Category: Sharpen This

At midnight tonight the $50 introductory price for “Sharpen This (the Video)” will end. After midnight Eastern time, the video will be $75.

This video series is a deep dive into practical (not theoretical) at-the-bench sharpening. What do you need to do to get your tools to leave a perfect wooden surface? That’s the goal.

The series is an ongoing project. We have already posted 13 chapters, and most of them focus on particular tools and the tricks to sharpening them. And we are working on 18 additional chapters that will be released in the coming months. 

So if you buy the video now, you will continue to get new content on sharpening throughout 2023. We are covering techniques for all sorts of tools, and we eschew almost all of the silly jigs. 

For example: Today we just posted a new video on sharpening marking knives. There are a number of insane jigs out there for sharpening marking knives. And they all miss the mark. That’s because the most important part of sharpening marking knives isn’t sharpening the bevels. It’s sharpening the flat back.

Once you get the back flat, honed and polished (every time), then the bevels are easy. (No jigs.)

To prove it’s easy, I sharpen a marking knife that has been in use for 10 years without a single decent sharpening. And bring it back to life.

Normally we don’t share testimonials. They seem cheesy. But the response to the video has been impressive.

“I’ve read/watched people explain the process too many times now and it never clicked until I watched this series. After watching the grind/hone/polish video, I ran into my shop, tried it out, and had an actually sharp edge on my plane within 30 seconds — all of that without a bald spot on my forearm.

Seriously, huge thank you. I wish I had this series 2 years ago, I wouldn’t have wasted so much money, time, and angst.”

And:

“This video series has been incredibly helpful for me. My sharpening game has changed – less time sharpening and more woodworking!”

So if you want to save $25, here’s the link. Thanks to everyone who suggested we do this video and discussed their challenges when sharpening.

— Christopher Schwarz

Two quick notes. You have until midnight on Oct. 31 to purchase our new “Sharpen This (the Video)” for $50. After Oct. 31, the price of the video will be $75.

Also, today we posted the first of 20 additional videos that are included with your purchase. The newest video shows two ways to sharpen scorps. One method uses a piece of fine sandpaper. The second method allows you to grind and polish your scorps safely on the table saw.

(If you have already purchased the video, you will be notified by email that the new video is available and the email will give you a link to view it. Or you can use the link that came in your initial email after you purchased the video.)

Here is a partial list of the 20 additional videos we are working on for this series:

Marking Knives and Marking Gauges
Spade & Auger Bits
Shop Knives & Pocket Knives
Spokeshaves
Gunstock Scrapers & Chair Devils
Dividers, Awls & Planing Stops
Narrow and Odd Chisels
The Terrible Flattening Brick
The Edge-on-Up Sharpness Tester

— Christopher Schwarz

During the last 25 years, all my sharpening processes have become simpler. And use much less gear. This has made me faster, and my edges are just as excellent.

This evolution is most evident in the way I sharpen scrapers. I was taught the first step was to file the edge at a perfect 90°. Then stone away the scratches. This is completely unnecessary (unless you tried to scrape concrete with your tool). Instead, you can simply use a burnisher to turn the hook vertical and stone it away.

The second huge change also involves the burnisher. I was taught to polish both faces of the scraper to create a durable tool. This is also totally unnecessary. You can use your burnish to polish the face – right up where it needs to be polished.

Both of these tips are shown in this quick video.

My new video “Sharpen This (the Video)” is filled with small tips and tricks such as these that (I hope) will get you back to work a little faster.

— Christopher Schwarz

Because of the positive reaction to our “Build a Stick Chair” video, we decided to produce a new video on sharpening woodworking tools that delves even further into the topic than our new book “Sharpen This.”

“Sharpen This (the Video)” is a 2-1/2-hour long video companion to our “Sharpen This” book. But because the video medium is so good at showing body motion, we decided to keep expanding the video through 2023. What does that mean?

The video we are releasing today covers all you need to know to sharpen bench tools. Grinding, honing, polishing – the works. But during the next year we will release 20 additional videos that cover the more unusual tools, from scorps to fishtail chisels. 

Anyone who purchases the video (from now into the future) will also receive these 20 new videos as they are released (you will be notified of new videos via email).

“Sharpen This (the Video)” has an introductory price of $50 until Oct. 31, 2022. That’s the entire 2-1/2-hour video, plus access to the 20 upcoming sharpening videos. After Oct. 31, the video will be $75.

— Christopher Schwarz

About the Video

Sharpening your tools is simple. And easy. So why do so many woodworkers struggle with it?

One huge reason is the enormous amount of misinformation, needless consumerism and piles of unnecessary (and expensive!) equipment.

The new video “Sharpen This” takes you back to what is important: Getting a good edge that will leave shimmering wooden surfaces with a minimum amount of fuss, sharpening grits or gear. 

Most sharpening information these days comes from people who make sharpening equipment. Or from passionate amateurs who have tried to turn it into a science. Host Christopher Schwarz is a furniture maker who sells his work for money. His approach is to create durable edges (in usually 3 minutes or less) that will create perfect surfaces on your work. 

The 2-1/2-hour long video explains the entire world of sharpening so you can pick a sharpening system (they all work), sharpen your edges quickly and get back to the good part: woodworking.

In addition to the video, buyers will receive an additional 20 videos throughout 2023 that show you how to sharpen tricky tools (such as marking knives, scorps and fishtail chisels). Plus tips on how to sharpen faster and better while ignoring the immense amount of sharpening BS that clogs the internet.

Contents of Sharpen This (The Video)
Introduction    1:26
What is Sharp?    12:59
What Sharpens Tools?    8:59
My Personal Kit    8:48
Set Up a New Tool    22:58
Grinding    24:20
Hone & Polish    27:21
Flattening Stones    4:24
Hand Sharpening    12:07
Sharpen Scrapers    7:33
Moulding Planes    5:05
Reverse the Operations    13:15

Tools Sharpened in the Video
• Bench planes (jack, jointer, smoother)
• Block planes
• Bench chisels
• Mortise chisels
• Swan-neck chisels
• Router plane
• Card scrapers
• Travishers
• Moulding planes

Future Videos that Will be Included in this Series
Marking Knives and Marking Gauges
Scorps
Spade & Auger Bits
Shop Knives & Pocket Knives
Spokeshaves
Gunstock Scrapers & Chair Devils
Dividers, Awls & Planing Stops
The Terrible Flattening Brick
The Edge on Up Sharpness Tester
And more….