Lost Art Press

Do This, and Your Stones Will Stay Flatter

Posted on by Lost Art Press

For 15 years I shared my sharpening stones with my students. Now, my stones hide beneath my bench. Why?

Students tried to turn my sharpening stones into tacos.

Sharpeners who are beginners (or indifferent) tend to work only the middle of a sharpening stone. This activity quickly turns a flat stone into a soup bowl. After a few sharpenings, the stone becomes 100 percent unreliable. And when you go to flatten this stone, you are in for a workout.

So I made a video.

If you have been sharpening for many years you will roll your eyes when you watch this. Don’t. I know you did this, too. If you are a beginning sharpener, watch it with care. It’s only 14 seconds long, but it shows something important. You need to spread out the wear on your sharpening stones with every stroke.

Sharpening stones, especially waterstones, dish quickly. A few ill-placed strokes will set you on a path to wondering what the heck is going on with your edges.

Flat sharpening stones are reliable. Yes, you can deal with a wonky stone if you are experienced. But I always prefer dead flat stones to dead anything-else stones.

So spread out the wear with every stroke. And flatten your stones after every sharpening.

Or don’t. Just don’t use my stones. They are still in hiding. Poor stones.

— Christopher Schwarz

21 thoughts on “Do This, and Your Stones Will Stay Flatter”

  2. Woodworkers who don’t use already flat diamond stones are lost in some sort of antideluvian world. 😉😵😂😆😝😜🤪

  3. Which guide are you using? I really like the machined construction of it. It looks reliable.

  4. I’ve also seen videos where a figure 8 pattern was used, though I can’t remember where. The claim was the stone was still flat after 20+ years w/o ever flattening it.

    1. That was Carl Bilderback. I posted a video of his technique on my PW blog years ago. The figure-8 is best for sharpening without a guide (in my experience).

  5. I was shocked ( in a-that’s really cool that he trusts strangers-kind of way) when I saw your stones were available to use during the Will Meyers candle stand class. Hope I didnt contribute to bad in the tacofication process. Meghan was next to me keeping watch.

  6. And periodically flip the stone end for end since the guide roller doesn’t wear the stone.

      1. Me too I do the same. If your stone is thick enough, for small chisels you can also use the sides of the stone. Like Chris says, I also flatten my stones after every sharpening session.

    2. The diamond grit wears out, but the steel plate doesn’t. The plate stays flat. Waterstones dish.

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