Looking for a high-quality chisel sharpening service (in US)

[Dennis Leahy]

Allow me to start by saying, yes, I know I need to be able to sharpen my own woodworking chisels, and I have, and I do. I have the "Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide System" a slab of granite, and various grits of carborundum paper. After a number of self-sharpenings, using several different sharpening guides (before I bought the Veritas MK. II), some of my chisel tips are slightly skewed, and none of them have ever truly had the backsides ground down and polished properly.

So, I would like to start over on a few of my chisels, and don't want to spend the hours doing that manually - especially if a sharpening service can do for around $5 what would take me hours to accomplish, manually.

I want a service that can completely flatten and literally mirror polish the backs of the chisels, as well as sharpen the tips to at least the level that I can "scary sharp" do with sandpaper. Then, I can touch-up the tips as needed.

A lot of places say they can sharpen chisels, but I'm looking for a service that does an exceptional job of sharpening, and actually can flatten and mirror polish the backs.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

-Dennis

[John Lankers]

Dennis, please don't get me wrong but I believe sharpening a chisel or plane iron is a fundamental skill every woodworker should have. It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to do the initial sharpening / flattening / polishing and after that regular stropping on a slow turning leather wheel (WorkSharp) does it for me (freehand), sometimes after 5 to 10 minutes of use. It should become second nature after a short learning process and don't get to hung up on angles just pay attention when an edge tends to go out of square and apply a bit more thumb pressure on one side to bring it gradually back. You'll be surprised how sharp an edge becomes after only a few seconds.

[Dennis Leahy]

Dennis, please don't get me wrong but I believe sharpening a chisel or plane iron is a fundamental skill every woodworker should have. It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to do the initial sharpening / flattening / polishing and after that regular stropping on a slow turning leather wheel (WorkSharp) does it for me (freehand), sometimes after 5 to 10 minutes of use. It should become second nature after a short learning process and don't get to hung up on angles just pay attention when an edge tends to go out of square and apply a bit more thumb pressure on one side to bring it gradually back. You'll be surprised how sharp an edge becomes after only a few seconds.
Hi John,

Yeah, I'm hoping that someone can take them, as they are, and create the initial blade geometry that I think has never been done properly. Then, I hope I can re-sharpen them (maybe a micro bevel), when needed, and it will only take me a few minutes.


Hi Bill, and thanks. PM sent. I'll go grab a copy of it and email it to you as well.

Dennis

[Ron Brese]

You're asking that someone that has a lot of developed skill work for basically $5.00 per hour. Can't see that happening. Put in the work to develop the skill set.

Ron

[Nicholas Lingg]

I think I know were you coming from. I've had good luck with a Work Sharp getting "Flea Market Chisel's" back to were they can be sharpened by hand.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/148124/work-sharp-3000.aspx

[Marshall Mosby]

For $5, no one is going to give you mirror polish back. Also according to the description and extreme need to get them sharpened, I think you should forget the fancy part and look for someone who could just get them in working condition for you.

[Mike Henderson]

What chisels do you have, Dennis? In other words, are your chisels new manufacture or somewhat older. If they're fairly new, the backs should be relatively flat. If they're somewhat older, especially if they're antique chisels the backs may need some real work.

A machine shop could grind the backs flat for you but they wouldn't shine - you'd have to do that work yourself. Regarding getting the bevels square across, I use a WorkSharp and it makes short work of that task.

But even if all you have is the LV guide, you can get them in shape pretty quickly on a coarse diamond plate (using the guide).

Flattening the back of an old chisel is no fun, but it's a one time job. I use a coarse diamond plate (DMT) to do that, then on to the water stones.

Mike

[Chris Fournier]

$5.00 a stick? No way is there a service out there that will do what you want. The entire back of a chisel need not be brought up to a mirror polish for it to be perfectly sharp.. 6 bench chisels brought up to perfect working order from shabby should be an hours work at the most.

[Myk Rian]

I've taken mashed up chisels from garage sales that bricklayers used, and got them razor sharp with my WorkSharp 3000. Start with coarse and work your way up. I mark each one with the angle I cut them at.
Do not do this with paper, cardboard, or other combustibles near the unit. Steel makes hot sparks.

[John McClanahan]

WorkSharp 3000. Skip the water stones, scary sharp sandpaper, chisel holding jigs, ect.

[Cary Falk]

I have a WorkSharp 3000 also. I spent a couple of hours last week cleaning up all of my chisels. I started with 80 grit and finished with 3000. I did the whole back along with the bevel. I didn't bother putting a mirror polish on them since they are sharp enough to shave with and that is good enough for me.

[Phil Mueller]

My local Woodcraft store offers edge tool sharpening. I've never used the service, don't know what they charge, or quality of service, but if you have one in your area, you may want to give them a call.

[CPeter James]

"The sharpest edge no matter how painstakingly achieved is only temporary". How often are you going to take your tools to the "sharpening service"? Sharpening tools should be like voting in Chicago, do it early and often. People wait until the tool is really dull and then it requires extra time and effort to get a really sharp edge. If you sharpen regularly, it only takes seconds to touch up the edge, not minutes.

It doesn't matter machine what method or machine you use, just pick one, practice and get good with it and then sharpening comes easy and quick.

CPeter

[lowell holmes]

I favor diamond hones. I keep one out on the bench along with a leather on wood strop charged with green honing compound. (ala Paul Sellers)

Taking a moment to dress up an edge, even if it doesn't need it, breaks the tedium of an extended session on the bench. :)

I attended some of Paul's sessions at Homestead Heritage in Waco many years ago. One of the things he did was keep diamond hones out on the bench.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I use a Worksharp 3000 also, and it makes the job you describe simple and repeatable. I keep a cup of water to keep the edges cooled during sharpening, particularly for the narrow blades, as they can heat up. You might talk to your local woodworking store about finding someone near where you live that has one who might be amenable to letting you try it out.

Doc

[Robert Engel]

I guess I'll have to echo what everyone else seems to be saying (DIY). And there's no magic in having a polished chisel, whats important is the first inch from the edge.

What I'm wondering is whether the chisels got that way due to a cumulative error in your honing technique. Perhaps that is worth looking at rather than sending them out maybe you'll be back in the same boat after a few sharpenings?

I freehand sharpen but I have used jigs and I found you can easily and quickly get in trouble on narrow chisels if you don't apply even pressure.

As for fixing your issue, its really not that difficult to re-establish a bevel square and hollow with a grinder and a jig. In fact, if the skew isn't bad you can correct it with only a honing jig.

Once you've got that done, you're half way there all (all...) that's left is flattening the backs. But if you're chisels are decent quality they shouldn't be that far off.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Knowing how to sharpen your own tools is NOT a measure of your craftsmanship. I see nothing wrong with sending out your chisels or gouges to be professionally sharpened. Who sharpens their own saw blades, jointer or planer knives? It boils down to time and how much you are actually using those tools.

[Mike Henderson]

Knowing how to sharpen your own tools is NOT a measure of your craftsmanship. I see nothing wrong with sending out your chisels or gouges to be professionally sharpened. Who sharpens their own saw blades, jointer or planer knives? It boils down to time and how much you are actually using those tools.

The difference is that things like jointer, planer, or saw blades do not need to be sharpened very often. Saw blades, for example, are carbide and last a long time.

But when you're working with a chisel or plane blade - even ones with the best quality steel - you need to hone them fairly often. For example, if you were to use a chisel to chop out a dovetail, you'd surely have to touch up that chisel after doing a few of the dovetail elements. You can keep going - beating a rounded edge into the wood - but your work won't be very good, nor will you get much satisfaction from the work.

Carving tools are even worse. You have to hone them very often because you're pushing the tool with your hand, and a degraded edge shows up in the work as fine white lines. It's a truism in carving that "if you can't sharpen, you can't carve." And I think that's true in bench chisels and plane blades also.

Mike

[Rob Damon]

Allow me to start by saying, yes, I know I need to be able to sharpen my own woodworking chisels, and I have, and I do. I have the "Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide System" a slab of granite, and various grits of carborundum paper. After a number of self-sharpenings, using several different sharpening guides (before I bought the Veritas MK. II), some of my chisel tips are slightly skewed, and none of them have ever truly had the backsides ground down and polished properly.

So, I would like to start over on a few of my chisels, and don't want to spend the hours doing that manually - especially if a sharpening service can do for around $5 what would take me hours to accomplish, manually.

I want a service that can completely flatten and literally mirror polish the backs of the chisels, as well as sharpen the tips to at least the level that I can "scary sharp" do with sandpaper. Then, I can touch-up the tips as needed.

A lot of places say they can sharpen chisels, but I'm looking for a service that does an exceptional job of sharpening, and actually can flatten and mirror polish the backs.

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

-Dennis

A quick google search to actually respond to your question and not berate you on your skill or frustration you are having with re-establishing the original reference on your chisels:

http://www.sharpeningshack.net/price_list.html

http://www.fastsharp.com/turning---carving-tools.html

I have not used any of these and I do all my own sharpening, but there seems to be a few places you can turn to. I would call them to see if they can return them as "scary-sharp."

Rob

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Dennis,

Where do you live? You can set that in your profile so that it shows. I am in Columbus Ohio (or close enough it makes no difference). If you live close to me, come on over and we can fix up some of those chisels. I have a Tormek and it does a very good job. Also, it leaves a hollow grind making it very easy to free hand your touch-ups.

I have never done this with an "angled" chisel and I have not yet worked on a chisel that is not flat across the cutting edge. Steven Newman gave me a chisel that is curved, which means that now I need to learn to sharpen those, so eventually I will be able to do it.

After I have the initial edge, it is pretty easy to maintain it for a while before I need to get serious with it again. Another friend of mine from here has brought some things over a couple of times to get the edge in good shape and then he will show up again after he has used and abused it a while and it requires a refresh greater than a quick touch-up.

Just wanted to make the offer.

[John Sincerbeaux]

The difference is that things like jointer, planer, or saw blades do not need to be sharpened very often. Saw blades, for example, are carbide and last a long time.

But whey you're working with a chisel or plane blade - even ones with the best quality steel - you need to hone them fairly often. For example, if you were to use a chisel to chop out a dovetail, you'd surely have to touch up that chisel after doing a few of the dovetail elements. You can keep going - beating a rounded edge into the wood - but your work won't be very good, nor will you get much satisfaction from the work.

Carving tools are even worse. You have to hone them very often because you're pushing the tool with your hand, and a degraded edge shows up in the work as fine white lines. It's a truism in carving that "if you can't sharpen, you can't carve." And I think that's true in bench chisels and plane blades also.

Mike


Totally agree Mike,
That's why I said it depends on what you're doing and how much time you have.

[mark mcfarlane]

... I have a Tormek and it does a very good job. Also, it leaves a hollow grind making it very easy to free hand your touch-ups.....

Andrew, have you tried and had success flattening the backs of chisels on a Tormak? Using the side of the wheel?

I have a new set of Narex chisels that need their initial flattening.

[Ronald Blue]

+1 more on the Worksharp 3000. Doing hand chisels is a easy task and very repeatable. In fact I don't know that for flat chisels anything is better.Definitely not at that price point.

[Bill Zickel]

Here is a national publication that caters to people in the sharpening business. https://sharpeners-report.com/

This is a group of sharpeners from all over the United States. They can help you find a sharpener in your area.

Bill

[Bill Adamsen]

I would never think about sharpening my circular saw or bandsaw blades ... I use a service
I might think about sharpening and setting my handsaw blades .. and yet ultimately would use a service (I have a good one locally)
I would never consider using a service to sharpen my chisels. Maybe I need to find that service!

In reality Dennis ... it is hard, but not that hard, to learn to sharpen. I'm sort of a hack. I have three of the Veritas Honing guides (all the same ... the one circled in the attached photo) and can therefore mount three chisels at a time. I then use automotive wet/dry sandpaper cut into 2-3" wide strips. I sharpen in a sink with running water and a granite slab. I work down the grits one grit at a time sharpening all three of the mounted chisels or plane blades. I occasionally micro-bevel but typically just run through grits from 240 to 1200. Once past the initial cut, the finer grits take very little time. It is really the initial setup - making sure the cut is square - that takes care and thus time. In two hours I can sharpen about eight to ten chisels or blades. It is miserable work but necessary and ultimately satisfying.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Andrew, have you tried and had success flattening the backs of chisels on a Tormak? Using the side of the wheel?

I have a new set of Narex chisels that need their initial flattening.

I was not able to do it on a Worksharp and I was not able to do it on the Tormek. I had trouble getting the blade to go down without catching an edge while it was spinning. I probably should have just put it there then turned it on. I found a post on the Tormek forum, don't think I am allowed to link to it so I won't, but someone had good luck with using a foot operated switch to turn it off and on so that he could use two hands to register the chisel against the side of the wheel.

If you go here:
http://www.tormek.com/en/accessories/grindstones/original_grindstone.php

They have a picture of handling the back of a plane blade.

At http://markswoodchips.com, his first looks includes doing this.

Also: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?195454-lapping-on-a-Tormek

I saw a demonstration and I asked about it and the demonstrator had no trouble doing this.

Highland woodworking says yes:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodworking-tips-1509sep/DTEW/dtew2.html


Now that I have had much more experience, I might give it a try again.

[Mike Henderson]

I only tried it once on a Tormek but I wasn't successful. (flattening the back, that is)

Mike

[peter Joseph]

I think the OP asserted a dichotomy that is being ignored. He said that he's looking for a service to establish the initial geometry and then take up the task of honing the chisels himself. If such a service existed, I'd gladly be a customer as I have dozens of flea market chisels that I never seem to get around to tuning up. I can and have rehabbed many chisels and plane irons over the year but it is laborious to me and cuts into my already very limited shop time. That doesn't however keep me from accumulating more and more tools :D

[mark mcfarlane]

I was not able to do it on a Worksharp and I was not able to do it on the Tormek. I had trouble getting the blade to go down without catching an edge while it was spinning. ...

Also: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?195454-lapping-on-a-Tormek

....

Thanks Andrew, Mike and others for sharing your experience on 'sharpening the back of chisels'. That SMC thread is a great reference.

[Matt Day]

It'd be nice if the OP would visit his thread and see the nice offerings made here.

[Robert Engel]

A quick google search to actually respond to your question and not berate you on your skill or frustration you are having with re-establishing the original reference on your chisels:
I don't think anyone is berating, but trying to encourage him that this is a necessary part of the skillset for a woodworker as well as save some money.

I strongly suspect the reason the chisels got out of square is from due to his honing technique & Mike is exactly right in what he said.

As already stated, flattening the back of a chisel is the simplest of jobs, only requiring a flat stone and a some elbow grease.

I hope an offer of help near him arises that will be a learning experience!!

[Dennis Leahy]

Bill White did 'em. He knew what I wanted (someone to establish the geometry, sharpen them, and polish the backsides.) He did a real nice job.

I found out that it is difficult to take a shot of my eye reflected in the mirror of the back of a chisel, hand-holding a chisel and a camera. After giving up on that idea, I found it was difficult to even get a nice shot without trying to photograph the mirror. The camera flash just makes micro scratches look like canyons. So, the photo is awful.

345268

Bill also buffed the ferules, and waxed and buffed the handles. He treated them like they were his own. Did I mention that they are sharp? They are sharp.

Thank you Bill, I really appreciate your fine work! :)

Dennis

[Bill White]

You are most welcome, and as I said to you, those puppies have some hard steel in the blades.
I try to give my customers the service I expect from suppliers. Price/value/speed.
Bill