Comments on: Do You Sharpen Too Much?

By: Dan Roman

Dan Roman — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:23:02 +0000

Nice training wheels. When are you gonna lose the skirt and become a mechanic?

By: Hayden

Hayden — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:55:45 +0000

Good sharpening video!
But Chris you have to do something with all that hair hanging down in the video’s. Good thing there’s nothing mechanical or any kind of moving or spinning parts– I can feel OSHA having a field day by using all of that dangling hair for their training video’s on how not to approch any moving parts!
Just gigging you!
Hayden

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:41:37 +0000

Michael,

I definitely understand the benefits of a tertiary bevel, but I stick to a single micro-bevel out of habit. I like to keep the jig at one setting and with the speed of waterstones, I don’t see a problem getting my scratches out.

I might have to grind a little sooner with my techniques, but I’m OK with that.

Chris

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:04:18 +0000

I’d like to ask a question too. I see you changing grits 3 times (including the first), but i don’t see you changing the angle on the jig. Does this mean that you only have 2 bevels (primary and secondary) and not a micro bevel for the final polishing. If so why?

Thanks in advance.

Michael (from the Netherlands)
yes, you have an international audience.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:42:36 +0000

The bottom of my sharpening box is lined with about seven years of slurry. If your stones slip, I’d nail little blocks of wood down to restrain the stones.

This is how I sharpen my plane irons as well. I am using downward pressure only on the pull stroke. On the return, the tool is skimming over the water. I do have better luck sharpening in only one direction.

Hope this helps.

By: Mike N

Mike N — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:40:54 +0000

Another silly question:

What do you have lining the bottom of your plywood box? My stones always seem to move a little when sharpening.

One more thing. You use a back and forth motion on your last stone. Do you do this with plane irons as well? I remember you mentioning in an old post that you get a better polish when polishing in one direction only to finish. I’ve been doing this and find it does make a difference for me.

Thanks for the video! Super helpful.

Mike

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:47:20 +0000

Once you turn a burr you don’t need to look for it again. What I’m actually doing there is trying to remove any slurry on the face of the tool.

The way I decide to move up in grits is to observe the edge and see if I have remove the scratches from the previous grit.

The rag doesn’t remove the burr. The burr is worn down as you progress through the higher grits and is finally removed on the 8,000 stone.

Chris

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:42:59 +0000

Chris, I see you checking for a burr between each grit, but you didn’t remove the burr by polishing the back between each grit, so how do you tell if the medium and fine grits are done by feel? Do you remove the burr when you wipe with the rag?

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:06:31 +0000

It’s a plant mister from the hardware store (try the gardening section). They cost $10. Well worth it.

Chris

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 05:22:28 +0000

Carl,

I’ve not found my wiping to be a problem. I have more problems if I get the slurry from a coarse stone on a fine one.

Interesting question, however.

And you can find my dumb sharpening jig here:

With links to a better one as well.