It isn't exactly a scientific test but ...

[Doyle Alley]

I'm sitting at my desk and got a hangnail that was bothering me, so I reach into my desk drawer and pull out an emory board that I knew was there. After cleaning up my hangnail I said "Self, what would this emory board do on a piece of steel?" So, I pull out my swiss army knife and hit both sides of the edge a few strokes and darned if it didn't sharpen it right up. I'm thinking I've hit on something here. The board I was using is about medium as far as emory board grits go. I've got a coarse board somewhere that I may dig out and play with and I wish I had a fine one to finish the job on my knife.

Anyway, it seems to me that having a bundle of these things in various grits laying around the shop might prove useful. They are small enough to get into places that orginary sandpaper can't and they might even be good for touching up the edges of cutting tools.

[Steve Clardy]

Great idea!

[Jeff Horton]

And if I am not mistaken, you can get at a Beauty Supply like Sallys, very fine grits they use for polishing nails. Like 1000 girt. I really think you are on something here! A knife is the hardest for me to get an edge on because I use the scary sharp method and the knife just don't fit on my granite plate. You may have just solved my problem.

[Byron Trantham]

Who'da tought! Great idea.

[Steve Schoene]

And if I am not mistaken, you can get at a Beauty Supply like Sallys, very fine grits they use for polishing nails. Like 1000 girt. I really think you are on something here! A knife is the hardest for me to get an edge on because I use the scary sharp method and the knife just don't fit on my granite plate. You may have just solved my problem.

There is a fly in this ointment. The "quality" boards are on a foam base. The flex and give from the foam heighten the potential to "dub" over edges. Probably OK for some knives, but not so good for chisels and plane blades and the like.

[Bob Noles]

Great idea Doyle for the knife..... just keep it away from those new chisels :)

Hope you are enjoying them.

[Doyle Alley]

Haven't come near the chisels with them - and won't. I was thinking along the lines of touching up the edges on router bits, forstner bits, fly cutters, etc. Things that are hard to get to and you just want to touch it up. For wood, they could get into the grooves on spindles, etc.