Lost Art Press

Quick Tip from ‘Sharpen This’

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Sharpening is a necessary evil on the path to making good furniture.

I wrote “Sharpen This” in the hopes of putting it in a time machine and sending it back to 1994 Chris when he first learned to sharpen. Like many woodworkers, 1994 Chris bought way too many sharpening systems, jigs and BS sandwiches peddled by salesmen.

Instead, I wish I’d been able to read this book.

The above video shows a lightning-quick tip that will help you get back to work faster. And it will reduce your grinding chores, save wear on your sharpening equipment and make you sexy to all raccoons.

— Christopher Schwarz

40 thoughts on “Quick Tip from ‘Sharpen This’”

  2. You had me at “sexy to all raccoons.”
    Although, of course, I already was.

  3. I use oil stones (since that is what I was taught on and own) and I settled on 5 strokes/grit. But 2-3 sounds about right for waterstones.

  6. Hmmmm. I bought diamond stones (Paul Sellers preferred them) when I started 7 years ago and use a LN jig. I can get a nice sharp tool this way (been faithful to a method like you talk about). However, the A2 steel from Lie Nielsen is a major pain to sharpen on my diamond stones. I finally broke down to using an extra extra coarse diamond stone and it takes around 100 strokes. Torn on what I should do. It takes about two songs on the radio to sharpen a chisel. It’s not bad, BUT it’s not just a few strokes like you just showed us. Any advice Dear Abby? I’ve been faithful to my diamond stones but seems like they might be giving me the A2 blues.

    1. Diamonds are not forever, I’m afraid.

      I have used many diamond stones during the last 28 years and have found that they wear out much faster than I would like. I have consulted with DMT and other makers about this. They say my expectations are too high. I disagree.

      Waterstones and oilstones cut faster than a used diamond stone in my experience. And the grit on those stones can be refreshed. You can get a lifetime of fast cutting from those media.

      1. Thanks Chris. It may be time to change. Before I change, I will purchase Sharpen this. I’ve read a lot of what you said but if I am going to make a long term/lifetime commitment, I might as well read up. Plus, who doesn’t like a good book.

      2. I have a coarse DMT diamond stone, bought on the expectation it would last me a fair while, because waterstones may cut nice, but that comes at the expense of wearing very fast at the coarse end. Except it didn’t last, within a year it was basically worn out and didn’t cut anymore. Which is just silly as they’re not cheap, and their claim that our expectations are too high is just ridiculous. They are nice and flat though, so at least I can still use it to flatten my waterstones but still.

      3. I agree, I have a bunch of ez laps and they stopped cutting hood after a year or so.

        My water stones, just need lapped flat every now and then and they cut until they are too thin to use.

        1. Thanks K and Jeremy. Only a year? Yikes. Being a hobby woodworker, I expected 20 year, if not a lifetime of use out of them. I do sharpen frequently. Even so, what does that come to over a year? 100 to 150 sharpenings? If I am going to get water stones is there a specific brand that is recommended? I know what Lie Nielsen recommends and I’d likely go that way unless there is something “better.” I don’t mind paying a bit more given how long they are likely to last. I do know asking this kind of question is like asking about you religious or political views. Thanks.

          1. It’s not that my diamond stones stopped cutting entirely after a year, it’s just the cutting performance was more like 75 percent or less than a year prior.

            I have a 4000/8000 Norton and a 16000/glass shapton I could use a 10 or 12k naniwa as a filler. And probably a lower grit like a 1000. But for any rough work I use sandpaper spray glued to mdf or granite or glass tile (whatever I have laying around)

            I also have probably 3 or 4 of the various off brand off amazon waterstones and find them to be very inconsistent with their claimed grit compared to other known stones.

            Hope this helps

            1. I will join the diamonds are not forever-chorus here – I started with DMT diamond plates, ’cause that was what the chap who first showed me how to sharpen used (and sold, I should maybe add, so I bought them from him). I quickly experienced the diminishing return on effort effect, and was disappointed enough to break my sharpening media marriage vows prematurely (i.e. long before a year had gone by). I still have them, and will on occasion throw them into the mix for grinding (I don’t yet have a grinder), as they will at least stay flat for however long the grinding takes.
              After the diamond stones, I switched to waterstones and more specifically to the ones sold by Lie-Nielsen (and some of their dealers) under the Ohishi brand (I’ve a 220 for grinding, a 1000 for honing, and 4000 and 8000 for polishing; I most often end up using just the 1000 and the 8000) . I can’t compare these to other waterstones, as I’ve stuck with the sharpening monogamy credo this time round, but have been rather curious about the Shapton stones that Chris uses in the video here; I’ve never had a chance to try them without buying, though, and have been sufficiently happy with the Ohishis not to bother with expensive experiments.
              There is, however, one DMT product I have been dang near ecstatic with, and that is their Dia-Flat lapping plate! Expensive as the dickens, but oh so good! At my sharpening station, it is strictly reserved for flattening waterstones, but that it does with utter brio and panache, and so far shows no sign whatsoever of wearing out. And I flatten my stones after basically anything more strenuous than a simple two-or-three stroke honing of the type demonstrated by Chris in the video.

              1. I have that shapton 16k and what I like about them is it is a man made stone, it is perfectly consistent no hard or soft spots. The downside, they are soft, and fragile and that’s why they bond them to glass.

                I have the dmt diamond plate and I second everything you say, it’s laser straight and flat.

                One way to keep the wear down on it is to rough flatten any stones that need a lot of flattening with the side of a cinderblock first. Then finish with the dmt dia flat.

                I’ll check out those ohishi.
                How do you like the 220?

                1. The Shaptons I’ve been ogling are those in the Kuromaku Professional series (which I believe are classic, solid stones), rather than the glass backed ones from their GlassStone series.
                  I quite like the Ohishi 220 – it cuts well, with a nice responsive feel to it, although it is of course a very slow way of grinding (I know, I now; I will [eventually] get a grinder). As far as I’m concerned, an even rougher stone would thus have been even better. I will of course flatten it very frequently when grinding, probably a tad too often, but it is about twice as thick as their other stones, and will last quite long I think. Unless their harder stones, which are splash-and-go, it benefits form a minute or two of soaking before use.

                    1. Oooh – I’ve always been a complete sucker for feline nightwear, so thank you so much already; I will most certainly take you up on the try-out offer, come October!

                      Cheers,

                      Mattias

                    2. Thanks Chris. I will likely go with what you do because I see no need to reinvent the wheel. Truthfully, I had ignored the water stones because I already had the diamond ones. Your few strokes has sold me. How often do you need to flatten your stones and what do you use to flatten them? I know, probably in the book. Just a bit anxious.

      4. Thanks Chris. I ordered the book. I read the whole PDF version of the book. Basically I am going to switch over the Shapon waterstones 1,000, 5,000, 8,000 and will continue to use my Lie Nielsen jig. Given how long the diamond stones took to sharpen, I am anxious to see the speed increase. Not crazy about the added mess from the watestones but the sink in the laundry room (that no one uses) is literally 10 to 15 steps from my bench so I will get a tray holder of sorts that spans over the skink and work there. Big debate is do I bother getting the 30,000 grit stone. Good news is I don’t need to decide on day 1. Thanks for all the help on a topic that is about as fun to discuss as religion or politics. I was a good faithful boy to my diamond stones. For seven years and really didn’t pay that much attention to any other system. Seeing how quickly you raised a burr on the Shapons is hard to ignor.

  7. Every time I watch these short videos I come away with some new idea (I forgot about the tray in the gift guides). No telling how many ideas the book will bring. Thanks…can’t wait!

  8. Chris

    Make/sell me one of those depth stop thingamajig you used to set the angle/depth of the chisel in the guide.

    Possible future crucible item?

    1. LN has dimensions on their site. it’s very easy to make. just a stop at a set distance, one for the primary, one for the secondary. the actual distance isn’t that critical. set your preferred chisel to match it’s existing primary bevel using your honing guide. then, put your stop at that distance from the guide. move the secondary bevel stop 1/8″ closer and you’re set. i made one. works fine, but i prefer freehand sharpening. I’m done in half the time and get plenty sharp. but, I’m a kinesthetic learner, so muscle memory comes very easy to me.

  9. Raccoons? I just learned we have Armadillos running around. Thought the Texas speed bump was limited to lower Georgia but low and behold they are crossing the GA/TN state lines.

  10. Great tip. What are the other two finishing stones that you use for polish? In the book? 🤣

  12. Trying 10000 different sharpening methods is the next evolutionary step for beginning woodworkers, just after the long, dark “plywood jigs for everything” phase.

    I wish when I started I had had someone show me a simple approach to sharpening and/or tell me that there are a million different ways to sharpen, they all (hopefully) are trying to accomplish the same thing so find one that is simple and repeatable.

  14. The first step to success is to have you sharpening/honing kit on your workbench. If it’s there, you’ll use it.
    In recent years I’ve moved to a diamond-only setup with a drizzle of oil – a ridiculously cheap 1000 grit stone from China and a 8000 grit stone from DMT, plus an occasional 400/600 stone for bad nicks.
    Stroke stroke stroke, feel the burr, switch to the polishing stone, stroke stroke stroke, flip, stroke, glide back and forth on the palm of your hand, back to work.
    No one said ever – “oh, I’ve stopped too soon to sharpen”.

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