Conversation Between Christopher Wellington and Jim Matthews

1 Visitor Messages

  1. On getting tool steel sharp -

    Sorry for the PM, I no longer publicly post.
    The very finest, sharpest edge I can achieve in my shop is with Carpenter XHP steel, which is very similar to PM V11. It has a tenacious wire edge, so it takes considerably longer to get there.

    It's tough steel, so the edge is long lasting.

    I prefer O1 because it's predictable, and with a buffed (rolled) edge on my chisels it's *very* close to what I can manage with powdered steel like PM V11.

    A2 is hard, and skates across my Arkansas oil stones.
    It's brittle by comparison to O1 and I can't get it as sharp as the others.

    Search videos by DavidW on YouTube for a demonstration of the method I now use with O1 steel.

    Fine India to shape bevel, quick buff on stiff cotton wheel.

    That's it - no grinding, guides or gizmos.
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