Sharpest tools in your shop?

[Mike Allen1010]

In this time of quarantine my shop is cleaner and more well-organized than it's been in 20 years. I even tracked down all the templates I use for moldings, cabriolet legs, ball and claw feet etc. and organize them into nice neat stacks now hanging on the wall. In the process I realized I duplicated a couple of these because I already made templates for previous projects but couldn't find them.

I confess I'm a stickler for generally trying to keep my tools sharp as possible. That said, I have a range of standards for what I expect depending on the task. For example, my pairing chisels and finish planes usually get re-sharpened before every job. I also like to keep my joinery saws sharp and well tuned as I enjoy trying to get a good fit for M&T's, dovetails etc. off the saw.

What are the tools in your shop you place a premium on keeping particularly sharp to enhance your hand till woodworking enjoyment?

Cheers, Mike

[Frank Pratt]

Plane irons & bench chisels. I demonstrated the sharpness of a chisel to a couple of my grandkids one day by shaving a strip on my cheek. Sadly, the corners are as sharp as the edge & I gave myself a couple of nice red borders to the shaved part. Grandkids pronounced it hilarious and still remind me of it from time to time.

[Frederick Skelly]

Plane irons & bench chisels.

Me too....

[Jim Matthews]

Mortice chisels.

Not because that's my aim, it's the size and steel.

I *wish* my final smoothing plane was sharpest.

[Tim Best]

I am still trying figure out what “sharp” is, but I like to think my plane irons are “sharp.” That said, I learned how to and still shave with an old school double edge “safety” razor so I know what sharp is capable of doing and I cannot bring myself to put one of my irons to my face or arm.

[Frederick Skelly]

I am still trying figure out what “sharp” is, but I like to think my plane irons are “sharp.” That said, I learned how to and still shave with an old school double edge “safety” razor so I know what sharp is capable of doing and I cannot bring myself to put one of my irons to my face or arm.

To me, sharp is sub 2/1000th thick shavings. YMMV.

[steven c newman]

Sharpest tool in the shop? it had better be ME. All the tools are as sharp as can be....it boils down to the person USING them, and how that happens, without drawing blood, of course.

If'n they ain't sharp, it takes more effort to use them...which can lead to accidents. Keep them sharp, less effort is needed, less chance of getting sliced. Then it becomes simply "Operator Error" , so the operator also has to be "Sharp".

[Stew Denton]

I have had chisels and planes I have been restoring, and am currently flattening the backs of my chisels between other restorations. The goal is to finally get a lot of my old tools restored, sharp, and in good using condition. I have a bad habit of restoring planes but not getting around to sharpening the irons. That is slowly coming to an end.
What is the result of this bad habit? Well, the sharpest tools I have are the ones I have had for years of carpentry: years ago working for a carpenter, carpentry around the place and use to help out others. Those are my two old Stanley Handyman chisels, in 1/2" and 1&1/4", and my #5 Stanley 605 that was my dads. Others are joining those ranks, including a block plane, a #7 Stanley Bailey, 2 or 3 Stanley #60 chisels, and my grandfathers old OHIO #04 plane. The other sharp tools are probably 4 or so of my hand saws, two of which I have used for 30 years or more.

I guess using those tools and sharpening them is force of habit. I am working at restoring some of my better vintage tools, and sharpening those will be next. I have better chisels than those two old Handyman chisels, and intend to use them.

Stew

[Dave Anderson NH]

Steven makes a very good point. The operator needs to be alert and sharp. As for tools, like Mike it's my paring chisels and finishing planes. After that the spokeshaves and my LV shooting plane.

[Phil Mueller]

Same as most; plane irons, particularly my shooting plane and block planes, as well as paring chisels. However, probably the sharpest tool is my scalpel. Bought this and replaceable blades for veneer work, and trust me you really don’t want to slip with that.

On the other side of the spectrum what I need to spend more time with are my hand saws. Other than the ones you and Pete sharpened, some of my other garage sale saws need some attention...moves a little right or left, could stand to be a bit sharper, etc. Of course they get used from time to time then put back in the till. I don’t know why, but I’ll try one again just in case some gremlin fixed it in the night only to quickly find it’s the same as when I put it back in the till after the last try. Just need to set aside an afternoon, pull out the vise, files and saw set and see if I can get somewhere in the ballpark of what you can do.

[Charles Bjorgen]

I’ve been attacking my collection of kitchen knives six of which are Japanese styled and four of those are the single bevel type that require some different sharpening approaches. It’s been a new learning process that caused me to acquire some new water stones.

[roger wiegand]

Carving tools that are honed on a leather wheel are probably the sharpest, but with relatively poor control of the blade angle. Similarly for the knife I use for skiving leather. After that planes and chisels.

[Rob Luter]

My LN #4 1/2 Smoother and an old Buck Brothers paring chisel. Both are reserved for fine finishing work so they're easy to keep sharp with an occasional swipe on the strop.

[James Pallas]

The sharpest tool is the one I just sharpened. Never really gave it much thought. Is there a reason that any edge tool works better when less sharp?

[Jim Koepke]

The sharpest tool is the one I just sharpened. Never really gave it much thought. Is there a reason that any edge tool works better when less sharp?

BINGO!

That was going to be my answer, the one that was just sharpened. My tools tend to get sharpened during use.

Sometimes a tool is sharpened just before stopping for the day. This happens when the tool is being used and discovered to need honig. Then during the sharpening my stomach reminds me it is time to go in and eat dinner.

jtk

[Philipp Jaindl]

Carving Knives, Japanese Chisels followed by the Rest of the chisels, i freely admit my Plane Irons arent sharpened as often as they mayhaps should be, taking them apart, de-greasing (keep em well oiled), sharpening and setting up the planes again takes a bit and as long as they work well enough i tend to just roll with it, keep in mind most of my Planes are Wooden so getting the proper setting can be a bit tedious.

[ken hatch]

The sharpest tool is the one I just sharpened. Never really gave it much thought. Is there a reason that any edge tool works better when less sharp?

I'm with Jim. While I know not all edge tools need the same degree of smoothness on the cutting edge I will usually finish all cutters the same. If I had to pick one tool that I paid the most attention to while sharpening it would be my Sorby pattern maker chisels. I could be wrong but I expect most folks do not sharpen often enough.

ken

ken

[Jim Koepke]

I could be wrong but I expect most folks do not sharpen often enough.

On a plane blade if the wear bevel isn't removed by honing the main bevel, imo, it isn't being sharpened often enough.

jtk

[ken hatch]

On a plane blade if the wear bevel isn't removed by honing the main bevel, imo, it isn't being sharpened often enough.

jtk

Jim,

+1. And it is a lot easier if you do it more often. I hate to take my cutters to the grinder.

ken

[Zach Dillinger]

I never would have guessed this, but it turns out that it was the tongue cutting iron from a large set of tongue and groove planes. I discovered this last Saturday when said iron slipped out of the mouth of the plane (due to a loose wedge) and sliced through my pants and into the top of my ankle joint, cutting a 3" gash and cutting a tendon and a few nerves. I'll spare you the pictures but I'll just tell you it was the most gruesome injury I have ever sustained. I am healing well, and quickly, thankfully.

[steven c newman]

Wards 78 vs a HUGE knot...
431357
Well, it was sharpened a little while ago...
431359
Guess it IS the sharpest tool in the shop...

[roger wiegand]

The sharpest tool is the one I just sharpened. Never really gave it much thought. Is there a reason that any edge tool works better when less sharp?

Sure. There's always a tradeoff between sharpness and durability of the edge. An ultimately sharp blade will have virtually no durability and be pretty useless, so we make the angle more blunt to achieve a useable compromise. Of course there's no reason not to have the tool be as sharp as it can be given the angle you've chosen.

[Oskar Sedell]

Aiming at keeping my coffin smoother the sharpest, but since it is used often it might not always win.

A few speciality planes; my dovetail plane, skew miter and a kiwa kanna only gets used with care, fine shavings and are kept very sharp.

The chisels I use for plane making; two skew chisels and my 6, 18 and 36 mm japanese paring chisels.

[Mike Allen1010]

I never would have guessed this, but it turns out that it was the tongue cutting iron from a large set of tongue and groove planes. I discovered this last Saturday when said iron slipped out of the mouth of the plane (due to a loose wedge) and sliced through my pants and into the top of my ankle joint, cutting a 3" gash and cutting a tendon and a few nerves. I'll spare you the pictures but I'll just tell you it was the most gruesome injury I have ever sustained. I am healing well, and quickly, thankfully.

Ouch Zach! Very sorry to hear about your accident – severed tendons can be very dicey and I hope you heal quickly!

My most significant cuts etc. have also come from dropped edge tools. Funny, little risks actually "using" the tool, just just don't drop the darn blade! We have a relatively new puppy at our house and her favorite thing is to relentlessly seek out all my nicks and cuts and then lick them until they start bleeding again. Must be "vampire dog".:eek:

Cheers, Mike

[Rob Luter]

I never would have guessed this, but it turns out that it was the tongue cutting iron from a large set of tongue and groove planes. I discovered this last Saturday when said iron slipped out of the mouth of the plane (due to a loose wedge) and sliced through my pants and into the top of my ankle joint, cutting a 3" gash and cutting a tendon and a few nerves. I'll spare you the pictures but I'll just tell you it was the most gruesome injury I have ever sustained. I am healing well, and quickly, thankfully.

Reminds me of an event in college. I was working on a project and a large Exacto matting knife rolled down my drafting board and dropped straight onto my foot. If you would have planned it out and aimed it you could not have achieved a more perfect angle of attack. It was like throwing a dart. My roommate and I looked at it sticking in my foot in disbelief. I bled like a stuck pig when I pulled it out but it healed up ok.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

My kiridashi knife currently is probably my sharpest tool.

[Stu Gillard]

The sharpest tool in my shed must be my skew block plane when I forget that the side plate is removed and I pick it up like a normal block plane.
The amount of blood produced proves it :(