which is right?

[Greg Tatum]

I just saw an episode of WoodWorks tonight where Mr. Marks sharpens a chisel on a waterstone..question is this...when sharpening the bevel, in which direction do you apply pressure? While pulling or pushing? It looked to me that he was pushing away from him...I drag backwards when sharpening....am I doing it wrong?

Regards,
Greg

[Richard Gillespie]

For what it's worth, there are those who push and those that pull. I pull because I feel I have better control of the item being sharpened. I can't say either way is right or wrong.

[Steve Cox]

My understanding is that it is better to push. The sharpening process produces a burr and after a while that burr breaks off. If you are pulling then there is the possibility that as the burr breaks it will essentially tear and not leave a clean edge. Pushing allows the burr to break more clearly. That is the theory as it has been explained to me. Someone else may say that's just BS.:cool:

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Greg, I don't 100 percent push or pull since I skew the blade at about 45 degrees. I've seen others use circular motions and figure 8's so I really don't think the technique matters as long as it results in a sharp edge. FWIW some grinders grind "into" the blade which would be like a push stroke and others grind "from" the blade which would be a pull stroke. Both seem to work.

[Marc Hills]

You say "tomato", I say "to-mawto".

Potato, potawto....

[James Carmichael]

I was a lifelong "pusher" of knives on oilstones (and still am, for knives). But for chisels, plane irons, etc, I use SS and can't tell that it makes any difference one way or the other. I go back and forth to sharpen faster.

I read where on instructor who uses SS works the bevel side-to-side, claiming it keeps the tool from cutting the paper. I've tried this and it doesn't seem to work for me, but maybe I just didn't try long enough to get the hang of it. It does seem like it would use less abrasive when working wide blades and could use more narrow strips of paper, but I work freehand unless grinding a new bevel and I just can't feel the bevel as well going sideways.

[Steve Beadle]

I believe I remember someone here on the Creek (in a similar thread) say that it's best to push AND pull when using the coarser grits, but when you get to the honing stage, you should PULL ONLY. That makes sense to me.

[Jerry Palmer]

Until I switched to water stones, I was a pusher. Generally I do both up to my 4K grit stone and pull only there, especially with narrow chisels, so I don't gouge into the stone.

[Greg Tatum]

Thanx all....I use SS as well and pulling doesn't tear the paper so I guess I'll stick with it. Sharp is sharp no matter which method I think.

Greg