Equipment for sharpening green woodworking tools
I am often told by people attending my Green Wood Furniture courses, that they are unable to get a really good edge on their tools. They are often using an old oil-stone that has been in the family for years, are unclear of the basics of tool sharpening, and are trying to follow sharpening guides on YouTube. Whilst an old oilstone may serve you, they are often clogged with oil, and not very flat. They can be very time-consuming to flatten, and are often not going to give great results when finally flat. Better in my opinion to save it for your kitchen knives, and get some proper kit for your tools.
This isn’t a post about tool sharpening technique per-se. I would suggest that if you can, attend a tool sharpening course with someone who knows what they are doing. There is no substitute for hands on learning under a watchful and experienced eye. Also, tools have often got into such a terrible state they are in need of a complete re-grind, which is long and arduous work without machines. Participants on my Sharpening Course all get the opportunity to use the machines we have for regrinding primary bevels, making subsequent sharpening quick and easy.
In order to transform a chipped, dull tool edge into a razor edge, one thing it is essential to understand is the need to “go through the grits”. Starting with the coarsest grit necessary, and finishing at a grit that will give you a mirror finish. There are many options to achieve this. In this blog post I outline the different options for attaining a razor sharp edge on your tools. From budget, through mid-range, to high end.
There are three things needed to achieve perfect edges on your tools.
A good understanding of the principals of sharpening.
Good technique.
Good equipment.
Tool Sharpening on a tight budget.
If you are on a very tight budget, a razor edge can still be achieved using wet and dry paper, on a sheet of float glass. Ask any local glass supplier for an offcut of glass - ideally 6mm or thicker (10mm is perfect). It should be bigger than the sandpaper sheet. There are specialist self-adhesive grit papers available,
but only in higher grit values, for fine finishing. For coarse grits you need to look at wet and dry papers of around 120 grit.
https://www.axminstertools.com/hermes-wet-dry-abrasive-mixed-pack-10-210853
I would suggest starting with 120, 240, 320, 400, 800, and 1200. The latter will give you a razor-sharp edge. As with all things, you gets what you pays for. The quality is in the adhesive that glues the grit to the “paper” You can go even higher, but from 1200 I would suggest moving on to a strop. A strop is just a simple piece of leather glued to a solid base, such as a piece of wood. Find a shoemaker, or a local leather worker and ask for an offcut. You will need to buy a honing compound for this.
https://www.axminstertools.com/flexcut-gold-polishing-compound-510075
A cheaper and excellent option is autosol metal polish on a clean piece of ply or MDF.
Pros: Affordable and accessible to all. A wide variety of grits are available. Can be used for sharpening sloyd knives, hook knives and a variety of other tools with curved blades. The paper is portable. This system, often called “scary sharp” will give you a very sharp tool.
Cons: Unless you find some good quality, adhesive-backed stuff, it can sometimes be tricky getting it to adhere to a surface, and stay flat. These are limited use. After a while the grits become dull, and you need new sheets. They rely on the substrate being completely flat - any lumps of adhesive, or dirt under the paper will soon damage the papers.
Finding a balance - a mid range approach to tool sharpening kit.
This is the kit that I recommend for my Tool Sharpening Course. Again, purchasable from Axminster Power Tools.
Diamond Stone Product code 951777
https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-rider-double-sided-diamond-bench-stone-951777?queryID=cc084d39357bc78eac36da5066d03a8f currently £49.98
Japanese Water Stone - 1000/ 6000 grit Product Code 510469
https://www.axminstertools.com/ice-bear-japanese-waterstone-combination-1-000-6-000g-510469 currently £32.48
Nagura Stone Product code 510470
https://www.axminstertools.com/japanese-nagura-stone-510470?queryID=3350fe489081cb04feece7a109b7410f currently £5.98
Axminster Honing Guide 340147 £15.98
This basic kit comes in at a little over £100. Not bad for a lifetime of sharpening.
An upgrade to the Axminster honing guide would be the Narex. The advantage of this is the wide brass roller, which is more stable in use. Sadly not available any more from Axminster but a quick google search offers a few suppliers.
Narex Honing Guide with wide brass roller.
The best that money can buy.
I’d always recommend getting the best tools you can afford. They will make your life easier, more enjoyable, and they’ll last forever if looked after.
Some tools have got themselves into such a bad state that a powered grinding machine is the only sensible option. There are two varieties. Slow wet stone grinders such as the Tormek, and linishers, such as the Sorby Pro-edge. I have the Sorby, and swear by it. British made, and well engineered. The Tormek comes with just one size of grit. With the Sorby you can change belts, and grit sizes in about 30 seconds. We do virtually all our sharpening on it - axes, drawknives, travishers, plane irons, chisels, cabinet scrapers. Simple to set up, repeatable angles, and very versatile.
Sorby Pro-Edge being used to regrind a bevel on a course participant’s chisel.
Richard Kell is an independent toolmaker from Northumberland; his honing guides are as brilliantly designed as they are beautifully made and offer unmatched levels of precision and versatility.
https://workshopheaven.com/tools/sharpening/richard-kell-honing-guides/
DMT diamond stones - one of the main differences between cheap and expensive diamond stones is the adhesive used to bond the diamond crystals to the substrate. Flatness is also a consideration. DMT stones have the reputation of being the flatest, and most durable, but they come at a price! Knives and Tools sell a very comprehensive range.
In terms of japanese waterstones, I have found the ones suggested above to be perfectly adequate. If you do want to spend more, I’d suggest looking through Knives and Tools who have a very comprehensive selection of stones. A longer, and wider stone is often useful for sharpening plane irons, spokeshave blades etc, especially if you are using a honing guide.
Whatever you choose, I wish you a life of sharp tools and happy woodworking.
Bring your old tools on my next Tool Sharpening Course and transform them into tools which are a joy to use.
