I am impressed!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm often a skeptic of a lot of information I read on websites but I wasn't happy with the results my chisels and planes were getting. My chisels were some 40+ year old 3 piece cheap Craftsman carpenter set I bought. I had sharpened them with no impressive results. I bought a WorkSharp 3000 and used it. It improved things still didn't see the results I expected after watching a lot of videos.

A couple months ago I posted here in the Neander forum asking for recommendations. I ended up buying a set of glass water stones, a diamond lapping plate for the stones and due to delayed delivery, I canceled my order for a Narex Richter set of chisels, drove to Spokane and shopped at the Woodcraft store that had reopened under a new owner. I bought a set of Wood River Bench socket chisels. I just finished sharpening that set of chisels with results that rival what I had read about and never seen.

The Shapton glass water stones work as advertised and the Wood River chisels sharpen much better that my old Craftsman chisels. I hope the new bench chisels work as well as they sharpened.

In a few weeks I need to lap and sharpen the blades for the new hand planes I bought.

My thanks to everybody for their inputs. The results were truly impressive.

[Jim Koepke]

Finding sharp can make a difference.

jtk

[Curt Putnam]

I have learned the abrasive really does not make all that much difference. What does is that surface is flat and for non-skewed chisels, that they are honed square to the direction of honing. For me, it makes a large difference to be able to hold the same bevel angle throughout the honing process whether that is the primary or tertiary bevel. It helps if the backs are flat. Veritas blades and chisels come lapped flatter than you can do it by hand so do not try lapping them.

By acquiring Woodriver chisels you have stepped out of the total shlock market and are seeing the value of better tools. Now, you may want to take those shlock chisels of yours and unicorn them and then report back.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

Ken, I’m like you in that I have a hodge-podge of chisels, some blue Irwin’s, a set of Marples Ridgeways, and some odd items I have no idea where they were hatched.
I wasn’t as frustrated with my sets as you, and when the richter sets started being reviewed, I decided to get a set.
Like you, I’m frustrated by the lack of stock, but I picked up the 1 1/2” and 3/8” chisels, and I can tell you, they are as good as reviewed.
So, I’ll wait.
I’g glad you’re pleased with your set.

[Tom Henderson2]

Which diamond plate are you using?

I've been thinking of some shaptons myself... just wondering what you are using to keep them flat.

[john zulu]

I'm often a skeptic of a lot of information I read on websites but I wasn't happy with the results my chisels and planes were getting. My chisels were some 40+ year old 3 piece cheap Craftsman carpenter set I bought. I had sharpened them with no impressive results. I bought a WorkSharp 3000 and used it. It improved things still didn't see the results I expected after watching a lot of videos.

A couple months ago I posted here in the Neander forum asking for recommendations. I ended up buying a set of glass water stones, a diamond lapping plate for the stones and due to delayed delivery, I canceled my order for a Narex Richter set of chisels, drove to Spokane and shopped at the Woodcraft store that had reopened under a new owner. I bought a set of Wood River Bench socket chisels. I just finished sharpening that set of chisels with results that rival what I had read about and never seen.

The Shapton glass water stones work as advertised and the Wood River chisels sharpen much better that my old Craftsman chisels. I hope the new bench chisels work as well as they sharpened.

In a few weeks I need to lap and sharpen the blades for the new hand planes I bought.

My thanks to everybody for their inputs. The results were truly impressive.

Expensive tools without sharpening stones ain't worth it. Enjoy the stones. Do try to read the book from Ron Hock or Leonard Lee https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/books-and-dvds/32991-the-complete-guide-to-sharpening?item=73L0155
I sharpen most of my stuff after reading both books

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Which diamond plate are you using?

I've been thinking of some shaptons myself... just wondering what you are using to keep them flat.

I bought this one:
https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-Dia-Flat-95-Lapping-Plate-P451C111.aspx

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I bought this one:
https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-Dia-Flat-95-Lapping-Plate-P451C111.aspx

That one did not exist (I think) when I bought my initial set of stones so I am just using a standard DMT 10" Coarse (45 micron)

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-10-Dia-Sharp-Diamond-Stone-P318C24.aspx

Not guaranteed as flat as the plate Ken has and not as coarse, but it is what I had and what I have used for years now.

I also often just use a coarser stone to flatten my finer stones, so I might use my Shapton 5K to flatten my 16K after I flatten my 5K with my DMT.