with mixed results.

Here's a link to the kit I have: http://www.leevalley.com/us/hardware/page.aspx?p=51868&cat=43072,43078&ap=1


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

When you grind an edge on a tool it may feel sharp but you are feeling the rough edge from the grinder. What ever means you use to hone the edge it's a process of polishing the rough edge off that was created by the grinder. I was taught to sharpen tools with natural Arkansas stones and have been doing it that way most of my life. Basically it's like sanding wood you start with coarse and end up with fine. You hone the edge with a coarse stone until you can run the end of your fingernail over the edge of it and feel nothing. When it has pits from the grinder you can feel every one of them with your finger nail. Then you use a medium stone until the edge starts having the shiny appearance of being polished. Then you go to a fine stone until it looks a little shinier. Then you go to an extra fine black stone and hone it until it looks pretty shiny. By then you should be able to shave the hair on your arm a little bit with it. Then to put the final touch on it take a piece of leather and bend it over tightly on a piece of wood stapling the leather on the ends of the board. You also treat the leather with some jewelers rouge. Then strop the tool on the leather about 25 times on each side. It helps to lubricate the leather with warm water. If everything was done right the tool should be sharp as a razor blade.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I have spent more time and money than I care to admit on sharpening tools. I got some older chisels and hand planes from various sources, and I want to get them back to "new working condition" (not "new cosmetic appearance") and then use them for the rest of my life. I understand that "new working condition" is more work than necessary to make the tools useful for the long term, but I suppose I am a purist with more time than brains, it seems. Here is what I have, do, and have learned:

* What I Have
I have several diamond stones - all the way from extra extra course to extra fine. I have two Japanese water stones. I have several Arkansas and India stones. I have ceramic dowels "Crock Sticks" in the kitchen. I have a wide assortment of sandpaper - SC, AO, and Garnet - in grits ranging from 80 to very high. I have two glass plates - my original glass plate was not big enough for the No. 7 jointer plane. I bought some scrap leather at the swap meet recently. I will glue it to scrap boards to use as strops for polishing a few tools that I want shiny.

* How I Sharpen Different Tools
I sharpen chisels, hand plane blades, and small hand plane parts on the range of diamond stones, finishing up the edge sharpening with the Japanese water stones. I use the glass plates and sandpaper for hand plane soles. I have also tried sandpaper with the hand plane blades, but I think I like the diamond stones better. I sharpen our kitchen knives on the ceramic Crock Sticks, which are easy to use and work well. I sharpen pocket knives on the Arkansas stones.

* Glass is Not Always Flat. Check Your Sharpening Flats with a Straightedge.
I learned last night that ordinary glass may not be flat enough, which surprised me. I met a hand plane expert. He instructed me to verify my glass plates with a straightedge. I checked my two glass plates, and one side is flat; the other three sides are not flat. I am disappointed because I had started using the larger plate for that No. 7 jointer plane. The hand plane expert recommends granite, such as a remnant from a kitchen counter installation, not glass. He told me that if I must use glass, to find "float glass", where the molten glass liquid is allowed to form into a flat pool and then cooled without shaping. I just called my local glass shop (where I get glass and mirrors) and they confirmed that the regular glass that they buy and sell is called float glass, but now we know that it is not guaranteed to be flat. Watch out - glass shops think they have float glass, but their version is not flat. He told me to search the internet for "float glass", but we have so many granite yards and granite shops around here, I will try that first. 

* The Best and Most Efficient Way to Sharpen Tools
I don't know. I am still trying to work that out myself. I thought it might be that diamonds are faster and better than the "scary sharp" sandpaper method, but I honestly can't tell. They must be close. Neither one takes off enough metal fast enough to satisfy me. 

I have a typical shop grinder, but I don't want to ruin the temper of my blades by overheating them, which can happen in a heartbeat. 

I have looked at various power sharpeners, but nobody seems to make the perfect tool. The Tormek is nice, but it uses the curved edge of their grinders, which I prefer to avoid. For now, I will make use of my investment in sharpening stones. 

* Use a Honing Guide
You will definitely need a honing guide. I bought a very cheap one from Amazon. It works, but takes time to set correctly. I think a Veritas honing guide is in my near future. I hope that it is easier to set. Veritas guides are expensive!

* Very Important to Set the Honing Guide Accurately
Pay very close attention to setting the honing gauge. Just a fraction of a degree can start a new micro-bevel. I take my "flat" glass and press the bevel edge onto the flat, then fix the honing gauge in position. Next, I test it by holding the bevel down on the flat and then sliding the chisel/blade/whatever on the flat surface until the honing gauge wheel gets to the edge of the flat. If the wheel hits too low or is too high to touch the glass, then micro-adjust the honing guide and try again. You will sense when the bevel is perfectly set against the flat and the honing guide wheel barely touches the glass. That's when the honing guide is set to match the bevel exactly. This approach can try your patience the first time, but with a little practice it goes quickly.

* Time to Sharpen. 
You need lots of time. Grinding down metal by hand using abrasive sheets takes a lot of time. I have spent many many hours flattening plane soles and the backs of blades. Only a couple days ago, after investing several hours on a plane blade, it still has a hollow next to the edge and the front edge section of the back is also not flat to the rest of the blade. The hand plane expert looked at it and recommended that I use the "ruler trick" to put a micro-bevel (micro-flat?) on the back of the blade. He was concerned that taking off enough metal to flatten the blade and eliminate the hollow would make the blade too thin; it might chatter more. He advised me to buy a thicker Hock blade and chipper to replace the ones in my old plane. If I am going to spend $70 on new blades for this ancient hand plane, I might as well buy a new plane. My goal was to invest sweat equity to save money on the hand tools, but it may not be paying off. 

It can take several hours of hand sharpening to put a new bevel on a typical chisel. I got a set of somewhat abused Crown chisels, and it took me approximately four hours apiece to clean them up and set new bevels. You can save a huge amount of time by sharpening with micro-bevels, but someday you will have to face the prospect of hand-sharpening a new bevel.

* Make a Comfortable Workspace for Sharpening. Sharpening Can Be Messy.
It would be nice if I could join my spouse in the evenings and sharpen blades while we watch TV, but sharpening is far too messy to do it in the house. My workbench and garage chair (really a step stool) are not ideal, and hours of sharpening can lead to sore muscles and a stiff neck. 


I will repeat myself: 
I know that it takes a lot of wasted time and effort to make all of my newly acquired old planes and chisels perfectly flat and create new bevels throughout, but I want to start my shop "fresh and new." I know that with decent tool care, I will never have to do it again in my lifetime. I hope I live long enough that the effort pays off. 

Please remember that this is only my personal experience, and I am far from an expert, but I hope this helps.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> After doing a search and browsing through previous threads on this topic, it seems this issue skirts the edge of civilized discussion and is akin to other taboo topics such as politics or religion. Not looking to start _The Great Debate_, but I need some direction here.
> 
> I'm essentially starting from zero. I have no sharpening equipment and have never sharpened anything in my life - unless you count knocking rust off an old ax with a Dremel last summer just so I could split a little bit of wood. There are so many different methods out there, and it seems that the YouTube gurus are all sold on diamond plates.
> 
> ...


Here is my guide in a pdf file with pictures. It will give you a good starting point.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/atta...arpen-chisels-plane-blades-easily-cheaply.pdf

Beyond that, you can make a strop with green polishing wax to remove any trace scratches left over from your honing, which really helps.


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Our local DIY store sells granite tiles.
johnep


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

It's almost becoming a cliche---check Paul Sellers' videos. He has a few good ones on sharpening. 






For Christmas I got two diamond stones--a 300 and a 600. They're working far better for me than scary sharp sandpaper technique had. So, YMMV.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Thanks for all the advice, guys...much appreciated!

I ordered the Veritas MkII Honing Guide (standard set). Figured it would be a good investment, no matter what method I settle on.

I actually sharpened a chisel today. The Pinewood Derby race is coming up for my little cub scout, and I needed a way to hollow out a good portion of the pine block. Found an old chisel...probably a Walmart special, and sharpened it up with a few sandpaper grits I had on hand. I think I used 320, 600, and 2000. Definitely not Paul Sellers approved, but it was pretty darn sharp and I think I did a decent job, having never used a chisel before. Watching YouTube videos was definitely helpful.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*A nice pictorial explanation*

Popular Woodworking covers sharpening really nice here:
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/hand-tools-techniques/sharpening-chisels

OK, I have a theory. The angle on the edge is important because if it's too acute the edge will be fragile and turn or roll off. If it's too blunt, it won't enter the material easily. So, after many years of woodworking, we have reached a range of angles that work best depending on the material. 

So here's my theory. All the polishing and fretting of the surfaces only serves to make the entrance and moving of the blade easier.... smoother equals easier to cut or pare, and rougher equals harder. I don't think it has much too do with how well it cuts to start with... I donno?
The Japanese chisel in the Popular woodworking article is "hollow ground" on the back side....so that there is less material on the chisel itself equals less resistence to movement through the wood, all other things being equal.
I'm not suggesting that you don't sharpen and polish to what ever "gloss" or mirror finish that pleases you, but I don't know if the average Joe woodworker would know the difference in a blind test between two chisels where one was polished, the other not.... again I donno? Well, maybe a blind test with sharp objects is not a good idea. :|


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

now that's you've got an edge up . . . get a 10x loupe or magnifying glass. check the edges you sharpen. 

having a magnified view is highly instructive and extremely useful to actually see the difference various grits/tapes/hones/strops make. you really can't see the detail by the naked eye - when you can see the detail you'll understand much better what you're doing and why.

must be at least 10x....


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## gmcromp (Oct 4, 2015)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> After doing a search and browsing through previous threads on this topic, it seems this issue skirts the edge of civilized discussion and is akin to other taboo topics such as politics or religion. Not looking to start _The Great Debate_, but I need some direction here.
> 
> I'm essentially starting from zero. I have no sharpening equipment and have never sharpened anything in my life - unless you count knocking rust off an old ax with a Dremel last summer just so I could split a little bit of wood. There are so many different methods out there, and it seems that the YouTube gurus are all sold on diamond plates.
> 
> ...


I use the worksharp 3000 with the Stumpy's addition and sharpen everything with it. I can do an initial edge to finally sharpen state in about ten minutes. Once that is done resharping takes a minute or two. Lots of options out there pick one that works for you and go with it. It's like most hobbies you can spend as much as you want and the endless debate will go on about how sharp and how shiney it needs to be. I wonder how they made all that furniture before and set such precise angles. 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I used sandpaper and a glass plate for a few years, but I got tired of replacing sheets all the time. I still use sandpaper for really rough work, though. From there, I switched to a set of DMT diamond stones, and that's almost certainly where I'm staying. I use a strop with both.

If I were starting over, here's what I'd get:
1) A grinder. There are some edges (badly damaged, non-square, etc) that just aren't worth working with on anything else. Hand-powered, electrically powered, whatever, it just needs a good grinding wheel.

2) A set of three DMT plates, Blue, Red, and Green. The blue is for really dull blades and light reshaping, the red is for moderately dull blades, the green is a (semi-)final hone. If I'm doing a lot of chiseling, the green plate sits on my bench where I can take a few strokes if the chisel starts to dull.

3) A strop. The one I have now is just a rectangle of leather glued to a piece of MDF, with the yellow Flexcut compound on it. This is always on my bench when I'm working, and chisels get a pass over it regularly, and before they go back into the tool chest.

With an inexpensive grinder, the entire kit will be less than $250, and may be under $200 if you find a good deal on the grinder or diamond plates. The plates should last for years, with a minimal amount of care, and if you only use the grinder for sharpening it'll last just about forever.

I don't really think there's a wrong answer, though. There might be an answer that's wrong for a given person, but not universally.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

For those still following along at home:

I decided on DMT diamond plates - the 3x8 variety. Coarse (325), Fine (600), Extra-fine (1200). I figured if it's good enough for Paul Sellers, it's good enough for me. Long story short, Amazon FUBARed my order and sent me the wrong stone...twice. The Amazon sticker/barcode on the box was wrong on both of them. They were tagged as Fine, but the packaged stone was actually Coarse. I had to send it back two times. Anyway...

In the meantime, I bought a set of 5 Stanley Bailey chisels that were in a bargain bin. Not the greatest, but I figured they would be a decent starter set. So I've been long looking forward to my night of therapeutic sharpening, as my WoodRiver plane has been a shelf queen these past couple weeks, waiting on sharpening equipment also.

The chisels were a mixed bag. Some were decent, others I spent 15 minutes getting the back flat. After that, I queued up the Veritas guide and they are all slap your grandma sharp now. 

The plane blade had a flat spot close to the edge, unfortunately. In my frustration, I slipped and put a nice gash in my finger. So now I'm sitting here with a gob of super glue holding the two halves of my finger together, and it looks like my therapy session will have to wait for another night.

:sad2:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*OOOPs*

For you hand tool guys, maybe Saw Stop will come out with a flesh sensing gizmo ..... :vs_OMG:

I have cut myself way more times on hand tools than I ever have on spinning cutter or blades.... about 100 to zero. :|


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Here are some words of advise for @AmishElectricCompany:

* Getting used blades flat and sharp may take much longer than one evening. I have invested many hours working on one plane blade alone, and it still has a hollow and a non-flat back, but it is getting closer to being done.

* A blade may be way too dull for woodworking, but it is as sharp as heck for cutting fingers.

* Another way to hurt your fingers is by burning them on the diamond plate as you grind your blades back and forth on the plate. Your fingertip may press on the plate and get burned. DAMHIK.

* I am using similar DMT diamond plates. I bought the two-sided versions and I also bought the extra extra course plate for initial flattening. Even with that very very course plate, it takes a long time to flatten the backs of old plane and chisel blades.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*They call it a "sander" but ......*

I use a 6' X 48" belt sander for sharpening and flattening my plane blades and chisels. I've used it to flatten the bottoms of most of my handplanes. It saves so much time and "burnt" fingers and since you can change the belts to progressive finer grits you get a nice finish as well. I also sharpen my drill bits from 3/4" dia. down to about 3/16" using a drill sharpening jig. My sander rarely sees any wood, but it's there when I need it. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-x-48-Bel...056441&hash=item2a9d8690dd:g:iyQAAOSwImRaZgGz


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> For you hand tool guys, maybe Saw Stop will come out with a flesh sensing gizmo ..... :vs_OMG:
> 
> I have cut myself way more times on hand tools than I ever have on spinning cutter or blades.... about 100 to zero. :|


I worked for many years on some pretty big printing iron, more operators spent time off on workers comp with cuts by exacto knives than from injuries by the machinery.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Back at it tonight...probably had an hour and half invested in getting that plane blade flat. The rest was easy. Very happy with the Veritas honing guide. 

Now I'm jazzed. It's time to start building my workbench!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Take it to the next level with a strop (Paul Sellers method) 30 to 50 strokes. Compare before and after with a loupe 10x magnifier and you will never go back.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

When stropping, I usually strop 100 times each side. I hate counting to 100 then 100 again. I have found a less tiring way to strop, I will strop 14 times each side then 13, 12, 11 and etc down to zero, that is over 100 times each side. Works for me. One more thing, don't put a tremendous amount of pressure on the blade to leather, too much pressure can roll the edge of the blade. JMHO


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I watch the whole sharpening progress with a 10X magnifier.
If I've come from 1500 grit, 10-15 licks on the CrOx strop evens out the edge and more work adds nothing.
Just need to be careful that I don't nick the end of my nose!!!!


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## Mad (Dec 9, 2017)

Subscribing for future reference.


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## homestd (Aug 24, 2018)

*What sandpaper do I need?*

I've been reading (researching) this post and am a NEW member. I'm used to doing millwork and stuff and have done a lot of things on shapers mainly, but also moulders and all manner of wood products manufacturing. I've worked with wood ever since I made a coaster car out of scraps of 2x4's and skinned my behind when it came apart on me halfway down the hill!


Long story short, I'm now pushing 70 and still playing with wood.


I know how much more pleasureable it is to use tools that are clean and Sharp! I need to know the recommended grits that I need to hone my tools to the fine edge that you fellows obviously know how to achieve and thanks in advance for heading me down the right path.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

homestd said:


> I've been reading (researching) this post and am a NEW member. I'm used to doing millwork and stuff and have done a lot of things on shapers mainly, but also moulders and all manner of wood products manufacturing. I've worked with wood ever since I made a coaster car out of scraps of 2x4's and skinned my behind when it came apart on me halfway down the hill!
> 
> 
> Long story short, I'm now pushing 70 and still playing with wood.
> ...


I recommend this diamond plate for beginners because it's cheap, is a good size for plane irons, and has held up well for me so far. After the plate, I use a leather strop with polishing compound. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BWHBV8D/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

homestd said:


> I've been reading (researching) this post and am a NEW member. I'm used to doing millwork and stuff and have done a lot of things on shapers mainly, but also moulders and all manner of wood products manufacturing. I've worked with wood ever since I made a coaster car out of scraps of 2x4's and skinned my behind when it came apart on me halfway down the hill!
> 
> 
> Long story short, I'm now pushing 70 and still playing with wood.
> ...


Wet/dry paper, i like the Rhynowet Redline brand, in grits ranging from 220 (to start on really rough edged) up to 2500 grit (final bit of mirror polish). Dont succumb to the urge to skip grits steps either, it doesnt work well. For a beat-up old chisel or whatnot your start at 220, then 320-400-800-1000-2000-2500. For something that still has a decent edge, you could very easily start at 400 or 800, and work up from there. 

Youll also need a flat surface to attach the paper to. Some guys recommend a cutoff from a granite counter, but theres no guarantee that that will be flat. You might get lucky, and depending on how friendly your local stone-cutter is you might get it free, but personally id rather spend $20 and KNOW its flat:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-8-x-2-Granite-Surface-Plate-No-Ledge/G9647

Overkill? Massively, but worth it. Dead flat surface, damn near indestructible, plus it wont move around while youre sharpening on it. Countertop piece will work fine, mind you, but if youre like me and live right next to a Grizzly showroom, why not?

Chisels, plane blades and the like also benefit from having a precise and repeatable way to set the angle for sharpening. By hand might work for the old-timers, but i prefer jigs. I like the Veritas jig:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43072,43078&p=51868

Pricey, but again makes the process so much better. There are cheaper jigs out there, but none (that i know of) that make setting the angle quite as quick and easy. 

So, to surmise, to start sharpening youll need:
- Few different grits of wet/dry sandpaper
- Flat surface to stick the sandpaper to
- Way to set the edge angle

Really you could get yourself set up to sharpen with sandpaper for about $20. Even with all the fancy bits that make everything nicer but arent necessary, youll still come out cheaper than one of those fancy diamond plates


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