Please help me be smart with my sharpening dollar.

[George Yetka]

I'm not a heavy hand tool user but I dont know that Ive ever gone below 1000 grit. I usually pull out the 1k,3k,5k,10k,strop only thing lower grit ive used is my dmt flattening stone. Am I doing something wrong not bringing stuff down to 220 grit?

[Jim Koepke]

I'm not a heavy hand tool user but I dont know that Ive ever gone below 1000 grit. I usually pull out the 1k,3k,5k,10k,strop only thing lower grit ive used is my dmt flattening stone. Am I doing something wrong not bringing stuff down to 220 grit?

Hi George, from you comment of not being a heavy hand tool user my opinion is you are doing things right. The true test is if it is working for you.

From one phrase in Scott's original post:

Given my rust hunting days are pretty well wrapped up

It seems he may also have no need to go to a coarse stone other than use for flattening his other stones.

Since Scott is interested in imparting a hollow grind on his tools my use of a Veritas Power Sharpening System has been kept out of this. It has served me well through years of rust hunting.

Most of my sharpening is now done by hand. My blades are seldom reground. A 1000 stone or a Washita stone can usually remove most nicks from my blades. For bigger nicks some 360 grit sandpaper with a pressure sensitive adhesive backing on a 4' long piece of granite makes quick work at removing them.

For me the key was learning to hand sharpen my blades. A hollow grind makes it easy. Eventually so does repetition and staying focused on what is taking place on the stones.

jtk

[Christopher Wellington]

My experience with hand tools is pretty limited so far, but I have found this regarding lower grits:

When I set up my chisels and plane irons with the LV honing guide, I established a primary bevel using the jig's stop. If I had tried to do that with a 1000 grit stone, I would still be working on it now, nearly two years later.

And even now that the tools are set up, I still regrind the primary bevel every few sharpenings. Otherwise the microbevel would just keep getting larger and larger until there was no microbevel.

For that kind of work, I'm definitely using a grit (much) lower than 1000.

[George Yetka]

Thank you. It seams to do the trick I strop between sharpening and usually only drop to 3k and back up. I am mostly sharpening pmv-11 and the bevel shipped to me by LV was pretty well done Chisels and planes alike needed a little on the back to start and very little on the primary before hitting the secondary,

[Warren Mickley]

Toshio Odate sharpens full bevel on his chisels. He starts with 1200 and says that if you need something coarser than 1200 you have waited too long to sharpen.

I have sharpened full bevel for more than fifty years. I think the chisel works somewhat better with this configuration. For chisels and plane irons I start with an 800 stone. I think it is a little safer to start there than 1200; more likely to get rid of all the wear. I have not tried a 1000 stone, but perhaps that would work as well.

[Jim Koepke]

And even now that the tools are set up, I still regrind the primary bevel every few sharpenings. Otherwise the microbevel would just keep getting larger and larger until there was no microbevel.

Which makes me wonder if your XXº micro-bevel starts to become an XXº full bevel, why not just leave it as a full flat bevel?

If the bevel has to be reground every few sharpening sessions it seems like more work to me.

For me it is easier to maintain a flat bevel freehand than trying to maintain a micro-bevel freehand. Setting up a blade holder and regrinding to me makes sharpening a chore. Freehand sharpening is fast and easy.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Toshio Odate sharpens full bevel on his chisels. He starts with 1200 and says that if you need something coarser than 1200 you have waited too long to sharpen.

I have sharpened full bevel for more than fifty years. I think the chisel works somewhat better with this configuration. For chisels and plane irons I start with an 800 stone. I think it is a little safer to start there than 1200; more likely to get rid of all the wear. I have not tried a 1000 stone, but perhaps that would work as well.

My 800 stone was difficult to keep flat. When my rust hunting slowed down and misused blades were a thing of the past the 800 stone has mostly set dry.

When working my blades are often sharpened on a 4000 & 8000 or a hard & a black Arkansas stone. Occasionally a knot or too long at the bench will get me to use a Washita or 1000 stone.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Two items....first...KISS....Keep It Simple, (fill in the blank)

Secondly...NASTY......Not Another Sharpening Thread, Yo! tends to spark more fights than an Irish Pub.....Too many ways to sharpen, and still get the same results....yet each poster will claim theirs is the only True Path...to the Land of Sharp.

My sharpening dollars? Every 3 or 4 MONTHS, I will spend about..$5 on a pack of wet & dry sandpapers....1K, 1.5K, 2K, and 2.5K......and that is it. and yes, I still do rush hunts....Yes I do have a grinder(s) and yes I still have a leather strop ( over 10 years old) and I do mostly free-hand sharpening.....last guide some how wound up in the firepit...don't ask me how..

I don't "LOVE" my sharpening set-ups.....one, because I have no intention of marrying them, and two...I merely require them to work...so I can get back to work as soon as I can.

Now...Popcorn, anyone? Salted? Buttered?

[Mike Henderson]

Some time ago, I bought a WorkSharp and then some 5 inch diamond plates. I also have Shapton pro stones. I grind my chisels to a 25 degree primary bevel on the WorkSharp and then put a higher angle microbevel (by hand - no jig) on with the Shaptons. The full setup is not cheap because I also have to have a DMT diamond plate to keep the Shaptons flat. I also use the Shaptons to work the back of the chisels or plane blades

But it's about the best system I've found so far. I tried sandpaper and a Tormek and was not satisfied with either, and the Tormek is very expensive.

Recently I got the Lee Valley Veritas Mark II power sharpener and it works like the WorkSharp but is more powerful and will sharpen wider blades. I also bought some 6 inch diamond plates to use with it. I use it like the WorkSharp to set the primary bevel and then use the Shaptons to do a microbevel.

I also have a 1725RPM grinder with a CBN wheel and a white wheel but don't generally use that to sharpen chisels or plane blades.

There are a lot of different ways to sharpen.

Mike

[Curt Putnam]

Does the abrasive really matter? I do no think it does. Some is faster, slower, cheaper; some has a better feel and some will cut super steels better but they all work for hand rubbing. Power grinding buys you speed and the ability to quickly ruin an expensive blade.

The lower the grit the more one is about regrinding a primary bevel; the more tedious hand rubbing is and the more one wants power. If you go the power route you will want to develop your skills on yard sale chisels or Harbor Freight specials.

Sharpening is pretty much like fishing; pretty much anything works in the right circumstances, but skill is always readily apparent. YMWV